Barbara Elsborg's Blog: https://www.barbaraelsborg.com/blog

Hi everyone. So sorry I've neglected the blog. Life keeps throwing its curveballs. BUT the good news is I have written 88,000 words of a new story - it will be over 100,000 by the time I'm done. It has a working title of Grey Lines but I suspect I'll change that.

It's about a boy who is brought up to be a killer and a boy who is extremely clever but very lonely. I've enjoyed writing this. I just hope it's okay! No one has even seen a rough draft yet.

My creative spurt seems to have coincided with the arrival of blue skies in my part of the UK. I was so fed of nothing but grey.

A snippet from the story

The boy stood and watched as his home burned. The sky above the house was alive with sparks flying in all directions. They looked like tiny birds on fire. But they weren’t. They were bits of his home—curtains, beds, clothes… He’d never seen anything like it. He stared wide-eyed, enthralled by the way the flames leapt and danced, and changed colour. The blaze warmed his skin even from this distance. Flames licked windows until they broke. Paint peeled from wood. The house looked like a gigantic firework, though not as beautiful as those he’d sometimes seen in the sky. Thanks to Kris Karadis - Unsplash for the photo.

He's out in more than one way!

Ilya

Ilya is held under house arrest while a charlatan therapist attempts to make him straight. But when Ilya sees a guy stealing his stepmother's necklace, he also sees a chance to escape.

It's a story full of twists and turns.

Bisexual awakening

Forced proximity

Hurt/comfort

Emotional

Humour

Suspense

Adventure

When you've read Ilya - there is free story called Taken about one of Ilya's friends available here https://dl.bookfunnel.com/9fh7w6umqw It's also on my website in the secret stories if you signed up for my newsletter.

Yes Guy will be released on the 12th November. It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

Saying No has to stop!

Heath’s negative attitude leads to the loss of his boyfriend, his job and the place he calls home. Now he’s determined to be a yes guy. Yes, he’d love to flat sit while the owner is away, though one look at the horrendous mess and after a painful tussle with a belligerent cat, he wishes he’d stuck to his usual no.

No is the last thing Tristan expects to hear when he proposes in front of his boyfriend’s friends and family. Humiliated, he hides out in his brother’s empty flat without asking, because does he really need to hear another no?

What he needs is a guy who’ll say yes…yes…yes… Could that be Heath?

This is the link to get a copy of Taken - https://dl.bookfunnel.com/9fh7w6umqw

Life has beaten me up a bit recently, not least of which was a cancer diagnosis, sigh, but onwards and upwards, and I have new book out on the 17th October called Ilya. Link below for preorder/

 Ilya

Gorgeous cover thanks to B4Jay!!

Two desperate men, one stolen necklace and a daring escape—what could possibly go wrong?

Ilya hadn’t imagined that attending his sister’s wedding would mean being imprisoned in the family home. For the last month, he’s been put through conversion therapy by a ruthless bastard, employed by his father, who’s determined to beat the gay out of him. Ilya plans to make a break for it while the wedding is in full swing. Fate is on his side when he catches a guest stealing his stepmother’s necklace. Ilya blackmails the thief: he’ll hand over the necklace for a ride out of there.

A tragic mistake in Julien’s past led to his life and future disintegrating. Now he can’t break free of the gangster he feels forced to work for. So when the cocky young Russian propositions him at the wedding, he has no choice. He needs that necklace back. His life and that of others depend on it… But Ilya’s presence upsets Julien’s plans at every turn. He can’t afford to make mistakes, but somehow he finds himself saddled with this flirty problem who’s pushing all his buttons. How can he make Ilya understand he’s not gay?

Except the more time they spend together, the more Julien questions a lot of the choices he’s made. Maybe they can keep each other safe. Either that or they'll die trying. 

Warning : Homophobia, conversion therapy, violence, guns, injury, death of a sibling

I also will have a free novella out at the same time that features Arkady - a friend of Ilya. Taken will available to download from my website, for those who have signed up for my not-very-frequent newsletter or from Bookfunnel. I'll provide links nearer the time.

Taken

It’s not safe to be gay in Russia and Arkady isn’t as carefully out as he should be. But what has he done to result in him being abducted and locked away in a conversion clinic? Time passes and he despairs of ever being released. When he falls ill and is transferred to a hospital, he sees a chance to escape. But how when he has no clothes, no money, no phone and no ID?

Gav has orders to rescue Arkady not fall for him. Oops. But there’s just something about the thin, pale guy that tugs at Gav’s heart. Fighting his attraction is a battle he loses. But he can’t leave Russia and Arkady has to. What future could they possibly have? 

I've been working hard on the next story which as yet has no title. Nothing new there. But life keeps interfering. So much happening - lots of stress and time sucking events and sometimes it's hard to keep my head above water. Not much is going to change in the short term as I will need to help look after grandkids for a while. But I hope to have the story finished before too long. At the moment, it feels like it won't be as long as many have been BUT I haven't done my first self-edit yet so that remains to be seen.

Summer has barely happened here in the UK. It's raining as I type this. I long for some blue sky!

I don't very often reread my books once they are out! But I've decided to reread this one.

The blurb for DIRTY ANGEL - Not angle as I first typed

Dying Sucks

Particularly when you discover there really is a hell. Aden thinks there’s no way he can avoid going down, but when an angel and demon can’t agree over his fate, Aden is given one more month to gain redemption. He doubts he can find a way to become a better man in so short a time. But it’s worth a try, right?

Living sucks

Particularly when you can’t shake free of an obsessive ex. Brody might be managing to hold down his job as a vet, but his personal life is a mess. If he doesn’t pull himself together soon, he’s going to be sliding downhill too fast to stop.

One wet night, on a dark country lane, two worlds collide and destinies change forever.

mybook.to/dirtyangel

mybook.to/fen It's also available in paperback.

I know, I know, I'm terrible at keeping in touch. I do blame real life issues which have been difficult to navigate for the last 15 months and are ongoing.

BUT I do have news. FEN - an mm contemporary romance is almost done. Just waiting a bit of proofing. I've written two extra bits as well. One is a story that precedes FEN by six years, called TAKING A RISK and I'll be offering that as a free read in the hope of enticing readers to give FEN a try. I'll be announcing when TAKING A RISK is available shortly. It will be a couple of weeks before the release of FEN.

The other story will be offered a a freebie on this website along with the many others I've written for those who sign up for my newsletter. I'll send you a link to the hidden content if you sign up! That story is called FEN AND RIPLEY IN JAPAN.

Shame on me - I don't even have a blurb for FEN yet but I nearly do. I do however, have a lovely cover, thanks to my cover artist Jay.

Hi everyone. Sorry I seem to be missing in action. Daughter is going through a difficult time and all my energy is being spent helping her. BUT I am 3/4 through a new story - featuring a barrister called Ripley and an antique restorer by the name of Fen. I'm hoping it will be out in a couple of months but I can't set a release date.

I feel like writing a factual article on the inequality of divorce. Even in this 'no fault' set up which was supposed to make things easier, it is still a complex issue, especially when kids are involved.

On a day out at the weekend, three of us went hunting for sea glass! Minster in Sheppey provided two pieces of red glass. First ever for me. Jonty would be thrilled.