Reviewer Announcement

Many of you who have been around the site for 3+ years may remember Stuart who used to drop by on occasion to kick my tires. 🙂 In addition he would often write me about different situations in M/M romances that as a gay man he found incomprehensible. One of my best posts Do Penises Twitch When Erect? was based entirely on a couple of his questions. This post generated a lot of discussion, is still the source of countless hits and is one of the most popular articles on the site. I wonder why? :blush:

A few other posts were inspired by Stuart as he prodded me with his pitchfork. 😮

Recently we re-connected and I offered him my standard bribe of strawberries and chocolates to join this crazy site. After he played hard ball I reluctantly upped my offer and agreed to the champagne he demanded, but not the case of wine he tried to sneak in as part of the deal. Out of the kindness of his heart (when he found out on which side of his body it was located), after due consideration Stuart  agreed to play with us as an occasional guest contributor and reviewer, starting this week. Here’s his bio and you will have to figure out which part is real :):

Growing up in suburban Missouri in the 70s, I didn’t have a name for my feelings when I watched Starsky & Hutch, CHiPs, or Trapper John,

Starsky and Hutch, Stu’s heroes

M.D. Why did I want some alone time with Paul Michael Glaser, Erik Estrada, and Gregory Harrison (individually and/or in a group)??? A mystery needing a solution, since I noticed my peers didn’t feel the same way.

Wandering around a bookstore in my teens, with beating heart and terror, I discovered Patricia Nell Warren’s The Front Runner, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Catch Trap, and Ensan Case’s Wingmen. These books, among others, helped me to name what I felt: I was G-A-Y.

From there it was the usual story, common to most gay men of my generation: I converted to Christianity and became an Orthodox monk. Two masters degrees later, my plan to be an out gay man while preparing for the Priesthood did not go precisely as anticipated. I left Orthodoxy, continued my education, and became a psychotherapist. I’ve been in private practice for 17 years and also teach counseling theory in a doctoral program.

I am partnered, now LEGALLY MARRIED, to a police detective and refuse to let him read Faith & Fidelity, lest he ruin it for me as he ruined Law & Order and CSI. My cop hates cop shows. *sigh* Because gay romance novels were integral to my coming out, I approach the genre with gratitude and seriousness. I hope some of you find some value in what I have to say.

Aunt Lynn and I would like to welcome Stu in his new capacity and hope the site will still be standing after he fires up his engine.

Stuart’s first post will be live on Friday, November 9 and I know it will generate a lot of buzz . 😆