timothy j. lambert

In his wonderfully witty debut novel, Timothy James Beck introduces a coy, comely Midwesterner-turned-Manhattanite whose hobbies include acting,
gardening—and lusting after the buff businessman across the way, contemplating
that age-old question...IS HE OR ISN'T HE?

Daniel Stephenson's new Hell's Kitchen apartment might be cramped and ancient by any self-respecting gay New Yorker's standards, but the place has its share of amenities. Take the tiny patch of concrete just outside, which Daniel's newly discovered green thumb has transformed into a blooming urban oasis. Take the proximity to the theater district, where Daniel's two-timing ex-lover is starring in a revival of "Anything Goes." And then there's the view: a straight shot through the window of the most luscious male specimen to hit town since—well, since Daniel himself.

Peeping and pondering Mr. Perfect's sexuality isn't all that's on Daniel's mind these days. Until now, he's been content strutting the stage of Club Chaos as his outrageous alter ego, Princess 2Di4. But on the eve of his thirtieth birthday, he's ready to leave behind the only thing he's been able to depend on, shedding the sequins and retreating to his own personal Eden to repot his Japanese Maple, snip his spider plant, and contemplate his future.

Practically the moment Daniel turns in his tiara, he comes face to face with his unsuspecting new neighbor—and his new neighbor's female live-in, who may or may not be Daniel's rival. Coincidentally, the darkly handsome Blaine Dunhill and Sheila Meyers have just moved to New York from Daniel's hometown of Eau Claire, WI. Even more coincidentally, Blaine happens to be looking for an administrative assistant just as Daniel happens to be looking for the kind of job that doesn't require mascara and a manicure.

But is Blaine also looking for love? More importantly, is he looking for love with a woman...or with a man...or perhaps with a man who until now made a living impersonating a woman? Determined to conceal his risque past while luring the object of his affection out of the closet and into his arms, Daniel launches the biggest masquerade of his life—as a nine-to-five commuter.

Set against the vivid backdrop of a pre-millennial Manhattan populated by beautiful boys and sassy drag queens, Daniel's hilarious and often poignant journey transports the readers from Chelsea to Christopher Street to corporate cubicles, from bawdy bar rooms to backstage Broadway to bedrooms where anything can happen. Along the way, there are rollicking—and surprising—complications as Daniel attempts to get a life at last...and maybe share it with someone.

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