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Thank you both! Yes, it's a great feeling, especially when I first held my proof copy and (gasp!) it looked like a real book!

A: A very good point got made in this post. So few people actually put the things they liked specifically into reviews that they send. Sometimes, I wonder why a reader will refrain from explaining the elements they enjoy. Many writers seem to have this specific frustration of not knowing the powerful elements that keep their readers involved with the story. The please update with more version does seem to be the normal variety of positive feedback reviewers give to writers.

It sure is! These are our homes there: Facebook Twitter If you have either of those accounts then I'd strongly recommend 'liking' us or 'following' us there, because we post announcements there concerning AFF. So, for example, if the website goes down for whatever reason then it gets posted to those two locations to let you know, as well as when it's back up. And don't worry, we don't post useless rubbish, only stuff that is related to AFF! Please keep in mind, though, that if you have problems of some kind then there are forums right here to post that, not on Facebook or Twitter.

Nominally, anything that actually says what the reader/reviewer thought, enjoyed, connected with, etc etc. If they liked it, telling me what they liked is better than "Hey this was great, update with more soon!" or some such, as I've received a few times. A review is a review, but some really are better than others in that respect. Something like what I received from Aya/GossamerSilverglow a few days back really demonstrates the better review type - detailed, constructive, asking questions about things and posing suggestions for errors.

I think Melrick's summed that up nicely. It's my understanding that there has already been a petition to add this to movies banned by reason of the Geneva Convention when choosing films for prisoners of war.

I think I'd rather staple my scrotum to the bottom lip of a rabid, starving tiger than to watch a 50 Shades of Gray movie. That's what I think.

