Kait

Ahhh CONGRATS!!!! 🎊🍾🎉

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

Reviews - “Would fully recommend. It was such an easy read, and 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 “A gorgeous, heartwarming, fuzzy book. I adored this from start to finish. I would have loved to have read more books like this growing up - so much about this book was wholesome and at the same time thought provoking. I would highly recommend this book! Absolutely gorgeous” ~ ARC review “Half the World Away explores love, distance, and identity in such a heartfelt way that I found myself smiling one minute and tearing up the next. It was tender, funnny, and quietly powerful. The themes of belonging, queer identity, and self-discovery shine through with warmth and emotion.” ~ ARC review “Half the World Away is a gorgeous, heartwarming story and I know you’ll just FALL IN LOVE with it! If you liked Heartstopper, you’ll love this! Sweet, wholesome and everything you need in a book.” ~ ARC review

SEPTEMBER 1995 According to Nan, I’m four times more likely to be eaten by a shark than I am to win the National Lottery. Well, the joke is on her. I have never paddled deeper than my shins in the sea, and in front of me sits a winning lottery ticket. It may only be three matching numbers and worth a tenner, but I will take any positivity I can get. Life has been one kickback after another recently. Ten pounds won’t change that, and I often wonder if I’ll ever get a real lucky day. Today is my second ever first day of school. With the way Mum has been making a fuss, I should have an adventurous excitement flowing through my veins with each ripple from my heartbeat. The truth is my stomach is knotted as I stare down at three soggy Weetabix. They swim around my bowl, turning to mush, whilst Take That remind me from the radio to never forget where I came here from.

Heartstopper meets Boy Like Me. Theo has been home schooled for three years, but his mother’s terminal illness forces him into Year Nine at his local school. Struggling to adapt, he’s persuaded to join a national pen pal project. His letter lands on the desk of Alex—a confident, private school boarder, and aspiring county rower—everything Theo is not. Despite their differences, the two begin to secretly confide, sharing struggles with grief, loneliness, and the pressures of a society demanding conformity. As their correspondence intensifies, Theo realises he has fallen for the boy in the letters. Concerned the outside world remains unwelcoming, and with Alex set to move to France, Theo must express his true feelings before they miss their chance to meet.

Half the World Away is now yours.

HEARTSTOPPER meets BOY LIKE ME

Set in the midst of Section 28, the BBC launch an inter-school pen pal project. Theo writes. Alex replies. This is what happens next.

Thanks to those who have written such wonderful reviews.

I really hope you all love it ✉️🌎

Mood board featuring overgrown kudzu, fog-soaked forest, old southern church, dark churning stream, and “prepare to meet thy God sign”

COMPOUND FRACTURE x TOGETHER WE ROT

A #YA horrormance ft:

⛰️ small-town Appalachian setting
🥀 sapphic romance between the preachers daughter x town rebel
🪾 cryptids, ghosts, and a 🐍 cult
🧠 unapologetic AuDHD rep
😈 morally grey girls doing morally grey things

#QuestPit #H

NEED to see this on the shelves!!!

Welcome to Caswell 👻

Where the ghosts outnumber people (and cows), people are worshipping snakes, and a rotting fog keeps inching closer into town. Two lesbian ghosts are the only ones capable of saving the very town responsible for their deaths. The only question is: will they?

#GhostPit #YA #H

Thanks for such a great night! Loved hearing about your process and can’t wait to start reading Tell Me Yours! 🩷

MURDER NIGHT AT HOTEL ADAIR

MURDER NIGHT AT HOTEL ADAIR pitch

MURDER NIGHT AT HOTEL ADAIR comps and tropes

MURDER NIGHT AT HOTEL ADAIR first page

The new Agent's Guide to
MURDER NIGHT AT HOTEL ADAIR, my The Haunting of Hill House x The Shining #A #H project.

───── ⋆⋅🩸⋅⋆ ─────
At Hotel Adair, the rooms are luxurious, the deaths are creative, and the check-out time is non-negotiable.
───── ⋆⋅🩸⋅⋆ ─────

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.

My new YA novel HALF THE WORLD AWAY is out 11th November!
It's an LGBTQ+ book set during Section 28.

