Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

Hj wrote: "Alan wrote: "I really loved In Plain Sight. This story also did something to me that no other story has done so far. It gave me a real deep unsettling fear for one of the characters. The buildup in..."

Exactly. I don't know how my poor heart could have taken it otherwise. :-)

Josh wrote: "Hj wrote: "I've just read it, and I really enjoyed it! I kept urging Nash to go and check the lake.

I'm glad you released it as an ebook, Josh, because I didn't buy the print collection of short s..."

I wish I had known - of course I would have been patient enough to wait until now - but 6 months?

Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "Hj wrote: "I've just read it, and I really enjoyed it! I kept urging Nash to go and check the lake.

I'm glad you released it as an ebook, Josh, because I didn't buy the print collecti..."

I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!

I will say that I don't regret buying the print collection because you're hands-down one of my favorite authors, but if I'd known in advance that I'd only have to wait 2-3 months to get the story in e-book form, I would have done so. Just as you have folks who don't do e-books, I almost never do print anymore (except for the books I read for work, and used books that are cheaper than the ebooks). I made an exception for you, my friend. :-) Just know that both sets of readers truly appreciate your work, and want the kind of access they are used to having at roughly the same time as everyone else. The only reason I broke down was my unwillingness to wait until next year to get the story in digital form. Anyway, it ultimately works itself out. I'll read the Petit Morts (which I haven't yet done), and for the price, call it a bargain.

Salsera1974 wrote: "I will say that I don't regret buying the print collection because you're hands-down one of my favorite authors, but if I'd known in advance that I'd only have to wait 2-3 months to get the story i..."

I need to give up on the idea of offering timetables on anything, because I do change my mind on a regular basis. :-D Again, sorry about that.

Josh wrote: "I need to give up on the idea of offering timetables on anything, because I do change my mind on a regular basis. :-D Again, sorry about that. ..."

I was impressed that you said that you were thinking about it and checked how people felt about it before you actually published the ebook.

Sammie wrote: "it is available as an ebook now too? where - josh's site only has the trade paperback for the entire collection ..."

The IPS book cover isn't on Josh's website yet, but the ebook is available at Amazon, Smashwords and All Romance eBooks.

Sammie wrote: "it is available as an ebook now too? where - josh's site only has the trade paperback for the entire collection ..."

http://www.amazon.com/In-Plain-Sight-...

Susan wrote: "Sammie wrote: "it is available as an ebook now too? where - josh's site only has the trade paperback for the entire collection ..."

The IPS book cover isn't on Josh's website yet, but the ebook i..."

Thanks, Susan. I'm behind the curve on promoting this one.

What gave me the idea for this story was a couple of things. Some of you remember the year before last when I lost a very close friend and a favorite uncle within a couple of months of each other. And in both cases I dropped everything to go see those people before they died -- and then for their funerals -- even though I had had YEARS to go see them while they were in good health and we could have all enjoyed the visits so much more.

The stupidity of that really struck me. I don't say I've changed my ways enough, but I have somewhat changed them.

The other thing that got me writing this particular story was an episode of a show called "Missing" which I watched relentlessly while I had the flu (and never since).

A woman disappeared on her way home from work, and when her husband reported her missing, the assholes at the sheriff's department refused to take a report. They just assumed she had run off and that he couldn't accept it. This saga goes on for almost a week, with the husband searching the roads and highways and trying to get someone, ANYONE, to help look for his wife, who he knows is in terrible trouble.

Finally he takes it to the papers and the local law is shamed into looking for this woman. They still don't believe him though, in fact they bring HIM in for questioning, and right at that point her wrecked car is discovered.

And unbelievably, somehow this poor woman is still (barely) alive.

And she lives and recovers (mostly) and they go on happily ever after.

And I thought that was such a great story. So those were to the two true things that sparked the fiction. :-)

Josh wrote: "What gave me the idea for this story was a couple of things. Some of you remember the year before last when I lost a very close friend and a favorite uncle within a couple of months of each other. ..."

Thank you for sharing this with us, Josh. And I have to say I LOVED reading your forewords for the short stories in In Sunshine or in Shadow. I find it extremely interesting to hear about how and why a story began to shape. The more I like the author's work (or that particular story) the more precious information like that feels to me. And maybe it's partly due to the fact that I have this burning desire to understand all kinds of art? I've always suffered a bit if an artist hasn't given a title for his/her work (for a painting for example). ;-)

Johanna wrote: "Josh wrote: "What gave me the idea for this story was a couple of things. Some of you remember the year before last when I lost a very close friend and a favorite uncle within a couple of months of..."

Beautifully said, Johanna. I share your sentiments. I loved the story intros also, for this new story, and perhaps even more so for the ones I was re-reading. Insights adding depth.

That said, I should make time to go next door and visit my mom this afternoon... : )

Karen said: "Insights adding depth."

Exactly. :-)

Johanna wrote: "Josh wrote: "What gave me the idea for this story was a couple of things. Some of you remember the year before last when I lost a very close friend and a favorite uncle within a couple of months of..."

