Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed*
I would like to have wings.Kaje, I would also like to see photos of your flying dogs (and now, I can't get the song of the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz out of my head, damnnit.) If I was ever to have an extra appendage (don't go there, people), I always wanted wings. I used to have a lot of flying dreams. Unfortunately, unless one lives in a warm climate and can wear sleeveless blouses, they really ruin the line of a jacket or coat.
Nicole, I think Calathea will beat me hands down :(
but my weapons of choice are a Katano sword (when using Nunchaku, I have an embarrassing tendency to hit myself accidentally. It works well if the attacker falls down laughing, but not so much otherwise), a Dixon Ticonderoga pencil for unexpected editing and proofing demands, and I always carry those Werther's hard caramels in case of sugar-related emergencies. Oh, I am also experienced in confuddling those annoying telemarketers who call you at the precise point you are in the flow of your writing or equally importantly, when you are napping.
I am not a good duster. I do not bake. I do believe in respecting the cocktail hour.
Back to your questions. I believe that a commitment to suicide missions sadly would do you out of a henchman, just when we would be developing a good rapport, so I must respectfully decline that.
I am fine with spandex, though I prefer a something that breathes a little better. I tend to dry out in the wintertime.
I am very good at keeping secrets, especially now that I'm at an age when I'm losing my short-term memory.
Ah, I have a rather effective evil-eye. It does need time to reset, so I must insist that it is used sparingly, only when the situation really calls for it.
Back to reading: are the Flashman books in eformat anywhere?
Oh, no Starbucks, no thank you. There's an amazing small coffee place across town from me that has the greatest roast (they do it themselves) and to treat myself if I'm going to doctors in that part of town is to stop in and get a cup of their remarkable decaf. I know you'll all mock me about decaf, but you don't know how good this stuff is. Otherwise, I am all about the tea.
Nicole wrote: "@ mc & calatheaWell, well, well.... Before I hand over my cookie, I'd like to know a little about your henching skills. Do either of you have a weapon of choice? How do you feel about suicide missions? Are either of you allergic to spandex? "
You're hard to bargain with, must be a mighty good cookie. ;-)
I consider my red ink pen my deadliest weapon. Many do shiver with fear, there might also be a little begging involved... Suicide missions? Part of my job description. Allergic to spandex? WT... um, say again?! :-))
Not a coffee fan. (The acid does my stomach in.) But I love a nice cup of Earl Grey tea. When I lived in Houston I'd go for tapioca tea sometimes, but the only place I've found that sells it in Indianapolis is all the way on the other side of town. :(
mc wrote: "Nicole, I think Calathea will beat me hands down :("Didn't see your post before I started to write mine... I thought we'd work as a team? Combine powers etc. pp.?
Although, now that I see all you're awesome skills I think I'll have to add some of my own to be taken in consideration. ;-)
Hm, maybe some of those hair splitting skills have survived from my earlier profession. You know, you can drive people crazy by questioning, rephrasing, pointing out and reasoning. Can be complementary to mc's "make them fall laughing to the foor" tactics.
I don't carry sweets (re: Werther's). You have to draw the line somewhere... but I can plan ahead where to stash them so that there are always some easy to reach.
I prefer to work as a team, Calathea. Perhaps we can set up shop together, and hire out for special projects. Alas, I do not have a red ink pen. That takes a certain force of will I don't possess. :)So, what kind of cookies do you like, partner?
mc wrote: "I prefer to work as a team, Calathea. Perhaps we can set up shop together, and hire out for special projects. "Wonderful idea, I'm in!
So, what kind of cookies do you like, partner?
Anything of the chocolate variety goes for me, no nuts, almonds negotiable.
I like 'em all. Oatmeal raisin, chocolate, gingersnap, Fig Newtons. I can live without nuts, so no worries there.I still think we can (and should) also do minion work on the side. I think only henching is going to be hell on the joints.
Kyle wrote: "Um..post a pic of that, would you?"Heck, Kyle, I can barely get them to wear their jingle-bell antlers at Christmastime. Guess I'm screwed in the minions department. :(
mc wrote: "I still think we can (and should) also do minion work on the side. I think only henching is going to be hell on the joints. "Could be a nice change of scenery once in a while. One can't be to careful regarding the joints. I hope henching for Nicole isn't that kind of work...
