Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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Adrien English series challenge #2: A Dangerous Thing
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LOL! Somehow I missed this bit.
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Haha. I think in ADT and THYS, Jake was still trying very hard make it mostly about "sex". I love the scene when he first kissed Adrien in ADT, then went to the bathroom and LOCKED the door! :-)"
Heh! Yes! That locked bathroom door... :-)
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Oh yes. That makes sense.
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Yes!
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lol. I think Kevin made Jake realise that Adrien could ditch him for someone else."
True. It must have surprised even Jake himself how possessive he felt of Adrien. I also felt that Jake saw Adrien a bit differently after the incidences with Kevin.
Also, this reminds me of the bit (in chapter 10) where Adrien tells Jake that he had contacted Mel (about professor Shoup), and how Jake — after putting two and two together — kind of marvels at how Adrien and Mel had stayed friends. And how when he tries to pry what happened with Adrien and Mel, Adrien refuses to tell him the truth. So, it seems that Jake is actually learning a lot new things about Adrien when he sees him in relation to all these men. (And I'm also thinking of Bruce.)
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Well said!
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Such an insightful, well put comment, Viv.
And I couldn't agree more with you.
Adrien always makes me laugh at the most unlikely times. I'm reading about their second sex session and he is thinking this. "Did he want to put a cock ring on me or did he fear I wanted to put a wedding ring on him?"
LOL
Viv wrote: "Adrien always makes me laugh at the most unlikely times. I'm reading about their second sex session and he is thinking this. "Did he want to put a cock ring on me or did he fear I wanted to put a..."
That comment made me laugh too, Viv. :D
I didn't remember it from previous reads, but it was so Adrien.
And it showed how much Jake was still a mystery to him in certain aspects.
I am really loving this challenge. There were a lot of things that I did not remember about this book.I did not remember that Adrien had already admitted to himself that he loved Jake. I feel so sorry for him in that moment as he already knows that there is no future in it. Also how he realizes that he has never had a better friend than Jake. And the typical Josh ending that makes me want to drop everything and go to the next book.
Man, my heart hurts knowing that I still have to get through THYS and DoAPK in order to get to The Dark Tide. Chris Patton's narration is helping me through. I've never read and listened to a book at the same time and I am really enjoying it.
Viv wrote: "Man, my heart hurts knowing that I still have to get through THYS and DoAPK in order to get to The Dark Tide. Chris Patton's narration is helping me through. I've never read and listened to a book at the same time and I am really enjoying it."Glad the audiobook is helping you, Viv.
I never managed to listen to this series for the opposite reason, I think listening to THYS and DoaPK would have me sobbing like a child.
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Thank you, Edina. I try to write real people. Not "gay" people or "straight" people, but just ordinary humans (versus "book people"). I think this is why from the beginning so many readers could identify with the characters. I consciously try to stick to stuff that is true of most people, regardless of orientation or gender or race or religion. Because certain things are true of ALL of us. And to me those are the things worth focusing on, those are the things that give any story emotional weight.
Loneliness, for example, is not exclusive to any one demographic, but it's very often at the heart of what drives people mad. The world is full of lonely people.
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This is my kind of thinking. :-D To me the journey is what makes a romance worth reading. So it's very surprising when I read comments about readers just wanting to see characters happy together. Where would the plot be in that? Why would that be interesting?
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It's very weird to me that I can write stuff I could NEVER read.
Elena wrote: "Viv wrote: "Man, my heart hurts knowing that I still have to get through THYS and DoAPK in order to get to The Dark Tide. Chris Patton's narration is helping me through. I've never read and listene..."I have had to turn it off a few times, but they are so good. I cannot even tell you how much Chris Patton IS Adrien. And you haven't lived until you hear Jake call him "baby." I melt into a puddle of goo every time. It does help that I know what is coming though.
Josh wrote: "This is my kind of thinking. :-D To me the journey is what makes a romance worth reading. So it's very surprising when I read comments about readers just wanting to see characters happy together. Where would the plot be in that? Why would that be interesting?"I agree that the journey is the interesting part, but it’s also interesting reading about the struggles of keeping a relationship working when the characters are both more or less committed to be together.
Using your work as reference, I absolutely love Adrien and Jake’s journey as a couple, it’s heartbreaking, but realistic. As a reader though, I found it a lot more frustrating than Kit and J.X.’s, for example.
At least for now. Oh, God, I hope I didn’t jinx it.
The readers you’re referring to are probably the ones who, after being wrecked by the “journey”, would like to see the characters live together in peace for at least a few pages, I suppose. A sort of respite after the storm.
