The JMS Books Advent Calendar is on its way, and I have a story for it! During December, a title will be offered free each day (Dec 1-24, each going on sale at regular price after its free day). I have my cover, my edits are in, and I’m excited. Want to get it? I’m up DECEMBER 2 (click here for the ADVENT CALENDAR page).

Three key things about FISHNETS & TINSEL:

It’s set in Las Vegas during December 2020 and features references to the pandemic;
The main characters are drag queens who’ve been hooking up;
Both men are over 35, facing personal challenges, unexpectedly ready & willing to lean on someone.

Here’s a teaser featuring main character Ivan at his friends’ Merry Dickmas party. Enjoy!

Now the hosts with the most were married. Joined that club with Tommy and his husband Jonas, both perched on a retaining wall, catching some sun on this chilly day. Ivan took his Bloody Mary over that way. “Merry Christmas,” he told them, lifting his acrylic tumbler in a toast.

They responded in kind. “Merry and Happy.” All three of them took a sip. Then Tommy said, “Did you do the Facebook Family Drive-by?”

“Yep. We spoke for real on the eighteenth.” The last night of Hanukkah, which had become Ivan’s set day to speak with the Reznik family in New Jersey. He hadn’t been back there to see everyone in person for more than ten years, because the last visit went sideways as fast as a novice driver on an icy road. Everyone knew he and his family weren’t close, so he didn’t need to say more. Instead he said, “How about you?”

Tommy grimaced. “Praise the Lord and pass the biscuits.”

“FaceTime from the kitchen,” Jonas clarified. “Oh you should be here, we all miss you, did you go to church. And that thing where they don’t make eye contact when they say Merry Christmas to your husband.”

“Fuck those bitches,” Ivan said. “You think they’ll ever get over it?”

“‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,’” Jonas quoted, lifting his tumbler again, the other arm around Tommy. “Atlanta don’t miss me and I don’t miss Atlanta. We’re good out here with y’all.”

Ivan smiled. “That’s how I feel too. I’m gonna talk to Dori for a minute. Glad he decided to join.”

“Yeah,” Tommy said. “This is no day to be home alone.”

And thank all the gods for this gang, because otherwise Ivan would be home alone. He joined up with Dori at the prep table. “Hey there. Merry Christmas.”

Dori had his hands full prepping sweet corn for the grill, but he shot a sideways smile at Ivan. “Thanks, you too. This is great, I’m so glad Louis asked me over.”

“We all would’ve felt awful if you didn’t come. How’s Vegas been so far?”

“Truth? It’s weird. I’ve never not worked. I’ve never been just, like, hanging out all day.”

“You needed the break, though.” They’d had that conversation before.

Dori nodded, now blending some paprika butter. “It’s helping clear my head.” Another sideways glance. “Been fun seeing what Jaime’s getting up to with you all. So different from the baby drag we did back in LA. Those shows.” He huffed, rolling his eyes. “Everybody in a pack, yelling about what order to go on. Somebody lost their music, somebody else busted a seam, a heel is broke, just a mess.”

Louis was laughing on his other side. “We were like that at the beginning, though. Everybody’s gotta start somewhere.”

“It’s good to see how the pros do it.” Dori wiped his hands. “What’s next?”

“Zucchini,” Ivan said. “Each one makes—”

“Four skinny little dicks,” Louis finished.

“Oh, bless,” Dori said. “Well, like you say. Gotta start somewhere.” He grinned at Ivan while Louis cackled. A minute later, under cover of being industrious sous-chefs, he nudged Ivan. Spoke low. “You and Jaime?”

“Oh, God, it’s just a thing. You know. We hooked up.”

“Hmm.”

Ivan blinked. “Oh shit.”

“No! No worries. We really aren’t together that way. I was just,” a glance around, making sure nobody was paying attention, “kind of hoping he was on a different path. The lockdown was like a re-set for us, you know? But I think we all miss the Four Queens in different ways.”

Ivan’s turn to say, “Hmm.” After another minute, all the zucchini prepped, moving on to the longest, skinniest yams he ever saw, he confessed. “I do like him. But we’ve barely even talked outside the dressing room.”

“What if I invite you over sometime? You could look over some of my tired drag and tell me if that shit can be saved. Once we get talking, he’ll get in the mix. Can’t help himself.”

Dori’s smile was irresistible, and Ivan didn’t want to resist. At worst, this would mean one more friend. He smiled back. “Sounds like a plan.”