Same here, i love the introductions to the stories. It's one of the reasons i'm so happy about the print collection, i really love knowing a bit more about how a story came about.

Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few...

Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know there can't be THAT many because I know exactly how many of the books sold. ;-)

I'll just have to take comfort in being remarkable/strange/singular/uncommon/bizarr/striking/rare/peculiar etc. - thesaurus.com is a wondrous thing

Liade wrote: "I'll just have to take comfort in being remarkable/strange/singular/uncommon/bizarr/striking/rare/peculiar etc. - thesaurus.com is a wondrous thing"

Special? Special is a nice word.

Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "I'll just have to take comfort in being remarkable/strange/singular/uncommon/bizarr/striking/rare/peculiar etc. - thesaurus.com is a wondrous thing"

Special? Special is a nice word."

Sounds a little like the supermarket-round-the-corner :)

Josh wrote: "What gave me the idea for this story was a couple of things. Some of you remember the year before last when I lost a very close friend and a favorite uncle within a couple of months of each other. ..."

I apologise if I am trespassing onto something personal, but what you say here resonates strongly and made me think. In life, when we are healthy and busy we don't have the time or take the time to visit or call, and later, when it is too late, we regret it. In your case, I believe there are two things that makes it good, one is that your friend and your uncle, when they were healthy and busy, also didn't have or take the time to visit with you, but that doesn't mean people aren't there in our lives even if they are far away and rarely seen. What is important, for them and for you, is that you took time to do it before they passed away, when this probably was more important to them than in would have been in the part of their lives when they too were busy.

I see it with my father these days. As some of you know, my mother passed away six months ago, very unexpectedly and my father suffers from partial dementia, so he has a hard time coping. While she lived, typically of Norwegian men of his generation,he let her have all the interaction with the family, I called them and he let her talk, just sent his greetings. While visiting, he would always want to go home after a short while. Now, he cannot get enough, there is a hole inside him that nobody can fill. He always asks me if I miss my kids since they live far away. I say, they live their life, I live mine, it isn't a hole that needs to be filled.

I hope I am making myself understood. As Jordan says in another thread, regret is one of the hardest lessons life gives us, and we need it too, but maybe sometimes we are too harsh on ourselves?

Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know there can't be THAT many because I know exactly how many of the books..."

Well, I bought the print version because I couldn't wait for the e-book as well :) But I don't regret it (there is that word again) since the print book is nice to look at, and I have the other stories in it close by. So yesterday I read In the dark woods, and started on Just Desserts. They are very similar in a way (even if they are very different), with protags that are not very likeable, one an alcoholic, the other a very irascible man in a wheelchair, and two very patient love interests, and an ending that spells of hope and better times and second chances. I love them both and am impressed at how these little storyies manage to convey depth and understanding of human weaknesses and possibility for growth and redemtion that lies in all of us.

Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "What gave me the idea for this story was a couple of things. Some of you remember the year before last when I lost a very close friend and a favorite uncle within a couple of months of..."

This is an astounding post, Anne. It's true in so many ways. You are correct in that we often have help creating those things we usually regret. And perhaps much of what we regret these days is simply part of the pressure and stress of the world we live in. To survive we have to be the hamster on the wheel running at top speed all the time.

And sometimes it takes this kind of loss to help us recognize those priorities. I make time for my parents and nieces and nephews in a way I did not before. And my siblings, but my siblings are like me. Running all the time to try and get just a little ahead of the tidal wave on our heels.

Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know there can't be THAT many because I know exactly how many..."

Thank you. Those are two of my personal favorites, as far as my own stories.

Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "What gave me the idea for this story was a couple of things. Some of you remember the year before last when I lost a very close friend and a favorite uncle within a couple of months of..."

That is so wisely said, Anne. And just thinking about your father and the hole inside him that nobody can fill makes me cry.

I've learned a lot about regret and blame this year. Not by anyone's death, but through my own burn out and falling ill. It isn't easy to realize that I've put work ahead of so many much, much more important things in life for years. I find it difficult to forgive myself doing so. So, when you (and Jordan) wrote that regret is one of the hardest lessons life gives us, and we need it too, but maybe sometimes we are too harsh on ourselves it really resonates with me. By regretting something we've done or left undone we can learn to see something important, something precious (like Josh wrote about recognizing priorities). But to dwell in regret doesn't help anyone. And yes, I know a lot of people who are too harsh on themselves about that. Looking forward instead of backwards seems to be the only way to cope with it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Anne.

Thank you, Johanna and Josh for understanding what I tried to say :)

Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know there can't be THAT many because I know exa..."

It looks like there is a new story about Tim and Luke in the pipeline, according to Facebook at least? And a gorgeous cover too

Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know there can't be THAT many becau..."

Yes. A short story. Tim is probably one of the characters I get asked about most often -- was he ultimately okay? Did they make it as a couple?

Originally I was going to write a Christmas coda about them, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought there was the makings of a short story there.

Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know there can't be TH..."

