National Coming Out Day

[erastes]

Happy Birthday eri_quito who writes wonderful gay poetry.

It's National Coming Out Day in America today and not here, but I'm waving my flag and sharing my story like my friends are.

I was very lucky when I met the first woman I slept with, beautiful, free-sprited, talented. Can't see what she saw in me!  Her husband had just been chucked into prison for possession of a miniscule amount of cannibis - on a disgusting two year sentence and she moved in with me for a while. I remember she had amazing hair, dead straight in a Louise Brooks style and it really suited her. We got drunk and - well we ended up in bed together.  The next day we acted as if nothing had happened. (although it happened again a few times, but not terribly often) I remember feeling a little confused for an hour or two, but then I had good training, I'd been reading Robert Heinlein since I was 15 or so and I firmly believed - and still do to this day - that love and sex can be exclusive of eachother (obviously) and that it's the person that matters and the gender has no impact on that at all.

I have slept with a few women since, not a vast amount but strangely, while I find it easy to bed men with whom I have little or no connection with other than "Phwoar", all the women I've slept with have been friends first and continue to be so. That's something I've rarely managed with men. I'm either friends OR lovers with men. Rarely both.

I know some bi-sexuals who have had a bad time with the gay and lesbian crowd - and that's hard to accept. It's hard for me to accept that gays and lesbians - two factions that should be more tolerant than most have their own bigotry.  I haven't had that problem, but then I never hung with any clique, and now I'm too old and honery to put up with it.

Junction X moves along, just finished chapter 15 and the book has hit 50,000 words. It's hard, really hard. I've doubted myself every step of the way on this one, whether this is the right time to write this book, whther it would be a better book if I left it for a few years but my readers are helping me not give up. I suppose that's what writing is for me, anyway, it has to be a challenge, or there's no point to it.

Comments

[eri-quito.livejournal.com]

Hey you.

Thanks a lot, friend from far away. I'd like to get my hands on a bit of your writing some day. How might this feat be accomplished?

[robertsloan2.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! I never heard of National Coming Out Day, but it's neat... it's a cool concept. I'm already out, especially on LJ, but for the record, I'm a bisexual FTM transsexual, postsurgery, legally male, very very relieved and living a comfortable life without the constant harassment I had for most of my adult life.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I have only female friends, and I do a man work, and I'm not married nor in a long relationship at 33 years old. But it's all due to the fact that I can't be a friend with men I have loved, so when love finish, I can't continue to be friend with them. Few years ago a very beautiful woman in a club approached me with clear intentions: I have no clue, I thought she was friendly. When she went away, my men colleague (it was a post work evening) told me I was stupid, that she was very beautiful... but they saw her with men eyes and I'm not sexual attracted from a women. I can honestly say when I see a beautiful women, and I can appreciate a beautiful body, but I feel no desire to bed them. The first man I really love was a smart and handsome guy: he was 21 years old and gay, even if at that time he still believed to be able to build a straight relationship. He was so clever to not try to continue our friendship when he understood I was in love, cause he knew I would suffer to be near him and not love him. So here I'm now, 33 years old with still the stars in the eyes and the dream to find true love, whereever it is and whenever I will find it. elisa

[mongrelheart.livejournal.com]

Hi there, i arrived here by way of logophilos's jounral. Mind if I friend you?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I hope you had a good birthday!

My website is probably the best place to start

www.erastes.com/home.htm

as it has snippets and excerpts, and links to where to buy the one (so far) novel (Standish) and the short stories. The short stories are more aimed at the market I wrote them for, though - gay anthologies. The only one I'm really proud of is "Drug colours" which is in the "Where the Boys Are" antho by Cleis.

http://astore.amazon.com/erasteshistor-20/detail/1573442909/102-3323338-4064103

Thanks! :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I think I've had you on my flist for years now, and your story has been an inspiration to me

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Well, there's no shame in that, if you aren't bisexual, you aren't!

:)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

No need to ask, hun - welcome!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Ciao. I don't know if you know about this series, it's by Samantha Kane and is a Regency Romance. This months is out in print format by Ellora's Cave, previously it was available in ebooks. I didn't buy it causa I don't like very much the m/m/f relationship, but maybe it's interesting for you list of M/M Historicals:

http://romancebooks.splinder.com/post/14273108

elisa

[mongrelheart.livejournal.com]

:-) !

[robertsloan2.livejournal.com]

Purr thank you! I'm glad it's inspirational to someone. I blogged a lot of things in great length while they were happening and sometimes got incoherent because of pain.

[moondancerdrake.livejournal.com]

You must write much longer chapters then me. Mine average 1500-2500 each.

50,000 that's something to be proud of. I think all good writers doubt thier work, and that's why beta readers or often our saivors from ourselves. :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

part of my problem is that I never know how long a chapter should be. :) The more I write the less I know how to. They kind of work their way along, coming to a break by themselves. It's good to know that I can do them smaller, but I should know that - I'm just horrible insecure! "oo this is only 1400 words! not enough!!"

:)

Thank you for the encouragement. I do feel squished when some of the people on my flist pump out 40,000 a MONTH and this novel has taken over a year to get to this point...

I friended you back - I didn't realise you were PD. I'd be interested in a spot on your LJ, if you don't mind me barging in?

[moondancerdrake.livejournal.com]

A book takes as long as it takes. You can't compare your pace to others. You aren't them and that's a good thing. I always assume my chapter is as long as it need to be. Maybe shorter chapter are just my style, and I do my best to let those worries go. I know its hard. :)

Don't mind at all. I'd be glad to have you do the guest blog on the 16th if you're willing.

I coooould do an email interview with you this week and set up a spotlight on the 20th for your book (s) (I have to post it early friday so that its up in time before I head out of town. My next author spotlight opening is Feb 2nd. (every Saturday)

Yep, I am a brand knew PD gal, for my book Ancestral magic. :) It's very exciting.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh - thank you!

I nearly missed this comment - always email me please with new bookies to buy?

THANK YOU! i don't like the m/m/f either, but I'll give it a go.

xxx

[erastes.livejournal.com]

email interview would be great!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I read something about Samantha Kane and it's not bad, but never read anything historical. elisa

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I can understand that, it must have been dreadful - but I'm so happy for you that it's paying off at long last and that you are getting where you want to be in life.

[moondancerdrake.livejournal.com]

Yeah I do them for my spotlight and for Queer Girl Talk now. It's been a blast. So you want me to set ya up for the 20th or wait until Feb?

Also, are you interested in the guest blog spot in Tues or is that too short notice?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy to do that - what would I have to do?

Do you have a chat programme?

[moondancerdrake.livejournal.com]

email me at moondancerdrake@gmail.com and we can talk details :)

[robertsloan2.livejournal.com]

I love it here. I think I appreciate Kitten and HeraldoftheAbyss and their help a lot more because of all the other places I've lived and trouble I've had. I know that being postop has made life so incredibly good.

I went to an SCA event yesterday and had a great time even if my knee and back whacked out on me afterward. I had no TS-problems with ID and didn't bother having to explain any of it, just dragged a folding chair around class to class and enjoyed it and met people, didn't get treated as odd by anyone. And did get recruited into doing some scribe work!