I had to wait quite a long while before I finally stumbled upon the works of the various authors I plan to spotlight here. I tell people that when I was growing up, if I had had available all the books you can find today (along with Xena: Warrior Princess), I'd have been a much happier person a lot sooner.

All of the women below are included in my Hall of Fame because: 1) their writing has had a solid and lasting affect on me; 2) their writing has been out for over a decade; 3) they have developed a body of work; 4) the characters they write about and plots they focus on are thematically gay and lesbian; and 5) each author identifies as lesbian. Not only has each woman given me many literary lights to travel by, but each one has also been a role model for me as both a writer and a lesbian. I salute these women, all of whom have earned a special place in my heart.