As we progress into a new millenium, I sometimes reflect sadly on how little has been done to "normalize" gayness in our society. Of course, I mean American society, because Europe and even our neighbor to the north are light years ahead of us in this respect. To be fair, our government doesn't execute gays (if you ever saw the video of the two gay Iranian teens being executed, you might think twice about how bad things are for us here), and we've reached a point where even most conservative pundits support legal rights for gays, though generally more in theory than in practice (and no, Ann Coulter doesn't count. The only "value" she represents is the size of her royalty checks). Even President Bush has come out (sorry poor choice of words) in favor of civil unions. I point this out simply to illustrate how far we've actually managed to come in the past 20 years in some respects. A sitting Republican president (and staunch Christian Conservative) publicly expressing support for civil unions? If that isn't progress, I don't know what is.

But these things are more in the nature of political progress. What I've always been more interested in (and think is far more important) is achieving the "normalization" of alternative sexualities, a state in which the sight of two men sharing a kiss on a bus or in a TV commercial doesn't immediately produce waves of indignant outrage and endless punditry about the decline of Western civilization. Does it strike anyone else as odd that gays can adopt children in most states with the blessing of the majority, but that same majority goes absolutely ape shit if two girls hold hands on the bus? Gays can adopt children as long as they don't show any love for one another? Isn't that going to produce a way more fucked-up kid than one who just happens to have two mommies?

This, in my opinion, is where the real work needs to be done. Anyone who has heard me tell my teenaged fans to "be good ambassadors" knows my feelings on this issue. While I don't advocate abandoning our fight to obtain our legal rights through whatever means works, we also need to keep in mind that not everyone in that fight necessarily has all our bests interests at heart. There are those out there who want, or rather, need gays to remain a fringe, counterculture (and unequivocably far-left) minority, and who will do anything to sabotage what common ground we might find with god-fearing, family-loving, middle-American heterosexuals (in other words, just about everyone else with whom we share this country). Many of them, like many of the old guard in the civil rights movement, have made a comfortable (if not obscene) livelihood by selling us the culture of victimization, and are not likely to let their gravy trains pull out of the station without a fight. Others are simply afraid of losing their "specialness" (think men in nun drag). These people do their best to make mainstream America think that they represent some kind of monolithic "gay value system". What they really are in a sub-culture with a hard left agenda in which ALL traditional American values, social norms and moral judgments are evil and wrong. They firmly believe that everyone who dwells in the grim wasteland that lies between New York and San Francisco is a gun-totin' bible-thumper, and they insist that every good, self-respecting gay person believe it too. For this group, the assimilation of gays into the mainstream is unthinkable, and anyone who doesn't share their view, gay or straight, is the enemy.

Before you start the hate mail, this is not meant to depict every gay activist out there. People like Wayne Besen, Executive Director of "Truth Wind Out" (www.truthwinsout.org) is just one example of a GLBT advocate, of whom there are many, who regularly seeks to engage rather than simply vilify those who oppose gay rights. Does this mean that we have no enemies? It absolutely does not. Someone is buying up millions of copies of Ann Coulter's diatribes, after all, and there are plenty more people out there just like her. The nuns in drag, however, would have you believe that she represents the mainstream, just as they pretend, with the blessing of Ms. Coulter's ilk, to represent the "gay community" (an oxymoron if ever I heard one). Essentially, they are two sides of the same coin, and equally savage toward anyone who challenges, or even questions, the legitimacy of the war they're propagating.

