Man Love Monday. It's back. Again.

Today I'm very pleased to welcome award winning author Josh Lanyon as my guest. Josh is the author of two of my recent favorites: the novella Snowball in Hell and the Adrien English mysteries (I'm counting the series as one...even though it's the three. Too hopped up on recoop magic pills to care about counting.) Anyway, this dude can write. But please, don't visit his Live Journal cuz I made a freaking cake of myself over there.

Josh was nice enough to let me ineptly, I mean expertly, interview him for Man Love Monday . This is a true thrill for me, it being my first time and all. I'm a little intimidated and a lot impressed. And I know the feeling is mutual. Heh.

So on with bracing and informative questions. And eye candy. Cuz nothing says MLM like attractive dudes lounging about the blog.

First Question: Is it sucking up to thank a blogger? Ok KIDDING.

I've now read 5 of your books and I'm noticing a theme. Cops and writers. Hm. What's up with that? Write what you know?

My family is a weird mix of cops, military, artists, and teachers. Often combined in the same guy. So I know a lot of cops, and I know a lot of people find cops -- and the military -- sexy and interesting. I do, anyway, so it's a combination of writing what I know, what I enjoy, and what I think will work for readers.


One of the things I like to do is explore dynamics between characters, and the dynamic of strength and weakness -- or more accurately, different strengths and weaknesses -- is one of my favorites. And I know from personal experience that natural -- realistic -- conflicts arise between cops and civilians. Cops have a very different way of looking at the world and other people, and that can be hard for the rest of us. Hard on relationships. But good for writing about relationships because I personally think you can't write a decent romance without sustained and believable character-based conflict.


Jake. I can't not ask about him. You have created this monstrous relationship that is the ultimate hook. How naughty of you. I love this horribly closeted tough guy. He's the perfect bad choice. Do you get flack from readers about the comfortably out Adrien choosing to have a destructive, unhealthy relationship?

I'm going to sound horribly sexist here. I didn't really take a lot of flack over Jake until I picked up a sizable feminine audience. Even now, Jake's supporters outnumber his detractors about three to one. He's still very popular with readers, but I do regularly hear that Adrien needs to dump him and find someone who appreciates him properly.


I think...I'm trying to find the right way to frame this. I think most gay male readers understand Jake. They've known guys like Jake, and even if they haven't gone through it themselves, they understand what's happening with him, what the process is. They may not like him -- especially after book three -- but they "get" him. I think it's harder for some -- some -- straight (and not straight) women readers to be patient with Jake's learning curve. Jake is an asshole to Adrien, and it's hard for them to forgive him that. They see Jake as an emotional coward and/or abusive. They don't have a lot of pity for him, and even if they do, they think (rightly enough) that he's not healthy or good for Adrien. And certainly at this point in the series, he's not.

That brings to mind my initial reaction to your books, as they read so differently from what I would typically pick up: Do you write for an intended audience? I don't even know if this is a "real" question, but, truly, I have considered this from the moment I first looked at the cover of Snowball in Hell and now the cover of The Hell You Say . Talk about being sexist.


That's an interesting question -- and maybe I should interview YOU as to why you feel my books read so differently. You just might be able to answer my own questions about where I fit into this market.


I started out writing gay mystery with a little bit of romance. The books were intended for a gay male audience, yes, but primarily for a mystery-reading audience. I like writing mysteries or at the least romantic-suspense (Dark Horse being an example of the latter) but the primary thing that interests me in any story are the characters, and one of the defining things about characters -- about people -- are our relationships with others. In particular, our romantic relationships. I'm a careful and competent mystery writer -- not a brilliant one -- and my mystery plots basically serve as framework to explore and develop my characters and their relationships, so the discovery of the M/M market, where the romantic relationship could come to the fore and be every bit as important as the mystery plot, was very freeing to me.

But to be perfectly frank, I think my stories are a bit plot intensive for some readers. I don't think I fit comfortably into the M/M niche; I think readers are slow to give me a shot. I seem to be more of a writer's writer, if you know what I mean. Which I guess is my long-winded way of saying I'm writing for readers who are looking for a little more than one sex scene after another.

Sometimes one sex scene after another is just what the doctor ordered. But your books offer so much more. Once the word is out, I imagine you'll pick up quite a following (glances down at Adrien English footie pjs).

I love the dynamic between Jake and Andrien. So much unspoken and such powerful sexual tension. The Hell You Say ended with anger, jealousy and violence. How hard was it to write that scene? Are you experiencing reader back lash? Will Jake come back?

It was a very painful scene to write, you're right about that. Actually there were about three scenes in that book that choked me up writing them. And I think one reason why I've delayed really working much on book four is I know that's going to be a painful book too. Will Jake come back? Well, for good or bad Jake has to come back because things are left very much unresolved between himself and Adrien in book three. Adrien is angry and hurt, but he's not really over Jake. Even he knows he's not over Jake. So in Death of a Pirate King Adrien has to come to terms with what he feels for Jake. And Jake has some coming to terms to do as well.
Reader backlash? I think I shocked and disappointed a few people with the ending of The Hell You Say. I feel like I laid the groundwork very plainly for what was going to happen, but it still caught a lot of readers off guard. But I have to say, other than asking me not to keep jerking them around, readers have been great. Even the ones who hope I put a bullet through Jake once and for all, are very pleasant about it.


What book are you currently reading? Any favorite romantic m/m authors we should be hustling out to find?

I'm going nuts with deadlines right now, so unfortunately I'm not reading anything but research stuff. I have to confess that although I buy a lot of M/M fiction, I'm usually disappointed. Which is one reason I'm writing the legendary writing book. I'd love to convince more M/M writers to create more nuanced characters, stronger plots, and work up a little believable and genuine conflict. Of course I'm always happy to recommend Sarah Black and Laura Baumbach my frequent writing pals. Mel Keegan for science fiction. For mystery I recommend Richard Stevenson's Donald Strachey series -- and Joseph Hansen, of course; my writing idol.

From your mouth to God's ears. Jeeze I hate sucky books. Although you pinned it up much more neatly than I would have.

Me too. I'm a reader first and foremost, so I take it hard when I'm disappointed in a book.

I understand we will be seeing Matt and Nathan from Snowball in Hell again. Can you give us a little hint about what to expect and when to expect it?

Unfortunately I won't be able to start that project until around December, I think, which is too bad because I'd really like to get back to those characters. They appeal to me the way Jake and Adrien do, although they're very different. Next up I believe Nathan and Matt are going to crash into the different and opposing demands of their jobs and their war experiences. It occurred to me that Nathan might poke his nose into some of what was happening with the internment of Japanese-Americans, and that Mathew might have very different sympathies having fought in the Pacific. They're both tough and principled men in their different ways, but they definitely have different world views. And like I said, I do like nice juicy conflict for my stories.


Who would make a better dinner guest: Jack Sparrow or Jack Black?

It depends on whether I think I'll need any dishes left intact by the end of the evening. I do have that thing for pirates, as you've possibly noticed.

Don't we all?

Thanks Josh for stopping by my wee blog.

Thank you, Lisa. I'm flattered to be asked.

So. He's a swell guy, huh? I can't wait until the next Adrien English novel. You know how that goes. Waiting and waiting until AUGUST. Crikey that's a so far away. WAAAAA!

Until that time, Josh has a few things in the works.

Don't forget to stop by Sula's!!! I understand she finished reading JL Langely's With Caution (smmooooookin hawtness) and later today I'll be posting a ridiculous video that a friend of the blog sent. Holy Nekkid French Guys, c'est bon.