Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What Are you Reading?
Susinok wrote: "KC wrote: "And hurray to that! :-) I love best the ones with the witches, followed by the ones with Vimes. I did like Nation a lot too. ..."Sounds like we have the exact same taste in Pratchett...."
Yes, Death too, especially the first two, if i remember correctly. Did you read/like The Long Earth? (i did, but not enough to read the next one which just came out)
Susinok wrote: "K.Z. wrote: "This one intrigues me -- The Somnambulist -- but reviews are VERY mixed."Hmm looks interesting. Steampunk is usually really very good, like Mongrel or really terrible. For some reaso..."
That's also been my experience (and thank you for the kind words, Sus). I tend to avoid steampunk with standard UF Mary Sue heroines; that's the type that's most derivative, I think. But this book sounds very quirky and inventive -- without a Mary Sue in sight!
KC wrote: "Yes, Death too, especially the first two, if i remember correctly. Did you read/like The Long Earth? (i did, but not enough to read the next one which just came out) ..."I don't know that one. I'll have to look it up.
Nope, I haven't read it. I thought about it.
After reading Harper Fox's Life After Joe and Astrid Amara's Intimate Traitors, i felt the need for something less intense, so i started The Larton Chronicles - it's working well so far.
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No pun intended in this case! :-D
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Oooh, wonderful three books you have there!!!
Enjoy The Larton Chronicles! It was our December 2011 BOM book —if you are interested, you can see the discussion here.
Johanna wrote: "KC wrote: "After reading Harper Fox's Life After Joe and Astrid Amara's Intimate Traitors, i felt the need for something less intense, so i started The Larton Chronicles - it's working well so far...."Great! Thank you! I was actually looking for that since i vaguely remembered that it should be around here somewhere :)
Susinok wrote: "And I should point out that, in my opinion, nobody does silly like the British. They have such an odd way of looking at things, and do little asides and, well, silly bits, that the Americans just d..."Since I've just been listening to a piece on the radio about a man who's trying to break the speed record for a shipping trolley/cart I have to agree. He's using a starter motor from a Chinook helicopter. Well of course. :D
Josh wrote: "No pun intended in this case! :-D ..."It took me an entire minute to see the pun, heh. So no, not intended. :)
Grace Harlowe's First Year at Overton CollegeI have a thing for pre-WWI stories of girls at and after school.
The things that bug me are that, so often, the main character is Simply Too Good To Be True, and (in the case of this particular girl) the series are ONLY covering the actual school year. At the end of each story they make these summer plans, but then that all happens off-stage and it's KILLING ME! I wanted to see the Europe trip between Senior Year at High School and First Year at Overton.
Thank GOD they're free; I've got 8 so far and there are at least that many still to go (although there's also a series where the girls go to Europe as support for the troops during WWI that doesn't seem to have been turned into ebooks yet. Which is sad; I think that would be particularly interesting.)
Chapter Ten. Yeehah! (Need I say more?)
Susinok wrote: "Josh wrote: "No pun intended in this case! :-D ..."It took me an entire minute to see the pun, heh. So no, not intended. :)"
I saw it as soon as you posted, but I love puns.
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I read and enjoyed several of the LHNB freebies suggested by other readers here:
Nor Iron Bars a Cage (amazing)
Treasure
You Get Full Credit For Being Alive
In the Right Light
Breathing Snow
Human Frailties
The Five Times Raptor Messed With The Bull
I have special affection for The Five Times, a love story built almost solely by a sequence of sex scenes, and this somehow totally works for me, just makes me smile.
I read the new collection of short stories by Josephine Myles, Blooming Marvellous and collected stories, and thought it was just marvellous/marvelous.
Mother of all plot twists. I feel like I was hit in the face, even though the story did lead up to it a little bit.Nichole calls a person acting for the plot a plot zombie. What is it when the plot serves the story a bit too obviously. Insert tension STAT!
Susinok wrote: "Mother of all plot twists. I feel like I was hit in the face, even though the story did lead up to it a little bit.Nichole calls a person acting for the plot a plot zombie. What is it when the pl..."
Which book are you referring to, Susinok?
Hj wrote: "Which book are you referring to, Susinok? ..."Current Between Us by Kindle Alexander. In general is was a descent read, but man... I felt in Harlequin Romance territory. A real WTF moment.
I am reading A Casual Weekend Thing right now. Very well written with a tough subject matter at its core which in my opinion is well handled,at least so far, and a sweet and hot (sounds like a Chinese dish doesn't it) love story.
I finished yesterday Nicole's The Red Thread of Forever Love which was really good and highly enjoyable :-)Then i started Out of the Blackness by Carter Quinn - it's also a difficult subject, something that i usually avoid reading, but the sample was very good, very well written, and i just had to get the book.
I am reading The Return by Brad Boney, and it's already excellent.Often m/m fiction ignores the harsher realities of being gay and the history of it all. This book has flashbacks to the 80s during the AIDS epidemic.
