I'm kind of a rebel. Seems like I often end up fighting against "the system," and I usually end up mouthing off and getting myself in trouble. I've done that plenty of times here at GA, and gotten myself in lots of trouble. Even got some warning bars along the way. Of course, for someone like me, that was almost a badge of honor. At least it used to be.

I was gone from GA for quite awhile. Almost 2 years. I pretty much bailed during the "days of Kitty," and I really hadn't planned to come back, even though I missed old friends. Then I decided to start writing and I needed an editor, and who better to ask than Sharon. She encouraged me to post my stories on e-fiction, and to check out GA. She said it was different. She said there were lots of really great people here, some even more obnoxious than I used to be, and told me that I'd like it. I'm glad I believed her.

So I got back here and found a new GA. Lots of sharp people here, with incisive points of view. And I made lots of new friends, and reconnected with some old ones. I found that I really enjoyed writing, and I was rewarded by being read. I posted my stories and never imagined I'd end up anywhere other than e-fiction, which was cool because I love the e-fiction platform. I figured that even if I did well, even if I got lots of readers, even if I participated in the community, I'd never get beyond e-fiction. I'd been such a dick in the past. I'd gone toe-to-toe with the big guys, guys like Myr and dkstories, trumpeting my alpha male ego and letting it push me into being aggressive and rude. Why would they want to give someone like me hosted status?

Well, they're bigger men than I gave them credit for. There's no way I would have gotten here without their acquiescence. So to me, being hosted is not just the ultimate compliment to someone who writes gay fiction. It's not just a great opportunity to better develop my stories. It's a tacit acknowledgment that I've been forgiven for my past sins, and that I've been truly welcomed back into the community.

It's good to be here. Really good to be here.