Cheryl Peck an openly gay columnist for Kalamazoo's lesbian communityhad been writing her column for 10. Urged by her partner to publish them, Peck reluctantly agreed.

The collection which wwas intended as a family history was grew in popularity. Wanting to avoid the traditional raoute, Peck handed the collection to book store owner and Mayor of Three Rivers Michigan, Tom Lowry. Little did she know that Lowry would be interviewed by Publisher''s Weekly, a powerhouse in the publishing industry. During the interview, Lowry mentioned Peck's manuscript. After the article appeared in print, Peck began recieving calls from editors.

According to the Iowa City Press-Citizen "The essays are occasionally laugh-out-loud funny (see for example, "How Many Lesbians Does It Take?" and the title story) but are often a bit more touching than they are amusing. 'Coming Out to My Father' is a perfect example of Peck's ability to tease out the gentle humor in a bittersweet situation, and it is that ability that makes the majority of these essays pleasant reading."

FAT GIRLS AND LAWN CHAIRS was released by Warner in February. Ms. Peck is currently working on her second release.