Congratulations this morning to Elizabeth (Alison) Lister on the publication of her first gay romance novel EXPOSURE. It just came out last night and is available from MLR Press on line. Here’s to making a dream come true Alison. The novel centers around a young model who comes into a shoot with a photographer and how their passions ignite into a relationship of sex and romance. Several months ago I met Alison online and became friends with her as she was just finishing the manuscript. She was fascinated by my photography and had approached me about doing some sort of cover art for the project and so we began to chat regularly on line. We later found out the publishers wanted to keep the project in house and use their own images. She had a sampling of several chapters on her website and I went to read them. I was not really familiar with this sort of writing but was quite intrigued that a woman would want to write a romance novel about a gay relationship. As I began to talk to her I discovered there is a whole sub-culture of women that write these sorts of stories, but are actually marketed to women. At the time I thought how odd. First of all why, and secondly, does it actually sell? I guess in a sense we all want to believe in something outside of ourselves and who could be more tolerant than someone who believes in the passion, love and romance of the human spirit, no matter what gender it personifies. It seems so very long ago when I was first beginning to experience my own romance with men, I was the one having difficulty accepting that I was drawn to a member of my own sex. It feels like it has taken a lifetime of overcoming these barriers and just finding my own comfort and acceptance. How the world has changed, as gays openly express their feelings, emotions and want to legally unite. Alison sent me a message this morning “I am very proud of this story and glad that I can be a part of making gay male sex less taboo and more mainstream.” It is interesting how our culture is evolving, little tiny steps at a time.

Alison I look forward to reading your book and good luck, I am proud you have been able to follow your passion and make it happen.