For now, I'm off to bed to be fit in the morning for henching and minioning. :-)
Tracy wrote: "I am making my littlest minion-I-mean-son a moth costume for Halloween."Oh, that's cool. I like that! Very original.
mc wrote: "Back to reading: are the Flashman books in eformat anywhere?"Amazon seems to have some for the Kindle. I didn't look further.
Lou wrote: "Has anyone here read George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books? They are an absolute riot. They are historicals written from the POV of a coward and a cad, and give hilariously upside-down view of b..."Coffee is my favorite thing on the planet. If I go to a Survivor island, my one allowed item is a bag of Starbucks House blend. (Doesn't taste the same when they make it.)
On a READING NOTE: Just read The Gentleman and the Rogue by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon. I thought it was good! Was surprised; never heard of them, but they did a terrific job. I knew the characters personally and early; also found both attractive and simpathetic. These 2 writers include the kind of truthful detail that some authors of romance seem to fear will make their characters less sexy or strong or something or that outspoken narrative will mar the romance between the MC's. As though people who fall in love also instantly know all about each other. Maybe some writers just don't think that far into things. --I just remembered I'm talking to several writers and that you might think I'm alluding to any of you. As far as I know, I've still only read Josh, and he has that gift, too, of bringing the day-to-day detail of thought that often is instant and negative and generally born of one's own insecurities. Trust takes time. These two ladies took their time and trusted the reader to be patient. I like that.
Further READING NOTE: I mentioned before in this group a writer, M. Kei, of seafaring M/M novels. They were fun adventure and romance. I'm very excited because the fourth book is out. Somebody try some of this, yeah?
I'm kind of struggling through Hidden. The beginning is confusing, the premise is rather over-the-top melodramatic, and the narrator doesn't sound like the 15-year-old boy he's supposed to be. But it's interesting enough to keep me going.
K.Z. wrote: "I'm kind of struggling through Hidden. The beginning is confusing, the premise is rather over-the-top melodramatic, and the narrator doesn't sound like the 15-year-old boy he's supp..."I had a hard time with it in places too. I went all the way through it, but some things like the violence in the bathroom at the beginning seemed unnecessarily piled on top of more than enough drama. (And coming right back past the director's house -what was that for?) I liked the narrator's voice, but he does sound older. I felt like I had to give the author some benefit of the doubt since he claims it was based on his non-fiction research article on hidden runaways. Just to warn you, I hated parts of the ending.
I don't know what to make of it, Kaje. (Yes, ack, those scenes you mentioned -- WTF?)Anyway, I went to Mournian's website/blog in search of his credentials and maybe some background material for this novel. What I found was a rambling diatribe, which hardly inspired confidence in the author. BUT, he'd also posted a video, difficult to discount, about "extreme" reparative therapy and the ineffectuality of safehouses.
That's what encouraged me to press on with the novel. It's still going to be difficult, though, to deal with Mournian's treatment of the subject and his writing style. So far, both have been off-putting.
K.Z. wrote: "I don't know what to make of it, Kaje. (Yes, ack, those scenes you mentioned -- WTF?)Anyway, I went to Mournian's website/blog in search of his credentials and maybe some background material for ..."
In some ways, I thought the confusion/rambling of the narrator was interesting and appropriate to his state after escaping (a mix of drugs and PTSD etc.) It didn't make it easier to read, though.
K.Z. wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I am making my littlest minion-I-mean-son a moth costume for Halloween."Oh, that's cool. I like that! Very original."
It was his own idea; he wants to be a silk moth (luckily just very grey). But he has some very specific ideas about certain aspects of the costume which are giving me fits b/c I just don't have the skills. I think I can manage wings (I'm going with plain grey cotton, and making them big enough to be sort of cape-like, attached at neck and wrist) but he wants black feather antennae, which is a bit more of a challenge.
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I adore Fraser. Everything. The non-fiction memoirs, Flashie, all everything else. That man was a genius.