I don’t have a problem imagining for myself what comes next if I feel the author has left the couple on solid ground, but it’s also good to read about it. Which is why I’m happy about So This is Christmas. :D
Viv wrote: "And you haven't lived until you hear Jake call him "baby." I melt into a puddle of goo every time. It does help that I know what is coming though."That's what would gut me, hearing him and melting, knowing what comes next. Bad enough when I read it.
I'm glad it works for the majority here, though. :)
Elena wrote: "The readers you’re referring to are probably the ones who, after being wrecked by the “journey”, would like to see the characters live together in peace for at least a few pages, I suppose. A sort of respite after the storm. "It happened once or twice that I read a story and was wondering what it was about because it was a kind of blow by blow narration of everyday life without any conflict. Typically they are contemporary romances. Person meets person and they live happily ever after. They are a good example for the fact that even the best writing can't save book that has no story to tell. ;-)
Edina wrote: "Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Okay, so how much did Jake want to snap Kevin's head off? ;)"lol. I think Kevin made Jake realise that Adrien could ditch him for ..."
Oh, yes! Jake being a competative guy couldn't back down at that point, right? :-D
Edina wrote: "Do you think Adrien is the paternal kind? Can we even answer this question without bringing in THYS, DOAPK and TDT?"At that point in the story? No. I mean, he is still in a place where he expects to drop dead because of heart failure any minute. I don't think children would be in his plans. If he had any. Plans.
Viv wrote: "I did not remember Jake's "So you want to fuck?" comment. So typical of him to try and make it physical only. And yet their first time is so beautiful. I find it very surprising that Jake wants to ..."*nodnod* That's what I thought, too.
Can you imagin Adrien whole and hearty as a horse ranch owner? Would he have been very different? All the curiosity, soft spot for strays, kind heart... would he ever have been able to sell one of his horses? ;-)
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Meanwhile, I want to add another ADT appreciation, relating to how Josh never spoon-feeds an overly tidy denouement. For example, there is no neat and definitive explanation for what happened to Kevin's dog (coyotes after all?) or for what exactly was pursuing Adrien through the woods. Readers are left to make their own sense of some of the details, and I appreciate that.
Also, I love that last bit of A&J dialogue in this book.
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What says "I love you" more than cooking for someone, and giving them a non sexual massage, among other things?
I do like domestic reads sometimes, but not of characters I don't know. And certainly not for a whole book, I don't think. That's why the codes are so good!
Jake good with kids... I do find this hard to believe, and I don't know why. I can see why Adrien isn't thinking of having his own. It's probably one reason why he can dote on cute-as-pie Emma when she shows up.
Why is it that Jake's jealousies are seen as adorable while most men who are jealous are usually painted as terrible? Just a thought I had. If he'd been another guy we'd be telling Adrien to run for the hills, like with Bruce. I guess, to answer my own question, we can see through Jakes issues to know what his jealousies actually mean. But still...
Jordan wrote: "ADT has been my favorite of the five and most listened to. And that's probably due to the fact that this one is very "domestic" with the two of them. What says "I love you" more than cooking for ..."
I actually like when men become jealous, because it shows they are not indifferent. Of course it also depends on the level of jealousy. It is not sweet when it becomes an excuse for controlling and/or abusing someone. To me Jake's jealousy doesn't reach those levels (unlike Bruce) so it is kind of endearing.
Jordan wrote: "Why is it that Jake's jealousies are seen as adorable while most men who are jealous are usually painted as terrible? Just a thought I had. If he'd been another guy we'd be telling Adrien to run for the hills, like with Bruce. I guess, to answer my own question, we can see through Jakes issues to know what his jealousies actually mean. But still..."I think the difference is that he's jealous, but not pathologically so, like Bruce.
It’s amusing to see him narrow his eyes at every man who’s interested in Adrien, but just because it shows that he cares and is possessive in a healthy way. If he started bullying Adrien around, as Kevin implies, we would be telling Adrien to run for the hills. :)
Mymymble wrote: "Jordan wrote: "ADT has been my favorite of the five and most listened to. And that's probably due to the fact that this one is very "domestic" with the two of them. What says "I love you" more th..."
Are there fanfics about these books?? O____O
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I consider The Mystery of Nevermore to be a fanfic (parody of FS), not one I cared for. In fact, it pretty much totally annoyed me, but other group members enjoyed it. : )
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What says "I love you" more than cooking for ..."
I like domestic scenes too -- it's hard to make a whole story out of them (at least, as a reader, I need more than this), but I think they are crucial to building that feeling these characters will stay together once the threat to their lives or challenge of solving a mystery is passed. I try very hard to include a realistic balance of domestic scenes in my stories.