Pre-order now at linktree.com/jamesalyons

Published by @srlpublishing.bsky.social

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

A dark background with a drag queen present. The text reads: PITCH. On a road trip to reconnect four iconic members of his estranged late uncle’s drag troupe, a young gay man uncovers the dark truth about his adoptive mother. When a romance with his co-driver blossoms, further family secrets emerge that could threaten his future, leaving him to choose — his uncle’s legacy or the woman who raised him.

A dark background with a drag queen present. Down the left are the covers for the books Here We Go Again and Boy Queen, and the TV series It's a Sin. The text reads: road trip, forced proximity, found family, LGBTQ+ history, drag humour, secrets.

A dark background with a drag queen along with the snippet: “Richard will be happy. He always worries no one will come to his drag events, but every time they’re packed out.” “What time does he get here?” I ask. She does a weird backward nod towards a doorway next to the printer. “Richard, you’ve got your first quizzers already.” Her eyes reconnect with mine. “He probably isn’t in the office. He’s having terrible trouble with his back passage today. Council haven’t collected the bins again so it’s filthy.” She’s wrong. From the doorway, a queen strides into view. His tall wig reaches high. One arm is stretched against the frame, the other on his hip. The dress is mermaid green with dashes of gold like individual lightning bolts. In his mouth, a long cigarette holder sits empty. His dark eyeshadow makes his ocean blue eyes pop from their sockets. Everything in my peripheral vision is sucked away. The queen strides elegantly across the reception in ruby red, knee length platforms, before sitting side-saddle on the desk. He clicks his tongue twice as he looks us up and down. “Hi boys.” His voice is sugary sweet, but as rich as cocoa. “Princess Thigh-Ana, absolute delight for you to meet me.” “Hey,” says Jack. He beams, nudging me in the ribs with a bony elbow. “Hi, hey.” I can only stutter, my left leg shaking. This is real. The Dragnificent Seven are real and one-quarter of the remaining members are stood in front of me. I want to scream, cry, shout, laugh and do a stupid little dance all at the same time. I need to say so much yet I can’t say anything at all.

An #editors guide to:

EAST END BOYS AND WEST END GIRLS.
My adult contemporary road-trip RomCom featuring drag queen debauchery, melancholic yearning, and dark familial secrets in all four corners.

HERE WE GO AGAIN x IT'S A SIN

#Editors #OnSub

Mark your calendars! We have a US cover reveal date for LOVE GALAXY, my debut sapphic SF romantic thriller about murder on a reality tv show in space with forbidden romance and lots of yearning!

Available to add on Goodreads now, link in the comments below 👇

Moodboard featuring cryptids, sapphic romance, religious undertones, small town and lyrics to “A house in Nebraska” by Ethel Cain

COMPOUND FRACTURE X TOGETHER WE ROT

Girls are disappearing. Kudzu is spreading like wildfire. People are worshipping snakes. The only hope? Two ghosts who hate (want to kiss) one another❤️‍🔥

🧠 an unapologetic AuDHD rep
🥀 town nuisance X preachers daughter
🌿 Appalachian cryptids

#QueerPit #YA #H

A poster with three drag queens looking up to a bright blue sky. Across the centre is the text East End Boys and West End Girls, a novel by James A Lyons. The character names Harri Forrester, Wilma Cockburn, Princess Thigh-Ana and Jack Montague are across the top. All main text is yellow. a sticker on the bottom right says on sub this September

Here We Go Again x Kinky Boots

An adult contemporary, drag, gay road trip RomCom.

Follow Harri as he joins crush Jack on a chaotic trip to find the iconic 1980's drag friends of Wilma Cockburn. Will their secrets about his adopted family's past change his life forever?

#Queerpit #A #CON #editors

A graphic poster that is split in half, with a yellow background on the left and a pink background on the right. In the centre are a pair of dark drag queen eyes, with the title EAST END BOYS AND WEST END GIRLS underneath. At the bottom is the text "an outrageous adult lgbtq+ road trip romcom looking for editors: on submission this September". Four names of characters are in blue at the top of the cover: Harri Forrester, Jack Montague, Wilma Dickfit, Princess Thigh-Ana

A young gay man learns dark truths about his adoptive mother whilst finding love on a road trip to find members of his estranged uncle's 80's drag collective. With her past set to impact his future, he must choose—his uncle’s legacy or the woman who raised him.

