![]() Along with other references, and contemporaneous accounts, that fascinating book helped give me a portrait of what life was like for gay servicemen in the period I wanted to write. When I wrote my WWII stories ( Into Deep Waters and Unfair in Love and War) I was lucky enough to come across Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War Two by Allan Bérubé. What did people of the era call a gay man, as either friend or as an insult? What were the chances of being caught, and what happened to gay men who fell foul of the law or the church? What clothes were worn and how did they fasten (or unfasten)? Heck, what did they use for lube back then? Finding resources that give a trustworthy picture can be hard. ![]() The author must track down so many details, not just of the era, but of being LGBTQ within it. (Or a Matthew, or a Steven …) Anyhow, for Will to get his plausible HEA takes both research and inventiveness from the author. And in fiction, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Throughout history, some real-life gay couples have managed to carve out a loving, shared life. If an author’s not going to just stick with what are effectively “codpiece-rippers” of hot, Regency-style fluff (which can be fun too), then how do they keep the story real, and yet find a satisfying, romantic ending for their two gay men? ![]() I love the genre (and really appreciate those authors who write it.) It’s a challenge. ![]() I’ve been reading quite a few historical gay romances lately. ![]()
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