Just Joshin

A brief word about a couple of things and then I must go radio silence for a time. I have an insane amount of STUFF to plow through before the end of the month -- or even Thanksgiving Day. So...hope you are enjoying the books and having a jolly weekend, and do not fret if you don't hear from me for a bit.

First...many of you have informed me that Esprit de Corps is now in print at Amazon. Thank you. No, I'm not listed as an author, but my story is in there nonetheless. "Out of the Blue," the WW1 historical is the novella in there. Also now in print is Partners in Crime 5: Committed to Memory . The story there is "Don't Look Back."

Samhain's Mexican Heat, written with Laura Baumbach, is an EPPIE finalist. Raise your margarita glasses.

Finally, gal pal Lisabea and I are hanging out on Desert Island Keeper -- asking incisive questions and giving books away. Stop by if you've got time and inclination. The fun starts heeyah.

So wishing you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

To preorder Strange Fortune. If you want the exclusive downloadable goodies -- and the free shipping -- you've got to order before Midnight (PCT) on Friday.

This is the last reminder -- just so you know.

And for those of you who've already bought the book -- thank you so much. I do appreciate it. And if you haven't already received your exclusive goodies, well...you should have. So let me know. It will be easier to fix now rather than later.

And now back to The Dark Tide. Adrien and Jake are on their way to...a funeral.

So...I sort of lost track somewhere along the line and I was thinking this was releasing next week. But...wrong. It released a couple of minutes ago from Loose Id. This is the one about the two DSS agents (which always sounds like the start of a bar joke). Sort of my homage to a certain British crime show of the late seventies. There's something about buddy shows and popcorn that is very dear to my unsophisticated heart.

Anyway...da da!

Special Agents for the Department of Diplomatic Security, Taylor MacAllister and Will Brandt have been partners and best friends for three years, but everything changed during a week long camping trip. Now Taylor and Will are trying to see if true love is in the cards or if it's just sex. Really, really good sex, granted!

But when Taylor receives a cobra bottled in rice wine for the birthday he nearly didn't live to see, Will fears that something in Taylor's past -- something Taylor won't talk about -- is going to put an end to their chance of a future romance. Or any future at all.

( Up for an excerpt? )

Warning you now. VERY rough. Absolutely unedited.

To say goodbye is to die a little.

Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye,

The Dark Tide

It began, as a lot of things do, in bed.

( Read chapter one if you are so inclined )

A Strange Offer for M/M Fantasy and Adventure Readers

 

 

Order Strange Fortune, the new spec fiction novel by Josh Lanyon through the Blind Eye Books website before midnight on November 20^th and uncover a small fortune in exclusive downloadable promotional plunder.

 

“Mystery author Lanyon (the Adrien English series) makes his first foray into fantasy with a taut, energetic and romantic tale. In Hidush, an analogue for India in its final days as a British colony, a colonial religious group sends bisexual adventurer Maj. Valentine Strange and troubled witch Aleister Grimshaw to retrieve a goddess's lost diadem from a mountain monastery. As the two men are beset by traitors, wild animals, monks with political agendas and a spiritual force that threatens all of Hidush, their mutual attraction unfolds beautifully and dramatically.”

Publishers Weekly

 

“This new take on British India in the post-Mutiny days is fresh, intriguing, nothing short of brilliant. Handsome heroes, excellent villainy, a good measure of travel, action, occult powers, and a real fantasy finale make for an engrossing read and a rewarding one. If Talbot Mundy had written a King of the Khyber Rifles-type adventure for John Barrowman, this would be it.”

Mel Keegan, bestselling author of Nocturne, Dangerous Moonlight, Fortunes of War and the NARC series

 

“A fantastic adventure set in a lush, magical world and populated with wonderfully original and engaging characters. Strange Fortune makes for a riveting read.”

Ginn Hale, 2008 Spectrum Award Winner and 2007 Lambda Literary Award Finalist

 

“Mr. Lanyon brings trademark storytelling excellence to this fresh new fantasy. Engaging characters, a touching love story and breathless action unite with a sensuous setting to create a world of adventure in the tradition of H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines. I couldn’t put it down.”