#QueerPit #CON #A

Don’t rot darlin, a sapphic YA horrormance complete at 70,000 words

Mood board featuring snakes, churches, sapphic romance, missing poster and ominous background

Comp titles: Together we rot, compound fracture, they bloom at night, don’t let the forest in

Opening lines

COMPOUND FRACTURE x TOGETHER WE ROT

A ghost determined to solve her own murder, allies with the vengeful spirit of a cult leader’s daughter to unearth the rotting secrets of their small Appalachian town.

🧠 AuDHD + queer rep
🥀 sapphic romance

Coming soon 👀 to inboxes

#questpit #ya #W #PR #H

I made a 3rd book agent guide for Of Magic and Grief, that's right, this story has a title now! OMaG is my Young Adult Urban Fantasy that's Cemetery Boys meets Legendborn.
Book agent guides for my 2 Middle Grade stories are right below 👇🏼
🧵/1

The Sun and Moon Brooches book agent guide.

The story's dual pov pitches.

The story's excerpts.

Avatar The Last Airbender meets The Dragon Prince.

☀️Sol's Plan for the Week:
🐺 Visit best friend at the harbor
🧚🏽 Practice flying
📖 Have a chilling history lesson
👑 Welcome father home before bed
🌑 Unwanted guest kidnap my parents
🧑‍🤝‍🧑Find out I have a missing twin brother
🏰 Save the queendom
#BluePit #MG #F #HF #Q #LGBT #LGBTQIA

The upper two thirds of this moodboard feature a warm orange and black palette while the bottom third with more black and white with a close of on a fencing sabre’s guard, light shining down into a cave, and a crystal. The top two thirds have dice falling, an orange sub at sunset, abstract images that look like silhouettes casting magic, and in the center are three silhouettes backlit by an orange sunset, looking off into the distance.

After 500 years, Tal will do anything to revive his lover’s soul. But when he finally creates a Wishing Stone, it ends up in the hands of a human girl lost in his world. Tall will have to help her friends on their rescue mission if he wants a chance to make his wish. #BluePit📖 #YA #Q #BluePit

Moodboard of pics featuring runners, a school, a swimming hole, etc

AGGGTM X MARAUDERS ERA

Lennie’s senior year captaining her XC team turns deadly when her ex-bff goes missing and she’s a suspect. Her only way out? Team up with nemesis Lysander, the boyfriend of the missing girl—and the last person to see her alive.

#BluePit #BluePit📖 #YA #Q #M

I AM NOT JESSICA CHEN X YOU’VE REACHED SAM

A CROSROAD OF LILIES
YA Rom-Com with a Speculative Twist

🍄A magical mushroom curse
🍄A friends-to-lovers romance
🍄A retired childhood actor
🍄A bullied scholarship student
🍄An otherworldly secret they both must keep

#Bluepit📖 #R #YA #Q #SP #Bluepit

A princess disguised as a man competes for her stolen throne to defeat a demon possessing the dynasty of kings, while fighting against monsters, societal conventions, and her own growing feelings for a competitor.

DAMSEL’s feminine rage x A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN x 🌶️🌶️
#R #F #BluePit 📖 #amquerying

A photo collage of early 1900s images (all black and white) - a luxury liner, a mirror with a hand and face trapped inside, a woman in a straitjacket, a sitting room on a luxury liner, a woman reading a book, a ghostly ship

When their luxury liner sinks, Edith & others are rescued by a passing ship.

But one by one, the survivors disappear...people the crew insist were never on board.

Terrified & unable to escape, Edith must hurry to unearth the ship's sinister secrets or become its latest victim

#A #H #W #BluePit 📖

a photo collage. top left shows a smoggy city skyline. middle left is a teary eye on a dirty face. Bottom left depicts a wildfire blazing across dry landscape. The centre is a science lab with glass tanks containing wet specimens and scattered bottles. bottom middle shows two silhouettes facing each other in a dimly lit space. Bottom right shows a group of people struggling through smoke and ash with shovels, fighting a fire. The background of the collage is a cityscape at night.

an image collage. top left shows a fist punching through glass. Top center shows two figures running, blurred in motion. Top right depicts a rioting crowd waving red flares, engulfed in smoke. Bottom left features protesters and flares held in disagreement. The background is a digital screenwith the phrase 'what if we never met?' in red text. In the middle is a close-up of an eye, with the reflection of flames, and glitter trailing down like tears.

a photo collage. top left shows two people touching foreheads. Overlaid is a closeup of hands clasping, and overlaid beneath is a scan of a hand. Top right is a screencap from anime Bubblegum Crisis, a city surrounded by high-rise buildings. Beneath, blue text reads 'a human being whose original human parts have had to be replaced'. Bottom left shows riot police in black gear. The centre bottom is a dark industrial space with green lighting. Bottom right shows a distressed woman staring into a mirror.

