Hubert knows he brings shame on himself and on the Lord by being a queer -- his grandad and the pastor of his evangelical church tell him as much all the time. So when he dies in a freak accident, he's as delighted as he is surprised to waltz right through the Pearly Gates, no questions asked. He even gets a beautiful angel named Bartholomew as his very own guide to the Afterlife.<br><br>But when the angel makes brazen overtures, Hubert realizes his soul may have taken a wrong turn. Hubert beseeches Bartholomew to keep his hands to himself and help him find his rightful place in the Heaven he's always heard about. As they set out to explore his options, Bartholomew hopes Hubert will learn a thing or two along the way about the deeply personal definitions of Paradise.

Sin to Get Saved

The streets were closed, and awash with revelers, who dipped in and out of stores selling liquor and apartments blaring music; to his left, to his right, before him, behind him, party people as far as his eye could see, and he knew their only hope of attracting even a fraction of them was for him to rise above the rabble—literally, as on the newspaper box, as well as spiritually.


Chapter 3