Now what, you may ask, has any of this to do with "The Chronicles of Firma"? If you're not asking that, give yourself a gold star. If you haven't read the first two books of The Chronicles of Firma, let me 'splain. COF, as several reviewers have mentioned, is not a "gay" Fantasy series. It is a Fantasy series in which the lead characters are gay - a meaningful difference. Although the heroes deal with prejudice in their world, Firma is a land that has progressed several steps ahead of present-day America on the issue of sexuality, and so prejudice comes mainly from idiots and thugs. Even the villains don't care that Rokey and Flash are "samers". Their reasons for wanting them dead have nothing whatsoever to do with their sexuality. As the vast majority of the denizens of Firma have come to believe, who one chooses to love is largely a non-issue. I chose to create such a world because I wanted my books to reach beyond the gay niche market - to be entertaining and engaging for anyone with an open mind about alternative sexuality (as well as the legitimacy of the Fantasy genre in general, but that's a whole other blog). Though my two lovers battle ratmen, harpies, evil necromancers and numerous other bizarre entities, I wanted their romance to be normal, i.e. one that anyone, gay or straight, could identify with and root for. This is also what I want for the next generation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. I want them to be able to hold hands with their significant other, even (god forbid) share a kiss in public, without it being touted as another example of "the gay agenda" at work. I want them to feel free to be liberal or conservative, religious or non-religious, political or apolitical without being made to feel like a traitor to the "gay community".

These may seem like small, insignificant things, but they make a huge impact on people's everyday lives, as well as their sense of self-worth. Equal rights under the law is a laudible and necessary goal, but another, and perhaps ultimately more important one is the right for "gay people" to become "people who happen to be gay" - able to appreciate the many things that all people have in common, while being appreciated themselves for all the other qualities that make them unique and special individuals.

Hi guys!

Just wanted to give you all a look at the new book cover. I'm still making steady progress with the book that goes in it. I'll do my best to get it to you as close to the release date as possible. I'll let everyone know as soon as the book goes live on Amazon. By that time, I should also have copies available on my website.

Meanwhile - work, work, work.

Here is the cover:

Take care!
Patrick

The fog has lifted. Work continues. Life is good again.

Thank you all for your caring and support, and to all those still in the fog - hang in there. Things will get better.

See? Told you it was quick.

Love to all,
Patrick

Am I wrong to share my feelings with the world? I figure eight out of ten people will never read this, and nine out of ten of those who do won't much care. I guess the therapeutic effect this has for me lies in the hope that just one person will read it - one who is also hurting and occasionally questions the value of going on - and he/she will say - "he's getting through it, so I can too".

For that one person out there - I'm getting through it. Life is a wheel (yes, many times it is like the medieval torture device of the same name). Sooner or later, good times will come back around, if you keep looking for them and are willing to let them come back. Despite good anti-depressants (which everyone with clinical depression should explore), there are still times when the universe will just yank the rug out from you. If there is a God, I picture him as that weird little boy who liked to pull one wing off a fly, just so he could watch it go round in circles. Oops, I guess I just lost my invitation to speak at the next Billy Graham crusade. Ah well.

The thing about depression kiddies, is that it never completely goes away. It's like a tiger, hiding in the tall grass. Medication can put it to sleep for awhile, but now and again, it will wake up to hunt you.

At the moment, the tiger is upon me - his teeth firmly locked on the back of my neck. He's a heavy critter to carry around, but he hasn't managed to eat me yet. I don't think he will this time either. It's so good to have Raja - my tiger in miniature - back with me again finally. No matter how mired in self-pity I am at any given time - I can't help but smile whenever he jumps up on the arm of my chair for a visit, or lays upside down in the middle of the floor. I swear he knows when the tiger is on my back, and keeps a close eye on me. It's what one would expect, I guess, of one's companion of twelve plus years. Even so, I fall in love with him again every time I see him come sauntering around the corner.

I shall close this now. I guess I just wanted to both unburden myself a bit, and also to pass on a message of hope. Depressed boys and girls - those of you who battle every day to keep the tigers at bay...you are not alone. Things can and do get better, if you just keep on keepin' on. Don't give up.

Love to all,
PNC

Hey Everyone!

