Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What Are you Reading?
I finished reading my ice hockey vampire book Blood on the Ice and I enjoyed it. It didn't really feel like the usual mm stories and the focus was more about how the main character experienced changes to his life when he became a vampire and having a romantic relationship was just one aspect of that. This was the first time I had read anything by the author Katriena Knights. I think most of her previous work is mf.Having finished that I have just started reading Think of England which I know I am going to enjoy.
Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "I finished reading my ice hockey vampire book Blood on the Ice and I enjoyed it. It didn't really feel like the usual mm stories and the focus was more about how the main character ..."Hockey? *perks up*
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Assuming I do become engaged.
Initially I'm just settling into the story, trying to sink into the world and the voices, but at some point I engage. Sometimes it's surprisingly late. Sometimes it never happens. Sometimes it's pretty fast -- usually it has to be fast or I lose interest.
So maybe between 5 - 10 pages? Not sure what that percent would be in digital.
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Assuming I do become engaged.
Initially I'm just settling into the story, trying to sink into the ..."
At a guess 5%? Depends on how long the book is for sure.
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Well, the last full-length book anyway. Last night I reread Oren's Right by Blaine, and of course, LOVED it the second time around. Such a sweet love, and so emotional. And a quick read, which is great when I need to reread it between other books. Have I ever mentioned how much I love her Forester series? I still can't say that enough. :-D
Josh wrote: "I was thinking about at what point I typically become engaged with a character when I'm reading.Assuming I do become engaged.
Initially I'm just settling into the story, trying to sink into the ..."
Sometimes it can take a while to get to know a character, but if i take the time to get to know a character slowly, then it means that the writing, atmosphere, details, tone, etc. have managed to keep my interest. Usually though, it's pretty quick. The kindle sample, which is about 10% of a book, is often a good indication of what's to come, assuming there's enough there to get an impression of the characters. With print books, if i'm patient, i can go on reading for a while before i give up on engaging.
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Branded by Clare London
A Serving of Love by Andrew Grey
A Helping of Love by Andrew Grey
A Shared Range by Andrew Grey
A Troubled Range by Andrew Grey
Accompanied by a Waltz by Andrew Grey
These are all in print, and some of them are signed by the authors, though I believe they were all personalized with a name.
If no one wants them, that's fine, I'll then donate them to the library, but I thought I'd offer them here first.
currently reading Nimisha's ShipI prefer the Pern series, but this one is quite fun
I think after this one I'll read a Brainship book and then back to Pern :D
(I'm on an Anne McCaffrey reading spree) :p
Read A.M. Arthur's No Such Thing which was okay. Somehow what i ended up being intrigued by, is a supporting character, Ezra, so I think i'll give the next book in the series a try since it will be all about this Ezra character.Now reading Tigers and Devils, just at the beginning, but what a nice surprise so far!
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Is that funny how a side character can take over the story?
Josh wrote: "KC wrote: "Read A.M. Arthur's No Such Thing which was okay. Somehow what i ended up being intrigued by, is a supporting character, Ezra, so I think i'll give the next book in the se..."And he really is a side character, gets two scenes and a couple of pages. He's not taking over the story, he's more...in parallel to it, but somehow he became very real to me. It's his story that i want to know about.
Josh wrote: "I was thinking about at what point I typically become engaged with a character when I'm reading.Assuming I do become engaged.
Initially I'm just settling into the story, trying to sink into the ..."
That's a tough question for me. I sometimes open a book and skip/close it after the first page or two. It's not that I won't read it. Just not in the mood for that particular type at that moment.
However, once I decide to settle into a book, I fall pretty easily into the story. Maybe a bit too easily because I tend to overlook a lot at that point.
If I am not connecting with the character, but the plot or secondary characters are ok, I'll keep going. Sometimes, though rarely, it's a struggle.
Anne wrote: "I read Stories Beneath Our Skin yesterday. A very quiet but lovely little story, I think."Quiet and/but lovely sounds good :-)
Jordan wrote: "I cleaned off a few books from my print MM shelves last night, and I thought I would offer them here if anyone wants them. I'll ship them anywhere. :-) Branded by Clare London
[boo..."
That is so kind of you Jordan. I have all of those apart from Branded and it isn't one I want to read at the moment. Also it would be really expensive to send to the UK. Have you thought about listing them for sale on Amazon?
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Branded by Cl..."
I have a coworker who is going to take them if no one here wants them. She'll read them and then add them to the library's romance collection. :-)
Anne wrote: "I read Stories Beneath Our Skin yesterday. A very quiet but lovely little story, I think."I agree, this was a good story!