Alex Beecroft, bestselling author of False Colors

 

 

Order between November 5^th and November 20^th and receive:

 

• Sketches of Hidush. A PDF sketch book containing 6 pages of gorgeous original illustrations from Strange Fortune by noted artist Dawn Kimberling. 

 

• A Cookbook for Gentlemen featuring one recipe from each of Josh’s works. From Italian margaritas to rabbit pie, there’s something for every appetite in this little gem.

 

• Adrien and Jake: A Private Conversation. Josh’s most popular characters answer a host of questions posed by their creator and a score of readers in this “private” interview.

 

• “The French Have a Name for It.” An original short story by Josh Lanyon. This story is only available through this offer.

 

• Vintage bookplate template of mysterious swami chap.

 

 

Remember, like all things magical…there’s a catch. You have less than 15 days to reach the White Mountains. You must order before midnight on November 20th^.  When the clock strikes twelve all this lovely loot vanishes like white smoke from a Hidushi temple sacrifice.

 

 

 

***PLEASE NOTE***
After you place your order at BEB, make sure you click the RETURN TO BLIND EYE BOOKS button. Verrrry important.  

 

 

 

 

Trick or Treat. I Spy Something Wicked, the "fling" sequel to I Spy Something Bloody is now up and available at Loose Id (you'll find it on my author page).

Happy Halloween!

My publisher--that would be Blind Eye Books in this case--tells me they'll be bringing a small selection of all their titles to Yaoicon, and that includes a few preview copies of Strange Fortune.

So if by some chance you're attending Yaoicon and you'd like to pick up a copy of Strange Fortune in advance of the madding crowd, just drop a comment and I'll provide BEB with a rough headcount so they have an idea of how many copies to bring (it won't be many, but if there's interest, there will be a few there).
 

What would it be?

Now, a lot of these questions will be answered in The Dark Tide, but what about stuff that is unlikely to be addressed or the stuff you always wondered about or the stuff you figured (probably rightly) that I'm going to forget?

And suppose I was going to do another one of those interviews that I did for Alex Beecroft's wonderfully imaginative In Their Own Words site? You remember? The one I did with Adrien and the one I did with Jake? Well, I'm thinking along those lines -- only this time both of them together.

Yes, it's all part of the super-duper promo package for Strange Fortune. An exclusive interview with Jake and Adrien as they answer just about any question you can throw at them. 

So leave your questions in the comment section, and I'll see what I can do. I won't start the interview for a few days, so plehenty of time to stump me and the gentlmen.

Nothing to do with the recent kerfluffle on a certain fan list, although the title is appropriate, yes? *g*

I've finished "The Dark Farewell," my novella contribution to The Mysterious, an anthology of historical ghost stories with Alex Beecroft and Laura Baumbach. 33K in roughly a week. Since I was aiming for 20, I'm not positive that this is a triumph. The story is...odd. I was, in the spirit of experimentation that has gripped me all this year, trying to do a very 1920s sort of style. Not the Oh, you kid! stuff, but that Hemingway-esque understated and terse prose (and no, I'm not saying I write like Hemingway) that I think really suits the time and the mood. I think I might have successfully captured some of that, but the question remains: is this what a reader of modern ghostly romance wants to read?

( Read more... )

So I was over at Amazon checking a publication date, and I noticed that Mel Keegan's books are basically untagged. You know, the Mel Keegan who's putting all that time and energy into making the GLBT Bookshelf a great resource -- both for readers and writers? I have no doubt Mel has zero time to be tagging his own work. I don't think Amazon's even his main venue, but it's a useful promo tool (Amazon, I mean) so I started tagging his titles, but then it occurred to me that I'm actually supposed to be working to meet this looming, spectral deadline.  And I'm just one person, anyway.

But if, say, everyone who enjoyed and took advantage of the GLBT Bookshelf just happened to mosey on over to Amazon and tag one or two of Mel's books? I think that would be a practical way to say thanks.

