In a Heartbeat

Seventeen-year-old Lucien has a supportive family in Toronto but wants to make a new start somewhere nobody knows him. Going to stay with his aunt in Vernon presents challenges to fitting in--he is not comfortable with his hockey-watching, hard-partying cousins or the other kids at school.

Eventually, Lucien finds a community of creative teens and meets the mysterious Alder. As Lucien finds out who Alder really is, he is able to find what is worthy of love in himself.

Focusing on romance and speaking one’s truth rather than issues of gender identity, this story is a light-hearted tale of finding love in unexpected places.

Distributed in the U.S by Lerner Publishing Group

MARKUS HARWOOD-JONES is a writer, visual artist and documentary filmmaker. He has self-published the short story collections Confessions of a Teenage Transsexual Whore and Everything & All at Once. His feature film Mosaic tells the story of his journey across Canada and the United States to learn more about the trans community. He is author of the Lorimer Real Love teen romances Just Julian, Romeo for Real, We Three and Confessions of a Teenage Drag King. Markus lives in Toronto, Ontario.