Drawn

by L.J. Nightingale

For many gay men in America in 1955, life was an exercise in concealment, where to be one’s true self could spell rejection, jail, or even death. For Jack Lovett, it means getting thrown out of his house on a cold March night with just the shoes on his feet, his jacket, and his sketchbook.

Jack never expected to find real friends in his miserable existence...and he expected to find a mud-caked soldier straight from World War II lying in the grass even less. Martin Swire is beautiful, he's brash, and he's asking Jack to help him reconnect to his past. How could Jack say no? He's got nothing to lose.

But as they head for New York City to find Martin's wartime friend Rob, Jack unwittingly draws an unearthly presence behind him, one that's been trailing him since childhood...

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

L. J. Nightingale (Lydia Jane) is an author, actor, playwright, and public historian. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from SUNY New Paltz and an MA in Public History from UAlbany. She is originally from Troy, NY.

After seeing the first "Lord of the Rings" film in 2001 at age 12 and proceeding to read all the Tolkien she could find, Lydia knew she wanted to be an actor, a writer, or preferably both. Community theatre and independent film have since become integral and beloved parts of her life.

In 2011, Lydia started writing plays about the experiences of German women during and after WWII, several of which have been produced in various parts of New York State. Most recently, her play ADELE IN BERLIN was shown in the Rochester Fringe Festival in 2023. She took a break from playwriting to finish her debut novel "Drawn", and that break looks to last a while as she continues to develop her first book series.

Lydia lives in Rochester, NY with her husband Michael, his axolotl Terra, and their cat Polly.

Reviews

[Meg Stav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a heartwarming story among much tragedy. I felt so connected to Jack by the end and happy he found his place in this world.

[Candace H-H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Jack’s story and the way he was able to discover a community of people who supported his authentic identity. I’m also a huge fan of romance with light sci-fi elements. I’d recommend you check out this book if you enjoy historical romance and LGBTQ representation!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars might be a smidge generous, say 3.75. ( 1 is a horrible book, 2 is a tolerably good book, 3 is a really good book, 4 is a REALLY good to almost great book and 5 stars is reserved for truly great books that I feel will stand the test of time and be studied in schools as Great Literature! I don’t give out many 5 star ratings.)

Go read the book description/blurb and come back here. I’ll wait.

Welcome back.
I had a hard time putting this book down, the story rolled along with interesting action and even more interesting characters. There are not a lot of wasted words in this book, so no daydreaming as I read it. I was really invested in the lives and the emotions of the characters, Jack especially. Which is exactly as the author intended I’m sure. Loved the time travel, SF, mystical angle. It was well done and not overdone. The portrayal of Jack as he learns that he isn’t alone is lovely. I wanted to hug him several times and tell him that he is a good boy and that he is worthy.
I did find a few things that caused a bump in the road, some of it is because I’m an engineer. Like, what size is Jack’s sketch book and what pocket is he putting it in? Getting those right is crucial. Cleverly, the author left that up to the reader, and for the most part, I could ignore it. I just left that as indeterminate. I made only 5 very minor editorial notes in this whole book, and for most books of this length, I find a dozen or more. Well done editors and author.

For the squeamish, the sex is explicit, but not offensive. Well, not to me, your mileage may vary.

But one thing really ticked me off. It is just the first book!!! OMG I gotta wait until the author writes the next book!!!! I propose we all chip in to support her so that she can write faster!!!

I can definitely recommend this book to slightly more adventurous than average readers.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic adventure with weaving of many different genres to enjoy throughout this story. I enjoyed the continuous cycle of character development throughout, I could never tell what would happen next which kept it very exciting to read. I also valued that this is a topic that does not get much representation in the media. The author does a nice job of accurately depicting what these characters must have gone through. I am looking forward to what comes next!

[Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story. Nightingale weaves longing and desperate need to belong into two stories with a fantastical twist. I couldn't put it down, highly recommended. This is Nightingale's debut and I can't wait to see where they take us in future books.

[Savannah DeVore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Jack’s character the most. I liked how he went from an insecure shy guy to someone who became more confident in himself and his sexuality. I liked that Jack was as an artist like rhe guy from Titanic. My favorite part of the book were the unexpected plot twists like Peter being a queer man who was forced to join the mob to pay off debts and Lark being a spy from the US government.