My Reads: My Fairy Godfathers by Krystabella

I have no idea how I found this book. I can't remember what I was looking for. I'm thinking maybe I was looking for a book by someone else and I ran across the author's name. Regardless, I found it, bought it, and started reading it. And I got the biggest surprise of my life. It turned out that My Fairy Godfathers was nothing like I thought it would be.

So, first off, let me say that Krystabella's covers aren't my favorites in the world. I find them kind of, I don't know, odd maybe? Or just strange. And diffuse. Just different. But I never judge a book by its cover, or possibly only occasionally, so I decided to read the thing just to see what it was.

As I read, I wasn't particularly impressed by the writing style. It's plenty good enough, and the choice of language was good, but it lacked a bit in the grammar and punctuation area, and it switched tenses too often. I decided I could live with that, though, because none of that detracted from the story itself.

That's where things get interesting. According to Krystabella, this is a true story written about Greg Wyler (not the man's real name), who came out to his wife and left her and his kids for the gay lifestyle. And when he left, he really, really left. It was profound. Oh, he still loved his wife, still stayed in touch, actually continued to live there, but when he decided he was gay, he never went back. Never.

And this is what I love about this book. The descriptions say it's a true story. I know Krystabella writes fiction also, but if this isn't real, it's damn close. It's written in such a style that I felt I was going along for the adventure with Greg, seeing what he was seeing, feeling what he was feeling, doing what he was doing. It was amazing, actually, to hear from a man who had lived the hetero lifestyle and knew it wasn't for him. Totally and utterly amazing. I enjoyed discovering how he fumbled around until he found three men, the Glorious Eagle Brothers, who could properly introduce him to the lifestyle. That's when he discovered he was absolutely, positively a bottom, someone who wanted to receive, not give. He dove into it like an Olympic diver on a high board into a pool and never looked back.

I was very interested in the fact that, once he came out, his wife pushed him to be authentic. She actually went out to a club and had a one night stand to encourage him to take the first step toward a new relationship. He tinkered with being an erotica writer of gay literature, was taught how to dress appropriately, and even at one point experienced puppy play. It was quite a trip for Greg, but he took it all in stride.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and that was a real surprise to me. I think the thing that I appreciated the most about it was the fact that it dealt primarily with a married father of three coming out and becoming the gay man he was always destined to be. In the not-so-distant past, I was a member of a religious sect that believed gay could be "cured." Their efforts to tell gays and lesbians that there was something inherently wrong with them and try to change them was repugnant to me - still is. This book pointed out what I already knew, that people have the right to be who they are, and they can still have productive lives, regardless their sexual orientation. Krystabella still worked to maintain the anonymity of Greg's wife and family, and that was admirable. The second book in this series is a collection of four short stories about gay men leaving their heterosexual lives and embracing their sexuality. I haven't read it yet, but one of these days when I have time (yeah, right), I'm going to.

If you've ever wondered about the gay lifestyle and how a man who sees himself as straight transitions into it, this book will help you in your understanding. If you don't have Kindle Unlimited, it's a whole $1.29, and it's worth every penny and more.