Great news for Firma fans and potential Firma fans! I have just gone and flipped my whole business model completely on its ass. What does that mean, you ask? It means that all the books in my COF Webstore, print AND ebooks, now have lower prices than you'll find anywhere else...even on Amazon.com! Plus, I am still autographing all print copies FREE OF CHARGE!

Why am I doing this? Well, frankly, I'm tired of always having to shell out a huge cut to the online retailers. By giving them a little competition, I can sell my books directly to you for less and still make a decent profit.

Don't panic. You'll still be able to get my books from Amazon, B&N, BooksOnBoard and all those other retailers...only now you've got the choice of buying them from me for less and getting them signed for free!

The COF Webstore also has great posters for sale, 100% of the profits from which go directly to charity. So be sure to check those out too.

Okay, gotta go. I already have orders to fill. Hope to see yours come through soon!

Best,
Pat Nelson Childs

Hey Everyone!

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I am putting a team together to form a cooperative for indie authors and small presses. The basic business concept is as follows:

RPLC

Rainbow Pen Literary Cooperative

The RPLC will be an organization dedicated to helping independent authors and small publishers of GLBT-themed books to gain access to wider markets through cooperative advertising and promotion.

The objectives I envision are to offer members five primary services:

1. cooperative advertising
2. sponsored events
3. a publishing umbrella with which to gain access to more retailers and reviewers
4. expert editing, formatting and cover design
5. help with websites and promotional material design

Services might be rolled out gradually, or implemented all at once, depending on the initial level of participation. Because this is a cooperative venture, the more members we have, the more influence we'll have.

Right now I am looking for a small group to form the steering committee and help get the business organized. Later on, we will be looking for skilled volunteers and members. All ideas are on the table. The above is just a starting point. The plan is basically for us all to pool our skills, contacts and financial resources in order to create a larger, more influential body – a guild of sorts. If you are interested in belonging to this cooperative, even if you aren't ready to make a solid commitment yet, please join our yahoo group so that we will be able to gauge the level of interest out there. If you are willing to volunteer some time to help us with website creation, promotion and other critical start-up tasks, please either post to the group or email me directly. I will get back to you promptly.

If you have business experience and/or strong organizational skills (or even just some great ideas to contribute) and would like to be on our steering committee, please email me immediately and let me know. As soon as I have enough volunteers to form an adequate decision-making and brainstorming body, I will set to work organizing our first web meeting. It will take some time to do this correctly, so the sooner we begin, the better.

Please feel free to post your questions to the RPLC Group or send them to me directly. I have deliberately avoided going into great detail in this initial posting because I want everyone who participates in the formation this cooperative to contribute ideas of their own. As things develop, we will update everyone on our progress.

I believe that this will greatly benefit many indie authors and publishers who are currently being ignored by most retailers and reviewers. Though the industry seems determined to marginalize us, it is my belief that indie, POD and yes, even the much maligned 'vanity' publishers all have great talent in their ranks. We are the ones on the cutting edge. We are the ones taking the risks. It's time that we demanded to be recognized and treated with respect.

Join our yahoo group today!

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/rainbowpen

Pat Nelson Childs

Author of The Chronicles of Firma

http://www.patnelsonchilds.com

http://www.chroniclesoffirma.com

PLEASE REPOST THIS WHEREVER YOU CAN

Greetings all,

Sorry it has been awhile since I posted. I am working extremely hard to get Numen's Trust finished for a summer release. I am one chapter away from the finish of Part Two, and Part Three should sail right along (he said, jinxing himself once again).

To keep all of you happy, I have decided to post the excerpt I promised. I had a devil of a time finding one that didn't reveal too much, as this third book is packed to the rafters with plot (the necessary outcome of all that has come to pass in the first two books). I hope you enjoy the one I chose. I think it gives you a taste of the book without ruining any of the suspenseful twists and turns. You can read it by clicking on the link below:

Numen's Trust Excerpt 1

Well, I hate to titillate and run (shame on all you dirty-minded folk), but I have to get back to work. Be sure to let me know what you think of the excerpt. I'll try and post another before the book is released.