The other good deed is that I had an aspiring author contact me asking if I knew a good beta or critique group for m/m fiction. He doesn't want to take advantage of my faboo manuscript evaluation service (WHAAAAAAAT????!!!!!), but I said I'd ask around and see if any of my readers were interested in looking at his manuscript and giving him honest but constructive feedback. It sounds like he's very close to breaking through and selling this one, he just needs some objective and experienced feedback from some of you who read a lot in this genre.
 
Anyone have time to take a look at this guy's novel and share your thoughts with the author? Contact me off line. We don't need many, I don't imagine. Maybe two or three readers?

I received the proofs for Strange Fortune the day before yesterday. I think the last time I was this excited about a book was Death of a Pirate King. 

 It's beautiful.

It really is. Nice paper, nice typeface, lovely little touches all the way through. There's this very cool map that, in my opinion, is worth the price of admission alone. Oh, and the story. Which is hopefully going to do justice to all this effort on its behalf. Because the effort is impressive.

This is a totally new thing for me, and I honestly don't know what you'll all make of it. Coincidentally, I got an advance peek of Mel Keegan's review of the book so that was a huge relief. (I think the NARC books are some of my all time favorite SF adventures).

Anyway, I believe it becomes available for pre-order in early November -- directly through the Blind Eye Book site as we've been batting around some special and very exclusive promo ideas for those who order early. But more on that when we've worked out the details.

In the meantime, I'm looking over my bookshelves at my own fantasy collection and there's an odd mix of stuff there. So I thought maybe it would be sort of pleasant to get back to talking about books and stories again -- you know, the stuff that originally brought us all together, that we all have in common. 

So some of my personal favorite fantasy novels:

Heather Gladney's Teot novels (is she never going that finish that series?) Bloodstorm and  Teot's War
Dancers of Arun by Elizabeth A. Lynn
Anything by Andre Norton. I have enormous fondness for Andre Norton, so don't say anything bad about her.
Kirith Kirin by Jim Grimsley
Chrome by George Nader
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
The Once and Future King by TH White

Well, there's more -- surprisingly quite a bit more though, although I don't consider myself a fantasy reader. But then again we all start out reading fantasy, don't we? I mean if we get the classic fairytales, we get fantasy. Unless someone is going to break it to me that "Puss in Boots" is historical romance.
 
Anyway, those are the books first at hand, which might mean something (or merely mean I was in a frantic hurry last time I shoveled out this place). What about you? Favorite fantasy novels? Things I probably should have read before I sat down to write my own? Fantasy or spec fiction books you have a particular fondness for?

Some of you are aware that the lovely Elisa Rolle has instituted a new award aimed largely -- though not solely -- at the m/m writing community. I think this is a good idea for a number of reasons, the main one being that there is currently no award that really addresses m/m romance or writers. There's a significant division of opinion as to how comfortably m/m fits into the broader scope of GLBT fiction, and there's been a distinct lack of open arms in mainstream romance.
 
So...The Rainbow Awards. Not in competiton, not in defiance, simply peers acknowleging each other's work. That's how I see it anyway. I see m/m as its own distinct and valid branch of romantic fiction and I like the idea of doing things that will strengthen both our community and the work itself.

But you'll notice that my work -- with the exception of two collaborations that I am now asking Elisa to remove -- is not listed in these award nominations. That's because I've elected to judge. And my personal belief is that if I am a judge, I cannot also be a competitor. Elisa has guaranteed that judges will not review their own work. Which is true.

Here's my problem. This current part of the process is a popularity vote. Writers are on lists asking for votes, working behind the scenes for votes. So if a judge does not recuse her title up front, a title could well end up in the finals. Now, true, the judge will not judge her own book at that point, but her work will be in the finals when it shouldn't be. Because she or he is a judge.

For me, it's much more important that we establish these awards as legitimate and fair from the beginning than that I win an award. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE awards. But there are more important things. 

For those of you who nominated me and who continue to nominate me, please understand how very grateful I am. I'm not in any way disrespecting you or your endless and kind support. But I have willingly chosen to withdraw my titles -- all of my titles at this point -- because I feel this is more important.

I hope -- believe -- my fellow author judges will feel the same.