Josh wrote: "I was thinking about at what point I typically become engaged with a character when I'm reading.Assuming I do become engaged.
Initially I'm just settling into the story, trying to sink into the ..."
As an average reader, I need a character I can like, otherwise I have trouble to complete reading the book. So per example, my first dive into fantasy was very short. I was not so very into the different types of hobbits, ( You know Harfoots, Stoors and the Fallohides ) so I closed the book. Then I had to study for my university-entrance diploma and suddenly I could cope with the whole Tolkien world and read The Lord of the Rings in a day. It is one of my rereads-books now. And I have learned by now, if I can't read a book in a procrastination phase, then I can't read it!
:-)
Antonella wrote: "Champion of the Scarlet Wolf Book One is the story of Elezar. Ginn published an extensive excerpt somewhere, but at the moment I don't find it...."Found these excerpts:
Chapter One
http://ginnhale.livejournal.com/13800...
Chapter Two
http://ginnhale.livejournal.com/13895...
Very excited for this one!
Jordan wrote: "Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I cleaned off a few books from my print MM shelves last night, and I thought I would offer them here if anyone wants them. I'll ship them anywhere. ..."I think it will be nice to have them in your library especially the AG ones because you have a series there.
KC wrote: "Anne wrote: "I read Stories Beneath Our Skin yesterday. A very quiet but lovely little story, I think."Quiet and/but lovely sounds good :-)"
I guess it is quiet and lovely ;)
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Yeah, we really do need more MM here. We have some. And thankfully, one of the librarians who orders the romance novels likes MM, so she can sometimes put a cart together of just MM books, but it's not like for every het romance cart there's an MM cart. That would be really nice.
I am re-reading the Tucker Springs books in order. I am up to book 4, Never a Hero my Marie Sexton. They fit well together even though they have different authors.Riptide is coming out with another shared world series soon. I'm looking forward to it.
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I've done that so many times. Become primarily interested in a character who gets almost no page time.
Of course now days there is actually a chance the character will get his own story. :-)
I started Cat Grant's new Bannon's Gym book, Takedown. I really liked the first one, Black Dog. This one is starting out a bit depressing. I moved over to a piece of fluff until I'm more mentally prepared for it.I am really avoiding depressing reads lately.
Got sidetracked from my reading plan, now I'm reading The Telling for who knows which time, love that book :D
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I'd noticed that Tinnean had a new book in her Spook vs. Spy world and I'd read the first book in that series (Houseboat on the Nile) some time ago and wasn't enamored. But I was intrigued by the excerpt for book two. Anyway this past week I read books 2 and 3 in series, plus the new one. And I'm still pondering the lure of fanfic, because there's a lot in these particular books that just doesn't work for me (too much detail, too many sidetracks, too much description of food and holiday gifts, etc.) and yet I was compelled to keep reading. In the end, only the second book held up for me.
Funny thing is that I loved the MCs, but have no idea who's being slashed here. The books just epitomize slash, and something about slash has always been attractive to me whether it's beautifully done (like Larton) or desperate for editing, and apparently whether I recognize the inspiration (like The Student Prince) or not. : )
So right now (for something completely different) I'm reading ZAM's latest Home the Hard Way and loving it.
Karen wrote: "I've been reading/savoring/loving The Larton Chronicles. I think I hadn't joined Q&A yet when it was BOM. It started me thinking about fanfic and why this has always been such a draw..."From what I can deduce from her website, it's a Maltese Falcon fanfic
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Funny thing! I was just looking at my copy of The Larton Chronicles the other day thinking I needed to reread it. Someday I will.
Idamus wrote: "Karen wrote: "I've been reading/savoring/loving The Larton Chronicles. I think I hadn't joined Q&A yet when it was BOM. It started me thinking about fanfic and why this has always be..."Are you saying that Houseboat on the Nile was originally fanfic? I had no idea. And when you say "The Maltese Falcon" do you mean the book by Dashiell Hammett? I'm very confused!
Hj wrote: "Idamus wrote: "Karen wrote: "I've been reading/savoring/loving The Larton Chronicles. I think I hadn't joined Q&A yet when it was BOM. It started me thinking about fanfic and why thi..."Eh, here's the link http://www.angelfire.com/fl5/tinnssin...
It was originally called Mann of My Dreams
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Are you saying that Houseboat on the Nile was originally fanfic? I had no idea. And when you say "The Maltese Falcon" do you mean the book by Dashiell Hammett? I'm very confused!
