Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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Things Unseen and Deadly by Ginn Hale
Triple X!!!That might actually be better than the title I ended up with: Things Unseen and Deadly.
Though admittedly, XXX, sounds like a racy novel filled with hot, hot smootching, and I might not be quite up to that! :D
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That might actually be better than the title I ended up with: Things Unseen and Deadly.
Though admittedly, XXX, sounds like a racy novel filled with hot, hot smootching, and I might no..."
Nice title! I like it. Not as easy to remember as XXX but it still has a certain ring to it. ;-)
Josh wrote: "Nice title! I like it. Not as easy to remember as XXX but it still has a certain ring to it. ;-) "I was thinking of using This Rough Magic-- but "somebody" had already used that title for an awesome story. ;D
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A long time ago, yes I'm admitting to being of a certain age, Mary Stewart wrote a wonderful book call "This Rough Magic". I have to admit I thought of that when I first saw your title. She was one of my early reads.
TracyG wrote: "A long time ago, yes I'm admitting to being of a certain age, Mary Stewart wrote a wonderful book call "This Rough Magic". I have to admit I thought of that when I first saw your title. She was o..."
lol. Me too.
lol. Me too.
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Stewart was (and is) a favorite of mine too. Yes, that did go through my head when I found the quote, but I comforted myself with the fact that lots of books and films have used that title. Although it turns out Stewart's is the one everyone remembers. ;-P
Hey, speaking of titles. Does anyone remember where that list of potential titles for the second book in the Shot in the Dark series was listed? As I recall Lou had some excellent suggestions.
Josh wrote: "TracyG wrote: "A long time ago, yes I'm admitting to being of a certain age, Mary Stewart wrote a wonderful book call "This Rough Magic". I have to admit I thought of that when I first saw your ti..."It's here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...
Josh wrote: "Hey, speaking of titles. Does anyone remember where that list of potential titles for the second book in the Shot in the Dark series was listed? As I recall Lou had some excellent suggestions...."The discussion (all or some of it) was here and on the following page(s).
Edited to add: I vote for more Shakespeare and no moon.
Or maybe just "No Moon" *G*?
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I did -- do -- like Murder by Moonlight.
Lia, what do you have against the moon?!
Josh wrote: "Ah! Thank you, all three of you. I did -- do -- like Murder by Moonlight.
Lia, what do you have against the moon?!"
Nothing drastic, but for me (like some other commenters) it has some werewolf associations.
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I did -- do -- like Murder by Moonlight.
Lia, what do you have against the moon?!"
Nothing drastic, but for me (like some other commenters) i..."
:-D Only in this genre, right?
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I think so!
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You can't beat romantic homicide."
EXACTLY.
Lou wrote: "You can't beat romantic homicide."But with a good lawyer you might only serve 5 years for it!
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Ginn is the only writer I know who can make you fall in love with a bum in the first three paragraphs.
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I know, man. Who else can make a dirty old bum sexy?
Nicole wrote: "Josh wrote: Ginn is the only writer I know who can make you fall in love with a bum in the first three paragraphs."I know, man. Who else can make a dirty old bum sexy?"
EXACTLY!!!!! Capital letters to emphasize how amazed I was, but as Jason sees the truth at the core of people, Ginn can show the truth at the core of her protagonists.
Both Jason and Henry were betrayed in a sense, they are both ... mmm ... sort of suspended between worlds, and I was riveted by the way they entered each other's life. It was as if Henry was able to fuel Jason's power and self-awareness, while Jason gave back to Henry hope and maybe his humanity.
*sighs with satisfaction*
Great anthology, great world, great couples, great writing, happy reader :D
Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Josh wrote: Ginn is the only writer I know who can make you fall in love with a bum in the first three paragraphs."I know, man. Who else can make a dirty old bum sexy?"
EXACTLY!!!..."
I'm so happy to hear that Jason and Henry came through!
I was a little afraid that my decision to make them such social outcasts might alienate readers--or just repel them. The rest of the stories depict such awesome characters; I wouldn't want to bring the anthology down.
Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Go underdogs!!! :D"That should be my motto!
Ginn wrote: "Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Josh wrote: Ginn is the only writer I know who can make you fall in love with a bum in the first three paragraphs."I know, man. Who else can make a ..."
Actually I like exactly that they were more or less misfits, perfect characters are borring anyway :)
Fehu wrote: "Actually I like exactly that they were more or less misfits, perfect characters are borring anyway :) ."Well, no danger of that with Henry. :D
Though, as far as perfect characters go, I really think Nicole did a great job with Gunther. He seemed to really be trying to live up to the best ideals of humanity, which was ironic of course because he's a goblin.
