50 Reasons to Say Goodbye (24 page)

It's all such a surprise, and so unsurprising, that I sit in numbed, stunned disbelief as I try to work out whether I am having trouble believing that I am here, or trouble believing that I was ever there. Did those twenty years since Owen and I last sat on opposite sofas in a seaside town really happen at all?

I open my mouth to ask him but think better of it. He's worried enough about me as it is, and, logically at least, I know the answer.

As if he has captured my thoughts Owen looks up at me and frowns.

I wonder what he is going to say to me, wonder what he will ask, how I will reply, what reassuring answer I will find to his concerned questioning.

But Owen just smiles at me. “You want a cup of tea?” he says.

I exhale. “Yes,” I reply.

The reply came a little too quickly. I sounded
breathless and I realise that I am also frowning, so I force a smile.

Owen raises an eyebrow at me, shakes his head and sighs. I think he's decided that I'm taking the piss but he says nothing.

He stands and turns towards the kitchen.

By Nick Alexander

Mark is looking for love in all the wrong places. He always ignores the warning signs preferring to dream, time and again, that he has finally met the perfect lover until, one day …

Through fifty adventures, Nick Alexander, takes us on a tour of modern gay society: bars, night-clubs, blind dates, Internet dating … It's all here.

Funny and moving by turn,
Fifty Reasons to Say Goodbye
is ultimately a series of candidly vivid snapshots and a poignant exploration of that long winding road: the universal search for love.

“A witty, polished collection of vignettes … Order this snappy little number.” – Tim Teeman,
The Times

Available for download at:
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iTunes

By Nick Alexander

Following the loss of his partner, Mark, the hero from the bestselling
Fifty Reasons to Say Goodbye
, tries to pick up the pieces and build a new life for himself in gay friendly Brighton.

Haunted by the death of his lover and a fading sense of self, Mark struggles to put the past behind him, exploring Brighton's high and low-life, falling in love with charming, but unavailable Tom, and hooking up with Jenny, a long lost girlfriend from a time when such a thing seemed possible. But Jenny has her own problems, and as all around are inexorably sucked into the violence of her life, destiny intervenes, weaving the past to the present, and the present to the future in ways no one could have imagined.

“Alexander has a beautifully turned ear for a witty phrase … I think we can all recognise the lives that live within these pages, and we share their triumphs and tragedies, hopes and lost dreams.” – Joe Galliano,
Gay Times

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By Nick Alexander

On holiday with new boyfriend Tom, Mark – the hero from the best-selling novels,
Fifty Reasons to Say Goodbye
and
Sottopassaggio
– heads off to rural Italy for a spot of camping.

When the ruggedly seductive Dante invites them onto his farmland the lovers think they have struck lucky, but there is more to Dante than meets the eye – much more.

Thoroughly bewitched, Tom, all innocence, appears blind to Dante's dark side … Racked with suspicion, it is Mark who notices as their holiday starts to spin slowly but very surely out of control – and it is Mark, alone, who can maybe save the day …

Good Thing, Bad Thing
is a story of choices; an exploration of the relationship between understanding and forgiveness, and an investigation of the fact that life is rarely quite as bad – or as good – as it seems. Above all
Good Thing, Bad Thing
is another cracking adventure for gay everyman Mark.

“Spooky, and emotionally turbulent – yet profoundly comedic, this third novel in a captivating trilogy is a roller-coaster literary treasure all on its own. But do yourself a favour, and treat yourself to its two prequels as soon as
you can …” – Richard Labonte,
Book Marks

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By Nick Alexander

Better Than Easy
– the fourth volume in the Fifty Reasons series – finds Mark about to embark on the project of a lifetime, the purchase of a hilltop gîte in a remote French village with partner Tom.

But with shady dealings making the purchase unexpectedly complex, Mark finds himself with time on his hands – time to consider not only if this is the right project but whether Tom is the right man.

A chance meeting with a seductive Latino promises nirvana yet threatens to destroy every other relationship Mark holds dear, and as he navigates a seemingly endless ocean of untruths, Mark is forced to question whether any worthwhile destination remains.

Better Than Easy
combines a tense tale of betrayal and a warming exploration of the mix of courage and naivety required if we are to choose love and happiness – if we are to continue to believe against seemingly impossible odds.

“
Better Than Easy
is my favourite of Nick Alexander's novels so far. It's sweet, sexy, funny and tender, and I'm not ashamed to say I laughed and cried.” –
Time Out

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By Nick Alexander

Sleight Of Hand
– the fifth volume in the Fifty Reasons series – finds Mark living in Colombia with Ricardo.

But there is more to Colombia than paradisiacal beaches and salsa music, and though Mark believes Ricardo to be his perfect soul mate he is torn between the security of home and the rich tapestry of his Colombian lifestyle.

When a friend's mother dies, Mark hopes that attending the funeral will enable him to decide where his future lies but no sooner does Mark set foot in England than bonds of love and obligation from the past begin to envelop him with such force that he wonders not only if his relationship with Ricardo will survive, but if he will ever be able be break free again.

In
Sleight of Hand
, Nick Alexander weaves universal themes of honesty and happiness, desire and obligation into a rich narrative we can all identify with – a narrative that prompts laughter and tears, frequently on the same page.

“A tender, deeply moving portrait of what it means to be gay in the twenty-first century. Alexander has looked beyond stereotypical representations of sexuality, both gay and
straight, to show us the infinite possibilities of what love, family and belonging truly mean. It re-imagines the boundaries of gay fiction and inspires us to re-evaluate our lives.” – Alex Hopkins,
Out There
magazine

Available for download at:
Amazon
iTunes