Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

Coming April 1st from Carina Press.

It's 1943 and the world is at war. Journalist Nathan Doyle has just returned home from North Africa--still recovering from wounds received in the Western Desert Campaign--when he's asked to cover the murder of a society blackmailer.

Lt. Matthew Spain of the LAPD homicide squad hates the holidays since the death of his beloved wife a few months earlier, and this year isn’t looking much cheerier what with the threat of attack by the Japanese and a high-profile homicide investigation. Matt likes Nathan; maybe too much.

If only he didn’t suspect that Nathan had every reason to commit murder.

This is my favourite of Josh's books and I cannot wait for the next in series - what I discovered with the H and M series is that it is well worth rereading books in a series before reading the new one - don't normally do that - so many books and so little time - not to mention the everyday stuff- so I shall have a double pleasure to look forward to - to those of you who haven't read it yet - you are in for a treat - you lucky things!

Maybe not quite my all time favourite but well up there, and if Carina are doing it, it will be well done. Their productions are some of the best I've found with regard to typos and blank pages.
Looking forwards to it and to the sequel.

Josh I am confused are you re-releasing Snowball in Hell and then a sequel, when is the sequel due?

Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "Josh I am confused are you re-releasing Snowball in Hell and then a sequel, when is the sequel due?"

Good question. You said it's called Shadow on the Sun - do you have any idea re. publication date yet? Also: my eyes are not sure about your new LJ layout.

I am not really a fan of historicals but i did enjoy snowball a lot so I look forward to the sequel. Thank you for the link Liade that answered part of my question

Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "Josh I am confused are you re-releasing Snowball in Hell and then a sequel, when is the sequel due?"

Yes, Snowball is being re-released from Carina Press and then this month I'm putting together the proposal for the sequel, Shadow on the Sun. I can't start work until October though, and Carina is booking up fast for the rest of the year, so...we're pretty much looking at next year.

Which I'm sorry about but in order to stick to the ideal of a halway reasonable schedule, I'm trying not to do those novella-in-two weeks gigs anymore.

No worries Josh i just got confused when I read your first post, i was like that blurb sounds familiar and I don’t remember character names so Doyle and Spain through me off and I was like what’s going on here. And as I said historicals are not my thing so as much as I liked snow ball no pressure to rush on this one from me

Diane wrote: "Josh wrote: "so...we're pretty much looking at next year..."

I also thought you were re-releasing Snowball because Shadow in the Sun was imminent.

You need to promote the hell out of this boo..."

I know. I do. Well, the second book has been pushed back to next year.

Josh wrote: "I know. I do. Well, the second book has been pushed back to next year."

*sad face*

Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "Josh wrote: "I know. I do. Well, the second book has been pushed back to next year."

*sad face*"

For me too, but I just had to have a little more breathing room in my schedule.

I understand but still sad face :(

Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "I understand but still sad face :("

Aw, and I thank you for it. It's always comforting as a writer to hear readers really do want that next book.

I pretty much read anything of yours except anthology stories i wait/hope they get released on their own

Oh, I just want to mention (because I'm liable to forget on the actual day) that on April 5th I'm blogging at Not Your Usual Suspects

http://notyourusualsuspects.blogspot....

And Carina Press

http://carinapress.com/blog/

I'm giving away nice stuff to celebrate the re-release of Snowball in Hell, so I want you guys to have a chance at the goodies.

Lisa wrote: "I can't wait for more Doyle and Spain. I actually have this one in print in the one of the collection books. I love it. That was pre-kindle, which I thought I would never get. These two are at ..."

And Rough Magic at the end of the month (last I heard) -- which is sort of getting lost in the shuffle. Loose Id, alas, does not grasp the concept of promotion. ARGH.

I'm trying very hard not to infer a direct co-relation between the # of posts on a book (or lack thereof) and the popularity of the book.

Very excited about the release tommorow! I'm hoping a lot more people will have access to it and discover the best in the Lanyon pantheon (ok, behind AE). It's hard to compare the story to the five book series, but I do feel Snowball is just exceptionally lustrous, lovely writing.

The perils of being gay in that era, amidst the strains and deprivations of war, provide an in-built tension even without the suspense of the primary murder plot (which is very well paced). Some of the events in the story left me unable to speak for a while. You do get the urge to stare out the window and breathe deeply once in a while.

The story hauntingly captures the atmosphere of its time, paints the despair and loneliness of the protagonist's lives vividly, and their eventual coming together is simply one of the most heartwarming moments in all of bloody fiction.