I think there's some of that in Rake, as well. Despite his "background" in the end he takes much more humane actions than many of his human colleagues.
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"*sighs with satisfaction*
Great anthology, great world, great couples, great writing, happy reader :D .
All part of the service. :)
"Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "*sighs with satisfaction*
Great anthology, great world, great couples, great writing, happy reader :D "
So true. Brilliant work from all. <3
Ginn wrote: "Though, as far as perfect characters go, I really think Nicole did a great job with Gunther. He seemed to really be trying to live up to the best ideals of humanity, which was ironic of course because he's a goblin."I liked Gunther, yes! It was interesting "seeing" him as a human, knowing he was a goblin in Nicole's story, he had a very compassionate streak, he dealt with Keith like you deal with something fragile and precious. Another character who should get his own voice. In your story, it was disconcerting to know that Jason could see him as a goblin, a luxury Gunther can't afford, right? I thought that for someone whose appearance was engineered to mingle with humans, having his appearance match his nature was refreshing, shocking, I don't know if I'm seeing too much into it, but I had the impression it was something that was making him happy.
Things I ponder. The Stone of Fal, an actual piece of rock to be sliced and diced over, or a song that Jason could sing which would then become a real stone? And if Jason had been torn apart trying to find the stone, would his song have died with him?
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Oh, I like these questions!
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..."
This is what I loved about the character. He's more idealistic about humans than humans would be -- and more tolerant of their weaknesses.
Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "I thought that for someone whose appearance was engineered to mingle with humans, having his appearance match his nature was refreshing, shocking, I don't know if I'm seeing too much into it, but I had the impression it was something that was making him happy. "I think it has to do with perception. Gunther has lived his life as a human in a human realm and has picked the likes and dislikes of a human. For humans, as confirmed by Keith and Jason's reaction, snow goblins are horrifyingly ugly, and Gunther, who is considered handsome in his human form, would probably see himself as ugly too, because he has spent his life among humans who consider his species hideous.
This would be a good question - do the goblins, who live in their own realm, consider themselves as ugly as the humans see them?
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Oh, I wouldn't imagine that they do, beauty being in the eye of the beholder and all. I imagine they see themselves as majestic and amazing and humans as dumpy fleshy lumplings.
I think I had Gunther say that his parents had made quite a sacrifice turning him into a meaty little human or something.
I sort of imagine that Gunther's parents looked at their transmogrified kid and thought, "Well... I guess we should work on making sure he's got a great personality."
But I think that I just find that amusing--you know the idea that a dude who sort of looks like a supermodel can have turned out to lack vanity simply because his mom would have been saying things like, "There, there, don't you pay any attention to what they say about you. You're beautiful on the inside."
And by "beautiful on the inside" she'd be meaning some scary-ass looking snow goblin. :)
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I really want to know more about this guy. Then again, I also really like having space left in a story for me (as a reader) to put whatever I'd like to imagine. I think I've come up with about 10 different scenarios about Rake's life prior to this particular story. My personal favorite is that some of the old-timey naughty demon pictures that Archer has are actually of Rake, but he just doesn't realize it yet.
Nicole wrote: "I sort of imagine that Gunther's parents looked at their transmogrified kid and thought, "Well... I guess we should work on making sure he's got a great personality." "They sure seem to have succeeded with that... :-) Although they probably would be disappointed that the thing with Gunther picking a nice goblin boy didn't work out. :-D
Karan wrote: "Things I ponder. The Stone of Fal, an actual piece of rock to be sliced and diced over, or a song that Jason could sing which would then become a real stone? And if Jason had been torn apart trying..."Music is very much part of who Jason is and even if the Sone of Fal hadn't been bound to his bones, he would have still written songs. However it's the Stone, diffused through his entire skeletal system, that makes his songs powerful enough to be weapons...
So removing the Stone would strip Jason of much of his power... not to mention his bones...:(
Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: " liked Gunther... it was disconcerting to know that Jason could see him as a goblin, a luxury Gunther can't afford, right? I thought that for someone whose appearance was engineered to mingle with humans, having his appearance match his nature was refreshing, shocking, I don't know if I'm seeing too much into it, but I had the impression it was something that was making him happy. "I agree. It would hard not to be curious, at least, if someone could see such an important aspect of you, that you yourself rarely, is ever, have glimpsed... Though, Gunther does know that he doesn't look like a lady Snow Goblin. ;D
Josh wrote: "Oh, I like these questions! They are good, aren't they?
