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  • Guest Post: The Case of the Missing Drag Queen by Michael Rupured

Today I am so pleased to welcome Michael Rupured to Joyfully Jay. Michael has come to talk to us about his upcoming release, The Case of the Missing Drag Queen. Please join me in giving him a big welcome!

 

The Case of the Missing Drag Queen is set in 1982. Much of the action taking place in a gay bar in Lexington, KY. I was 24 years old in 1982, living in Lexington, and partying until the wee hours of the morning six nights a week at the gay bar. Write what you know, right?

Last call was at one o’clock in the morning, but getting to the bar before 11:30 was taboo. Groups of gay men gathered all over town to wait for the magic hour. My friends and I sat around the living room watching MTV with the sound turned off as we listened to albums and otherwise got primed for a night out.

The blow-drier stayed on as we took turns whipping our hair into fierce looks we then laminated into place with massive amounts of hairspray. Our pants—skintight straight-legged jeans or cords—stayed in the dryer until the last minute, and to keep them from stretching out, nobody zipped or fastened until we’d parked and were on the way into the club.

We danced in a big group until the bar closed. Drag performers sometimes joined us, but in those first few years after coming out, taking in a drag show never crossed my mind. I had more important things to do.

Years later, when my partner and I wanted to go dancing, we often fell asleep on the couch waiting for the appropriate time to leave. Desperate for a night of dancing, we opted to violate the11:30 rule. The place was deserted—except for the crowd watching the 10:00 drag show.

I was hooked. After that first night, we made sure to arrive early enough to get a table near the stage. Memories of those long-ago drag shows inspired the Gilded Lily Showroom and the queens who perform there in The Case of the Missing Drag Queen.


Blurb

The Case of the Missing Drag QueenBroke, saddled with a mountain of debt, and dependent on his Aunt Callie’s support, aspiring writer Luke Tanner has returned to Kentucky to put his life back together after a failed five-year relationship.

On his twenty-fifth birthday, Luke meets diminutive Pixie Wilder, a long-time performer at the Gilded Lily. After headliner Ruby Dubonnet doesn’t show up, Pixie takes her place as the star of the show—a motive that makes her a suspect in Ruby’s disappearance.

Luke reluctantly agrees to help his new-found friend clear her name. He and Pixie set out to find the missing drag queen, and in the process, put themselves in danger.

Pre-order link (release date June 19th): Amazon


Bio

Michael RupuredMichael Rupured writes stories true enough for government work about gay life from the 1960s to today. This life-long Southerner was born in Fayetteville NC, grew up in Lexington KY, and after 18 months in Washington DC, moved to Athens GA where he’s lived since 1999. By day, he’s senior faculty in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia. He’s an avid fan of the Georgia Bulldogs, the Kentucky Wildcats, and any team playing the Florida Gators. In his free time, Michael tinkers with his garden, plays with Toodles (his diabetic chihuahua), and keeps up with his many friends around the country. Previous novels include Until Thanksgiving (thriller), No Good Deed (mystery/thriller), Whippersnapper (regional), and Happy Independence Day (historical). Visit his website, follow on Twitter and Goodreads, like his Facebook page, or shoot him a message (mrupured@gmail.com).

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