ChromedOutCortex

Thanks, @peter rietbergen - found and fixed! Sorry about that.

The apartment was quiet in a way it rarely was during the week. No alarm blaring, no rush of boots on hardwood, no last-minute scrambles for misplaced keys. Just the hum of the refrigerator and the distant clatter of the Sunday garbage truck. Sundays were supposed to be for rest. In reality, they were for cleaning. Henry started in the kitchen, wiping counters, scrubbing the stovetop until it gleamed, rinsing out the coffee pot. He moved to the living room, dusting shelves and straight

Over the years, Alex and I crossed paths now and then. Nothing that could be called a date, more like two friends orbiting the same sky. “BC Buds,” he’d joke, a wink at the province’s reputation and the fact we’d both come from the coast. In third year, he introduced me to his boyfriend. Nice guy. For a while, they seemed solid, until they weren’t. When it fell apart, Alex wore his heartbreak like an old coat, heavy, dragging him down. I knew that weight. I sat with him through it, nudging

No... though I thought about writing everyone in the same universe, but I did try to write one story in the same universe... I just need to get down to actually writing the tie-in to that story.

Some of the story is personal experience, some of it what I've seen others struggle with. Yes - Jamal's parents are from India (Gujrat) but progressive, he was born (and conceived) in Canada.

Unfortunately this seems to be the reality within the Muslim community - being gay, and being gay AND out are huge stigmas. There is a lot of judgement... I have a friend who is religious, but is also gay and is really torn. He has decided not to pursue any relationships, but still struggles as people often ask him "When are you getting married? You're getting older, you know...". But I also know several openly gay Muslims, who are no longer actively follow the religion. It's too bad your husband's parents can't accept him and that is mom thinks she is a failure. South Asian society (those originally from the Indian sub-continent - so including places like Pakistan, Bangladesh and wherever the diaspora has taken them) is slowly changing. Maybe not with this generation, but maybe the next and families are starting to learn that not every child will follow the traditional path that they may have. So STEM or medicine won't be the choice for everyone, and marriage early in life is no longer an option (though there are exceptions) but it's hard for those views to change.

The rest of the week moved the way weeks usually did, emails, meetings, late afternoons that bled into early evenings. Nothing remarkable. Nothing terrible. Just… life. By the time Friday rolled around, the idea of cooking felt like a battle I had no interest in fighting. I swung by a place Kevin and I used to love, ordered more takeout than I needed, and drove home with the familiar smell of it filling the car. Home always felt good, even when the quiet pressed in a little too tightly

Thank you for the kind words! I've been terrible at writing intimate scenes; I've tried but they don't read authentic enough. 😞 I am working on another story where where I am adding in a few more intimate scenes. I'll share more once it's ready.

Thank you so much for sharing how deeply the story affected you, that means a great deal. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having a tough time with work and your cat; I hope things get better soon. While this part of the story does sit in some difficult emotional territory, I wrote it with the quiet hope that even in darkness, there’s a thread of resilience. And yes, there is a second part in the works that begins to let in more light. I’m writing it right now, and I hope it offers some comfort when it’s ready, and will go into Adams journey to accept what's happened and move forward. Please always honor your own emotional space. Stories like this are meant to be met when you’re ready for them.🙏🫶

Hint: It won't. 😉

Upon graduating high school, I enrolled in university, determined to carve my own path. Our family history was steeped in business and landownership, but numbers had always called to me. Someone has to manage the books, I thought. And if businesses thrive on trust, then an accountant could be the quiet guardian of that trust. It felt like a fitting profession, not flashy, but essential. Honorable. I worked hard. Studied harder. Took every internship I could, even the unpaid ones. I wanted t

OMG. Yup. Wow. Embarrassed. 🫢 I'm sorry -- it does belong somewhere else. Grrr... EDIT: Aaaaaand it has been fixed! Happy New Year everyone... 🎆

