Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed*
Anita wrote: Giles doesn't think of himself as Giles or the watcher. His name is Rupert and he thinks of himself as Rupert. Just as well as Snape won refer to himself as Snape but as Severus.Lol--I'm coming to this late, but I just had to comment. Anita, how could Giles not think of himself as Giles? Of course he's Giles. He can't possibly think of himself as Rupert--because I can't possibly think of him as Rupert. ;)
And Snape--yeah, ok. I can see him thinking of himself as Severus. Or Snape, though, just to be contrary.
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Non domestic animals wouldn't bother me at all. I would say I'm a very, very small subset that would have issues with domestic animal shape shifters.
Anna said: How does a dragon sound though? I think that sounds very interesting. In an alternate universe or exsisting amoung us?
Audra wrote: " Bella wrote: "I love well-written wolf shifter stories so much :D But cat,duck,frog,snake,slime[?] they never do for me =["
I don't think I could discontect the veterinary part of my brain e..."
Well said and go ahead try some wolf stories when u have time; some of them r really good; if u want then, I would love to give u some recs :D
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Dragons and wolves, my subconscious should be safe. Most of my experience after vet school has been with domestic animals - dogs, cats, pocket pets, and the occassional pig. I did treat a pack of red wolves twice while doing a project in high school and they were truly magnificent creatures. I felt honored to touch them and treat them (even though they were unconscious). We had a camel in Vet school and I can easily see him as a shape shifter. I'm sure he would have PLENTY to say to and about us students.I think it would be more challenging and rewarding to try to make the dragon concept fit into our modern world. It could be quite enchanting. Granted this comes from a vet and a reader, not an author.
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Hmmm, I've never thought about a camel before. Not sure I have a use for one, though I do have a Percheron draft horse. I've got a thing for horses. They're so majestic and beautiful. I don't know how the dragon will fit in really, especially since he's only three years old. I'm not even sure where his parents are. They've never appeared in my thoughts, although I'm pretty sure he's going to be adopted by one of my human gay couples.
Started Ginn Hale's Lord of the White Hell - Book One today. Oh my. What a terrific story; exemplary writing, world-building, and characterization.
Lil' Grogan wrote: "Suhi, I don't think you were being unkind there. =) So, I'm a little slow, but it took me until the third book to realize that if I found characteristics of the writing hard to take, maybe I should..."Not just you Lil, but I sincerely hope that these 2 authors don't mosey on over to the Josh Lanyon discussion group, for their pride and feelings will surely be wounded.
I'm catching up on Rob Thurman's excellent Cal Leandros series with the 4th entry, Deathwish. I love this series and tend to go slowly and savor them, but Blackout comes out in March and I want to be ready for it. *g*
JPerceval - Love that series. Already preordered Blackout.
Lil' Grogan wrote: "Lori K wrote: "Not just you Lil, but I sincerely hope that these 2 authors don't mosey on over to the Josh Lanyon discussion group, for their pride and feelings will surely be wounded. "Lori, yes..."
I replied to you privately, Lil. Thanks.
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As Dean koontz once said, a writer is always improving, no matter how many times he's been published.
However, going back to shape shifters, I just finished reading Magebound by Katica Locke. It's a good book, the first in a fantasy series. My only problems with it were the swear words that didn't fit the fantasy world and the odd mention of Dr. Dolittle, when none of the characters should have known who he was. Other than that, it was really good and engaging.
Magebound also had two shape shifters, which I didn't realize they were until the end of the book. The one stays in his human form, a collar keeping him that way. But the other is in his animal form for most of the book. He's a cat, almost like a house cat, although his fur was red and orange. In their human forms they still had long fluffy tails and cat ears on top of their heads. In both forms they could talk, so it's less like they were normal house cats. Anyway, that's someone else's take on shape shifters for you.
Anna said: He's a cat, almost like a house catI'd always wonder if he's neutered and if not doesn't he stink? BAD?... Maybe that's what I want a bunch of cat shape shifters running from feral cat clubs that want to neuter them. Except for I'm all for the neutering thing.
