Lois Whitman-Hess

Miami Life Editor

The Three Tomatoes, http://www.thethreetomatoes.com

When my Miami friend Neil Plakcy, author of over 50 gay novels, told me that the majority of his sales were to mature straight women, I was floored. I consider myself savvy about women my age, but it never occurred to me that they would be interested in gay love making.

Neil, who lives in Hollywood, Florida, about 20 miles north of Miami, said that mature women love to read about men having sex with men because they can fantasize about their bodies moving together. “If one man is sexy, two are even sexier. Just like straight men watch lesbian porn for titillation, straight women like to read about gay sex.”

Neil has been writing gay novels for over a decade. His thoughts and observations have been formed through thousands of interviews, conversations, and research. Neil also said women are prime targets for gay romance books because they are tired of the same old romance stories, which can be very predictable. “After decades of reading love stories, women want more, they want heavy emotion, tons of lust, and lots of titillation. They’re also seeking new twists on the traditional romance story, and gay protagonists provide different story lines, like coming out, workplace relationships, and family acceptance.”

The prolific author said gay romance stories can be sexy, but also emotionally satisfying. Women love to read happy endings, and many who have gay friends and family members like to see gay characters end up happily.

“Gay novels have all the excitement women are looking for. Gay men tend to be more aggressive in bed. They want to take control of the other person. Many women get excited by the rough, tough play. They want to be enraptured by their husbands. The more they are dominated, the more their bodies respond.”

Novels like Neil writes open a whole new adventure for women over 50. They are learning about alternative lifestyles and brand-new scenarios.