You can't understate the intensity with which you feel for Nathan. As illustrated here and amongst some of the best moments between Adrien and Jake, I don't think there's a writer alive who does genuine emotional warmth and tenderness better than Josh Lanyon.

This really isn't intended to be a review - just an encouragement to read the book, it's a very special gem.

Josh, I already have Rough Magic on my calendar !

Lisa wrote: "I haven't checked recently is it even showing up in the coming soon section? "

It's not under News or the top level, but there is a page in the The Works section. There's a link to that page in the Coming Soon section at http://lanyontide.com/.

There isn't yet a page at Loose-Id that I could find, however.

I haven't checked recently is it even showing up in the coming soon section?

Sobbing quietly...

No. No cover, no mention on the coming soon page...maybe I dreampt the damn thing up. ;-D

ns wrote: "I'm trying very hard not to infer a direct co-relation between the # of posts on a book (or lack thereof) and the popularity of the book.

Very excited about the release tommorow! I'm hoping a lot..."

Thanks so much, NS. I hope the book finds a larger reaership this time around. Carina has a nice big ad on their front page, which is great, and it's already getting lots of reviews, and I've made a pest of myself with my automated tweets on Twitter.

So...fingers crossed!

Heather C wrote: "Josh, I already have Rough Magic on my calendar !"

Thanks, Heather!

Josh wrote: "I haven't checked recently is it even showing up in the coming soon section?

Sobbing quietly...

No. No cover, no mention on the coming soon page...maybe I dreampt the damn thing up. ;-D"

Can't say I'm happy with your web guys, or any of the publishers sites. MLR, Loose-ID and Carina had a lot of weirdnesses when I tried hunting your books down at their sites.

When I wasn't being blocked by them, searches for "Lanyon" didn't necessarily bring up all the books they were supposed to be selling (A Dark Tide doesn't get listed anywhere!)...

When I wasn't being blocked by them, searches for "Lanyon" didn't necessarily bring up all the books they were supposed to be selling (A Dark Tide doesn't get listed anywhere!)...

Greaaaaaaaat. Not. :-(

I absolutely adored this story. I loved the setting. Josh made it so atmospheric, and the fact that times were so much harder for gays (doesn't even begin to cover it) made the love story that much more intense. Doyle and Spain are such unique characters, unlike any I had ever read before. I'm so looking forward to the next book, even if it is a longer wait!

Well I just double checked Loose Id and nothing. I don't get it. Also, how come Come Unto These Yellow Sands is right on your website's front page but Rough Magic isn't mentioned? I check your website so often that is why I initially missed it until I saw it here without a cover.

There's no cover for it. I would be promoting the heck out of it, but I can't do much without the cover. I cannot stress this enough to publishers. THE COVER ART IS A NECESSITY FOR PROMOTION.

WHY is this so hard to grasp? Isn't it absolutely and glaringly obvious?

JPerceval wrote: "I absolutely adored this story. I loved the setting. Josh made it so atmospheric, and the fact that times were so much harder for gays (doesn't even begin to cover it) made the love story that much..."

Thank you so much. I'm taking my time because I really want the sequel to live up to the first book.

Jorrie wrote: "Snowball in Hell is such a beautiful story. Love the new cover too.

I look forward to 2012."

Thanks so much, Jorrie.

Barb wrote: "Starting Snowball in Hell, tonight :)"

Hope you enjoy it!

So how can those of us who are looking forwards to Rough Magic help promote it or put pressure on the publishers?

Jan wrote: "So how can those of us who are looking forwards to Rough Magic help promote it or put pressure on the publishers?"

I honestly don't know, Jan. LI sort of marches to their own drummer. :-D

Sometimes I don't see the cover till the week the book releases -- in which case, there's just not a lot I can do. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I see *something* this week.

I am having problems entering the Loose-Id site (to send my complaint, lol). Is it working for you?

Emanuela ~Zstyx~ wrote: "I am having problems entering the Loose-Id site (to send my complaint, lol). Is it working for you?"

That's just too funny.

Josh wrote: "Emanuela ~Zstyx~ wrote: "I am having problems entering the Loose-Id site (to send my complaint, lol). Is it working for you?"

That's just too funny."

Who do they think they are, Facebook?!