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Now gonna read A Forest of Corpses by P.A. Brown. Loved the first book so fingers crossed for the 2nd one :D
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Just finished Yamada's Close the Last Door v. 2 & Yoneda's No Touching at All yesterday and I'm starting w/ Amberly Smith's Rinse & Repeat, it's good and intriguing so far.
Heather C i liked the first two books in the matter of time but the last two Stunk. Jory was a huge slutty idiot and sam was a huge assfaced idiot. Good luck with those
Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "Heather C i liked the first two books in the matter of time but the last two Stunk. Jory was a huge slutty idiot and sam was a huge assfaced idiot. Good luck with those"Oh, God!! Tell me how you really feel! LMAO These are definately not going to be on my favorites list, but I can't stop now!
Yeah i know i hate how each book ended in a cliff hanger so even though i hated myself for reading on I couldn't stop. You can see my review for A Matter of Time if you want to see how I really feel about the series
I will check it out once I finish. I try not to read reviews until after I read the book. Yes, I know I'm weird that way.
I thought the cliff hangers were weird. Its like the books should have ended in a different place. Like book 1 should have ended in the middle of book 2 and book 2 should have ended after the beginning of book 3. But someone told me it was originally 1 book that was broken into 4 parts. So IDK
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First You Fall: A Kevin Connor My..."
It's very entertaining. I laughed outloud several times reading it, which is rare.
In fact, I mentored Scott for a brief time while he was writing the second book. Not on the writing per se, but his writing schedule -- finding time to write when you've got a fulltime job and fulltime family is no easy thing.
I know he finished the second book, but what happened after that, I've no idea. Unfortunately he was published with Alyson, so I assume his agent is looking for a new home for the series.
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Which is what? This sounds very interesting."
Aw.. and i just told myself I'd quit bitching about book..."
If it makes you feel better, I found your thoughts very informative -- and a good reminder of the things that drive readers mad.
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Fair enough, Dane. Those are good observations.
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at about 48% into it and so far it is really good. the writing is really great. Chapter one had me crying a little but once Donte is introduced..."I remember this one. I really enjoyed it--thought it was quite well done.
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at about 48% into it and so far it is really good. the writing is really great. Chapter one had me crying a little but o..."Oh? What didn't work for you in that one, Andy? It's a long time since I read it, but I remember being pleasantly surprised.
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I think the use of names can be very telling. Like the first time Jake actually calls Adrien, "Adrien" instead of "English."
Or the fact that Will and Taylor use last names on the job most of the time.
But, yes, that's the kind of thing that can get confusing fast.
Mod
Something that was mentioned a little earlier was shape shifting characters that take the form of domestic animals, ie cats..."
Hey there, Audra. Welcome. Good questions! ;-)
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This novels had the older man, the young man, taller, biggere, etc. Its the 1st time I've every seen that"
That's very old style--you see it in fan fiction too. It generally feels clumsy, I agree.
Josh wrote: "Oh? What didn't work for you in that one, Andy? It's a long time since I read it, but I remember being pleasantly surprised. "Assuming this is the hockey player/speed skater story... It was little things. The hockey player letting the speed skater push him around. In my experience unless the hockey player couldn't do it himself he wouldn't allow it. And for me it triggered the 'cure all' ending. Yes, it was plausible in this one. But I am so sick of it having to be stressed. I have read a few stories where the disabled - and I hate that word - gets cured. Why? Why is it so important? I snuck a wheelchair bound character in one of my books but sadly he ended up being het so his story won't get to be written. Why can't there be stories about wheelchair bound people that can't eventually walk again? Maybe there are and I haven't found them yet. It seems to me that the focus of the stories goes to 'walking again' when it could have focused on the relationship and overcoming the obstacles that come with it.
I'm rambling now and will stop.
