Gemma by Luna Oblonsky
Gemma, a deeply closeted lesbian, is about to start her freshman year at the University of St. Maria’s, a college full of devout Catholic students and faculty. Gemma has always been able to suppress her sexuality to avoid discrimination from her family and peers. Until…
Cole, Gemma’s new roommate, tests Gemma’s resolve for the first time and Gemma finds herself finally giving in to her desires. The more their bond grows, the harder it is for Gemma to justify hiding from the world. She wants to be with Cole openly.
When things go wrong, Gemma has to choose between the life she’s been conditioned to accept and the one person who loves her for who she really is.
Description
Find more from this author on:
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TwitterAbout the author:
Luna Oblonsky lives in Los Angeles, CA with her tabby cat, Hunter. She's written novels and screenplays since she was a young girl. Her love of writing was born when she read the Harry Potter series and the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. After graduating from college, she moved to Los Angeles, CA to start her life.
Luna writes romance novels in her free time, with a focus on LGBTQ+ romance. Her favorite romance writers are Richelle Mead, Harper Bliss, and Lynsay Sands. She also has a deep love for movies and TV shows. Her favorite show is "Euphoria" and her favorite movie is "Whiplash".
What inspired you to write your book?
"Gemma" was inspired by books like "After", "Twilight" (without the supernatural element), and "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda". It's a coming of age story about a girl who struggles between fear and love, conformity and self-acceptance, pleasing her family and following her heart.
I was sent to a Christian boarding school when I was in middle school. While there, I was conditioned to think of homosexuality as evil and immoral. I stayed in the closet for many years after I left that school and finally came out last year. I'm lucky that my family was supportive but I have friends who weren't as lucky. These experiences heavily inspired my book.
Here is a short sample from the book:
Gemma woke up to the sound of her alarm at six the next morning. She quickly turned it off and noticed Cole passed out in the bed across from her, still wearing the clothes she had on the day before and not a single box unpacked.
Cole stirred in bed but didn’t get up. Gemma stood and walked to her dresser to get changed. She decided on another dress with a floral pattern and her favorite jean jacket. She wanted to wear her lighter clothes while she could before it got too cold outside. She stripped out of her pajamas and pulled the dress over her head. Then, she struggled with the zipper on the back for a moment.
“Do you need help?” Cole asked.
Gemma jumped when she heard Cole’s voice, not realizing she was awake.
“Oh, no. I got it. Thanks,” Gemma said.
Gemma struggled with the zipper a little more but it was caught on something. Cole got out of bed and stood behind Gemma. She tried pulling the zipper up and down, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Man, this is really stuck. One sec,” Cole said.
Gemma waited with her hands clasped together as Cole fiddled behind her.
“How late did you stay out?” Gemma asked.
“I dunno. One or two? Why, did you miss me?” Cole asked.
“No. I mean… I was just curious.”
Finally, Cole pulled the zipper up. Gemma quickly turned around.
“Curious about me?” Cole winked at Gemma. Gemma lost herself in Cole’s bright green eyes before averting her gaze, her cheeks burning.
“Next time you should come with me. It would be fun to have a partner in crime,” Cole said.
Then, Cole walked to her mountain of boxes and searched through them. Gemma exhaled shakily. Cole threw pieces of clothing onto her bed one by one. Gemma busied herself with packing her bag full of books and supplies that she would need. She tried not to seem affected by Cole’s proximity to her. She wasn’t going to go there, even if it seemed that Cole might be open to it. That only made Gemma more nervous. This was a part of herself she’d always kept to herself and she intended to keep that way. Gemma pulled her jean jacket on and gathered all of her things.
She glanced at Cole and saw she had put on a David Bowie t-shirt, a denim skirt, and fishnets.
“Do you think the nuns teaching us will faint if I wear these?” Cole asked sarcastically, pulling a diamond of her tights away from her skin and let it go so it slapped back into place.
“I mean, there isn’t really a dress code,” Gemma said quietly.
Cole shrugged and gathered her things.
“Wanna get breakfast before class?” Cole asked.
“Sure,” Gemma said.
They left their room and walked down the hall side by side. Angelica walked out of her dorm room right as Cole and Gemma walked by.
“‘Morning,” Cole said.
“Good morning,” Angelica said. Then she looked at Cole’s outfit and her expression fell. Her disapproval was evident. Angelica was wearing a white button-down blouse, a yellow sweater, and a khaki skirt that went down to her knees, making her look more like a middle-aged professor than a college freshman.
“Well… have a good first day,” Angelica said politely. Then she walked away.
Cole snorted and kept walking. Gemma followed behind her.
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