You're not alone --- straight talk from a young, gay man.
Thank
you for having me on your blog. My given name is Blueford, but I like to be
called Blue. I live in a small town in Texas and just became an EMT with our
local fire department. We only have one firetruck and one ambulance for now,
that’s how small our town is. We’re growing though, so who knows what tomorrow holds.
I, for
one, can attest to how quickly and drastically things can change. In the blink
of an eye, as it did for me.
It’s not
very often characters get a chance to speak their minds or share their feelings.
So I really appreciate this opportunity to talk about something that’s not only
important to me, but just might save a life.
I’ve
been a pretty lucky guy the last few months. I’ve overcome a lot of obstacles
including the death of my mother. With the help of my grandmother, some of the
best friends a guy could have, and an amazing boyfriend, I’m on the right
track. Things could have gone very differently as it has for so many young
people like me.
Too
often, even in this day and age, even family and friends can’t deal with someone
coming out as gay or lesbian. I was lucky in that regard, but many are not.
Equal
rights for people in the LGBTQ community has been in the limelight a lot the last
couple of years. Great strides have been taken in the right direction, but there’s
still a lot of work to do.
The hard
part is overcoming stereotypes and untruths spread by those opposed to
homosexuality. Some act like being gay is a new thing. I have news for them, we’ve
been around since the dawn of time.
Anyone
ever heard of Liberace? How about Alexander the Great? While some tales of public
figures being homosexual are just rumors, others are quite true. Regardless,
most couldn’t be true to themselves for fear of being rejected by family and friends
or even killed. It still happens every day all over the world.
Times
might have changed for the better in the last few years, but there are still
people out there who are willing to murder another human being simply because
of who they love. That needs to change.
I never
knew any kids like me in school, but that’s mostly because I kept to myself. I
damn sure never told anyone I was gay. Not even my own mom. She always knew
though, and she told me so before she died.
My boyfriend,
on the other hand, had a rough time when people found out he was gay. They didn’t
exactly run him out of town, but he did feel it necessary to move away and
start over.
That’s
actually how we met. I wish he hadn’t experienced what he did, but I am glad it
inevitably brought him to me. He’s out of the closet now, and we have a pretty
good life.
Too many
young people live in darkness and are deeply damaged because of shame, guilt,
confusion and even fear.
Some
have even felt so hopeless that they’ve taken their own lives. I hear about reports
of teen suicide all the time. It’s especially high among young gay and lesbian
kids who feel they will never have acceptance. It’s even be worse for trans
kids who are seriously misunderstood. Man, I can’t imagine how they must feel.
I’d help them all if I could.
Compassion
and empathy are free, and thankfully, it can be found if we know where to look.
If you, or someone you know, are struggling with your/their sexuality or even
gender identity, you are not alone. There are people out there who know exactly
how you feel and can help you figure out what is best for your individual
situation.
You don’t
have to live with the pain and confusion you might be feeling. Take a step in
the right direction and give yourself a chance to enjoy life and love yourself
for who you are.
Here are
a few places to get you on the right path:
The Trevor Project:
It Gets Bettter:
GLAAD:
As for me,
if you’re ever in southeast Texas and ever have to call 9-1-1, you just might get
to meet me or my sexy boyfriend, Jack. If not, get to know both if us by
picking up a copy of Heaven’s Just a Sin
Away by Tyler Robbins. You can find it here:
Evernight:
Amazon:
ARe:
Book
Strand:
Learn more about Tyler Robbins
here:
Website/Blog
Evernight
Author Page:
Amazon
Author Page:
A little teaser from Heaven’s Just a Sin Away by Tyler Robbins
Having just lost his mother to
cancer, eighteen year old, Blueford “Blue” Mason returned to their hometown of
Danville, Texas to live with his reticent grandmother, Alma. The two struggle
to bond while Blue undergoes a metamorphosis into manhood, discovering new
things about himself, his sexuality, life, love and even heartbreak.
After leaving his former fire
department due to intolerance of his sexuality, twenty-three year old, Jack
West moved to Danville to work as an EMT for his uncle’s small fire department.
He’d resigned himself to living a quiet life alone until Blue came along and
turned his world upside-down.
Will the young lovers find
acceptance in Danville or will shameful secrets from the distant past set this
town ablaze when the people around them are forced to face their own
shortcomings?
Heaven’s just a sin away for
everyone, especially when every sin is created equally.
