Spires Universe

The universe is a glitterball I hold in the palm of my hand. Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on love, hope, happiness, and - most of all - himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people's expectations. Then a chance encounter at a stag party throws him into the arms of Essex boy Darian Taylor, an aspiring model who lives in a world of hair gel, fake tans, and fashion shows. By his own admission, Darian isn't the crispest lettuce in the fridge, but he cooks a mean cottage pie and makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it's like to step beyond the boundaries of anxiety. But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can't see past the glitter to the light. Can a man who doesn't trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can a man who doesn't believe in happiness ever fight for his own?

From the acclaimed author of BOYFRIEND MATERIAL comes a deeply emotional romance about heartbreak, hope, and learning to love against all the odds. Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on hope, happiness, and-most of all-himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people's expectations. Then a chance encounter throws him into the path of Essex-born Darian Taylor. Flashy and loud, radiant and full of life, Darian couldn't be more different...and yet he makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it's like to step beyond the boundaries of his anxiety. But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can no longer see a way out. Can a man who doesn't trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can someone who doesn't believe in happiness ever fight for his own? Alexis Hall's iconic Glitterland has been revised and expanded, with extensive bonus content and a stunning new cover by Elizabeth Turner Stokes. Bonus content includes: • Author Annotations: Alexis Hall's insights and commentary threaded through the novel • Shadowland: a brand new scene exploring Niall and Max's complex relationship • The Glass Menagerie: an entertaining look at an in-universe Rik Glass novel • A Letter from the Author discussing the experience of writing Glitterland • Darian's Nanny Dot's Cottage Pie and Aftermath, brought together from the original release

From the acclaimed author of BOYFRIEND MATERIAL comes a deeply moving romance about losing the life you always thought would be yours...and finding something beautiful in the wreckage of the past. Quietly heartbroken, Edwin Tully lives alone in the house he used to share with the man he once loved. He tends to damaged books and faded memories, trying to build a future from the fragments of the past. Then the weather turns, and the river spills into Edwin's quiet world, bringing with it Adam Dacre from the Environment Agency. An unlikely knight, this stranger with roughened hands and worn wellingtons offers Edwin the hope of something he thought he would never have again. As the two men are drawn together in their struggle against the rising waters, Edwin slowly lets down his guard as he comes to accept he can't shield his heart from everything-and perhaps he doesn't even need to try. Because love doesn't only leave scars…sometimes, it heals them, too. This lyrical, moving LGBTQIA+ romance contains never-before-seen content and exclusive bonus material-including a NEW novella, Chasing the Light, following Marius as he rediscovers love and the complicated joy of being truly alive. The World of SPIRES: Glitterland, book 1 Waiting for the Flood, book 2

From the acclaimed author of “Boyfriend Material” and “Husband Material” comes a deeply emotional romance about finding love when (and where) you least expect it. Laurence Dalziel is worn down and washed up, and for him, the Scene is all played out. Six years from his last meaningful relationship, he's pushing forty and tired of pretending nothing has changed. Then he meets Toby Finch. Young. Fearless, fierce, and vulnerable. Everything Laurie can't remember being. Toby doesn't know who he wants to be or what he wants to do, but he knows that he wants Laurie. The problem is, while Laurie surrenders his body, he won't surrender his heart. Because Toby is too young, too intense, too easy to hurt. And what they have, no matter how right it feels, can't last. It can't mean anything. It can't be real.

Laurence Dalziel is worn down and washed up, and for him, the BDSM scene is all played out. Six years on from his last relationship, he's pushing forty and tired of going through the motions of submission. Then he meets Toby Finch. Nineteen years old. Fearless, fierce, and vulnerable. Everything Laurie can't remember being. Toby doesn't know who he wants to be or what he wants to do. But he knows, with all the certainty of youth, that he wants Laurie. He wants him on his knees. He wants to make him hurt, he wants to make him beg, he wants to make him fall in love. The problem is, while Laurie will surrender his body, he won't surrender his heart. Because Toby is too young, too intense, too easy to hurt. And what they have-no matter how right it feels-can't last. It can't mean anything. It can't be real.

Alfie Bell is...fine. He's got a six-figure salary, a penthouse in Canary Wharf, the car he swore he'd buy when he was eighteen, and a bunch of fancy London friends. It's rough, though, going back to South Shields now that they all know he's a fully paid-up pansy. It's the last place he's expecting to pull. But Fen's gorgeous, with his pink-tipped hair and hipster glasses, full of the sort of courage Alfie's never had. It should be a one-night thing, but Alfie hasn't met anyone like Fen before. Except he has. At school, when Alfie was everything he was supposed to be, and Fen was the stubborn little gay boy who wouldn't keep his head down. And now it's a proper mess: Fen might have slept with Alfie, but he'll probably never forgive him, and Fen's got all this other stuff going on anyway, with his mam and her flower shop and the life he left down south. Alfie just wants to make it right. But how can he, when all they've got in common is the nowhere town they both ran away from.

From the acclaimed author of BOYFRIEND MATERIAL and HUSBAND MATERIAL comes a deeply emotional romance about finding love when (and where) you least expect it. Alfie Bell is…fine. He's got a six-figure salary, a penthouse, the car he swore he'd buy when he was eighteen, and a bunch of fancy London friends. It's rough, though, going back home now everyone knows he's a pansy. He thought he'd escaped that old town, and the lie he lived there, years ago. It's the last place he's expecting to meet someone. But Fen's gorgeous, with his pink-tipped hair and hipster glasses and flower shop, full of the sort of courage Alfie's never had. It should be a one-night thing, but Alfie hasn't met anyone like Fen before. Except he has. At school, when Alfie was everything he was supposed to be, and Fen was the stubborn little gay boy who wouldn't keep his head down-and who, despite their growing connection, will never truly forgive him. Fen just wants to live his life. Alfie just wants to make things right. But how can he be anything other than another heartbreak waiting to happen, when all they've got in common is the nowhere town they both spent their lives fighting to escape? This dynamic, emotional LGBTQIA+ romance contains never-before-seen content and exclusive bonus material. The World of SPIRES: Glitterland, book 1 Waiting for the Flood, book 2 For Real, book 3 Pansies, book 4