When Laurent, an older gay man, moves from New York to France for work, he faces an existential question: does he have another relationship in him? Laurent acclimates himself to a new job and community, meeting several gay professionals through his boss's network. As he frets over the decline of his body, Laurent ends up crossing paths with an irresistibly alluring man, André, who forces him to reconsider his vow to forego romance. André faces a crossroads of his own when his 20-year relationship abruptly ends. Secrets rise to the surface as André faces terrifying memories, tangled affections, and new life circumstances. Despite their reticence to get involved with one another, there is a powerful erotic force that keeps drawing André and Laurent together, one that seems to dance in and out of time. Their deepening rapport unfolds amidst tangled corporate alliances and against the backdrop of a mysterious medieval Christian sect, the Cathars. Both wrestle with questions about the soul, the body, sexuality, and spirituality - threads that define the juncture in their lives and ones that shaped the history of Languedoc. This evocative tale of longing and passion takes up challenging questions about what it's like to age as a gay man and how crippling past traumas can be for future relationships. The narrative celebrates the intelligence of the body and the power of eros to heal and inspire. Deeply satisfying, Filaments in Time is filled with magical villages, vineyards, art, ruined castles, prehistoric caves, and handsome men. Michael Hartwig is a Boston and Provincetown-based author of LGBTQ fiction. He is an accomplished professor of religion and ethics as well as an established artist. Hartwig grew up in Dallas but spread his wings early on – living in Rome for five years, moving to New England later, and then working in the area of educational travel to the Middle East and Europe. His fiction weaves together his interest in LGBTQ studies, ethics, religion, art, languages, and travel. The books are set in international venues. They include rich local descriptions and are peppered with the local language. Characters grapple not only with their own gender and sexuality but with prevailing paradigms of sexuality and family in the world around them. Hartwig has a facility for fast-paced plots that transport readers to other worlds. They are romantic and steamy as well as thoughtful and engaging. Hartwig imagines rich characters who are at crossroads in their lives. In many instances, these crossroads mirror cultural ones. There's plenty of sexual tension to keep readers on the edge of their seats, but the stories are enriched by broader considerations – historical, cultural, and philosophical.For more information on published and forthcoming books visit:visit: www.michaelhartwigauthor.com
