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What if...? 7/4/2004 3:31:33 PM
Pondering humanity, sexuality and more... Lately, every time I turn on the TV there seems to be some controversy over gay and lesbian marriage. Should it be allowed? Should it be banned? Will society come crumbling to anarchy if people who love each other are allowed to say so and be legally connected?
When I wrote "Angels Among Us", the topic wasn't all that hot in the news, but there had been a horrible murder of a young gay man in the midwest. His death started me wondering, "What if...?", and my main male character obliged by telling me exactly what if.
If you haven't read the book, let me blab a major point, hoping it won't ruin the story for you. Daffyd ap Owen, wealthy, successful, powerful, with the world by the horns, has a deep and horrible secret. He likes women.
Now, here on our version of Earth, that's not a bad thing. In fact, it's downright the morally acceptable thing. But in Daffyd's version, oh no! No! NO! Nononononono! Bad! Very bad. See, on Daffyd's world, homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is not only frowned upon, if your secret gets out, you could end up dead. Maybe even more dead than usual.
So what does a fella do when he is suddenly transported from his world to a place he doesn't recognize, and meets the woman of his dreams? Can he sweep her off her feet and tell her how he feels? Not unless he wants her to scream in horror and flee. What does a man do when he is drawn, but believes he has to keep the attraction a secret?
Now, what if she is from OUR version of Earth? What does she make of his confusing behaviour? How does she cope with a man who seems to be gay, but in whom she finds a soul mate?
How do these two overcome all this? How do they get home again? Do they even WANT to go home again? And what about the little girl from the ultimately communist world? What do they do with her? And where do the Galactic Recruits fit in?
Come read an excerpt. Visit my webpage for the first three chapters. Better still, buy a copy for yourself right here from the AD bookstore.