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The coffee is burned. Starbucks fascinates me in their brilliant, blinding success at convincing the public to love -- LOVE -- crap coffee. If that isn't successful marketing, I don't know what the heck is.
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That'll do it.
Let's not forget the Geneva Convention.
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What does it mean that I need a helper to remind me that I have helpers????
:-D
HEEEEEEELP
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No.
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Amazon seems to have some for the Kindle. I didn't look further."
Oh maybe they do have a few now? They didn't when I was trying to buy them for my dad (another GFM fan).
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Anyway, I went to Mournian's website/blog in search of his credentials and maybe some background material for ..."
Screaming into the void. And three comments at the bottom, one of which is spam.
Writing is such a weird gig.
Starbucks is everywhere but in Italy. I guess they know they can't measure against an espresso :-)
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That's for sure.
Tracy wrote: he wants black feather antennae, which is a bit more of a challenge...."
Maybe buy a set of deely-bobbers, cut off the end bits and tie on feathers from the craft store with fine thread. Even places like Michaels have colored feathers with black ones in the mix, if you can't find just black.
(You can't tell I did all my kids' costumes, eh? One year when my youngest was four she wanted to be "an apple tree with a grape vine climbing it and a hole in the tree for my stuffed elephant to live in, and ok to wear at school for four hours." It was a challenge.) But I always found things they could do to help make them (like cutting out tree leaves from green fabric) and some of the best times were costume design and construction. Buying one just seems like a waste.
Kaje wrote: "Tracy wrote: he wants black feather antennae, which is a bit more of a challenge...."
Maybe buy a set of deely-bobbers, cut off the end bits and tie on feathers from the craft store with fine thr..."
The nearest Michaels is, as I said, an hour away -- it turns into a full-day thing, complete with eating out for five, so...I'm gonna talk him into the dark purple ones (I hope, or maybe dark dark blue as it's his favorite color) from WallyWorld. I'm going to make a mask out of a paper plate covered in scraps from the grey wing material, and attach them to that. I can maybe darken them with well-watered-down black paint...I'll play with that a bit this weekend. If it ends up looking pretty decent, I may come back with excited pictures. :D
Tracy wrote: "The nearest Michaels is, as I said, an hour away -- it turns into a full-day thing, complete with eating out for five, so......"Yeah, that would make it more complicated. Maybe hair dye? I hope you have fun in the making, which is the most important. My daughter and I dyed the fabric for her "bark" three times before we got it from grey-pink to a proper mottled brown. It was a blast - we'd think it was good and then start rinsing the fabric and watch the pink bits appear. She got the total giggles about being a pink tree (although "not really Mommy, we have to try again")
Hey, I've seen some absolutely gorgeous birches with a faint pink tint to their bark! Of course, that only works if you're wanting to be a birch....
Tracy wrote: "Hey, I've seen some absolutely gorgeous birches with a faint pink tint to their bark! Of course, that only works if you're wanting to be a birch...."Nope, very specific directions. ("A volcano erupting with pinetrees getting squished by the lava" or "A see-through pink jellyfish" - no substitutions once the plan was approved. We always managed, since the fun was in trying to reach the goal.) Of course living in a big metro area with craft and hobby stores helped, plus the fact that I save anything crafty-looking. When we did a penguin, I made the eyes out of the clear plastic ovals from the packaging of some chocolate Easter eggs I'd bought one time.
You know, things were a lot easier when the biggest problem my kids had was how to fasten pine trees onto a volcano costume...
LOL -- yeah, I know all about those Very Specific Directions. My older two are more flexible, but VelcroBoy (the youngest) has some distinct and inflexible ideas about things. Which is why he insists he wants to be a silk moth, and not just any generic moth.
Mom's been trying to sell some of our old, handmade costumes at garage sales for the last year or so. One of them is a blue bunny rabbit costume I wore when I was about 4. We got to talking about that Halloween (I remember some of it-- my baby brother ate my carrot!), and she said that she had people come up to her and ask why blue? Because she couldn't find any white fabric in our price range! I didn't care. I was just excited to be dressed up. :P
Kyle wrote: "Very cool! You're giving me ideas for my son."LOL -- I'm glad! We're getting scaryclose to Halloween, though! I need to have it done for Friday, I think. There's supposed to be some sort of fall festival with trick-or-treating at downtown stores, and pumpkin-painting, & other fun stuff.
