Josh’s Comments (group member since Jun 17, 2010)

Josh’s comments from the Q&A with Josh Lanyon group.

Karen wrote: "Josh wrote: "... How many of you look up old friends or romantic relationships on social media?

Well... this may actually inspire me to rectify something by replying to an email I've left molderin..."

I can't tell you how many times I've not answered someone because I didn't want to rush a reply--and 99.9 percent of the time it's someone I really do want to keep in touch with. It's so nutty.

Jordan wrote: "I’m one of those people who, by the end of high school, for various reasons, I had three friends. One passed away, one I don’t have much in common with, and My third friend moved with me to Boston,..."

I've occasionally felt the temptation to look someone up--college roommates--but usually I just feel sort of sad when I do so. It's that sentimental...surprise that people you could be so close to eventually become strangers to you.

Knives Out.

This was our Valentine's Day movie selection and I LOVED IT.

I was expecting something more overtly comical, but it's less comedy and more clever than I expected. Very entertaining.

Jordan wrote: "Same here, Karen.

I avoid most news like the plague. But our local public radio station does loud broadcasts of talk news and the trial in the library where I can’t escape it. Hell, no one can es..."

It's this painful convergence of things. The lack of civility and intelligent discourse. The new normal for so many is to just scream at other people who disagree. The rise of what can only be called authoritarianism.

It's both fascinating and sickening to watch people react--for example, those who will sell their souls to stay in power. We're not even looking at physical safety yet; we're still at the anything-to-keep-my-position stage.

And yet I also feel if people don't vote, they deserve what they get.

Karen wrote: "Josh wrote: "Cozy mystery is about all I can handle emotionally or mentally right now. I think this is going to be a really rocky year for me--and that's purely because of politics. I'm in such a s..."

<3 <3 <3

Susan wrote: "Josh wrote: "I'm in such a state of dread every time I turn on the news."

Yes. I love to watch Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell, but since the impeachment debacle, I am taking a break. I get i..."

I know. I can feel myself starting to slip into that state of high anxiety of 2016. Trying to stay focused on work and positive things, but I am truly terrified of what's coming.

Alison wrote: "Karen wrote: "Just finished The Hanged Man yesterday. Wow! Complex, intelligent, occasionally snarky, often nail-biting, urban fantasy/alt-reality series. A treat."

Glad you loved ..."

I've heard wonderful things about this. In fact, I think I bought it a few weeks ago. I have been buying books from Bookbub like there's no tomorrow. And I ALREADY had more books than I could read in a lifetime. I'm kind of obsessive right now.

Karen wrote: "Josh wrote: "Last Act in Bermuda by David Burnham. I read it in two nights.

Excellent Golden Age mystery -- Burnham's only foray into mystery fiction.

https://www.yesterdaysgallery.com/pag......"

That is in fact my copy. The only damned copy I could find on the entire freaking internet!

Alison wrote: "Jordan wrote: "RWA NEWS:

Remaining RWA board members quit after racism row: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/re...#

And RWA sets a new electi..."

Power and money breed corruption. No organization is immune.

Antonella wrote: "Sometimes it is good to have a critical light shed on videos widely shared.

I've just read an article in German very critical about «The DNA Journey», a video which went viral in 2016 (almost 19 m..."

Yes. True. It is easier to hate when you are not confronted with the real person.

Cozy mystery is about all I can handle emotionally or mentally right now. I think this is going to be a really rocky year for me--and that's purely because of politics. I'm in such a state of dread every time I turn on the news.

And I listen to NPR, which is about as neutral and unbiased as you can get.

No one ever expects the Spanish Inquisition. Or Nazi Germany. But they happen all the same.

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "Jordan wrote: "Just saw this article about B&N redesigning classic book covers to show characters of color. I'm not sure how they thought this was a good idea they could pull off.

https://www.nyt..."

I'm sure their intentions were good, but the road to hell, etc. All that does is annoy EVERYONE.

Reinventing classics to reflect an imaginary reality doesn't actually fix anything, What needs to happen is someone has to have the vision and guts to support the creation of NEW soon-to-be classics.

Of course, with B&N it's also economics. These are public domain works so slapping a person of color on the cover doesn't really require any financial or moral investment.

Whereas investing in the work of a living author of color costs money. And as we all know in our New America, money = God.

Alison wrote: "Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "Jordan wrote: "Just saw this article about B&N redesigning classic book covers to show characters of color. I'm not sure how they thought this was a good idea they..."

Unfortunately, it's kind of a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation. And there are so many wonderful, talented authors of color that I feel it's my job to promote their books when I find one I love--American Love Story, for example--versus me treading where angels fear to go. ;-)

Alison wrote: "Josh wrote: "Alison wrote: "This is kind of boring, but, as of this morning, we're going ahead officially with refinancing our mortgage because the rates are so low right now. We got a good deal so..."

It's funny you say that because after I read your post, I clicked on the FIND OUT MORE button at BofA and when I saw the line about uploading documents, I just...my heart sank.