I can't enter with Firefox, but IE works. They won't keep me away :-)

Josh, I too kept waiting and waiting to see a cover for This Rough Magic particularly with a due date at the end of April. However, after reading the above posts, what surprises me the most is why weren't you given a decision as to when the cover would be available and when LI would begin their part of the promotion when you sent in your final revisions and a release date was set?

Susan wrote: "Josh, I too kept waiting and waiting to see a cover for This Rough Magic particularly with a due date at the end of April. However, after reading the above posts, what surprises me the most is why..."

Oh, gosh! No publisher does that. As for promo...that really varies too. Some publishers are very proactive, some rely completely on the author.


The cover art is something you want as soon as possible, but there are different variables. It's not always a big issue, but I'd have liked to give this book a big push because it's the first new project in several months.

Instead I'm focusing on CUTYS because I've got all the pieces right here, even though that's not out until June.

Josh wrote: "Susan wrote: "Josh, I too kept waiting and waiting to see a cover for This Rough Magic particularly with a due date at the end of April. However, after reading the above posts, what surprises me t..."

OK, so my theory on how this should have played out is not going to happen. But instead of making yourself miserable can you at least contact someone at LI and get an update on the cover instead of wondering when?

OK, so my theory on how this should have played out is not going to happen. But instead of making yourself miserable can you at least contact someone at LI and get an update on the cover instead of wondering when?

It's always possible! :-D

Josh, today I downloaded Snowball in Hell onto my Kindle and I already have the print version in your Collected Novellas Vol 1, so I'm all set. Before I begin a comparison my question is - can you comment on what prompted you to do a revision to the story? Thanks.

And BTW, speaking of your Collected Novellas - as of this post Wikipedia has the stories listed for both of your Collection volumes reversed!

I downloaded Snowball in Hell on my Nook today too. It will be my first time reading it.

ha Whit,fancy seeing you here!yes, I have the willpower of a ...?? but i will stop loitering!
anyway, I had to come back on to say that I have read a lot of your books lately Josh - and this was just beautiful, sad and beautiful - thank you. I never thought Jake and Adrien could be beaten, but I think Matt and Nathan have done just that. Sublime. I still keep tearing up from it. I dont ever read anything from this era - hontestly, it doesnt interest me - but jeez you really sell a story; i just loved it - i felt like i was watching it in black in white on a screen, it lived, and will stay with me for a while i know ... thanks.

Just had to stop by and say...I'm in love with this book...I have Robert Redford (circa The Way we Were) and Montgomery Clift filed in my brain for Nathan and Matt...Tres, tres Noir :O)

I'm about half way through this book and I'm loving it. It's different from what I normally read. I love stepping outside my comfort zone and finding a gem. When I picture the setting and characters it's all in black and white in my head with white wall tires on the cars and dark, wet streets. :)

Norma wrote:When I picture the setting and characters it's all in black and white in my head with white wall tires on the cars and dark, wet streets. :)

I know, I love it...I have a slight obsession with old Noir film The Maltese Falcon, Strangers on a Train and the like...I am just channeling some serious old Hollywood with this book...I can see the men with their cigarettes and cocktails at noon and the mysterious and dangerous ladies...fantastic...there's even a Fat Lady...I keep thinking of Bogart as Philip Marlowe...he could have been a great Matt Spain

It's funny because I don't have an obsession with Noir. But my brother and my mom do, so I'm familiar with it. And I see these old Hollywood movies and old Hollywood actors with their fedoras and cigarettes. Can't wait to finish this!

Norma wrote: "It's funny because I don't have an obsession with Noir. But my brother and my mom do, so I'm familiar with it. And I see these old Hollywood movies and old Hollywood actors with their fedoras and cigarettes"

I LOVE those old movies...Josh has gotten the feel perfectly in this book...LOVE IT!

After we all finish this book, we'll have to have a virtual movie night! LOL

I'm really enjoying reading this as a group!

Norma wrote: "After we all finish this book, we'll have to have a virtual movie night! LOL

I'm really enjoying reading this as a group!"

We should Norma...but first we need to talk about these boys...Imagine BELIEVING that your feelings for someone that can lead to love, affection, desire...are a sickness...

Lauraadriana wrote: "Norma wrote: "After we all finish this book, we'll have to have a virtual movie night! LOL

I'm really enjoying reading this as a group!"

We should Norma...but first we need to talk about these bo..."
I can't begin to imagine that. It's one of the heartbreaking things about his character. I've gotten a bit teary-eyed over Nathan already.