Please do vote, all of you, and let's make sure we have a wide and interesting representation of titles in the finals.

I think I see the faintest, wannest (wannest?) glimmer of light at the end of that tunnel.

One more novella to go. The Dark Farewell for The Mysterious anthology with Laura Baumbach and Alex Beecroft. It's set in Herron, Illinois in the 1920s and it's about spiritualism and mediums and ghosts and oh my. Quel creepy. At least I think so. Something about the summer and the midwest is just...well, I don't want to say creepy since a lot of my readers happen to live there. But it lends itself to ghost stories.

Over at Nose in a Book there is a sneak peek preview of I Spy Something Wicked due out from Loose Id...this month. The last date I saw discussed was the 20th, but that could have changed? I don't know. It's fluid. But October for sure.

The ghosts in Mark Hardwicke's past are very much alive and threatening the hard-won peace Mark has found with his lover Stephen Thorpe.

And finally, I sort of desperately need an emergency Brit check for the edits on this Christmas novella coming out from Samhain, and I feel that I've pretty much used my Brit-check credits up with the usual suspects. Anyone out there have time, energy, and inclination to do a quick Brit check on a novella?  

I know, I keep saying I don't have any time and then I do all these interviews and blogs, but you have to remember these are all done in advance. Not like I sat down last night and did this after my 5K for the day.

Anyway, of note in this interview -- well, it's actually more of a discussion between fellow writer (and my esteemed editor on Strange Fortune) Nikki Kimberling is how interesting Nikki is. I love to talk to this woman; I love the way her mind works. 

And, yes, I did early on memorize that sign in the old homestead kitchen: KISSIN' DON'T LAST, COOKIN' DO.

The drums, the damned drums. Will they never stop?

So in case you're wondering where I am these days, you will be shocked -- shocked and AMAZED -- to hear that I am writing. YES!  Me.

Seriously, this is hell month for me. To say that I am bad at responding to people right now is to flatter me ridiculously. So far I have done I Spy Something Wicked (the Loose Id Halloween Fling sequel to I Spy Something Bloody), I've done the first draft on The Dickens With Love, the Christmas novellas for Samhain, I'm halfway through Old Poison, the sequel to Dangerous Ground, the edits for the print version of Somebody Killed His Editor...

And the fun isn't over. I still have my edits to do on The Dickens With Love, edits on something else, and The Dark Farewell a historical novella about spiritualists and serial killers in the 1930s midwest.

So suffice it to say it's a busy, busy month.

But a strange thing is happening. Rather than stalling out, unable to think what to write next, I seem to have slipped into some hitherto unknown high gear -- or caught a second wind. I'm writing very well right now. I don't mean, gosh-I'm-such-a-brilliant-writer! I mean, I'm focused and the ideas are flowing and the words are coming. I think this is worth commenting on because this shouldn't be happening. I've written, well, a lot this year. At the end of this month alone I'll have done about 150K. 

And it's all wildly different stuff.

I'm not going to lie and say that it's been easy. I've been snapping and snarling at friends and family, my wrists are not good at the moment, but it's encouraging because the lesson here is -- and although I already knew this, even I have to sometimes be reminded -- the more you write, the easier it is to write.

You cannot anguish over every paragraph, sentence, word. Save the anguish for the rewrite (and, yes, you flipping MUST rewrite -- I don't care what comforting bullshit you tell yourself about the rewrite-just-being-different-not-better; editing, polishing, rewriting make a better book). Get it down on paper. Stop coming up with these excuses. Write. Keep writing. 

So that's basically it. I won't bore you with my battles (in between writing) with the ants that have decided to move in with me -- yes, and share office space. Or my thoughts on Queen of Atlantis, a 1936 horror flick that I thought might make a change in background noise from the classical music.

All that can wait till the end of the month. Suffice it to say I am well and I am on track for all these projects, and if you don't hear from me for the next two weeks -- well, barring the BOOKTALES FOR TWO (ha, see that Wave!) conversation Nikki Kimberling and I are having at Jessewave's on Monday. I'll hopefully remember to post that link.

