My Friends, My Chosen Family

My Friends, My Chosen Family is a serialized novel set in 1990s New Orleans. Most of the characters are lesbians and gay men who live in the Crescent City and whose lives are interconnected.

Barry has just moved into the French Quarter a few days before Labor Day (Southern Decadence) weekend. He's still recovering from the breakup with his boyfriend in Dallas, but now he has a new job and--he hopes--a new life. He's in his early 30s, he has dreamy green eyes, and he is ready to have some fun.

Jerry is a lovable, retired man who owns a triplex in the French Quarter. He dotes on his tenants, especially Philip, who is a counselor at Tulane. Philip is young and overflowing with good looks and charm, and he is very supportive of his friend Dashawn, who is a social worker frustrated in his efforts to educate the black community about HIV.

Joel is an adorable college sophomore just beginning to face the fact that he is gay. He is terrified that he will be rejected by his best friend and roommate, Lance, a strapping athlete.

Linda is grappling with the newness of living as a lesbian after being married to a man for three years. She is also dealing with the fact that her African American family is not exactly supportive of her "lifestyle." Her world gets a whole lot better when she meets Patricia, an artist with her own gallery on Magazine Street. A former McGehee debutante, Patricia left her prim and proper life in order to pursue her love of art and women. Patricia's friend Mary Ann is trying to figure out why her husband Jack spends so much time "exercising" in the park.

It's light, enjoyable reading. There's drama, comedy, suspense, and just the right amount of sex to keep it spicy.