Saturday arrived with the kind of golden late-summer light that made even the cracked sidewalks of Maple Avenue look soft around the edges. Christian had gone to the grocery store right after his shift ended, walking the five blocks in the heat rather than spend money on a rideshare. In the baking aisle, he stood for a long moment in front of the sheet cakes, chocolate, vanilla, confetti, before choosing a simple vanilla with buttercream swirls. Nothing fancy. He paid with cash, counting out bil

It’s true, there’s a lot of homophobia and misunderstanding out there, not just in society but within religious communities too. And yeah, there’s definitely a vocal minority that twists faith into something harsh, acting like hatred is their duty. But I’ve also seen Muslim families respond with real love and acceptance when their child comes out. Those stories matter. They remind us that faith, at its best, is about compassion, not control.

Thank you for the very kind words! 💕

My parents left India the year my oldest brother turned five. Ammi (Mom) was already three months pregnant with Zul at the time, her hands always resting gently on her belly like she was holding something too precious to name. It wasn’t an easy choice. Our family had lived in Gujarat for generations, born in the same village, married in the same mosque, buried in the same red earth. Leaving felt like tearing a page from a book that had been writing itself for centuries. But Abbu (Dad) had

Hey @Krista - thank you for that. I agree with you 100%. Reddit can be pretty toxic, but sometimes there’s a interesting post and thoughtful discussion. When I saw that post, about someone complaining that certain authors “get M/M relationships all wrong,” and it made me curious. For example, there are certain characters or experiences I personally haven’t lived, like specific aspects of LGBTQ+ identity, and while I deeply respect those stories and could do research, I’d worry about missing nuances or unintentionally misrepresenting something important. Bringing reality into my stories and characters really matters to me, so I tend to write what I know or what I can approach with the care and lived insight it deserves. The writing I’ve read here has been amazing! So many talented storytellers! That’s why I try to plug this site whenever those conversations pop up. It feels like a lot of readers go straight to Amazon looking for LGBTQ stories, only to end up disappointed. Honestly, in all my time here, I don’t think I’ve read a single bad story. Everything feels intentional, well-crafted, and emotionally resonant. I might take a closer look at the titles people are complaining about just to see whether it’s nitpicking or if there’s substance to the critique. But ultimately, bad stories can be written by anyone - regardless of gender, background, or identity. What matters is respect for the characters, authenticity, and the willingness to do the work.

Thanks for spilling names... I'm going to hunt some of these stories/authors down.

Totally! That was actually one of the comments - that when female authors write M/M romance/sex they don't get it right. I've never ready any, so am not sure what the complaint really is - but I mean, if you're trying to understand M/M romance it would be different for everyone and sex... well, won't go there.

Hmmm.... are you reading my mind??? 😉🤞

Rediscovering love can be tricky after you've been with someone for such a long period of time. You may want to forget all about it. But it can also be a challenge to stay alone. Liam needs to open himself up, even with the age difference. The question is - will he??? 💕🤞

Thanks for the reply! It's always interesting to learn who reads/writes and what they write about but also what they are reading, and what types of stories they enjoy. I know we're all a little different in what we enjoy reading/watching, but it's nice to see the diversity in action.

Thanks... yeah, I don't want to start any drama; just curious to know the mix between male/female and the type of writing each is doing.

So I was on Reddit a little while ago and saw a post by someone saying that so much of the MM romance on Amazon (I assume) is drivel, they also mentioned that so much of it is written by women. I'm wondering if a survey was ever done here to breakdown authors/readers? Who's writing - is it predominately men? What genres are most popular and who is writing in those genres. What about readers? Mostly men? Are there women reading anything here? I'm curious because after watching some short documentaries, I came to learn that a lot of BL manga was written by women. I did not know this. Maybe something like this was done and I should just try searching. 😉

Adrian stayed in his car long after Liam’s taillights disappeared down the road. His heart was beating too fast. Ridiculous, really. He was thirty-five, not some teenager blindsided by a crush. He stared through the windshield at the trailhead, at the trees swaying lazily in the breeze, and tried to name the feeling sitting just under his ribs. What was that? The strange pull. The familiarity. The way Liam’s voice seemed to settle something in him