FOREIGN BODIES is Euphoria X The Last of Us (if it had androids, duh), a YA Crossover spec fic.

Found family, wealth disparity, unchecked oligarchs, genetic manipulation, perseverance, science, identity, connection, grief, mental illness & addiction.

#BluePit📖 #BluePit #YA #NA #SF #SP #OV #ND #Q

A purple background with light colored stars. The text reads "An Agent's Guide to Starfallen By: Nia Brown YA Low Fantasy 115K Words" At the very bottom is the tagline "The sun by day. The moon by night. Recite these words. Release the light.

This post is split into two sections. On the left side is a collage of eight square images. Image 1 is of a glowing figure with no distinct features. Image 2 is of a pair of hands, cradling a glowing purple object. Image 3 is a picture of the universe tinted purple. Image 4 is a close-up of a dark-skinned individual focusing on their eye which has a violet iris. Image 5 is two people standing in the middle of a road in the woods with backpacks. Image 6 is of an empty street lined with trees and lit by light blue otherworldly light. Image 7 is of a dark-skinned individual with short afro-textured hair, white eyes, and a serious expression. They are wearing an accessory that covers their face in a lattice pattern with miniature diamond emblems at each intersection. Image 8 is a still shot of a young animated figure running towards a star in the distance with their arms spread. To the right is text that reads "the pitch" is in all caps. Beneath it reads Legendborn x Stranger Things in all caps. Beneath that is the pitch which reads "Three years ago, Jada Fraser fled to her hometown after having nearly burnt it to the ground, but returns to find it now subject to flood waters rather than flames. She is convinced their saving grace lies in wish-granting stars—but they haven’t come to Earth in decades... That is until one falls from the sky—her chance at redemption. The only problem? It’s just a kid that can hardly control its magic. She teams up with her (maddeningly) charming childhood friend, Khalil Kirkwood, to protect the star which is being hunted by forces both human and celestial. But there are other odd happenings. Strange disappearances. Constellation beasts in the woods. And North Star Labs whose scientists are all hiding something. It's either sink or swim as a catastrophic flood threatens to take everything before summer’s end."

On a blue background are two navy boxes. On the left it has an underlined title that reads What To Expect. Beneath that, there are bulletin points that read celestial magic. Snarky, supernatural kid. Something is wrong in the woods. Slow burn+friends to lovers+mutual yearning. Literary themes w/ commercial appeal. Main cast: BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent (diabetic, ptsd, anxiety, fat, burns MC rep) In the box to the right, the title reads Literary Comps in all caps. Beneath it are images of three books. Tracy Deonn's Legendborn which has an illustrated cover of a black girl with her arms wreathed in glowing magic on the cover. Ava Reid's A Study in Drowning which has an illustrated cover of a girl standing with her back turned in front of an older looking desk in a room of rising water. And Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek which has an illustrated cover of a young woman wearing a dress standing in lush woods while a figure with antlers stands behind her in the shadows. Beneath each of the books is more text. Under Legendborn it reads Black FMC, Modern Magic, and Small Southern Town. Under A Study in Drowning, it reads Compelling Mystery and Real World w/ Fantasy Elements. Under, Where the Dark Stands Still, it reads Lush Atmosphere and Unsettling Forest.

On a blue background is a navy rectangle. At the top of it in blue capital letters it reads Opening Scene and is framed by stars on either side. Beneath it is a screenshot of a scene which reads: Jada Fraser always found herself on the wrong side of the law. Today was no exception. The contents of her bag beat against her back with every pounding step. Binoculars, camera, and her trusty notepad—everything she needed to procure proper proof. “Stop! You’re trespassing on private property!” A glance over her shoulder revealed an officer hot on her heels. He raised his arms, leveling a taser directly at her back. “Any further and I’ll fire!” Jada dove behind a tree, just in time to hear a sharp whine pierce the air. Silver wires struck a nearby trunk and electricity crackled beneath the bark. The acrid scent spurred her back into motion. Through the branches, she finally caught a glimpse of blue. If she could just reach the lake, she’d finally prove to everyone that something strange was going on—that she wasn’t crazy. “This is your last chance!” the officer shouted. He was right. This was her last chance. She couldn’t afford to stop now.

