Diary of a Gay Nerd by Michel McDonald

I’ve had a hard time putting into words how I felt when I read Michel’s memoir.  Many parts struck a chord in me from my own childhood, though I was far luckier than Michel was and I didn’t have the added alienation of being gay.  I’ve known Michel for several years now, ever since he picked up my vampire trilogy and we started talking.  In that time, I’ve found him to be a very kind, passionate and determined man.  After reading his memoir I have to add brave to that as well and not just for what he endured and overcame.  To be able to write something like this, with such unflinching honesty, takes a rare kind of person.  Michel doesn’t gloss over his own mistakes, but puts them out there just as baldly as the abuse he went through.

I am honored to know such a man and call him my friend.

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Being born gay isn't easy for anyone, but being born gay in a homophobic family in the 1970's made it more difficult for Michel. Physically and mentally abused by his family and school bullies, he had to learn to grow a thick skin to keep from going crazy. The constant torment from everyone around him drove him to several failed suicide attempts.

Tossed aside by his family, Michel was homeless at the age of 15, left to fend for himself in a trailer park in a new city. Taken back by his family after 6 months despite a very public suicide attempt, only to be thrown out of the house a year later when he was pushed out of the closet by his mother.

Molested, raped, beat up and tossed aside, Michel felt like life was only going to get worse. Addicted to drugs and alcohol, he cried out for help, but nobody would listen, that was until he finally met his soul mate. He no longer sought self-destruction because he knew life was going to start getting better, and it did.

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Michel can be found at the following places:

http://www.diaryofagaynerd.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/diaryofagaynerd

And his book can be purchased at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00757W01I

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/diary-of-a-gay-nerd-michel-mcdonald/1108574691

Rainbow eBooks:

http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5983

Michel is donating some of the proceeds from his book to charity.  I copied his message below regarding it.

I decided when I wrote this book that I wanted to donate 10% of all profits to charity.  I have published my book with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Rainbow eBooks.com and CreateSpace through Amazon and their own website.  So 10% from all combined profits will be split between PFLAG Bakersfield and the Gay & Lesbian Center of Bakersfield. There are lots of charities that I wanted to give to, but I feel like they get enough money from a national audience and I felt better about giving it to something that was more local because they are in desperate need of funding and I want to give them all the help that I can give them.