I'm also confused. One of the Spook vs. Spy MCs (Quinton Mann, AKA "The Ice Man") is CIA and the other (Mark Vincent, AKA "that sociopathic bastard") an ultra-secret U.S. black ops agent. The Maltese Falcon slash on the anglefire.com link seems to have nothing to do with the Mann slash or the Mann (Spook vs. Spy) series. Or it's a twice or thrice removed connection I'm not getting? Then there are links to Spook vs. Spy shorts about supporting characters. Yep, confusing.
I am reading a book about spooks too. It is Love is a Stranger by John Wiltshire. This is the first time I am reading anything by him and I am really enjoying it because of the mystery. There is lots of cloak and dagger stuff as the main character comes to realise that the shadowy person he loves is actually more shadowy than he thought. It is very kind of secret service, James Bond but without the glamour. I shall definitely be reading the sequel.
Idamus -- I originally read it as Mann of my Dreams (although I didn't finish because the re-telling from an alternative POV got too tiresome). I still don't understand how it was fan-fiction, or in which fandom.
Hj wrote: "Idamus -- I originally read it as Mann of my Dreams (although I didn't finish because the re-telling from an alternative POV got too tiresome). I still don't understand how it was fan-fiction, or ..."I have no answers, I remember being recced it way back and by then it had been pro published and I decided on 'no'
All I know is what's left on her site, there are some sidekick stories listed under her Maltese Falcon fics (at least that's how I read it)
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Interesting. Although I've got to say there is no one in the Maltese Falcon I would want to see slashed.
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That certainly sounds interesting.
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..."
I was about to hit "buy" when I saw the mention of alcoholism. How big of a role is the struggle with alcoholism?
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I loved this book! No, it's not perfect but it's very well done. I'm also looking forward to the sequel. Here are my comments: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(I think this was mentioned before, but it's dedicated in part to Josh.)
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Yes, the retelling/alternating POVs is irritating. I forgave it in the second book. I had high hopes for the fourth book, If You're Going Through Hell Keep Going, (despite it's meandering title) since it's told from one POV. It got off to a good start, but fizzled for me at about the 75% point.
Anyway, that was the another point of comparison between these books and The Larton Chronicles. In contrast, Anson manages alternating POVs rather brilliantly.
BTW (diverting from above topic), I finished Home the Hard Way and highly recommend it to other ZAM fans.
Josh wrote: "Karen wrote: "So right now (for something completely different) I'm reading ZAM's latest Home the Hard Way and loving it. ..."
I was about to hit "buy" when I saw the mention of alcoholism. How b..."
It is an issue that one of the MC drinks too much during the first part of the book, but it isn't struggle as he doesn't attempt to stop. When he does stop, there is too much going on for him to have time to angst about it.
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..."
I was about to hit "buy" when I saw the mention of alcoholism. How b..."
Oh, sorry I missed this question. One of the MCs is in denial about how much drinking is affecting his life and judgement, but this isn't the focus of this story and it appears that he will be able to get/stay sober.
Karen wrote: "Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "I am reading a book about spooks too. It is Love is a Stranger by John Wiltshire. This is the first time I am reading anything by him and I am real..."I'm about half-way through this one as well, and enjoying it. It seems to me some mention of Mr Wiltshire's admiration for Josh appeared in a blog post I stumbled across. Naturally a visit to Amazon was the next entry in my NSA file.
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..."
I was about to hit "buy" when I saw the mention of alco..."
Well, that sounds more promising.
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..."
I was about to hit "buy" when I saw the mention of alco..."
Thanks, Karen. I really am tired of the every-character-with-a-past-in-a-mystery-must-drink-too-much. Jesse Stone Syndrome. I think I'll go ahead and click BUY since you enjoyed it so much.
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There is something really unique about the Larton Chronicles. Which I suppose is why they've stood the test of time. I read them every single holiday season. Yes, I skim at this point, but they never fail to make me smile and linger over certain bits.
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That's nice to read. Always flattering. :-)
John wrote: "Karen wrote: "Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "I am reading a book about spooks too. It is Love is a Stranger by John Wiltshire. This is the first time I am reading anything by him..."Yes he mentions Josh as one of his influences on his Goodreads page :)
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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I really like all the Marie Sexton I've read too, except for Song of Oestend. I couldn't get..."
Yeah... I should have added.. of the one's I've read. I haven't read all but Between Sinners and Saints is my absolute favorite from her.