"A Time Before Me" A New Gay Novel about Coming out - Southern Style

Los Angeles. New York. San Francisco. Books and films with gay themes often take place in urban areas leaving the voices of small town gays and lesbians, especially Southern, often unheard. Michael Holloway Perronnes debut novel, A Time Before Me, published by iUniverse, explores a gay teens search for his identity in the contrasting worlds of small town Mississippi and the Big Easy, New Orleans.

(PRWEB) February 9, 2005 -- In A Time Before Me, shy and inexperienced Mason spends much of his time with his best friend and childhood crush, the charming and daring Billy. When a six pack of beer leads to a kiss between the two, Mason believes his dreams have come true. Billys disregard for the incident, however, dashes Masons hopes.

After graduation, Mason fears hes doomed to spend a humid Mississippi summer scooping ice cream. Everything changes when his vivacious Aunt Savannah invites him to live with her in New Orleans and work in the box office of her drag queen cabaret. Its there- in the decadent and liberating French Quarter- that Mason begins to fall for Joey, a strikingly handsome and sweet nineteen-year old, who may just be ready to open his heart to someone new.

With the help of his aunt and a sassy drag queen, Miss Althea, Mason learns that the only way to get anywhere is to roll lifes dice and take a chance.

The primary lesson Perronne hopes that his readers take from reading his book is one of taking chances in life. The novel doesnt wrap everything up with a nice little bow tied around it- which is how life is more often than not. The important thing is that Mason realizes the risks in life he needs to start taking to find true happiness," Perronne said. I also always felt that the voice of Southern gay people- and, yes, there are lots of us- was one not often heard."

Michael Holloway Perronne is an adult education instructor and writer living in Los Angeles. He has a BA from the University of Southern Mississippi and a MFA from the Creative Writing Workshop at the University of New Orleans. Despite living in California, he will always call the Deep South home.

A Time Before Me

ISBN: 0-595-33756-2

Publication Date: Dec. 2004

Retail Price: $13.95

Publisher: iUniverse

Wholesale- Available from Ingram Book Group, Baker & Taylor, and iUniverse.

To order from the publisher call: 1-877-823-9235

Retail- Available from on-line book retailers, on order at any bookstore, or visit www.michaelhperronne.com for more information.

Media Contact- including to request review copies:

Michael Holloway Perronne

(323)-993-5716

press@michaelhperronne.com

www.michaelhperronne.com

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