Review by Jodi: Everything I Know by Josh Lanyon

Title: Everything I Know

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: Just Joshin’

Rating: 4.5

Blurb:

Connor loves teaching. He loves working with kids, he loves feeling like he's making a difference. And the kids -- and parents -- seem to love him. Until the afternoon he makes a small error in judgment, and an angry father's thoughtless comments start the kind of rumor that destroys careers. And lives.

Now everything Connor thought he knew about himself and his world is in doubt. But sometimes help comes from the most unexpected direction.

Review:

Josh Lanyon grabs the reader’s attention quickly and thoroughly with the novella Everything I Know. Inspired by Robert Fulhum’s book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, this story is charming and realistic. The list at the beginning of the book sets the tone for this tale. The intriguing, realistic characters draw the reader into the plot through the wonderful, and sometimes humorous, dialogue.

With the following ominous words, the reader is drawn into the life of Conner Meyers:

It’s true what they say. Shit happens. It happens fast. In the blink of an eye.

Or, in Con’s case, out of the corner of his eye.

He caught a flash of small black patent leather shows kicking in the air, a wild flutter of pale pink—heard a frightened squeal.

At the same instant, Miss Pip exclaimed, “Oh shit.”

Conner Myers loves teaching kindergarten. He loves the students; he is friends with his fellow teachers. He even likes some of the parents, especially the hot Wes Callahan, Lizzy’s father. But when Lizzy is injured on the playground, Conner’s world turns upside down. Without a clear school policy in place and with a very upset little girl on his hands, literally, Conner takes Lizzy to the emergency room at the nearest hospital.

Wes Callahan, Lizzy’s over protective father, is not pleased when he finds out that not only has Lizzy been hurt at the school, but also one of her teachers has driven her to the hospital in his personal car – without permission. To say Callahan is completely freaked out would be an understatement.

“If you wanted to help, you’d have done your job and made sure she wasn’t hurt in the first place.” He jabbed his finger at Con’s chest for emphasis. “I’m holding you personally responsible for this, Myers.”

At that is just the tip of the iceberg. In a flash of fury, Callahan spews out some very nasty accusations. It is clear later in the story that he does not realize what he has said though to Conner, everyone within hearing at the hospital and Conner’s bosses.

Con couldn’t have responded to save his life. He had anticipated Callahan being upset, worried, alarmed, He hadn’t expected fury. Let alone fury directed at himself. It felt like he was watching this play out in the distance. Not far of a distance unfortunately.

It is not until a chance meeting at the grocery store that Wes Callahan learns the consequences of his tirade.

Callahan looked blanker than a Monday morning chalkboard. But then, then recognition dawned. Remembrance. He actually seemed to lose color. For just a second he looked stricken. “No,” he said. “I didn’t – I never –“His normal healthy color returned flooding his face, and blurted, “I never, I swear to God, never suggested –“

“Bullshit. You said it my face!”

Callahan gaped. Probably not an expression many people saw on Wes Callahan’s face. “I what? That’s not what I said. It sure as hell isn’t’ what I meant. That thought has never entered my mind. Is that what they said to you?”

In this novella, Josh Lanyon has created a realistic and tension-filled tale. The turmoil in this story, unfortunately, is representative of the real world of education. The prejudices against male teachers, especially male elementary school teachers, are very real, and this story brings this issue front and center. The relationship that develops between Wes and Conner seems unlikely and yet it is sort of perfect.

It was awkward.

No two ways about it. Agreeing to a date with Wes Callahan has been a huge mistake. Well, maybe not a huge mistake, because Con would get a good dinner out of it— and he couldn’t afford to turn down any free meals these days –but it was a mistake.

And he was pretty sure Callahan –Wes— felt the same way. Not that Con could tell, because Callahan –Wes—hasn’t said more than ten words to him after picking Con up promptly at seven.

Although it doesn’t seem like a relationship between Wes and Conner can work, the chemistry is definitely present. But Wes likes to jump to conclusions, and he ungraciously plows down everything in his wake, and that, of course, includes Conner and Conner’s feelings.

