James A Lyons

@jalwrites.bsky.social

6212 Followers 10414 Following

Author 🏳️‍🌈 EAST END BOYS AND WEST END GIRLS - An adult contemporary LGBTQ+ RomCom. Preorder now! out 26th April. Represented by Intersaga Literary Agency.

“I’m scared.” “Fear won’t solve anything.” She takes my hand, stroking the back with a thumb. “You’ve seen a sunset, ain’t you?” I furrow my brow. “Of course.” “Do you have a photo of one in your phone?” I unplug my device from the wall, fifteen percent, and perch on the arm next to her as I open the photo app trying to find the picture I took from the train as I passed Stevenage. “I don’t need to see it,” she says, waving me away. “I wanted to prove a point. Sunsets are like life, y’see. When you see a sunset, you take a photo, everyone does because part of you, however deep inside, believes it will be the last light you’ll see. The purples and yellows illuminating the clouds, changing colour until the sky fades to black. The next day, another sunrise comes along and the process starts over.” Her eyes sparkle with tears, her words aimed as much to herself as they are to me. “Life is full of moments Harri, and you must never assume a sunset is the end. We all live under the same sky, even if we may have been born on a different cloud. Whenever you feel you’re at the blackest moment, you need hope. Wherever you are, you have to remember that the sun will rise.” She takes a long drag of her cigarette and blows the smoke towards the light. “Always believe in the sunrise, Harri.”
A blue sky and cloud background with a red haired drag queen staring into the sun. Text reads 1986 had them, 2026 needs them. East End boys and west end girls. Out worldwide from 25th April 2026. a new lgbtq+ adult road trip comedy, available from all booksellers Written by james a lyons | Repped BY intersaga literary agency | published BY spectrum books |STarring harri forrester & wilma cockburn | co-starring gloria, westward hoe & boo karky | and introducing jack montague. Rivals to lovers. Age diverse cast. Found family.
A drag queen on stage singing on the right. Text reads East End Boys and West End Girls. Wake up, wear heels. Kick arse. Yours to own from 25th April. a new lgbtq+ adult road trip comedy, available from all booksellers Written by james a lyons | Repped BY intersaga literary agency | published BY spectrum books | STarring harri forrester & wilma cockburn | co-starring gloria, westward hoe & boo karky | and introducing jack montague
A retro themed poster. At the top is the title East End Boys and West End Girls. in the centre is a pastel sunset with a moon, over a purple and lilac skyline. At the forefront is a large lipstick with The Dragnificent Seven in the side. At the bottom it says 2026 and starring Harri Forrester, Jack Montague, Gloria, Wilma Cockburn, westward Hoe, Boo Karky, Princess Thigh-Ana, Havana Banana and The Duchess.
On the left is the text East End Boys and West End Girls, with the date 25th April. In between is the popart cover for the novel, and on the right is an image of a drag queen down a darkened hallway.
A poster for 25% off east end boys and west end girls at Barnes and Noble. To get the discount, use code PREORDER25
An image of the popart style front cover, with polaroids of the cover art in the background and the text Now available to add to your shelf on Goodreads
Nothing good will ever come from drinking eight espresso martinis in the space of sixty minutes. If the alcohol doesn’t get you, the caffeine definitely will. I am waist deep in the worst hangover since the Year 11 ‘absinthe incident'. Today is the first morning since my days in care where I’ve not been wished a happy birthday. With my sister in New York, and Callum and Gabe being AWOL, I should have expected as much. I haven’t seen my two flatmates for five days now. They’re likely at the curtain call of another all-nighter smelling of weed, cheap lager, and casual heterosexuality. My body is screaming at me to crawl into a dark corner and die peacefully instead of brushing away the acidic remains of last night’s session from my teeth. I scrub away last night's eyeliner, before I stumble to the kitchen and pour myself a cup of ambition (okay, water, same thing), feeling my throat cool as I gulp it down in two. When I plug my phone in to charge by the kettle, I feel it vibrate immediately with a text from Daria. “Happy birthday Harri. I need to speak to you URGENTLY. Call me xx.” I’ll call later. It must be about 3am on the East Coast by now. For the past two years, I’ve experimented with every hangover cure imaginable. I once even attempted a sunrise run along the promenade, only to end up vomiting behind a beach hut. I stand again, battered and bruised, ready to face another day with my eyes feeling like they are sunken halfway into my skull. My shoulders tense at the prospect of eight long hours working in the café today. The temptation to pull a sickie is strong. I breathe out, slow and deliberate. The first day of my twenties. I hope by the last I will be in a better place, both physically and metaphorically. God, I need an excuse to escape this town. As I drag myself through the flat, I spot three pigeon feathers lying on the welcome mat, released from my Converse during last night's chaotic return home. I toss them out the front door and scoop up my
A 3p payment to my bank from Amazon
The pop art style cover of East End Boys and West End Girls
A plastic sticker proudly boasts the café was awarded bronze in the Evening Standard Dining Awards, however this was sponsored by Woolworths and dates from 2008. It could be 2006.