The challenges of buying a house when self-employed were truly discouraging. The hoops we had to go through. Ugh. And that was at my highest earning point!

Cheryl wrote: "Yes, I think Ashe would have killed Taylor. Will did absolutely the right thing given the circumstances."

It's not a thing you would want to take a chance on, that's for sure.

Mymymble wrote: "Josh wrote: "So here's my question: do you think Ashe would have killed Taylor?"

Probably. Of course that uncertainty brings up all sorts of ethical questions. But I think Will nailed it when he s..."

I think so too. He could have killed him the first day, but then he backed down--but that had to be at least partly just the magnitude of crossing that line.

He grows increasingly unstable, though whether that's the knowledge he's going to have to commit murder or being around Taylor and having that first rejection confirmed over and over or the drugs and drinking, is uncertain.

The thing about social media and the internet is it allows for keeping track of people and things that should maybe--for everyone's mental health--be forgotten.

Every so often, I'll think about looking someone up, but the only one I've actually followed through on was my high school journalism teacher. And we still correspond and I send her flowers or little things at Christmas.

How many of you look up old friends or romantic relationships on social media?

Eve wrote: "Mymymble wrote: ".. I didn't foretell Will smacking down David like that, though."

David wasn’t completely wrong though - Will gave him mixed signals - at least they would seem mixed to someone li..."

Yes. I think that's true. Part of why David was so sure Will would repent and return to him was Will was--unconsciously--giving mixed signals.

Which is easy to do if you're not paying close attention or you do have mixed feelings on some level.

And I think Taylor put up with it and put up with it and then finally reached a HEY, DEAL WITH THIS point.

It's so long since I've done straight cozy.

Well, not "straight" cozy, but you know what I mean.

FROM MURDER AT PIRATE'S COVE:


The damp night air was bracingly cold and, as always, suffused with the distinct ocean smell. Supposedly that seaside scent came from bacteria digesting dead phytoplankton. He’d picked that tidbit up that afternoon from a Tripp Ellis thriller.

The streets were quiet and strangely deserted quiet as he walked back to the bookstore. His car—well, Aunt Eudora’s car, if someone wanted to get technical—was still in the parking lot. Captain’s Seat was about a fifteen-minute drive from the village. Walking distance for someone who hadn’t been on his feet all day and didn’t mind a stroll down a pitch-black country road. None of which described Ellery.

His thoughts were preoccupied as he turned the corner onto the narrow brick street that held the little bookshop that had brought him to Pirate’s Cove in the first place.

The tall Victorian buildings cast deep shadows. Most of the storefronts were dark or illuminated only by the faint glow of emergency lights, so he was startled to see the bright yellow oblongs stretching from the tall windows of the Crow’s Nest across the grey pavement.

That’s weird.

He was positive that he had locked the place up after shutting all the lights off. A larger than usual electricity bill was the last thing he wanted.

He sped up, his footsteps echoing down the silent street as he hurried toward the Crow’s Nest. He grabbed the doorknob, guiltily recalling that the first words Chief Carson had ever spoken to him concerned replacing the sticky old lock with a new deadbolt. His dismay ratcheted up another notch as the door swung open on well-oiled hinges.

Oh no.

No way had he forgotten to lock up. He had lived in New York most of his life, for heaven’s sake. Locking doors was second nature to him. Sure, Pirate’s Cove was a small town, but all you had to do was flip through a couple of titles in the cozy mystery section to know that evil lurked in the cutest, quaintest corners of the universe.

“Hello?” he called.

His uneasy gaze fell on the thing lying just a few feet inside the shop. A purple plumed tricorn hat. He looked past the hat and his breath caught. His heart shuddered to a stop.

“No,” he whispered. “No way…”

At first glance there appeared to be a drunken pirate passed out on the floor of the Crow’s Nest. Ellery’s disbelieving eyes took in the glossy boots, black velvet breeches, long, plum-colored coat and gold-trimmed vest, the scarlet lace jabot…

Scarlet.

Because the lacey folds were soaked in blood. The same blood slowly spreading around the motionless—terrifyingly motionless—form sprawled on newly sanded hardwood floors.

Ellery put a hand out to steady himself—except there was nothing to grab—so he stumbled forward, landing on his knees beside the body. He instinctively reached to check for—but there was no need. The eerily stillness of the man’s chest, the glassy stare, the gray and bloodless face… Trevor Maples was dead. Ellery could see the tiny twin horror-stricken reflections of himself in those sightless brown eyes.

He drew back, climbed clumsily to his feet, and staggered out the open door to the eerily silent street.

“Help!” he cried. “Help! Murder!”

One by one, the street’s lamps turned on as residents in the apartments above the shops surrounding The Crow’s Nest woke to the cries of death and disaster. The windows of normally sleepy little Pirate’s Cove lit up like the stars winking overhead.

Jordan wrote: "Just saw this article about B&N redesigning classic book covers to show characters of color. I'm not sure how they thought this was a good idea they could pull off.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/0..."

Truly imbecilic.