This is a great story, and Lanyon’s talents once again shine through character development and dialogue. Callahan’s simple admission that he is an ass adds a touch of humor that helps bring realism to romantic aspect of the story. In typical Josh Lanyon style, the characters and plot are presented in an engaging fashion and the reader is left wanting for more.

Thank you to Josh Lanyon for providing a review copy of this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Review by Jodi: Stranger on the Shore by Josh Lanyon

Title: Stranger on the Shore

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: Carina Press

Rating: 4.5

Blurb: 

Twenty years ago, little Brian Arlington was kidnapped from his family's Long Island estate and was never seen again. The trail went cold, but investigative journalist Griff Hadley has always thought there was more to the story--much more. When the Arlington’s' patriarch invites him to stay at their estate to research his true crime book, Griff can't say no. It's the story of a lifetime.

But not everyone is happy about Griff's presence. Relatives and staff alike regard him coldly, including Pierce Mather, the Arlington’s' attractive lawyer, who is more than a little wary of Griff's motives.

When a stranger shows up claiming to be the long-lost Brian, Griff and Pierce are united in their suspicions. Startled to have found an ally in the buttoned-up lawyer, Griff soon realizes it's hard to keep a professional distance. Even in the midst of a groundbreaking investigation, even in the face of a shocking family secret.

Review:

“I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him.”

― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Griffin Hadley’s favorite novel is The Great Gatsby. Like the narrator in that novel, Nick Carraway, Hadley is a native of the Midwest, who is intrigued with New York and its wealthy residents. Hadley, a crime reporter and aspiring book writer, is a realist and a bit of a romantic.

Hadley is not just writing a book about the decades old mystery of what happened to four-year-old Brian Arlington, he is seeking truth. For some reason, Hadley is drawn to Brian’s story, the Arlington family and the mystery that surrounds the family and crime.

Josh Lanyon is a master of description and unravels a mysterious plot with descriptive panache. With the use of foreshadowing and imagery, Lanyon sets the stage for this story in an eerie fashion.

Griff like to think that, as a jaded crime reporter, he wasn’t easily spooked, but there was no question that the grounds of the Winden House were atmospheric at night. Maybe it was all those empty-eyed statues, human and animal, peering out from behind shrubberies, or the deep, deep shadows cast by gnarled trees and spidery, ornamental grasses; but there was no arguing the creepy factor was high. As the lights of the villa grew smaller behind him, he was conscious of how far the guest cottage was from the main house. And how isolated the estate was from its neighbors down the coast.

The sounds of the waves carried at night. Other sounds should have carried too – crickets? frogs? owls? – but all was quiet. There was only the dull steady thud of his shoes on the damp bricks. The scent of wet grass and smoldering leaves rose from the cooling earth as he entered the tunnel of rhododendron trees.

Lanyon has the uncanny ability to draw readers into a story by embedding the reader in the fictional worlds Lanyon creates, and Lanyon has done that again with Stranger on the Shore. Through the use of in-depth description and realistic dialogue, Lanyon develops these intriguing characters and plot. The hook for Stranger on the Shore happens in the first few paragraphs of the story as Hadley is introduced.

Griff sucked in a long breath and reached for the car door handle. He continued to sit staring at the white Italianate faced of the villa, graceful columns, punctiliously flat roofs, balconies with black wrought-iron railings, and all the while his heart was beating too fast in that mix of anticipation and anxiety. More anxiety than anticipation wish was just … weird.

The best way to deal with it was to get his ass out of the car and in front of those elegant, imposing double doors.

What was the worst that could happen?

Hadley is not just investigating another crime, he is seeking truth and perhaps some justice for a man Hadley thinks has been falsely incarcerated for the crime. Hadley seems unable to ignore the pull to the Arlington family no matter how hard he tries to play it off as just another crime story.  At the heart of the kidnapping mystery lies the uncertainty of what happened to Brian Arlington. While Brian’s kidnapper was arrested, the boy’s body was never found. Wealthy patriarch Jarrett Arlington is hopeful that Brian is still alive, and he hopes Hadley will help find him.

