The Perfect Queer Christmas
It’s cozy season, and today we welcome Timothy Janovsky. Thank you so much for stopping by to spill all the hot winter tea on A Mannequin for Christmas—the book that’s a perfect holiday queer love story. Serving festive charm, laugh-out-loud moments, and the sweetest hopeful romance of the season. I’m overjoyed to talk inspiration, and all the magic (and mishaps) you brought to Henry and Aidan’s love story. Let’s get into it!
Mannequins, Magic, and Christmas!
1. Your premise is so delightful and whimsical—a mannequin coming to life, holiday wishes, and all the Christmas trimmings. What inspired you to blend these elements? Was there a particular spark (or mannequin) that set this story in motion?
Thank you so much! I conceptualized this book during the summer of Barbenheimer—the double bill at movie theaters of Barbie and Oppenheimer. As a kid, I was the kind of boy who felt more at home on the pink side of Toys R Us in the doll aisle rather than on the blue side with the monster trucks and action figures. I carried a lot of shame about that for a long time, but when I came into my own, I looked back on how much imagination I fostered by playing with those fabulous Barbies. Embracing the pink renaissance that came along with the Barbie movie felt like healing my inner child, so I started thinking about writing the ultimate glitter bomb of a book. The title A Mannequin for Christmas popped into my head and stuck with me.
Channeling ’80s Movie Magic
2. Your book has shades of Mannequin, Big, and Elf—all iconic, feel-good classics. Did you intentionally draw inspiration from these films? How did you balance nostalgia with creating something uniquely yours?
I was absolutely drawing inspiration from classic movies when working on A Mannequin for Christmas. Whenever I’m starting a new book, I always go back to pieces of media that I loved as a kid, and I ask myself how I can make them modern and queer. I like to think about the elements of those magical movies that feel timeless to me, then I consider what unique point of view I can bring to a story people may feel they’ve heard a hundred times before.
In a way, writing holiday romance books inspired by feel-good films, I’m honoring my childhood self who knew deep in his bones that he wanted to be a writer, while also delving into the adult I’ve become and the changing world around me. I use specificity to bring that sprinkle of uniqueness to these books. In A Mannequin for Christmas, I blended in my passion for small business with Henry’s vintage shop and my New Jersey upbringing in the fictional Ocean Glen setting to bedeck Henry and Aidan’s magical love story.
Just How Clueless Was Aidan?
3. Aidan’s “list of things that can kill me” absolutely cracked me up! How did you approach writing his character—equal parts naïve, endearing, and hilariously out of his element?
Writing from the point of view of the mannequin-turned-man was an absolute must for me when I was pitching this book. I knew it was a risk, but it was one I was excited to tackle.
I dedicated this book to the neurodivergent community because I’m on the AuDHD spectrum. Sometimes I feel frustrated by the neurotypical world which doesn’t always accommodate for my sensory processing needs or my limitless questions. I poured a lot of that frustration into the character of Aidan since everything is brand new to him. He doesn’t understand body language, subtext, or complex relationship dynamics. On the other hand, he’s not self-conscious about asking for what he needs or wants because he never learned to be. In a way, Aidan was both a proxy for exploring my neurodivergent traits and a model for how I can better advocate for myself—all of which I wrapped up in a shiny, campy Christmas bow.
On a less metaphorical level, while the story is largely inspired by the Pygmalion myth and notably the musical My Fair Lady, I approached Aidan as one part Ariel from The Little Mermaid, one part Pinocchio, and one part the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. Aidan wants to be a real man in the human world, but he has a lot to learn along the way. The road ahead for him is long and winding, but somehow, he knows it will be worth it.
Teaching Aidan to Be Human
4. Henry acts as both teacher and maybe a little bit of a love-life tour guide. What was your favorite scene or moment where Henry tries to help Aidan navigate human quirks—especially during those family gatherings?
My favorite scene to write where Henry was giving Aidan lessons on life and love took place at the mall. I’m a 90s baby, so to me, the mall was magic. It was where the toys lived! It was where I hung out with friends in high school and went to the movies! Aidan is enamored by the lights, the decorations, and how humanity and consumerism are on full display. If we cut the mall of the early 2000s in half during December, it would be the perfect ant farm through which to observe human behavior. The millennials who get it, get it! Not only is Aidan overjoyed and overwhelmed in equal measure, but Henry’s cousin, Alexa, runs a kiosk there, which heightens shenanigans.
The Quest for the Perfect Man
5. Henry’s wish for “The Perfect Man” gets turned on its head. Was it important to you to explore the idea that perfection isn’t what we think it is? What message did you hope readers would take away about love and vulnerability?
I really set out to skewer the romance trope of “The Perfect Man” with this book. I feel like there is a lot of pressure to be perfect especially around the holidays. Everybody wants the perfect decorations and the perfect meal and to get the perfect gift. Among queer men, there is a lot of pressure to have the perfect body or the perfect relationship. Aidan has this manufactured perfection that gets tested right away when he realizes that being human is far more complex than he first imagined. Similarly, Henry begins to realize that chasing perfection—in his career and his relationships—might be a fruitless quest. Together, they come to realize that it’s their imperfections that are most endearing and worthy of love.
Humor and Heart
6. Your novel is laugh-out-loud funny, but also deeply human and hopeful. How do you strike that balance between comedy and heartfelt moments without tipping too far into either?
My guiding light for bringing humor to my books is always my characters and how their unique flaws cause friction with the world around them. For Henry, the comedy came from his relentless pursuit of perfection. Even with literal magic involved, he can’t seem to squeeze his family, his career, and his love life into a picture-perfect piece of art which causes him to act rashly. For Aidan, the comedy was born of his golden-retriever energy. He is uncynical and open in a world that can be mean and closed-minded, so he gets himself into a lot of awkward situations like trying to buy a house with no money or accidentally eating wax fruit.
