Set against the vibrant yet gritty backdrop of London, Finding Freedom in Sequins follows the journey of Arif, a young gay Bangladeshi man grappling with rejection, identity, and self-love. When his family discovers his secret, Arif is cast out and left battered and bleeding, he stumbles through the rainy streets of Soho, eventually collapsing on the doorstep of the home to three fabulous and unapologetic drag queens.
Auntie Con Con, the nurturing and hilarious fashionista; Juliet Morningstar, the flirtatious and free-spirited queen; and Martha Superior, the wise and serious leader of the trio, take Arif in and show him a world he never imagined-a world of love, acceptance, and glittering freedom.
Through laughter, tears, and late-night heart-to-hearts, the queens teach Arif to embrace who he is, helping him transform from a timid and broken boy into someone proud of his identity. But Arif's journey to self-acceptance isn't without its challenges, as he must confront his past, face his family, and decide whether to hide or stand tall in the face of adversity.
Heartwarming, bold, and brimming with glitter, Finding Freedom in Sequins is a story about chosen family, resilience, and the courage to love yourself unapologetically.
Emery Randolph swore she would never return to her hometown the day she graduated and left for college, but its eight years later and her father is getting married. It was the kind of invitation you cannot say no to yet all your senses are screaming at you to run. Emery had been running for eight years, from the one ghost that's been haunting her, her first love, Lilly Calvert. It was only meant to be one weekend, a family event and then straight home...but it was never going to be that easy, Lilly's sudden presence was drowning her in memories and flashbacks of their summer of discovery and the bitter betrayal that pulled them apart.
It was just a weekend...what harm could that do? Emery could not have known that it would change the course of her life.
When two teenagers fall in love it is not always JUST puppy love.
* *I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR THIS BOOK TO BE COPIED, OR ADAPTED ON THIS PLATFORM, OR ANY OTHER, BY ANYONE ELSE*
Completed 2017
Epilogue added 2022