Somewhat Rant Oriented thoughts, so feel free to answer or ignore. I have many people to answer with this post. Complicated topics always take time to untangle also so please bear with me if you do read this thought provoking post. After reading all three pages of this topic, I must say there is a plethora of concepts getting touched upon. What homophobia is, and the way it is diversified is the core problem in coping with the subject matter. Many people lump too many variables into the definition without forethought. Homosexuality is an irrational fear of same sex male relationships as I understand the concept. Yet, as a whole, there is a massive double standard involved. Much of it is religious dogma based and smacks of the Organized religious sector's need to brainwash those too lazy to crack their own bibles and read them cover to cover so they get the inconsistencies of their own religions. Evangelical bible thumping variety Christianity tends to be the biggest hypocritical forum of this bad habit. They pick and choose forums to preach as their only truth from the Bible and rarely even know the full spectrum I have found. Those alone are the brainwashed variety, so I am not bashing the whole spectrum, just the moronic types who make the rest of us miserable by preaching we're all condemned to hell. I believe God himself said "Judge not lest thou shalt surely be Judged". Would this classify as automatic certainty that those hypocrites will never make it to heaven since they love to judge others which willfully breaks God's own reserved laws? My youngest son, 21 years old, is bisexual. Due to his torment, I began writing yaoi, or homoerotic fan fiction to help him come to terms with his sexuality. Since he is too shy to sit down and talk about things openly, I put up fanfiction that he reads when he is at a friend's house. It helps him without forcing him into any corners. He recently thanked me for my insight to his specific uncomfortable problem. (His words, not mine) Because my younger son is a bisexual, he feels he is inferior thanks to the ignorant, and brainwashed element within our society. How does a mother with children age ranged later twenties down to recently turned drinking age cope with such a gentle, yet deeply conflicted soul? I've had to walk a few miles within my suffering son's shoes! I never gave any thought to what is or is not homophobic before my youngest hit puberty and almost had a full blown mental breakdown over his multiple faceted conflicting sexuality. In spite of his homophobic and vicious Father, my son has found stabilizing ground because I accept, and still love him regardless of who he chooses to settle with when the time is right for him. My Point: The Bible is frequently invoked by those who hate same sex male relationships. Even here I saw such points made as if to validate those who practice blind hatred. The Jewish laws spoken of were squarely based in Hygiene Safety measures. It is called the Kosher Laws for a reason. Kosher more or less should be equated with cleanness or Hygiene measures to promote longevity in an unhygienic place. I have read them over and do understand the underpinnings very well. All of those laws are about preventing everything from food poisoning (hence the different cooking pots for different things like meat and vegetable) to premature sickness induced deaths of other scope. Before soap and water, gay sex led to premature death because they did not have modern plumbing etc. However, we have evolved to a point that we have these wonderfully designed bathrooms and plumbing so that specific fear of death rarely holds valid meaning in our modern era. Soap and water work very well to promote good hygiene which makes that part of an irrational fear of being around a gay person idiotic. Condoms prevent scat related illnesses, and STD problems. As to staying clean, Soap is that oh so ingenious evolution since the Old Testament was written to preserve the Kosher laws of the Jewish people who did not have baths, nor soap, nor condoms to keep their bodies clean so they would not get sick. Historically there were "pro same sex" religions, mostly found in ancient "Gentile" nations before the overwhelming spread of, at the time excessively militant, Christianity. Reason for mentioning this; those religions that accepted same sex relationships believed that their God(s) had exempted the gay or lesbian from breeding duties to fulfill a vital role somewhere else within their community. Such religions thought parenthood would stifle the important roles such gays and lesbians were meant to fulfill for the whole community's benefit. Most people blindly clump over 300 faiths into the category of (Neo or classic) Pagan/Wicca. However, these faiths are very diverse. This systemic lumping of religions is another form of the hypocrisy disease that has infected so much of the human race. My point is this: Religious organizations should be the ones who determine who can and can not get "Married" as it were. If a religion has Government Tax exemption, then the government should grant those "married" under any "Christian" "Muslim" "Jewish" "Buddhist" "Pagan" (and into infinity) church that has exemption status identical legal rights. IF the Church has legal stats, it is only fair to treat all separation of Church and State rules equally. That means validating all heterosexuals, homosexuals, and lesbian couples married under the different recognized religious churches without drawing lines in red tape. If a church believes in same sex couples, then the government that gave it exemption stats ought to recognize all the couples who get married there without making any specialized exceptions. Next Thread topic: As to men who are terrified of getting attacked by other men, . . . I've known three during my longish life. The underlying problem with 2 was that they were actually bisexuals afraid they would convert to gay if they allowed the opportunity to arise so knee jerk hated all gays as a self defense mechanism. Their greatest fear was being alienated by their peers and family if they stumbled. The fear of being isolated plays a fairly strong role in many gay basher's actions. They are prayed upon by an often irrational fear of abandonment by their longest standing friends, and/or family is one thing I have discovered over several decades. My bisexual son is hated by his homophobic father. Never mind that the homophobic father is a "closet gay" terrified of facing his honest sexuality because his mommy and buddies might dump him for daring to step out of line with the group mentality. Daddy can't tolerate the notion of being reviled by his rather brainwashed buddies. Shedding light on the double standards involved in this specific phobia and prejudice realm is such a huge underlying problem. How can anyone define genuine Homophobia from Hypocrisy and Prejudice in this day and age? I have met several men in the last thirty some odd years whom are extremely violent haters of same gender male relationships. Here's the Kicker; those same men insisted on anal sex with girlfriends or wives! Who has guts enough to explain that irrational, inconsistent hypocrisy within this forum?! These are men whom cop out with "it's a woman so it is therefore fine to do it to her whether she wants it or not." Some of these same men have been known to rape gay men in brutal ways to prove themselves superior in their own minds. I was pleased to see one go to jail for his twisted logic that raping another man who was gay was a richly deserved punishment. HE went so far as to justify his actions with the Bible no less. I divorced such a "Woman hater" man eighteen years ago. Excuse me, sticking your dick into someone's butt is the same no matter which gender you happen to be banging. Stop attempting to rationalize doing the very thing you have condemned in others who decide that they like the anal deal.That is the height of hypocritical bull, and I think it should be revealed as such. Also, we have the straight man who adores watching lesbian Pornography. Still happens to be same sex, only it is condoned because the hetero leaning man gets his nut bust. Far as I'm concerned, that equals another double standard that should not exist. Men can enjoy masturbating to girl on girl, but women are not supposed to masturbate to guy on guy is another double standard hypocrisy I am sick of seeing. I abhor such behavior. Hypocrisy is my biggest pet peeve in case anyone missed that. IF a person is uncomfortable or turned off by gay sex, that should be fine. I'm not into BDSM, and find pain a huge turn off. Does that make me BDSM phobic? Not at all. It means I do not like pain, so refrain from placing myself into a painful relationship. It does not make a person a hypocrite if they are turned off by same sex ideals, nor does it make them homophobic. When people screech that nonsense, they cross into the hypocritical zone. If you do not want to watch a stupid movie, then don't watch it. I watched part of Brokeback Mountain and thought it among the most dull things I had ever seen. Then again, I though the same of Twilight number one. Could no more finish watching that movie than Brokeback Mountain. Torturing others to prove yourself superior is wrong, Immoral, and tyrannical. People are diverse in their thoughts, feelings, sexual orientation, and cultural heritage. Intolerance is the ultimate communicable disease. IT is found everywhere, and it is the only thing that genuinely needs to be eradicated from the world! Homophobia, and all other forms of group hatred are Intolerance disease masked with polite little tags such as Alternate Universe in fan fictional writing. I apologize that this is so long, but like Mary Sue/Gary Stu, Homophobia is one of those topics I have been studying for some time and have formed a very strong opinion about due to all the stupidity so many spout in it's defense.