In the end, you can’t have the light without the dark. The laughs have to be underpinned by genuine emotion, which can often be uncomfortable or painful or sad. The book touches on growing old, death, and changing family dynamics. Those are all part of life, and I like to reflect the world as I see it in my fiction (with a dash of magic for good measure).
Family Shenanigans
7. The family scenes were both chaotic and touching. Were any of the family dynamics or holiday mishaps inspired by your own festive experiences?
I come from a relatively large extended family, so Christmas gatherings have always been a mishmash of good food, nice gifts, and big feelings. I definitely used my own experiences there as a jumping off point. Holiday parties, to me, are the perfect microcosm of family. Somebody is going to cry happy tears. Somebody is going to get their feelings hurt. Somebody is going to drink too much and sing too loudly. Dropping Aidan in the middle of the controlled chaos as an outsider who desperately wants to be part of a family was fun to write especially as a foil to Henry who has a family and yet still feels like an outsider because of his stalled artistic ambitions and his perpetually single status.
The Holiday Spirit
8. What’s your favorite part of writing holiday romances? Is there a Christmas tradition (or disaster!) you always look forward to including?
I feel there is a special sort of magic in the air around the holidays. People are cheerier and kinder. I love bottling that up in my holiday romances. For the most part, I write these stories way out of season. Often, I’m drafting a Christmas story in the heat of summer, so it’s a nice excuse to listen to Christmas music and imagine snow falling out the window.
As for traditions that I love to write, I am a sucker for a decorating scene. In A Mannequin for Christmas, I got to write a lot of them because the book centers around a rotating window display at Henry’s vintage shop. I believe the way a person decorates says a lot about who they are and how they want to be perceived, so it was fun to write some decorating scenes from Aidan’s perspective, because it felt like he was playing detective, looking for clues about Henry’s interior life amidst all the tinsel and paint.
Happily Ever After
9. Without spoilers, did you always know how Henry and Aidan’s story would resolve, or did their journey surprise you along the way?
The marker of a successful draft for me is always when my characters run kicking and screaming away from the carefully constructed outline I’ve created for them. When I’m plotting, I’m the author who is well-versed in structure and plot beats. When I’m drafting, I’m a storyteller, entirely in service of the characters. Henry and Aidan took on unique lives of their own that I didn’t expect, especially Aidan.
As I was nearing the end of my first draft, I realized the happily ever after I envisioned for them was unearned. Aidan had a lot more growing to do before he could know what he wanted to be and whom he wanted to be with. Writing any ending other than the one that made it into the finished book would’ve been doing the character—who grows to be deeply human and flawed in his own special, sweet way—a disservice. I went with my gut, listened to my characters, and am immensely proud of the way these two end up. Re-reading those final chapters always made my eyes go misty.
Big Screen Dreams
10. I NEED this to be a Christmas movie. If you had your pick, who would you cast as Henry and Aidan? And would you make a cameo—maybe as a mischievous shopkeeper?
If I were casting the movie version of A Mannequin for Christmas, I would love to see “king of Christmas on the Hallmark Channel” Jonathan Bennett play Henry and Luke MacFarlane (an almost-Ken in the Barbie movie) play Aidan.
Of course, I’d love to make a cameo, specifically if they kept the scene where Aidan goes gift shopping at the pet store looking for some very specific birds inspired by a classic holiday song. I’d love to be the pet store worker who thinks he’s being pranked!
Rapid-Fire Festive Round
11. Favorite holiday movie?
The Muppet Christmas Carol
12. Eggnog: delicious or dubious?
Confession: I’ve never had it! I’ve had eggnog lattes, but never straight eggnog. Funnily enough, in my first Christmas romance You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince, my copyeditor had to inform me that eggnog is served cold. I had no idea!
13. Best gift you’ve ever received?
It might sound cheesy, but the best gift was, is, and always will be togetherness. Being with the ones you love is greater than anything you can unwrap.
14. If you woke up to find a mannequin come to life, what’s the first thing you’d show them about being human?
The library! Books are the best way to learn about human nature and differing perspectives, and libraries are such important spaces for building community.
Future Holiday Wishes
15. Can we expect more magical, quirky, or heartwarming holiday tales from you in the future?
You can! Next year, I’m releasing my first Halloween-themed book entitled, The Invisible Roommate, inspired by the H.G. Wells novel, The Invisible Man. The following year, I plan to release another Christmas tale, this time inspired by A Christmas Carol. Expect some interdimensional ghost romance!
Fa La La La La…Done
You’ve never had eggnog! That’s a surprise. I love it—love, love, love, love it. Eggnog is a must-have every Christmas in my house. For some completely baffling reason, I love that you haven’t tried it. It’s honestly hysterical. Have you come too far now to try it…possibly? If you ever do try it, come back and comment if you love or hate it.
Thank you, too, for talking about the neurodivergent inspiration in the book. My beautiful daughter is on the AuDHD spectrum, my husband is on the spectrum, and I’m ADHD, so our holidays are… well, let’s just say they’re gloriously unique when the rest of the family comes over.
Timothy, thank you for letting us peek behind the curtain of A Mannequin for Christmas! Your novel is pure holiday sparkle, and I (and our readers) can’t wait to read more. Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I am sold on The Invisible Roommate. I’ll keep my eyes open for it.
For my readers: This is a must-read this holiday. A Mannequin for Christmas is pure queer holiday perfection! The audiobook is a great option as well, with wonderful performances by Lee Osorio & Mark Sanderlin. Per my earlier review, it has “many laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt, great characters, and still has a life all its own.” My words to describe this book: tinsel shines, wholesome, romantic, and precious.
Buy and Connect
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