A couple of things to report. Just received the very first review on Out of the Blue from Wave at Reviews by Jessewave. I'm always a little nervous about that first review, but Wave has given this World War I adventure-romance the V for Victory, so there's a slight lessening of tension. The thing about this story...it's an odd combination of things because WWI -- WWI poets in particular - is a passion of mine. Years ago I started a novel (and who knows, one day I might actually finish it) which was a kind of gothic WWI romance thingie. It's a period I have difficulty writing objectively about. So romantic, so tragic...

SO MUCH RESEARCH INVOLVED.

Anyway, the story comes out from Liquid Silver on Monday/Tuesday. It's my first with Liquid Silver, and (obviously) I'd like it to do well. It will also be released in print as part of the Esprit de Corps anthology from MLR Press.

I've had two books go live at Amazon's Kindle this week: Snowball in Hell and Don't Look Back.

And I did an interview at Love Romances & More. I forgot to offer  free book over there, so perhaps I should do it here?  Should I offer a free book or two? Have I done that in a while?

Let's do it this way, if you comment at Jessewave's review or the interview at LR&M, I will drop your name in a metaphysical hat and let the SO pick two winners -- one from each site -- for a copy of Out of the Blue. How's that sound?

Other than that, I hope you're having an easy Friday and looking forward to a great weekend. I'll be working to finish I Spy Something Wicked (the sequel to I Spy Something Bloody), doing the edits for Strange Fortune, and roughing the outline on The Dickens With Love. All I can say is, thank God I love my job. A LOT. 

***Just a quick note to say the SO has picked from the comments on the two sites. I leave this totally to him and have no idea if he's casting the runes or what. The winners are Davina and Jaylin. So if Davina and Jaylin will contact me off list? I'll send a copy of OTB on Monday when I receive it. Thanks to all of you for commenting, by the way. You're always so responsive I decided to kick in an extra copy which (according to the SO) goes to Neyonrose. Anyway, contact me off-line.***

I've been putting this post off for a bit, but I keep getting asked, so here's the rundown on remaining projects for this year.

 

( Let's see if it works this time! )

 
 

 

 

Posting over at Loose Id today on the Importance of Being Earnest. Well, no. Not exactly. It's actually a post on topic of honesty between writing friends. How honest should you be about a friend's work? And, alternatively, how much importance should you place on your friends' opinions?

One thing I didn't touch on was whether you should be honest in a public forum. My personal feeling is, again, it's not a simple yes or no question. If you're known first and foremost as a reviewer, and your friend has submitted a work for review -- knowing that this is the thing you do -- you are probably obliged to be honest. Tactful, if possible, but honest. If you do not typically review but decide in this case that you'll make an exception, then personally I think it needs to be an exception on the side of cheerleading. Because to go out of your way to bash a friend's work -- when this is not your MO -- looks uncomfortably like something other than objective analysis. And this is not how friends treat friends.

But that's just my take. What's yours?

Also, I'm flattered to be Elisa Rolle's Featured Author this week. Elisa was probably the very first m/m review site I discovered when I first came upon m/m fiction. She's an enthusiastic and tireless supporter of the genre. Thank you, Elisa.

 
 

Well, no.

But...word. Two words.

First word. Sounds like Rainbow Reviews Extravaganza. Actually, it IS Rainbow Reviews Extravaganza. And you definitely want to get yourself over there because they are giving away a bookload of boats. Er...boatload of books. Including a couple of mine. For free. You just have to read some blogs and post your answers in the comment section.

Very easy. You weren't really planning on working today, were you?

Second bit of news -- belated news because I am apparently running as fast as I can just to stay in one place (thank God, the scenery is so nice) -- the ebook for The Art of Dying has been released. Yes, it did take awhile. But look at that spiffy new cover!

What? You can't see it?

Well click right here. And while you're at it, buy the book. The Art of Dying was previously released in print as Partners in Crime 4 -- the pairing between myself and the wonderful Jordan Castillo Price.

Triumph is bittersweet, but more on that later.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our hero is typing, typing, typing....

For an interview/conversation thingie between myself and the tres charming and clever (and awfully good editor) Nikki Kimberling, click here.