Looking forward to it :)

Josh wrote: "the more I thought about it, the more I thought there was the makings of a short story there. "

Good thinking! I loved In a Dark Wood.

Antonella wrote: "Josh wrote: "the more I thought about it, the more I thought there was the makings of a short story there. "

Good thinking! I loved In a Dark Wood."

I love that story too. It was the first short story I wrote.

Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know ther..."

Me too — really looking forward to it! Tim's character fascinates me to no end.

Josh wrote: "Antonella wrote: "Josh wrote: "the more I thought about it, the more I thought there was the makings of a short story there. "

Good thinking! I loved In a Dark Wood."

I love that story too. It wa..."

Your first short story? Wow. I didn't know that.

Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know there can't be TH..."

So glad you decided to make it into a short story! Looking forward to it! I always wondered how Tim has fared...

Edina wrote: "Woa! Today I went on Amazon and I found "In plain sight" available as a standalone in Kindle format! I just finished reading it and it's such an intense and beautiful story! It's emotionally fulfil..."

Thank you very much, Edina.

KC wrote: "Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Anne wrote: "Josh wrote: "Liade wrote: "Josh wrote: "I knew there would be a few people caught in that situation. Sorry, Liade!"

A few..."

Well, I know ther..."

:-)

Anne wrote: "It looks like there is a new story about Tim and Luke in the pipeline, according to Facebook at least? And a gorgeous cover too."

Super gorgeous cover! http://www.joshlanyon.com/the_works.html

After finish reading this book I think "There better be a coda later this year"

Pete wrote: "After finish reading this book I think "There better be a coda later this year""

Ahhhhhh. Well you know, you might be right about that. ;-)

Just finished the audio of this and loved it. I agree with all of the previous comments. I also agree with the one I supposedly said somewhere else, but I honestly don't remember saying it. This could be from my Swiss cheese brain. Or may it was JCP, who occasionally pops her head in here from time to time.

Anyway, this story grabbed hold of me and refused to let go. All the emotions were there. OMG, the relief... No, the Hope, when Nash heard the faint cry, I was hoping so bad that it wasn't just some bird laughing at him for being in love, finally. And then the relief that Glen was alive as Nash is describing the blue hoodie, it was like living in smog and then being thrust into cold, clear-aired mountains.

This is on my favorites list and will definitely be read many times. Speaking of rereading, what everyone else said about catching new things is so true! I liked Jake fine the first time through AE, but the second time I picked up on the subtle clues he was leaving around that showed just how much he'd fallen for Adrien even before he could admit it to himself. And then I liked him even more. Way more. And I enjoy going back just for those glimpses into the real Jake that even Adrien misses.

Jordan wrote: "Just finished the audio of this and loved it. I agree with all of the previous comments. I also agree with the one I supposedly said somewhere else, but I honestly don't remember saying it. This co..."

Well Adrien is blind as a bat sometimes, but he also is good at changing the subject when things get too close to his real emotions, and then he goes into chasing whatever killer he's chasing down. One reason the books do well on a reread, because these clues are so subtle you (or maybe you do but I don't) don't pick up on them the first time through.

A new Christmas coda for this story:

http://joshlanyon.blogspot.co.uk/2013...

*peeks*
I have to join you guys here in praising In Plain Sight, one of the finest short stories I've read, ever, in any genre.
I read earlier on this thread that Josh feared it being "low key" would hinder its enjoyment with readers. I actually felt that it was a perfect story, with a balanced combination of pathos, humour, passion, mystery, drama and emotion.
I immediately felt an emotional closeness with Glen, I don't know exactly why, but I think he was perfectly portrayed, one of those Josh characters that once they come alive on the page, a reader is unable to forget them. But very soon, I empathized with Nash as well.

As I said in my comment on Josh's blog entry with the Christmas coda, Glen & Nash have become among my favourite m/m couples. In Plain Sight is probably the story from the In Sunshine and in Shadow print anthology that I re-read more often. I only have it in print format for now, but plan to buy the ebook soon. The print edition is gorgeous, beginning with the cover :), continuing with the author's notes at the beginning of each story...

In Plain Sight evokes something so special in the quiet charm in how the love story develops, two very different guys with very different backgrounds who are drawn together with very little time to develop a real relationship, but that little time is enough for them to recognize they've got something special and precious, that their connection is there to stay.
The pristine beauty of nature around them mirrors the beauty and solidity of their feelings.

The holiday coda reminds me of why I love this couple so much. They're still at the first stages of their relationship, they have a lot to know about each other yet (like Glen says, they're doing it "backwards"... what a great way to define their relationiship!), but something tells me no obstacle will be too big for them to overcome. They know how lucky they've been to have found each other.

I appreciate how so often in life we arrive at this conclusion only after a traumatic experience like a loved one's disappearance to make us realize what we have lost or might lose. All Nash has to do whenever he wonders whether he's made the right choice in leaving his job in Virginia and moving in with Glen is to look back and remember what it had felt like when he thought he'd lost Glen forever, to get the right perspective. That is such a universal feeling, and one reason why this story and this universe really resonates with me.