That IS how relationships form.
And of course I love them in a coda!
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Exactly! And nobody does fanfic or Josh-parody like Josh. Loved it.
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THAT would be so funny.
Mymymble wrote: "Karen wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "Rosa wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "Jordan wrote: "ADT has been my favorite of the five and most listened to. And that's probably due to the fact that this one is very "dom..."Taking notes... ;-)
Mymymble wrote: "Rosa wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "Jordan wrote: "ADT has been my favorite of the five and most listened to. And that's probably due to the fact that this one is very "domestic" with the two of them. ..."
Maybe I'll take a look... I'm surprised because when I think about fanfics I always think in videogames fanfics, not books fanfics... I'm not sure I like them... I think it's difficult to recreate characters with this unique voice and achieve they still feel real...
And about Stranger things have happened... That book was so much fun! Despite I always ended up with the worst ending ;-) Discussing it would be really funny!
Mymymble wrote: "Rosa wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "Rosa wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "Jordan wrote: "ADT has been my favorite of the five and most listened to. And that's probably due to the fact that this one is very "dome..."My soft spot is with the pirates... Aye, aye my captain!
You know the thing that Stranger things have happend hammers down for me, is that Josh had so many options, what could have happened. Yet, we got this amazing series. And I'm so grateful for that :)
I never got around to get this. You're making me curious. Does it work well on ebook too or would I need to order a "real" book?
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LOL
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:-D Yes. That's the thing about storytelling. Always so many ways any story -- well, even any given scene -- can go.
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Does it work well on ebook too or would I need to order a "real" book?"
That's a book that I think is really annoying if you don't have a very strong sense of the ridiculous -- and plenty of patience for whimsy. It is definitely whimsical. ;-D
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Im also one who always forgets which professor did it. I think I know, because I'm paying extra attention to everything he says and does, but we'll see what happens in the end. You'd think I'd have this memorized by now, considering I've read it more than FS, and I know whodunnit in FS without question. *shrugs*
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When Stranger Things Have Happened: An Adrien English Write Your Own Damn Story came out in 2013 about ten of us 'met' in a Google Hangout session to discuss the book. Yeah, we did discuss it, but I think we mostly ended up grinning happily, waving at each other and talking enthusiastically over each other for a couple of hours. It was wonderful. And as goofy and as fun as the book itself is! :-D
Yes, we should definitely discuss it here at some point. I've always hugely admired Josh's ability to take leaps, to challenge herself, to do something completely new in the genre. Stranger Things Have Happened: An Adrien English Write Your Own Damn Story is a perfect example of that. AND it also has those wonderful illustrations by Catherine Dair.
Mymymble wrote: "One thing I still don't understand is what Jake meant by: "Is this enough for you?" Cock ring or wedding ring or what?"I actually took it quite literally, like Jake was asking if it was enough for Adrien or he needed something different in bed.
Maybe with just a touch of "are you sure sex is enough, because I can't promise you more?". But I'm not sure it's not just reading too much in it.
After all Adrien presumed Jake a selfish lover and was wrong. This could be just an example of that.
Johanna wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "Stranger Things Have Happened is like Josh doing fanfics on Josh. As well as an adventure book. I wish we were discussing that too, but we'd hit Christmas."When [book:Stranger Th..."
I still have to read that one.
Mymymble wrote: "One thing I still don't understand is what Jake meant by: "Is this enough for you?" Cock ring or wedding ring or what?"What's the context?
Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "One thing I still don't understand is what Jake meant by: "Is this enough for you?" Cock ring or wedding ring or what?"What's the context?"
Their first time, I think.
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Elena wrote: "Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "One thing I still don't understand is what Jake meant by: "Is this enough for you?" Cock ring or wedding ring or wh..."I'll have to reread it. Could he have been asking irt "plain" sex vs bdsm? Jake's only had sex with men in the clubs prior to this, after all.
Q&A with Josh Lanyon
Books mentioned in this topic
Stranger Things Have Happened: An Adrien English Write Your Own Damn Story (other topics)The Mystery of Nevermore (other topics)
So This is Christmas (other topics)
A Dangerous Thing (other topics)
So This is Christmas (other topics)
More...
"What the hell?” His voice came out muffled behind his hand.
“Sorry.”
“You’ve done this before, right?”
Despite I prefer mystery over romance I just realise almost al..."
I love the awkward, authentic feel of that sex scene. All those knees and elbows getting on the way! And yes, the 'nose banging' is absolutely priceless. :-)
And still, it's also such a mind-blowing and gentle scene. Full of discovery and reveal. A turning point — or maybe rather... a no-turning-point — in so many ways.