Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

Here's a little bit of info on it. http://krisngoodbooks.blogspot.com/20...

I'm looking forward to this one, the wiki information about its origins was really interesting, even though i never saw the show. I just ordered it from the publisher in London, hope it gets to Nashville before time to discuss :)

I've got a library book I need to read before I get to this, but as soon as that's finished, I'm ripping through this! ... minus all the destruction, of course! I can't believe December is here!

Can it be that our regular discussion time for this month would start on Christmas Eve? I don't know about you, but I'll be busy sitting under the Christmas tree, singing Christmas songs, eating yummy Christmas dinner, unpacking Christmas gifts (at least where I am we're doing this in the evening of the 24th)...

Maybe we could wait until the 27th?

We could have a Jews, Muslims and Pagans only discussion on the 24th ;) Might be a very small group, though.

Dev wrote: "We could have a Jews, Muslims and Pagans only discussion on the 24th ;) Might be a very small group, though."

You have a point there... but maybe they could be convinced to wait for a few days? ;-)

Lou wrote: "Isn't it an ongoing thing?"

We usually start at the weekend before the last week of the month so that everybody has time enough to read the book.

I'm on page 94, but it might take me a while to finish with all the Christmas stories to read, being one of them.

And of course I ordered mine late and it hasn't arrived from across the pond yet!

And Dev, count me in with the heathens ;-)

Yeah, usually we start around the 21st. Sorry Lou! I've got to finish the last two chapters of a current book and then read one more before I can get to Larton. Work stuff kinda has to come first. But I am going to pause in the trilogy I'm currently reading (and loving) just for Larton. Can't wait!

I just started, and I'm liking it already :)

Lou wrote: "Can someone explain to me what that was?..."

I interpret that to mean heavy duty snogging.

Is there a more unromantic term for kissing than snogging? Maybe "suck face". That's particularly ghastly.

Calathea wrote: "Can it be that our regular discussion time for this month would start on Christmas Eve? I don't know about you, but I'll be busy sitting under the Christmas tree, singing Christmas songs, eating yu..."

The 27th is fine for me as I am frantically busy this month. Or just frantic in general.

Dev wrote: "We could have a Jews, Muslims and Pagans only discussion on the 24th ;) Might be a very small group, though."

But always welcome! Anyone willing to read my favorite books is an instant friend. ;-)

Calathea wrote: "I'm on page 94, but it might take me a while to finish with all the Christmas stories to read, being one of them.
..."

Speaking of which -- because I will be more distracted than usual in the lead up to this month's discussion -- there is a mini blog tour promo starting Monday at my blog: http://joshlanyon.blogspot.com/

I'll be giving away one of the rare print editions of this collection to a randomly selected someone who is a -- a follower of the blog and b - makes a comment.

Yup. I'm glad that you guys didn't actually start the discussion yet, since I'm on page 140 and I definitely want to take part in discussing it! I also have been pretty organized this time: my book has tiny, bright colored post-its sticking out between its pages... These guys sure have a romantic way with words: "Robert surveyed him (Michael) critically. He looks disgusting, as usual, he thought." Page 97.

So far extremely entertaining!!! :)

I laughed just reading that.

Lol. This book is truly delicious! Thank you for introducing it to us, Josh. I doubt I would have never found it by myself...

yay I can't wait!

As for snogging... makes no sense to me. It's certainly not a word I would use. Reminds me of 14 year old girls for some reason. Not that I don't like them... or whatever, but the word turns me off. I think it has to do with that series with the weird titles that I can't stand... something about Full Frontal Snogging...? I don't know.

Sucking Face is pretty bad too. very bad, actually.

I know it's me, but I like the word snogging :)

though I don't think I've ever used it in my writing before ...

Josh wrote: "I'll be giving away one of the rare print editions of this collection to a randomly selected someone who is a -- a follower of the blog and b - makes a comment."

Print? Did I hear ''print''?

I didn't know it would be printed as well! I don't need one for free, but I'm glad if I can buy one copy on paper quite soon.

Oooooh I'm loving this book - so very British.

Snogging... always seems a bit playful and naughty to me. You don't snog your husband/wife/partner, you snog a stranger/rock star, for fun. It's a standard Christmas party question: have you ever snogged anyone famous? My old boss said she snogged one of Status Quo guys back in the 80s, I asked which one, then thought both of them are equally... :-)

Did I hear print books being giving away??