Best to everyone!
Patrick

I got this email today and thought I'd share it, and my response, with all of you. I blanked out the sender's email address as a kindness to him/her.

_____________________________________

From: pnchilds@glynworkspublishing.com [mailto:pnchilds@glynworkspublishing.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 5:48 PM
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: RE: question to pat nelson?

 Dear sir/madam,

 Thank you for your letter. It serves as a perfect example of the deep-seated fear and bigotry that is still, unfortunately, all too prevalent in this country. It is precisely this attitude that motivates me every day to continue my writing and my efforts to help gay and lesbian youth to realize that there is nothing at all wrong with them or the way that they love. Your type of narrow-mindedness is what really poses the greatest danger to young people, who at that age are all struggling to find, accept and love themselves. I plan to keep fighting every day to oppose those who self-righteously use God as an excuse to promote intolerance, and who (like Richard Cohen) perpetuate the myth that homosexuality is an affliction that needs to be cured.

 I hope that one day you will see the light, or if not, that at least your children will. There is already more than enough ignorance in this world.

Regards,
Pat Nelson Childs

Hello Everyone!

Sorry I have been silent for so long. I needed some time to settle down after a 26 hour bus ride from Maine to Ann Arbor, followed by a lot of running around to get signed up with the proper agencies (to keep my supply of life-saving medicine paid for) and to furnish my wonderful but empty new apartment. I am happy to say I have done all of that now, and am comfortably ensconsed in my new digs. The only thing missing is my feline side-kick, Raja. He will be flying in to rejoin me in another week or so. Why, you may ask, does the side-kick get to fly while the hero has to ride on a bus for 26 hours? It's just the way it always is. The cat gets the best accommodations. Raja would argue that this is as it should be. I suppose he's right. Anyway, he'll be here soon, thank goodness. I've missed the little shit terribly.

On the writing front, I am working hard to catch up on Numen's Trust. I have scaled back on Starlander so that I won't be too late getting NT out. I'm not sure I'll be able to meet the June 30 release date I promised, but I'm going to move as fast as I can without sacrificing any of the quality that you all expect from me. Don't worry though. I am working on chapter 22 now and things are moving along quickly, so the delay should not be more than a few weeks. I apologize for keeping you waiting. I had a very rough winter, which really screwed up my writing schedule. Now that I am properly medicated and living back where I belong, things are tooling right along again. Thank you all for being there to support me when I was so down and out earlier. I've said it before, but I can't stress enough how much your support means to me.

For those of you wondering what's become of my newsletter, Trajectory, it is on hiatus for awhile, largely due to time constraints. I plan to bring it back soon as a quarterly release. I'll let you all know when that's going to happen and invite all those who are not yet on my mailing list to join up.

One quick note about book sales...thanks to all of you, sales for the month of April have blown the lid off once again, beating my previous highest-grossing month by a huge margin. Thanks to all of you who have helped me to spread the word. Please keep it up. You are the ones driving my success, and I very much appreciate it.

That's it for now. I have to get back to work. I hope you all have a wonderful Spring and Summer.

Love to all,
Pat

Well, at long last, I’m off to Michigan. I found a great apartment and will be leaving my ice palace in Maine a week from this Saturday, riding the friendly roads on Greyhound. I’m so excited! It’s going to be a long ten days, but now that the end is in sight, it’ll go by fast. The hardest part is going to be deciding what things I can pack, what I need to ship immediately and what I’ll have to wait until later to send. Luckily, I don’t own very much. My most valuable possession, Raja, will be flying over to join me later in April. As usual, he gets the better accommodations, but hey, that’s life. If I’m going to ever do a book tour, I may as well get used to the bus.

It’s been just over five years since I returned to the states, suffering with severe pneumonia and not expected to live. I proved them all wrong and survived, and now it is time finally to return to something like a normal life. Wish me luck!