The Arlington estate on Long Island, New York is massive and has hidden passageways that are not included in the original police reports. There seem to be a lot of secrets hidden and buried on their land. The question is could one of the buried bodies be Brian’s.

A strange, shivery feeling slithered down Griff’s spine. Someone walking on your grave, his mother used to say. He glanced instinctively over his shoulder. It was twilight now, the first faint stars appearing in the sky, trees and shrubs and statuary throwing long, sinister shadows across the grass.

For the first time it occurred to him that if Brian’s kidnapping had been an inside job, that insider might still be alive. Alive and well and living on the estate.

The Arlington’s watch dog, so to speak, is Pierce Mather, the family attorney. Mather has his own hidden secrets about Brian’s disappearance, and the standoffish attorney takes his job protecting Jarrett very seriously. Before he even meets Hadley, Mather lets the writer know that this book should not be written. Griff is wary of Mather and his potential involvement in the book.

He had spoken to Pierce Mather once on the phone – for as long as it had taken Mather to shut him up and shoot him down. The words sue your ass had featured prominently. Griff had a gut feeling he and Mather might not see eye to eye on what constituted information with “no bearing.”

One of Lanyon’s talents is creating chemistry between characters, and the chemistry between Hadley and Mather is intriguing, dynamic and chaotic. The tension between the two men is palpable from the first time they lock eye, across a crowded room. They appear to be as opposite as Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. Despite Hadley’s wariness, he is very attracted to Mather.

Mather looked to be in his mid-thirties, slick and corporate in an expensive and impeccably tailored suit. Too good looking. The kind of guy with a morbidly obese stock portfolio, a lifetime gym membership and a country-club wife.

      Of course, looks can be deceiving and there is more to Mather than meets the eye.

      How could someone that groomed -- Griff wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that Piece got pedicures ort even body waxes – seem so … masculine? Not just masculine. Powerful. It wasn’t the expensive clothes or air of entitlement. It wasn’t even necessarily communicated by the way Pierce held himself or his body language, because at the moment he was hunched over the table trying not to drip au jus on his immaculate crotch. Despite the heavy aftershave and the buffed nails and the handmade shoes, Pierce seemed more intensely male than any guy Griff knew.

It was distracting.

Which was annoying.

Lanyon keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the clues to the mystery are slowly revealed. Just as Hadley seems to be putting the puzzle together, the pieces are shuffled and inverted. The danger builds with the mystery as does the intensity of the relationship between Mather and Hadley.

As usual, Josh Lanyon has created an intriguing plot and a quirky cast of characters. The supporting characters do their best to enhance the story and detract from the mystery at the same time. With these unusual characters, Lanyon has established a dysfunctional family dynamic that keeps the reader and characters off kilter. The dramatic soap-opera type elements are overshadowed by the realism of the scenario.

The climax of the story is not really surprising if the reader pays attention to the clues and foreshadowing elements that Lanyon employs. Stranger on the Shore is a great story. This crime story is anything but simple, and in usual Josh Lanyon fashion, the author keeps the reader wanting more.

Buy Links:

Carina Press

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Author Post: Jodi Interviews Josh Lanyon

We are very happy to welcome Josh Lanyon to the Smoocher’s Voice blog today to talk about the newly published novel Stranger on the Shore (Carina Press) and the self-published novella Everything I Know.

 

A distinct voice in gay fiction, multi-award-winning author Josh Lanyon has been writing gay mystery, adventure and romance for over a decade. In addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and novels, Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed Adrien English series, including The Hell You Say, winner of the 2006 USA Book News awards for GLBT Fiction. Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist.

 

Learn more about Josh at http://www.joshlanyon.com/.

 

 

Jodi:    Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Your books are the first I began reading in the m/m romance genre. For readers who have never read your stories, where would you recommend they begin?

 

Josh:   Thank you very much for inviting me to the blog!