Antonella wrote: "Josh wrote: "I'll be giving away one of the rare print editions of this collection to a randomly selected someone who is a -- a follower of the blog and b - makes a comment."

Print? Did I hear ''p..."

Carina is doing some kind of print run, but I don't know if it's for commercial sale or they're just giving us author copies. I'll be giving most of mine away in various promotions, but I hope they're selling them because I have so many readers who still prefer print. I'm pretty sure with that author line up, we'd do 1K print books in the first month -- which is basically the lifespan of a holiday novella.

Lou wrote: "I love snogging! It has a sense of humor kissing is lacking.
..."

It's definitely cultural. I've gotten used to it by now, but the first time I read it, I was like...why would they describe it like THAT? ;-P

Oh! If they're doing print, even if just for a month, I'll have to jump on the bandwagon!

Cris S. wrote: "And of course I ordered mine late and it hasn't arrived from across the pond yet!"

Mine's somewhere in the mail. Probably caught up in all those Christmas cards organized people have already sent.

Josh wrote: "Lou wrote: "Can someone explain to me what that was?..."

I interpret that to mean heavy duty snogging.

Is there a more unromantic term for kissing than snogging? Maybe "suck face". That's par..."

Swapping spit, playing tonsil hockey. Blech.

Pender wrote: "Swapping spit, playing tonsil hockey. Blech.
..."

Interestingly, this does touch on how different authors approach such scenes -- and why some people are so much more successful than others. ;-P

Josh, Lou, I think you both have valid points. Sometimes it's the author and their possibly poor word choice, and other times it's how the story needs to be written, or how the MC would think of kissing.

Read it!

It just arrived in the mail today, so now I must read :)

Though I think I should re-read. Since this author doesn't use environmental descriptions much or body language... it very heavy on the dialogue. I feel like an outsider looking in on something I don't understand. Feels like I am missing nuances in the dialogue?

Sagajo wrote: "Since this author doesn't use environmental descriptions much or body language... it very heavy on the dialogue. I feel like an outsider looking in on something I don't understand. Feels like I am missing nuances in the dialogue?"

I feel the same way. I'm having a little trouble getting through it, honestly.

Cris S. wrote: "I feel the same way. I'm having a little trouble getting through it, honestly."

I assumed it was because english is a second language for me? I liked the book but I just had this feeling of being removed from what was happening and being told through dialogue, missing undercurrents or nuances in the languages...?

Sagajo wrote: "I assumed it was because english is a second language for me? I liked the book but I just had this f..."

Well, English is my first and only language, but it's American English which doesn't always translate from British English well, though in this case I think it's the style more than the language. I am enjoying the story, it's just a tougher read for me than usual.

Cris S. wrote: "Well, English is my first and only language, but it's American English which doesn't always translate from British English well, though in this case I think it's the style more than the language. I am enjoying the story, it's just a tougher read for me than usual."

Then maybe it is not just a language thing... I have to admit I am/was a but confused as to the time epoch this was covering also, with the vague descriptions. Could be now but could also be 20-30 yrs back?

Sagajo, Josh mentioned a time period for the book somewhere in this group... might have been in the "next month" thread? I can't remember.

I'll be starting Larton at the end of this week the lastest, soon as I get my current read for work finished. I'll be interested to see how this language thing works out. Personally, I always write a ton of dialog, and I sometimes skimp on the rest, so I'd like to see how well I can understand what's going on here.

Jordan wrote: "Sagajo, Josh mentioned a time period for the book somewhere in this group... might have been in the "next month" thread? I can't remember.
"

Ok, I'll see if I find it. I don't like when the descriptions are too vague to fix the time epoch firmly early on because it messes up my internal pictures when reading. I read Harpers midwinter prince half-way through thinking it was an historical.

Sagajo wrote: "Then maybe it is not just a language thing... I have to admit I am/was a but confused as to the time epoch this was covering also, with the vague descriptions. Could be now but could also be 20-30 yrs back?..."

I just got my copy yesterday and have started reading. It's definitely written in a British style so if you're not used to that it's tricky. I'm not very far into it yet but generally in this style of writing, a lot of the internally thought, snarky comments shouldn't just be taken at face value only. Often you have to look at behaviour too, to see what's really going on.