Excerpt:
(adult
language)
Blue drew in a deep breath and
gripped the strong hand holding his. He peered into Jack’s dark brown eyes as
they darted back and forth.
“Fuck.” Jack stepped back and
shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know—”
“Don’t know what?” Blue had to
know. He had to hear the rest of the sentence. If he didn’t, he was certain he
would explode.
“I don’t know what I was
thinking just then.” Jack gestured to the space between them now. “I didn’t
mean to cross any lines, man.”
Blue shook his head. “You
didn’t.” He really hadn’t. In fact, Jack hadn’t even come close to crossing
lines. Not like Blue wanted him to, anyway.
“Oh, shit!” Jack charged past
Blue and reached for the now crackling frying pan with the steaks. Smoke and
steam billowed from the top. “Damn. I think I burned them.” He set the pan
aside and examined the steaks by lifting the edge of one with a fork. “Crap.
There went dinner.”
Blue laughed. “You can save
babies from burning cars, but you can’t cook up a couple of steaks?”
“Hey, I was dealing with an
emergency. You nearly cut your finger off.”
They both laughed as Blue
glanced down at his finger. “It’s not even bleeding anymore.” As their laughter
quieted, Blue couldn’t help himself. He had to say something. “You’re not, you
know.”
Jack’s brows pinched with
apparent confusion. “Not what?”
Blue swallowed hard, his knees
trembling so badly he wasn’t sure how he’d managed to remain standing. “You’re
not crossing lines.”
Jack ran a shaky hand through
his thick, dark locks. “Blue.”
“I’m an adult.”
“I know.” His Adam’s apple
worked up and down as his gaze dropped from Blue’s eyes to his mouth.
“Just because I’m younger than
you, doesn’t mean I’m too young.” It
wasn’t everything he’d wanted to say, but it was good start.
Jack’s gaze felt heavier
somehow, like the thoughts behind his gorgeous eyes were at odds. “I don’t know
if...”
A million words could have ended
the sentence, but nothing Jack said would have changed the way Blue felt. Right
now, he only wanted to feel Jack’s lips. Taste him. Touch him. The way he’d
done in every dream he’d had since he first met him.
“Nothing you say can change
this.”
“Look, Blue.” Jack stepped
closer. “I’ve had a rough year, and I don’t want my baggage to spill onto you.”
Blue scoffed, trying to thwart
the ball of air stuck in the back of his throat threatening to strangle him. “You’ve had a rough year?”
Was it petty to compare? He
instantly regretted the snide, selfish comment.
Jack’s eyes widened. “Shit,
Blue. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Nah, man. It’s okay.”
“No.” Jack placed his hand on
Blue’s shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. “It’s not.”
The second Jack looked him in
the eye, Blue knew. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if he didn’t make a
move, he might never have the courage again.
Blue rushed toward him and
instantly captured Jack’s bottom lip between his own lips and teeth.
Much to Blue’s relief, Jack
didn’t pull away. Instead, he pinned Blue against the counter, huffing hot
breaths as he pried Blue’s lips apart and slipped his tongue inside.
Blue sucked him in deeper,
swirling his tongue around Jack’s. His body trembled, and Jack hugged him
close, their mouths still fused together, kissing, suckling, tasting.
Their teeth clanked between
kisses, and a wave of energy Blue only experienced when he jerked off, surged
through him. Holy fuck! Had he busted
a nut already? He pushed the mortifying thought out of his head and eagerly
followed as Jack guided them toward the sofa.
Jack laid Blue back onto the
cushions and gazed down at him with a hungry look in his eyes. Between laboring
breaths, Jack whispered, “Jesus, Blue. What the hell have you done?”
Tyler Robbins, a.k.a. Robin
Badillo, is a down to earth mother of four, born and raised in a small Texas
town where she still resides with her nearly grown kids and a pack of spoiled
dogs.
After years of being a wife and
mom, complete with company picnics and fundraisers for the P.T.A., Robin found
herself starting over when her husband of fifteen years suddenly passed away in
2006. With no particular skills to speak of, Robin took the advice of friends
and family, and followed her heart and passion for writing into the publishing
world.
A fan of paranormal and southern
romance novels, Robin does her best to offer up a plethora of tasty morsels to
satisfy her reader’s appetite. Whether mainstream and/or paranormal erotic
romance or Tyler’s LGBT romance line, Robin strives to create characters who are
endearing and relatable.
Adversity is Robin’s motivation,
which explains why she’s a true believer that grey hair is simply God’s
graffiti.
Thank you for having us today!!
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