Due to the manner in which Puppy Love was originally shared with readers (a serial story which was posted in installments) I learned rather quickly that the love interest within the story, Matt Porter, was a very polarizing figure. Readers tend to either idolize him or vehemently hate him. There is not much middle ground.

Matt is a spoiled rich kid, for one thing. He is arrogant, self-confident, and extremely egotistical. He realizes early in his life that he is Dom, and all of the elements of his personality and background seem to be like puzzle pieces that fit nicely together. There is no denying that he is born to lead.

Matt’s confidence and decisiveness position him as an easy target for both criticism and emulation. Those of us who grew up sensing that we were submissive have all had a Matt whom we’ve worshipped. It is not surprising that so many gay men have written to me extolling the virtues of Matt. They love his air of confidence, his assertiveness, and his 100% straight-acting persona. He is the jock they secretly worshipped in high school.

At least half of the comments I’ve received, though, are from female readers. Often these readers are annoyed by Matt. Some actually hate him. Some consider him immature and selfish and spoiled. Some want him to get what is coming to him. They think he is mean and sadistic.
Okay, time out.

I want to tell you what my opinion of Matt is, as the author. Of course you are going to decide for yourself, and it should be no other way. But please at least allow me to explain how I view him, and why I feel Petey loves him the way that he does.

Matt is all of the things that he has been accused of being, and even he himself would not deny it. He is selfish. He is spoiled. He is cocky. He practices unsafe sex. He wants to act like he doesn’t care about labels, yet he is insistent upon the fact that he’s not gay. In a nutshell, he is a bit of a jerk.

But there is more to Matt than what meets the eye. Unfortunately readers do not get to see all of him just yet, not in book one. But even in this first book there are clues to the decent person that Matt really is. First of all, Matt is so young. He and Petey are both only nineteen. Matt has dabbled in BDSM but never been in a full-fledged Owner/sub relationship. He finds himself in a position where he is expected to be all-knowing but in truth it’s really so new—it’s still experimental.

When he first meets Petey, he is immediately drawn to him and taken by him. He senses that Petey idolizes him. He knows that Petey is a sub at heart. Initially Matt saves Petey from a gay bashing and then he becomes Petey’s protector. In this sense, Matt demonstrates remarkable nobility. This characteristic emerges repeatedly throughout the story. As he introduces Petey to new challenges, he does so very delicately. He gauges Petey’s responses, and is very loving and careful with him. He goes to great lengths to keep Petey out of harm’s way.

The more involved with Petey that Matt becomes, the more he grows to love his pup. Although Matt insists that he does not want a monogamous relationship, he seems to rather automatically move in this direction. He becomes less and less interested in other partners. He becomes more conscious of his responsibility as a Master. He starts to realize that being a Master is as much about his responsibility to his sub as it is about the benefits he will reap as a superior.

Matt introduces Petey to the concept of Dominance and submission. After he dominates Petey for the first time, he holds him in his arms and cradles him in the aftermath. When they make love the first time, he is very gentle and careful. He makes the experience beautiful for Petey. When he introduces Petey to a rough scene that scares him, he immediately calms Petey, apologizes, and reassures him that he would never hurt him. All of these situations build a bond of trust between Master and sub.

Matt is imperfect. He does make some mistakes. When he attaches a chastity device too tightly to Petey, he later discovers that it has cut into his flesh. He tends to his pup, and claims full responsibility for the error. When he senses that Petey may be questioning his desire to remain a sub, Matt backs off and allows Petey time to make his own decision.

Matt’s goal is not to demoralize Petey in any way. He seeks to strengthen his pup. He seeks to teach his sub how to trust him. He does it beautifully, and the remarkable thing about it is that ultimately it builds character in both Master and sub. Matt grows as both a Master and a human being. He falls head over heels in love with little Petey.

In the future books, Matt does deal with the consequences of his infidelity and unsafe sex. He does confront the reality that he has hurt Petey on numerous occasions, albeit unintentionally. He does make some important decisions about whether or not to commit to a monogamous relationship. And he does make some acknowledgements about his sexual orientation.

Right now, though, in book one, please understand that Matt is a work in progress. You may not find this type of guy to be your dream-come-true. You may be annoyed by his selfishness and cocky attitude. You may think he’s just a big meanie. But please remember that Petey does not see him this way. Petey loves him with his whole heart.

And Matt loves Petey just as much.

And that’s why I love Matt.