Now-- trying to clean up the kitchen, make bread, start dinner, & read
while amusing the boys. Book in one hand...(ok, ereader in one hand...) spoon in the other.
Tracy wrote: "Now-- trying to clean up the kitchen, make bread, start dinner, & read while amusing the boys. Book in one hand...(ok, ereader in one hand...) spoon in the other."Wow never heard of this series but this one sounds so good; definitely gonna give it a try
I have to say, start with the first! The relationship between Jonty and Orlando builds on itself over the course of each book. Sometimes I get halfway through and need to go back and re-read ALL of them to remind myself what's going on (not that that's in ANY way a hardship...)
Tracy wrote: "I have to say, start with the first! The relationship between Jonty and Orlando builds on itself over the course of each book. Sometimes I get halfway through and need to go back and re-read ALL of..."After checking the blurbs...I totally agree with u . It's a series after all :D
"K.Z. wrote: "Anyway, I went to Mournian's website/blog in search of his credentials and maybe some background...""Josh wrote: "Screaming into the void. And three comments at the bottom, one of which is spam."
I felt rather sorry for him. All that upset over not having been invited to sit on a panel at the West Hollywood Book Fair (at least I think that's what prompted the post, because his point got lost pretty quickly). Then all those subrants that made less and less sense!
Good lord. I hope somebody slaps me upside the head if my ego ever spins out of control like that or I hang the sum of my self-esteem on a single book.
Just read Stolen Summer last night
. Other than Cranberry Hush by Ben Monopoli this hands down the best debut novel in this genre I've read all year. Outstanding.
. Other than Cranberry Hush by Ben Monopoli this hands down the best debut novel in this genre I've read all year. Outstanding.
Bella wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I have to say, start with the first! The relationship between Jonty and Orlando builds on itself over the course of each book. Sometimes I get halfway through and need to go back and ..."I hope you find it as addictive as I did!
Kyle wrote: "I will. I'm well hung."You have no idea how this made me *actually* lol. Despite being ready to beat a child, who is now looking at me in confusion because he WAS getting told off for taking his bad mood out on his little brother. If he knew, his little about-to-be-smacked butt would probably thank you.
Bella wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Now-- trying to clean up the kitchen, make bread, start dinner, & read while amusing the boys. Book in one hand...(ok, ereader in one hand...) spo..."It's a very nice series. I've enjoyed meandering my way through it. (Also, it's rare for my reading because I can read it aloud to my mom. I know what you're thinking, but she has alzheimers. The relationship between the leads doesn't get thru', but a very graphic sex scene or really colorful language--I don't know, but I wouldn't take the chance.)
Anyhow, they're sort of like reading a gay Agatha Christie, and I find them charming. The guys are a lovely couple. ***Although, they sort of remind me of Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock.
Hidden is getting increasingly painful to read. I can't imagine what possessed Kensington to publish it; I've read some extraordinary gay fiction issued by this house. But Hidden? A stylistic mess populated by characters so annoying they make me grind my teeth. Oy. Horrible, horrible writing. I should feel profound sympathy for the 15-year-old narrator, but I hate his little punk-bitch ass.
The damned shame of it is, the subject matter is important. It deserves so much better treatment.
[Breathe in.]
Now . . . let me tell you what I really think. :)
Candice wrote: "Also, it's rare for my reading because I can read it aloud to my mom. I know what you're thinking, but she has alzheimers..."That's made my day! I just had this vision of a rec room in an old people's home where all the oldies are parked in their recliners and hanging on to every word you're reading. lol
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
Books mentioned in this topic
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I think it could be condensed to...saving sanity, one writer at a time. :-D"
Of course there's also the concept of henchwomen. Who definitely need frequent updates, otherwise they may just combust, spontaneously or otherwise.
Edited to add: this probably sounds just a little tooo grumpy :).
If nothing else, I'm very happy to see another Shakespeare title in the series!