Cat wrote: "Gunther, who is considered handsome in his human form, would probably see himself as ugly too, because he has spent his life among humans who consider his species hideous..."I get the feeling that growing up the way he did, Gunther has a wider range of characteristics that he can find beautiful and attractive. His dating history at the very least makes me think that while he may find human beings attractive they aren't the limit of his interests.
He's happy to taste the other dishes at the table, as it were. :P
Cat wrote: "Nicole wrote: "I sort of imagine that Gunther's parents looked at their transmogrified kid and thought, "Well... I guess we should work on making sure he's got a great personality." "They sure seem to have succeeded with that... :-) Although they probably would be disappointed that the thing with Gunther picking a nice goblin boy didn't work out. :-D "
Keith makes more money than any the those "nice" goblin boys back home and he probably has access to hot sauces they've only dreamed of tasting.
Karan wrote: "So true. Brilliant work from all. <3"Thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
Also, I'm really pleased that I got the read all my fellow authors' stories. It was a great experience.
Nicole wrote: "But I think that I just find that amusing--you know the idea that a dude who sort of looks like a supermodel can have turned out to lack vanity simply because his mom would have been saying things like, "There, there, don't you pay any attention to what they say about you. You're beautiful on the inside."And by "beautiful on the inside" she'd be meaning some scary-ass looking snow goblin. :) ."
I can't help but wonder how Gunther's parents given their "skewed" aesthetic... Like, do haunted houses seem romantic to them?
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I don't know. I imagine they're really clean for some reason, so they might not like the dust and cobwebs but the sight of skeletons must make them feel at home and cozy.
Nicole wrote: "...the sight of skeletons must make them feel at home and cozy .""Other kids have teddy bears while lil' Gunther curls up at night with a nice plastic skeleton."
Ginn wrote: " However it's the Stone, diffused through his entire skeletal system, that makes his songs powerful enough to be weapons...So removing the Stone would strip Jason of much of his power... not to mention his bones...:( "
That makes perfect sense. Thank you. :-)
Karan wrote: "Ginn wrote: " However it's the Stone, diffused through his entire skeletal system, that makes his songs powerful enough to be weapons...So removing the Stone would strip Jason of much of his powe..."
So the Stone is now part of his skeleton? I somehow missed that... with all the talk about slicing Jason up to get to the Stone I thought it was a real stone somewhere in his bowels.
Does that bind the power the Stone gives Jason to his genes and make it heritable? Maybe that's not an actual problem for the Sidhe, but in case Jason dies how would a successor come into possession of the Stone so that their realm could still thrive?
I've already wrote it on another thread but wanted to say it again: "Things Unseen and Deadly" was a wonderful story that made me forget time while reading. It reminded me how much I love to read fantasy (and I'm not talking about the paranormal sub-genre but "real", actual fantasy) and that I haven't read nearly enough of it in the last years.The "unknowing prince" is one of my favourite storylines in fantasy and fairytales. Poor Jason had suffered a lot with his abilitie to see through magic spells. It's interesting to see how one tiny bit of information puts all his experiences into another light.
Calathea wrote: "Karan wrote: "Ginn wrote: " However it's the Stone, diffused through his entire skeletal system, that makes his songs powerful enough to be weapons...So removing the Stone would strip Jason of mu..."
I imagine that the Stone is bound to Jason's bones only-- sort of the way lead can build up in bones. It wouldn't be a genetic trait but one that remains locked in the physical structure of Jason's skeleton. If he dies the Sidhe would need to gather all his bones to reconfigure the Stone...
Calathea wrote: "I've already wrote it on another thread but wanted to say it again: "Things Unseen and Deadly" was a wonderful story that made me forget time while reading. It reminded me how much I love to read f..."Thank you!
I'm really glad that you enjoyed it; it was wonderful fun to write. But it makes me even happier to know that it has connected to readers.
That's where a story really come to life, after all, inside the mind of its reader.
The dead are selfish:
they make us cry and don't care,
they stay quiet in the most inconvenient places,
they refuse to walk, we have to carry them
on our backs to the tomb
as if they were children. What a burden!
Unusually rigid, their faces
accuse us of something, or warn us;
they are the bad conscience, the bad example,
they are the worst things in our lives always, always.
The bad thing about the dead
is that there is no way you can kill them.
Their constant destructive labor
is for the reason incalculable.
Insensitive, distant, obstinate, cold,
with their insolence and their silence
they don't realize what they undo.
-- Angel Gonzalez