Stanton, one of the MCs, is my age and has a past relationship where his partner died of HIV in 1985, which colors his present budding relationship with Tropher.
I am making a concerted effort to read books that have been languishing on my Nook for ages, especially those that are highly rated and recommended. I just finished Who We Are and am currently reading Scrap Metal. These books are soooo good. What the heck have I been waiting for? Up soon (I hope!), Between Sinners and Saints and Whistling in the Dark
KC wrote: "I finished yesterday Nicole's The Red Thread of Forever Love which was really good and highly enjoyable :-)."I love this one. :D
I stayed up late yesterday to finish Brad Boney's The Return. It was an amazing read with a bit of a reincarnation theme to it. Gorgeous.
Marge wrote: "I am making a concerted effort to read books that have been languishing on my Nook for ages, especially those that are highly rated and recommended. I just finished Who We Are and am currently rea..."I loved Scrap Metal so much! but then i love all Harper's books so far. So beautiful and intense and wonderful.
I loved Scrap Metal as well. The imagery in her work is amazing.
I read You Get Full Credit For Being Alive and really enjoyed it. I am now reading The Current Between Us which Susinok mentioned above. It is ok but very Harlequin so I am balancing this out by reading El Presidio Rides North by Domashita Romero. This is a free story and enjoyable if you like zombies. I have only just discovered her. She has lots of free stories which I intend to work my way through. It is always nice to discover a new author whose writing you enjoy.
I started Unhinge the Universe by Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt. World War II historical.Yeah, Ije, The Current Between us felt a bit Harlequin-ish to me, too. It could have been a bit shorter, too.
And you guys MUST READ The Return bu Brad Boney. Excellent read!
I have The Return in my to read pile. I am looking forward to it.
Susinok wrote: "And I should point out that, in my opinion, nobody does silly like the British. They have such an odd way of looking at things, and do little asides and, well, silly bits, that the Americans just d..."I agree.... I read Jeeves and Wooster like the Bible when I was a teenager..... I still can't believe I got the humor at that age but I still believe it was the best English teaching I ever got....;)
And even though I watched all of House I still can't understand people who find Hugh Laurie sexy.... he's always Bertie Wooster to me....;)
I decided to read something different this weekend so finished The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which I was told by my sister I just had to read. Somewhat predictable, but a very cute read and I got sucked in almost despite myself.And there were some very lovely descriptions of the British countryside.
Now I am working my way through Lover At Last. As with all her books I can't stop reading despite all the things that is wrong with her writing (over the top use of slang and acronyms to the point of being almost impossible to understand for a poor foreigner, product placement, completely unbeliveable premises, so on and so forth...). But she does know how to create compelling characters you end up caring about and weird story lines so you have to know how it ends, or more precisely, how to get to the ending. So yes, once again I have fallen under the spell of the Warden :)
And when I get home this afternoon I will of course enjoy the two last chapters of The Haunted Heart. An absolutely wonderful little story, spooky and full of both humour and heartbreak, and very engaging characters.
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It was such a beautiful story wasn't it! It was so sad but funny and hopeful at the same ti..."
Those hidden cams! They catch me every time! :-D
Anne wrote: "Now I am working my way through Lover At Last. As with all her books I can't stop reading despite all the things that is wrong with her writing (over the top use of slang and acronyms to the point of being almost impossible to understand for a poor foreigner, product placement, completely unbeliveable premises, so on and so forth...). But she does know how to create compelling characters you end up caring about and weird story lines so you have to know how it ends, or more precisely, how to get to the ending. So yes, once again I have fallen under the spell of the Warden :) "I am so with you on this.
I read Lover at Last a week or two ago. Yes, I've read the entire series. There are so many REALLY BAD THINGS about those books -- truly, the list of bad stuff alone would take a few pages to complete -- yet, somehow, they're compelling anyway. It's a mystery.
I read Aleksandr Voinov and LA Witt's Unhinge the Universe this weekend. It was excellent from start to finish. I had to look a few things up, like the drug to keep Hagen awake. Wow, learned some new things. That's a GOOD thing. :)Now I am reading All Alone in a Sea of Romance by B.G. Thomas which is sort of a screwball mystery set at a Romance convention, but has some deeper threads in it too.
Mongrel by KZ Snow is next since I pre-ordered Merman.
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..."
I think writers in particular really struggle with this concept. You see books that are enormously popular and so very flawed from a technical or craft standpoint, and it's just hard to accept that craft and technique are NOT the most important aspect of telling a story. Not for most people.
Josh wrote: "Plainbrownwrapper wrote: "I read Lover at Last a week or two ago. Yes, I've read the entire series. There are so many REALLY BAD THINGS about those books -- truly, the list of bad stuff alone would..."They were cool for the first five books, after that I stopped reading them as they became, and I am sorry if this offends anyone, ridiculous.
I am entirely devoted to Mr. Lanyon now (and also Courtney Milan for historical romance), but really, my go to author for contemporary romance is Josh.