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Ah! That's the challenge with world building. I tend to find it boring too, so I try to keep it to the basics, but maybe not enough. ;-P
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Assuming this is the hockey player/speed skater story......"
No. I think your point is valid. I hope someone will tackle a story like that. I've thought about it from time to time, but I know it's going to be a hard sell for both publishers and readers. Well! Maybe I'm underestimating both publishers and readers? But it would still be difficult.
I agree with you on the miracle cures--even though I do love those stories. In this story I think it was believable fix, but again, it's been a long time since I read that one.
Andy have you tried
That guy doesn't get "cured" and well i didn't finish it. I absolutely loved the writing and characters and had to stop reading because it was getting too sad for me.
Patty wrote: "Started Ginn Hale's Lord of the White Hell - Book One today. Oh my. What a terrific story; exemplary writing, world-building, and characterization."I just finished One and Two... what a great story! Fantastic imagery and characters. If you haven't tried, Astrid Amara's The Archer's Heart... of the same type and very good.
I just read F*ck Forgiveness and even though it was only 18 pages it blew me away. It was a little dark but really good. I think the blurb sums it up pretty well but the amount of back story and character development was really impressive with it still being so short
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I just finished ..."
Oh yeah. Definitely. Talk about amazing work.
Josh wrote: "No. I think your point is valid."I want to write a story like that. But I'm so used to writing with a partner I don't think I can *g*. it's a shame that it would be a hard sell - What does that say about our society? I wrote a fanfic once, it was a challenge, had to pick from a list of ailments. I picked paraplegia. I left the character in that condition. It was acceptance. It was a happy ending. I received a lot of comments saying how they loved the story but X should have walked again. That annoyed me to no end.
The character in our story I made a paraplegic, married and expecting a little one. I was waiting for fallout but never got it. That made me happy.
I just don't understand how not being able to feel a certain percentage of one's body makes them a romance taboo. It saddens me.
Yes, in this story the miracle cure worked. But why stress it? The reader could draw their own conclusion and the writer could have focused more on other things. Again, that my pet peeve. Just like the pushing around.
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I want to write a story like that. But I'm so used to writing with a partner I don't think I can *g*. it's a shame that it would be a hard sell - Wha..."
Well, I think m/m does need to catch up here. Mainstream romance made this jump about ten years ago, and though there aren't thousands of those stories, there are enough that it's no longer a revolutionary idea.
Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "Andy have you tried That guy doesn't get "cured" and well i didn't finish it. I absolutely loved the writing and characters and had to stop reading because it wa..."
Oh thank you! I'll definitely read it.
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What a great observation.
Yeah i really like Drew Hunt but that one was too rough for me. Not because he is in a wheel chair but because of how he ended up in it and yeah I loved the characters though. I know I am sissy
Josh wrote: "I just don't understand how not being able to feel a certain percentage of one's body makes them a romance taboo. It saddens me.What a great observation."
Thank you
As you can tell it is a subject near and dear to my heart. I've stepped onto my soap box many a time to explain things to people who seemed to think paraplegia = not a sexual being anymore
Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "Yeah i really like Drew Hunt but that one was too rough for me. Not because he is in a wheel chair but because of how he ended up in it and yeah I loved the characters though. I know I am sissy"I look forward to reading it, even without a happy ending. happy ending would be better but if it's good it's good no matter the ending.
I think it has a HFN Ending. you will see when you get there but by the time they reconnect they are both ruined and the other guy has (view spoiler)
Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "I think it has a HFN Ending. you will see when you get there but by the time they reconnect they are both ruined and the other guy has [spoilers removed]"I'm curious about how they are ruined. Just the paraplegia and the spoiler wouldn't be a ruin for me. I'll definitely get it. Thanks!
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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But cat,duck,frog,snake,slime[?] they never do for me =["
I don't think I could discontect the veterinary part of my brain enough to enjoy a novel about domestic animals. Domestic animals morphing could make me quite paranoid on a daily basis. Maybe wolfs. Maybe I'll try that someday.