Mended with Gold

Imperfect heroes, true love, and wild New Zealand beaches. Forty-five-year old Alex lived a glamorous life as an international photographer until a deadly explosion left him with post-traumatic stress disorder. Desperate for sanctuary, he's run all the way to remote Kahawai Bay, New Zealand. Under the worst possible circumstances, Alex meets Joe, a shy young comics artist. Joe's gentle, playful presence is a balm to Alex's wounded psyche, and soon Alex is falling for Joe, hard.
Joe is charming, yet reticent. But is it shyness? Does Joe not want an older lover with 'issues'? Or is something else keeping them apart? A tender and uplifting story about creativity, adversity, true love, and comics. Mended with Gold was originally published in November 2017 by MLR Press. This new edition, which contains the epilogue Out Loud is © Lee Welch, 2021.