Joy:

by Sheldon L'Henaff

All thirty-something Blake wanted for Christmas was some headspace . . . He returns to his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to catch up with family and friends, and to mentally sort out the feelings of "holiday disconnect" that haunt him every December. What Blake doesn't expect is to run into Dylan, an old co-worker and secret flame from before he came out. With Blake anxious to pick up where they left off, what he doesn't know is Dylan is carrying a secret that will eventually help force him to confront his anxiety towards a season that he's considered a byproduct of mass consumerism compounded by his own relationship issues. Add a Madonna-channeling drag queen, an indie coffee barista turned singer/songwriter, and a best friend whose family teeters on dysfunction into the mix, it creates the perfect holiday recipe to help Blake rediscover what Christmas is really all about . . .

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2014