As far as the time period goes, it was probably current when it when it was written, so 1980's? 1990's?. (Josh could confirm that.) Part of your confusion might lie in the fact that in small English villages, very little changes for hundreds of years. The class system is still alive and kicking, though not like it used to be. (And a good thing too.) :)

I grew up near a small English village in the late sixties and my dad, a farmer, still called the local doctor, Sir.

Pender wrote: "As far as the time period goes, it was probably current when it when it was written, so 1980's? 1990's?. (Josh could confirm that.) Part of your confusion might lie in the fact that in small English villages, very little changes for hundreds of years. The class system is still alive and kicking, though not like it used to be. (And a good thing too.) :)
..."

Late 70s/early 80s. It might be harder going if English is a second language. I didn't consider that. But you know, it's one of those stories that definitely isn't going to be to everyone's taste. I'm an anglophile so right there I'm predisposed to love it.

Yeah the thing with Brittish villages is I have no clue if they still keep living this life (they seem a bit stale). I mean, I watch Murder around Midsommer for example and this story could just as well describe that environment such as one 20-30 yrs ago.

Sagajo wrote: "Yeah the thing with Brittish villages is I have no clue if they still keep living this life (they seem a bit stale). I mean, I watch Murder around Midsommer for example and this story could just as..."

See, I find Midsomer Murders relaxingly goofy. ;-P

I like it too, I am just pointing out that somehow time stands still, maybe, in villages like this which makes it hard to know the time epoch...

Josh wrote: "... I'm an anglophile so right there I'm predisposed to love it."

I found myself appreciating the Irishness that crops up too, actually. Perhaps having had an insane Irish family has something to do with that.

Late 70s/early 80s. ...

Hmm. I would have put it just a wee bit later (Robert does have a computer near the end). But as I like the timeless feel doesn't much matter to me.

I didn't have a problem with the language or getting it, but I did find myself feeling out of breath after reading a couple of pages. There is something fast paced about the writing (and yes, sometimes slightly distant as well), that made me wonder whether the writer actually took a breath while writing it :)

I know it sounds strange, but I have no idea how else to describe it.


Josh wrote: "Sagajo wrote: "Yeah the thing with Brittish villages is I have no clue if they still keep living this life (they seem a bit stale). I mean, I watch Murder around Midsommer for example and this stor..."

I LOVE Midsommer Murders :)
Then again, I love a lot of British mysteries.
I watch too much tv, I know ... but still less than I spend with my computer, so, not so bad. Problem with me and tv is that when I watch tv (breakfast/lunch) there's nothing worth watching on.
So I tape a lot of programs.

Wow I almost had an heart attack looking this book price in amazon.com (From $69$ to $94!!!!!)
Thanks god it's not sold out and I can get it from the editor paying £10 :-)

edit: got it, I hope it will arrive in time to this group reading :-)

Sagajo wrote: "I like it too, I am just pointing out that somehow time stands still, maybe, in villages like this which makes it hard to know the time epoch..."

There is a timelessness to those places, isn't there? I found that to be true when we were traveling in Ireland.

Now I can see what you mean about the dialog. I started to read it last night, finally, and yeah, a little more action to go with the dialog would be good. It's like Blaine said, it jumps around a lot, seemingly. As in, one second the boy sits down to pie and in the next sentence he's leaving. Um, when/how did he eat that pie? lol.

I was beginning to wonder what time period it's set in myself, but then had that same thought that some of you had, that these places are timeless and don't tend to change much.

I'm at the start of chapter four now, and rather enjoying it, despite the above. lol. I almost overstayed my welcome on my lunch break because I couldn't tear myself away from the book.

Bookwatcher wrote: "Wow I almost had an heart attack looking this book price in amazon.com (From $69$ to $94!!!!!)
Thanks god it's not sold out and I can get it from the editor paying £10 :-)

edit: got it, I hope it ..."

GULP.

I've accidentally created enormous demand for resale copies. :-D

lol, yes you did Josh. Imagine being the one who singlehandedly did that? Must feel awesome. lol. I have a feeling the publisher, if they knew who you were, would love you dearly. Well, they love you dearly anyway, they just don't know who you are.