“You don’t look like our Eric,” she says, her accent thick with the ingredients of an East End upbringing.
Even though this is central London, I could well be alone. People walk as if in a dream-like state, many with no focus and no direction. A west end town, but a dead-end world.
The Glasgow postmark in the top corner gives the game away too, as does the hilarious penis-illustrated envelope. His drawings are sickeningly detailed.
When the end inevitably came for the brief fling (as Michelle called it, despite it being a four-month relationship), it was clear Kristian would never be 'the one'.
Michelle raises her eyebrows and takes the cloth from my hand, cleaning the lengthy nozzle of the CoffeeMaster 3000 with rapid, suggestive hand movements.
"Hey, Daria. I can’t talk now." Even family should be banned from FaceTiming before midday.
Thick sweat engulfs the air in my bedroom, and condensation fogs the windows. I wipe them down with a pair of boxers, unveiling a picturesque view of the bin area for the neighbouring Chinese takeaway.
Instead of ordering a taxi and sneaking out, my latest overnight guest, a boy with pale skin, a Green Day t-shirt, and blonde surfer hair, grins at me like a cat waiting to be fed.
I’m not a failure. I just haven’t found success. There is a difference. A subtle one, but a difference, nonetheless. When I turned twenty I’d made a promise that I’d leave Stonemouth. It’s the one seaside town they’ve yet to close down, but by God are they trying.
A poster for creating a strong protagonist event at Bournemouth Writing Festival. Featuring Sharon Brisley-Moore, Hilra Gondim Vinha, Chris Powell and James A Lyons. Chaired by Kathleen Whyman. 10am on 26th April
A pop art style poster with a woman looking shocked. Bottom right is the cover for the novel. The text reads Attention! ARC readers wanted!
A popart style book cover with the title in bold pink and blue. In the background are images of a crown, a rubber duck, a coffee cup, a disco ball, lips, hearts and a VW beetle. Polaroids with the same image surround it.
What looks like a giant penis on the back of a truck, but wrapped up in a festive green coloured plastic
The cover for East End Boys and West End Girls, peaking out behind some Christmas wrapping paper with string.
On the right is the front cover of the book Half the World Away, with the characters of Alex and Theo. Alex is dressed in a blue school blazer, whereas Theo is in a green jacket, sat cross legged. ON the left is the text Heartstopper x Boy Like Me When Theo joins Year 9 at his local state school, he reluctantly agrees to take part in a new national pen pal project. After losing hope of a reply, an unexpected letter arrives from Alex, a confident private school boarder, sparking a connection that could change everything.
A fake one star amazon review. Posted under the name Noel Tinsel. It has one star from five and the headline Christmas ruined. The reason for the review is: DO NOT BUY!! At no point did it mention that Bob Cratchit was a frog! Would have given no stars, but assumed there was cheeses for them meeces, although unconfirmed.
A Pop Art style graphic with the title of the book in bubble writing in the centre, with the text Coming Spring 2026.
A picture of the Amazon Best Sellers in Gay Fiction for Young Adults. #1 The Sun and the Stars by Rick Riordan #2 and #3 Heartstopper Volumes by Alice Oseman, and #4 Half the World Away by James A Lyons
The front cover of the book, with the characters of Alex and Theo nearby. The text reads: Available now. Half the World Away. When Theo joins Year 9 at his local state school, he reluctantly agrees to take part in a new national pen pal project. After losing hope of a reply, an unexpected letter arrives from Alex, a confident private school boarder, sparking a connection that could change everything. www.linktree.com/jamesalyons
A picture of a drag queen with a glitch filter. At the top in bold yellow are the words: Wake up. Wear heels. Kick arse. At the bottom in shadow text is the name The Dragnficent seven
On the right is the front cover of the book Half the World Away, with the characters of Alex and Theo. Alex is dressed in a blue school blazer, whereas Theo is in a green jacket, sat cross legged. ON the left is the text Heartstopper x Boy Like Me When Theo joins Year 9 at his local state school, he reluctantly agrees to take part in a new national pen pal project. After losing hope of a reply, an unexpected letter arrives from Alex, a confident private school boarder, sparking a connection that could change everything.