LEGENDBORN x STRANGER THINGS x ATLANTIS

A girl and her maddeningly charming childhood friend shelter a young star who falls to their sinking hometown while also trying to solve a string of disappearances surrounding a local lab.

#bluepit #bluepit📖 #agentsguide #YA #F #R #SF #M #SP #Q #OV #POC #ND

A graphic in shades of blue and gray with several images and text boxes. The background shows a black and white scene of a graveyard. One image shows a silhouette of a man and woman embracing. Another box shows a skull with turquoise flames around and glowing eyes. Another box shows an infinity symbol surrounded by fancy filigree. Text reads: Romantasy, Graveyard meet cute, slow burn romance, opposites attract, forced proximity. Adventure, humor, heart, and damaged heroes trying to do the right thing. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher’s Paladin series.

Wren swore she’d never return to Fenholt, but her pesky conscience got the better of her. Again. Now she’s desperate to keep a cursed necklace out of a necromancer’s grasp while dodging her old thieving crew. But is she desperate enough to trust a handsome priest of the dead?
#BluePit 📖 #F #R #A #Q

A Moodboard with six photos, a black creature holding the shoulders of a white silhouette, a hand writing ‘LOST’ in the fog of a window, blurry images of trees, a hand holding out a flower to another hand within a mirror, a black silhouette stands in a corner, the quote, ‘You’re playing my game now.’

Stalked swiftly, watched closely. Every second thirsts for alertness, Millie finds herself staying cautious of a classmate. Intertwined & made of shadows, Daz eagerly snatches moments of the unaware. Adjusting to the darkness, Millie begins seeing the sinister secrets he holds onto.

#BluePit #W

Collage of images, a forest, kitchen, tea, man listening to music, blue eye, man in hoodie, woman looking out a window, a married Indian couple, persona wlaking along a dark road, a cabin in the woods

THE HACIENDA X BAD CREE In a quiet neighbourhood, a gunshot slices through the life Taryn Shaykh has built. Compassion draws her into the circle of her neighbours & their charming friend. A voice in her head compels her to stay, a voice that won’t go away. #BluePit 📖 #A #Q #POC #gothic #SP

An illustration of two women in 18th-century outfits: one in a golden dress with pale skin, short red hair, and round glasses, and the other in a mint suit with long white hair, light brown skin, and silver rings on every finger. They are in the middle of a ballroom dance, their interlocked hands holding a glowing pink pearl. Behind the figures is an ornate floral frame showing a glittering waterfall with the title "THE ANANDRYNES" written inside. The background is a painting of a valley at sunrise.

Six book and movie covers sitting in gold rectangular picture frames. They are: "The Familiar" by Leigh Bardugo, "The Once and Future Witches" by Alix E. Harrow, "Scarlet" by Genevieve Cogman, the Les Miserables musical poster, "Bunny" by Mona Awad, and the "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" movie poster.

A photograph of grey and pink clouds overlaid with a collage of photos: two women sitting on a small island surrounded by Greek statues, Enjolras from the musical Les Miserables waving a red flag, a disembodied hand holding out a lace handkerchief, a pale girl wearing a blindfold made of pearls, two women embracing in the middle of a fencing match, a painting of a crying eye framed with pearls, and in the center, a drawing of a woman pouring glittering water from a conch shell into the sea. Parchment banners on the top and bottom read "No freedom for some // If not freedom for all," and pearls and fireworks are scattered throughout the collage.

THE FAMILIAR x LES(bian) MIS

1793. An ambitious art student haunted by a cursed island searches for answers in an unholy secret society, but the cult's high priestess offers something even more precious.

Across the ocean, a hungry new world smells blood in the water.

#BluePit 📖 #W #A #F #HS #R

A Moodboard with six photos, the first is a newspaper with the words ‘Killed in broad Daylight!’ in them, a shadow of a hand holding orange butterflies, a man on his knees in a cemetery, the quote ‘How many centuries deep is your wound?’, a cat on a blanket with a mirror that has a lady in it, a hand punches and breaks a mirror

Stricken with the whiplash of an unfathomable that was forced to be seen, Ava Tahhan’s subconscious lingers on the mangled memories. Wandering in the surreal, desperately trying to latch onto happiness. Something watches, contouring reality subtly, shrouded in nothing but plain sight.

#BluePit #W