 

I think the standalones are a good place to start. I know fans usually rec the Adrien English books, but I think a series is a big investment for an unconvinced reader. So I always rec Fair Game to people who love mysteries or maybe one of the holiday stories like The Dickens With Love for readers who don’t care for mystery.

 

Jodi:    For the record, I would recommend all of those books J. Many of your books are mysteries with a touch of romance thrown in. What inspires you to write in this genre?

 

Josh:   Well, my first love remains mystery. That’s where I cut my writing teeth, so to speak. Romance generally doesn’t have enough plot for me, which is why my non-mystery work is usually short format -- stories or novellas. Without murder there just isn’t enough to hold my interest! As far as what I like about mystery… I like everything from the clean structure to the inevitable ethical and moral questions that will arise for the protagonists. I like the emotional high stakes. Plus action and danger scenes are always fun to write.

 

Jodi:    Stranger on the Shore is wonderful story. What was the inspiration for this book? Is it based on an actual news event?

 

Josh:   It’s not based on any one single news event, but it was heavily influenced by my researching a number of real life news stories. Everything from the tragic Lindbergh kidnapping to the actual story that the documentary Imposter is based on. The actual inspiration probably goes back to my love of classic mystery. There are some wonderful classic mystery stories revolving around the Missing Heir trope, and I sort of wanted to offer my own spin.

 

 

 

Jodi:    Are these characters completely fictional or are they based on real people?

 

Josh:   The characters are completely fictional. That said, I do borrow heavily from real life, including history. Everyone I’ve ever met, observed, or even read about, ultimately goes head first into that creative well to be drawn upon as required. 

 

Jodi:    Griffin Hadley and Pierce Mather butt heads from even before they meet. Despite being so different, they actually have a lot in common. Was that something you planned, or did the characters unfold for you as you began writing?

 

Josh:   I usually know what the central conflict(s) will be for my main characters before I ever start writing. A lot of the conflict will be based on personality types. Not entirely, but a lot of why we clash with people simply has to do with who we are. And that’s also true of why we become friends -- or fall in love -- with the people we do.

 

I always make sure that my character pairings have both believable conflicts and common ground. That makes it easy for the reader to understand the emotional dynamics because it’s completely realistic. That IS how relationships work, both good and bad ones. 

 

Jodi:    Why did you choose The Great Gatsby as Griffin’s inspiration?

 

Josh:   There’s always a certain amount of synchronicity in the creative process. Usually whatever I’m reading or thinking about at the time works its way into whatever the current story is. But then a lot of what I’m reading and thinking about at any given moment has to do with the research I’m undertaking for the current project. So in this case, I had set a story on Long Island because I find the history of the Gold Coast fascinating, and the film, The Great Gatsby had just come out, which seemed serendipitous. I started reading up again on Hemingway and the Lost Generation and Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald’s conflicted feelings about the rich seemed to mirror Griff’s mixed feelings, so it really just took off from there.

 

It’s actually difficult trying to track it step-by-step because it all just sort of falls into place while you’re writing. 

 

Jodi:    Like many of your characters, Con Myers and Wes Callahan bump heads in rather dramatic fashion at the beginning of Everything I Know. It seems that Callahan has no idea what he has actually said or done that causes the chaos that ensues in Con’s life. What is Callahan’s motivation for seeking out Myers after their initial run in at the store?

 

Josh:   What I think is interesting about this story is that Wes does have certain biases. We see it from the start. He is emotionally off-balance, and he certainly doesn’t intend his words to be taken out of context, but there is a bias against male preschool and kindergarten teachers, and Wes’s unthinking words do reflect that cultural leaning. As do Bea and Andy’s interpretation of what he means.

 

And we continue to see Wes’s biases throughout the story. But in Wes’s favor, he recognizes his own mistakes and tries to fix them. 

 

Granted, it’s complicated because Wes is also very attracted to Connor. Initially he doesn’t think of Connor as being his type. In fact, it is probably being to blame for Connor’s predicament that really drives Wes to pursue a relationship with him.

 

Jodi    :      What was your inspiration for this novella?