A cartoon field background. On the right is the cover of Half the World Away, with the characters of Theo and Alex nearby. ON the left, in a peach box, is the text: Coming this November. Heartstopper x Boy Like Me. When Theo joins Year 9 at his local state school, he reluctantly agrees to take part in a new national pen pal project. After losing hope of a reply, an unexpected letter arrives from Alex, a confident private school boarder, sparking a connection that could change everything. Under is a four star review saying “I absolutely loved it. The flow of the writing between Alex's letters and Theo's day were really well done and made it seamless to the point that you knew exactly what was going on.” ~ ARC review. And then the order link - www.linktree.com/jamesalyons
A yellow and blue poster. IN the top half is the cover for Half the World Away, with the character of Alex leaning against the book, and Theo sitting on the floor in front of it. Underneath is the title, along with the text : The BBC have launched a national pen pal project for Year 9 pupils. Theo writes in. Alex replies. This is what happens next.
A picture of a smallish box of coco pops on the shelf at co-op. They are priced at £4.15. Underneath is the text Half the World Away from £3.99. Link in Bio.
The front cover of Half the World Away. It features the title over a globe, with a fireplace underneath. on the fireplace sits a pot plant, an open letter, and a flamingo ornament.
A fake magazine cover with a drag queen on a light background. She is wearing a short purple dress and has a large styled blonde wig. At the top is EAST END BOYS AND WEST END GIRLS. Autumn Winter 2025. £2.80. Tropes Road trip! Found family! Rivals to lovers! Forced proximity! Comps Here we go again, It's a sin, Priscilla, kinky Boots. Adult contemporary fiction. In the bottom right is a barcode.
A pitch card on a pink to blue gradient background. It features the front cover for Half the World Away, with the character of Alex leaning against the book, and the character of Theo sat on the floor. behind them are faint outlines of envelopes. Towards the bottom is a world map, with the following text over the top: When Theo moves into a state school during the era of Section 28, he’s persuaded to join a national pen pal project. His letter lands on the desk of private school boarder Alex. Despite their differences, the two begin to confide, sharing struggles with grief, loneliness, and the pressures of a society demanding conformity. With Alex set to move to France, Theo must express his true feelings before they miss their one chance to meet.
A book cover featuring the title HALF THE WORLD AWAY in handwriting on top of a globe. Underneath is a fireplace with a plant, a letter and a flamingo statue. Surrounding the picture is a yellow border, plus the release date of 11th November 2025.
A cassette cover featuring a pool and steps with the text JAMES A LYONS, HALF THE WORLD AWAY and a blanked out release date.
A dark background with a drag queen present. The text reads EDITOR'S GUIDE. EAST END BOYS AND WEST END GIRLS. JAMES A LYONS. 82,000 WORDS. ADULT CONTEMPORARY LGBTQ+ ROMCOM. REP: INTERSAGA LITERARY AGENCY
Before: The pages are blank, but as I flick through, some polaroid photos fall onto the floor with the pictures displayed. It is like my world is crashing around me. The photos are like the sirens and I am like the boat that is about to be shipwrecked. After: The pages are blank, but as I flick through, a set of polaroids fall to the floor, face up. My heart stops, my world crashing. I’m a ship in a storm, the photos the sirens singing me to shipwreck. (- 8 words)
Before: She shook her head. “Why are you here?” “To get you,” Jack replies, shaking his head. After: She tilts her head. “Why are you here?” “To get you,” Jack replies
Before: She shook her head from side to side and shrugged her shoulders. After: She shook her head and shrugged. (- 6 words)
Before: I join Michelle on the white rug on the floor. After: I slump next to Michelle on the white rug. (-1 word)
Before: He stood from the sofa and walked to the desk, and then he moved the papers and picked up his pen. After: At his desk, he swatted the papers aside, grabbing his favoured blood red pen. (-7 words)
Before: He could hear the television in her hotel room but nothing else. He could see the curtains were torn. They looked like velvet. After: The static from the television punctured her otherwise silent hotel room, the velvet curtains torn. (- 8 words)
Before: Without the bunting, the street seemed bare to me. After: Without the bunting, the street was bare.
Before: a. He stood up. B She sat down on the sofa. After: a. He stood. (-1 word) b. She sat on the sofa. (-1 word)
Before: a. The fire was burning in the fireplace. b. The cars were bumper to bumper on the road. c. A large cruise ship passed their yacht on the sea. After: a. The fire crackled. (-4 words) b. The cars were bumper to bumper. (-3 words) c. A large cruise ship passed their yacht. (- 3 words)
Before: He noticed a strange man opposite in a trench coat staring and following. His coat was torn and the man pulled his coat around himself. After: A strange man stalked him, his tattered trench coat pulled tight. (-14 words)
Before: She started to look through the cupboard, trying to find the tin hiding the money. The kettle began to whistle next to her. After: She rummaged through the cupboard, the hidden money buried beneath expired cans. The kettle’s whistle agitating her further, she throws the contents to the floor.
James' list of things to look out for when self line editing. (aka things James was guilty of multiple times when drafting his own manuscripts)