I am very pleased to have as my guest, Melissa Collins, who has written a wonderful gay romance novel, Let Love Live, the fifth book in her Love Series. Melissa was targeted recently, and suffered banning because someone took umbrage…

But let’s let her explain the circumstances.

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I recently released my sixth book, a gay romance, Let Love Live. Since it’s my 6^th book in just a little over a year, I’d like to think I know a thing or two about self-publishing. It’s no easy task, but I’ve worked out a system and have done fairly well.

Let Love Live is no exception. It’s been getting rave reviews and people are loving it. So when I shared a fairly racy excerpt (which can be seen here on my website http://melissacollinsauthor.com/th4fb-lll-teaser/) in a closed, erotic romance group on Facebook, I thought it would help draw in new readers. And, I was right. Lots of people commented on the post and were really excited about the book.

Yet, less than 30 minutes after I posted it, someone reported the picture for nudity. Then 10 minutes after that, they reported the excerpt, resulting in me being banned from Facebook for three days.

I can only think of two reasons for this to have happened.

1 – Someone doesn’t like me and wanted to see my book fail. Or

2 – It was a gay romance.

I was always raised to believe that each and every person is deserving of respect. No matter what color, religion, gender, so in my mind there was never anything “wrong” with being gay. It was just a part of who someone was. After all, my being straight doesn’t define every single aspect of my life, so why should someone else’s homosexuality define the rest of their life.

Maybe I was being naïve in thinking that Let Love Live would be impervious to criticism since it is a gay romance. Maybe I was overly hopeful thinking that people would see that love is love no matter what.

No matter the reason for my post being reported, I am proud to say the message in Let Love Live is one that I abide by on a daily basis. It’s one that I hope to instill in my children and in the students I teach. The dedication line of the novel reads: “For those who deserve to be loved…no matter who they love.”

No amount of homophobia can ever change my mentality.

You can find Let Love Live on Amazon.

Here’s the blurb:

Who would you become if you lost the only person who ever mattered?

For twenty-six year old Dylan Hopkins, the answer is easy. He’s become no one. Memories of the happier times are all he has left as he finds himself meandering numbly through his now dull life. Though he cares about his work and family dearly, he’s yet to let himself find love again. Afraid of letting go of what he once had, Dylan chooses to keep his heart buried, where it belongs, having died a long time ago.

Conner Michelson is about to change everything Dylan knows. He’s every bit the bad boy persona – tatted up, ex-MMA fighter, but after an injury leaves him unable to fight, he has to rethink his goals. Having just opened his own gym, Conner can cross his first major life accomplishment off his very short list. Next up: find a man he can settle down with and build a family. Seems simple enough – a dream most people have, but when he meets Dylan, his carefree, easy-going life is thrown into a tailspin.

Determined to keep Dylan in his life, Conner vows to resurrect Dylan’s long ago buried heart and let love live once more.