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Well that is certainly very kind of you, Vivian!
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Otherwise, Ginn Hale has done an excelent job at this fantasy novel! Though I would classify it as YA rather than adult. I'm loving it and looking forward to finishing it up when I get home tonight!
Josh wrote: "Well that is certainly very kind of you, Vivian! "
It's the truth. The longer I stay in the clutches of grad school learning about literature and what makes great literature, the more I appreciate all the work you put into your books.
I am a grateful reader and I owe you an apology for something I said about your books in an email that I now see came solely from my perception as a reader (you probably don't remember with the thousand of emails you receive, but I won't be at peace with myself until I have apologized). I will explain myself further through that long overdue email I've been meaning to send.
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"
It's the truth. The longer I stay in the clutches of grad school learning about literature and what makes great literature, the mo..."
You know, I think perhaps I do recall -- and no apology is necessary. :-)
Jordan wrote: "I'm currently reading Lord of the White Hell Part 1 and loving it! My only problem is that the one group of people are called Cadelonian, which in my mind keeps getting read as Caledonian. And I ca..."I picked up those two before I knew m/m existed as a genre and before I knew this place. They are lovely.
Josh wrote: "Plainbrownwrapper wrote: "I read Lover at Last a week or two ago. Yes, I've read the entire series. There are so many REALLY BAD THINGS about those books -- truly, the list of bad stuff alone would..."I have to admit that I kind of struggle with that concept myself as a reader, but I think the answer lies in the storytelling, that's what makes me come back for more, as it were :). When that is said, I have tried books with a fantastic idea and story at its core that has been so poorly executed, it hasn't been possible to finish. So there are definitely limits.
Josh wrote: "You know, I think perhaps I do recall -- and no apology is necessary. :-) "You are so kind! :D
Josh wrote: "I think writers in particular really struggle with this concept. You see books that are enormously popular and so very flawed from a technical or craft standpoint, and it's just hard to accept that craft and technique are NOT the most important aspect of telling a story. Not for most people."Yeah. *sigh* And it gets especially confusing when readers demand meticulous editing and then inhale books that scream for more stringent editing -- line and content, in particular. A lot of bestselling authors get away with infinitely more transgressions than the rest of us. One of the benefits of super-popularity, I guess.
Karen wrote: "Chapter 15! http://www.wattpad.com/20913686-the-h..."I love the metaphor embedded in that closing paragraph. Sweet, subtle, richly appropriate. Well-played, Josh! (Did I just make a pun? ;-))
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K.Z. wrote: "Josh wrote: "I think writers in particular really struggle with this concept. You see books that are enormously popular and so very flawed from a technical or craft standpoint, and it's just hard t..."I recently read an okay book by a very good author that had so many typos it hurt. And they were that, just typos, but for someone that usually had flawless books this one seemed a rush thing. It was a rather weak book, rather weak characters and story line. Sometimes I wonder if the pressure of putting out product gets to be too much for certain authors.
The thing I object the most in books of any genre are: plot holes, character inconsistencies, breaking the rules of your own universe (in fantasy, sci-fi and paranormal romance), anachronisms (in historical fiction and romance), a novel being marketed as a novel (as in the model Cervantes left, the modern novel) when it's just a romance (no character growth), improper use of foreign languages, especially Spanish (take a look at this one, Hemingway) and a book that is part of a series that has no dénouement and it just a big book broken into different volumes (á la Lord of the Rings).
Sometimes a story is more compelling than the grammar or spelling. The reverse is also true. I have read (or tried to read) a correctly written story that is all mechanics and no heart. One of the biggest complements I can give is that a writer is a true story teller. However both mechanics and story are important. I think of how I judge an ice skating program: If I am noticing the costumes in detail there is something missing from the actual skating. When I am noticing the typos, etc. there is something missing from the story. (Josh never has something missing from his stories. He is a real story teller.)
Na wrote: "I'm not irked by typos, grammar or spelling. It would be the pot calling the kettle black since I can't even write English properly. In the contrary if I can find any of those mentioned above I can..."Hmmm, but the situation is different, Na. You are not putting out a professional product that you expect people to pay for. I make horrible grammar mistakes (ESL ones) and because I type so fast I am prone to typos when I write on a discussion board or when I am just writing for fun. However, when I write papers for school or for publication, I am expected to proof read and put out a professional product.
Why should it be any different for people that have chosen to write as their profession? Would you turn your eyes away when an engineer makes a poor product? How about a chemist... or a pharmacist? Or to put it in the realm of the arts, would you be willing to overlook the work of a sculptor if you buy one of his sculptures and have it come apart after two days? I certainly wouldn't (unless that was the intent of the artist with the sculpture).
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Yes, there is this too. Those who know everything about writing and nothing about telling a story. I have seen many authors hold forth knowledgably on any number of writing topics, but cannot themselves write a story that resonates or moves readers.
It's tough.
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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It is intriguing, i liked it, it's different somehow, and well-written.