 

Josh:   I taught for a number of years, so it was inevitable I would eventually begin to tap into some of those story possibilities.

 

Jodi:    These books are written in third person point of view. Does writing in third person point of view provide more opportunities to explore each character’s personality than it would if the books were written in first person?

 

Josh:   Probably not. I always write from a deep POV, whether it’s first or third person. And I usually don’t switch back and forth between the main characters. I’ll generally make the decision on first versus third POV based on how much info I want to share with the reader, how crucial the main character’s “voice” is, and whether narration duty will be shared by a second character.

 

I know a percentage of readers don’t enjoy first person, so I typically opt for first POV when I know it will make a better -- usually funnier -- story.

 

Jodi:    Do you prefer writing short stories, novellas or novels? Which format allows you the most creativity with the characters?

Josh:   They all have their pleasures and pains. It’s unlikely that I would ever write a novel-length contemporary romance because I find those boring to read. I need more plot. So when I’m in the mood to write romance, it’s always going to be a story about a few days or a few hours in someone’s life -- which requires short form.

 

Jodi:    You have penned quite a few series: A Shot in the Dark, I Spy, Adrien English, Homes & Moriarity and, one of my favorites, Dangerous Ground. Do you prefer writing standalone books or series books?

 

Josh:   More and more I prefer standalone. That said, I’m very fond of the existing series I have -- those books were created with series in mind, so the intention was to explore the characters and their lives a little at a time over a long period.

 

Jodi:    Do you have more series stories planned?

 

Josh:   No. I do intend to wind up the series story arcs I’ve started, but I don’t plan on beginning any new ones. At least not in the immediate future. There might be a few sequels though.

 

Jodi:    When can we expect the next Homes & Moriarity and Dangerous Ground books?

 

Josh:   The next H&M, The Boy With the Painful Tattoo will be out late summer/early fall. The next Dangerous Ground book, Blind Spot, isn’t planned until sometime in 2015. That one will probably be a full-length novel and more of a traditional mystery.

 

 

Jodi:    Homophobia makes its presence known in many of the books. Why have you chosen to make this issue a constant in the series?

 

Josh:   With the exception of the AE books, I don’t know that it’s really much of a focus in my work. My characters are gay, so it’s realistic that they are going to encounter some prejudice from other characters in certain situations. Just as writing about women would require female characters bumping into sexism and stereotypes. Or disabled characters confronting their share of fear and bias. Or older characters having to deal with ageism and disrespect in a world that doesn’t value getting older. Basically I try to write realistically about humans in a recognizable setting, and gay humans are going to face a certain amount of discrimination and even hatred.

 

Stranger on the Shore, published by Carina Press, is available at the following locations:

Carina Press

Amazon

Nook

Kobo

All Romance Ebooks

The Blurb

Twenty years ago, little Brian Arlington was kidnapped from his family's Long Island estate and was never seen again. The trail went cold, but investigative journalist Griff Hadley has always thought there was more to the story--much more. When the Arlingtons' patriarch invites him to stay at their estate to research his true crime book, Griff can't say no. It's the story of a lifetime.

But not everyone is happy about Griff's presence. Relatives and staff alike regard him coldly, including Pierce Mather, the Arlingtons' attractive lawyer, who is more than a little wary of Griff's motives.

When a stranger shows up claiming to be the long-lost Brian, Griff and Pierce are united in their suspicions. Startled to have found an ally in the buttoned-up lawyer, Griff soon realizes it's hard to keep a professional distance. Even in the midst of a groundbreaking investigation, even in the face of a shocking family secret.

Everything I Know, published by JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.

The Blurb:

Connor loves teaching. He loves working with kids, he loves feeling like he ís making a difference. And the kids -- and parents -- seem to love him. Until the afternoon he makes a small error in judgment, and an angry father is thoughtless comments start the kind of rumor that destroys careers and lives.

Now everything Connor thought he knew about himself and his world is in doubt. But sometimes help comes from the most unexpected direction.

Buy Links:

All Romance Ebooks

Smashwords