Sunday, February 9, 2014

Coming in 2014


Wait…that’s NOW!

 

So 2014 is upon us like the wolf upon the fold, and I have been hemming and hawing about what’s coming up from yours truly. And partly that’s because I hate to commit lest I fail to deliver, and partly it’s because having the illusion of creative freedom keeps me more…creative.
 

But two projects are contracted and already have release dates. Those would be Stranger on the Shore due out from Carina Press May 5th (yes, you can preorder, it’s already in edits) and Fair Play, the sequel to Fair Game. (I think FP is due out in November -- also through Carina Press.)
 

So really those are the only two projects absolutely set in stone. That said, there are a couple of things planned for this year that will happen -- I’m just leery about attaching dates to them.
 

The Boy with the Painful Tattoo (Book 3 in the Holmes & Moriarity series). Much anticipated, I know. I’ve got some 15 queries in my inbox at the moment. The hope (and prayer) is to have this out before the summer. It should have been out before now, but to be honest it’s a tricky place in the series -- a turning point -- and I keep mulling over it and trying to decide what I really want to do here.
 

Yes, it will be in digital, print, and audio.
 

Also pretty much for sure this year is Winter Kill (digital, print, audio). That’s the one about the FBI agent and the sheriff’s deputy in the Pacific Northwest (serial killer, environmentalists, Native Americans, etc.)
 

Then we have all the Very Likely to Happen (maybe even before the Will Happens, and those include Ill Met by Moonlight (sequel to This Rough Magic) and Bite Club (sequel to Mummy Dearest). These are both novellas which means pretty quick and easy to write provided I don’t get distracted and lured away by other projects.
 

Ill Met By Moonlight will be paired with TRM in a print anthology -- and there will be an audio book. There should also be a general historical print collection with a new short story. I’m sort of tossing that idea around to figure out what would work best -- should I include IMbM and TRM in that? Or should I leave them in their own print collection? Or both? I’m undecided.
 

I believe I mentioned elsewhere that the last three Adrien English novels have been picked up for Japanese translation by Shinshokan? And we’re continuing to look into more possibilities for translation in other corners of the globe.
 

Finally we have the stuff that should happen, but I don’t want to think about right now: Haunted Heart: Spring, Dangerous Ground 6, Christmas stories, etc. I am very eager to write the sequel to Snowball in Hell, but the original story I’d planned is now pushed back for a book or two within the series. In the words of Stewie the GPS voice…recalculating. And that long talked about project inspired by The Monument Men seems like maybe its time has come...

 
The reality is I can only do 4 -5 projects a year without straining -- strain does not produce the best work, so it’s a matter of figuring out the right projects for the right time. And how I do that is to calculate what I am most eager to write with what you are most eager to read. Sometimes I come up with the perfect solution. Sometimes…not so much.
 

Anyway, that’s where we stand as of this moment. Things could change. They often do. And very often what you have to say plays a part in that. So feel free to speak up now!

 

107 comments:

  1. I can honestly say that I'll be really happy with whatever you choose to do, especially if it's written because you are most eager to write it! My only caveat is that I don't like even a hint of paranormal and I'm not good with scary, so if that would influence your choice at all then please take it into account.

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  2. I certainly don't mind a bit of scary … but follow your muse and I'll be happy.

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  3. Hi Josh, and welcome home. I could have written Helena's comment. As much as I love anything you write, paranormal and scary would be at the bottom of the list. After that — and this I cannot emphasize enough — the most important thing is for you to enjoy whatever you decide to write. Whenever you release during the year is fine with me.

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  4. I am also fine with whatever you decide.... although now that I know Boy With The Painful Tattoo is a turning point... I'm apprehensive, but confident that you'll make it work, even if it isn't where I was hoping you were going.

    My reasoning is that: I wasn't crazy about CYO until Stranger Things and I ended up loving it and laughing at the gifts you gave throughout it... and that was even with the death scenes.

    I just hope your year is good and healthy for you... that would work best for me... as I'd have more of your writing.

    What could be better?

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    1. Oh, and of course I preordered.

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    2. That is a lovely vote of confidence. :-)

      And -- also a sign of confidence -- I appreciate the pre-order, by the way!

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  5. Happy dance *\o/* I'm looking forward to all of them so I don't mind in which order they appear :D
    I'm also very happy that we can expect more audio's!

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  6. ONLY 4 or 5 projects a year? Respect due, I think! If one of them is more of The Haunted Heart I'll be more than happy.

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    1. Well, with the little projects it's easier to cram more in. Although there are times I think I've worked as hard on a short story as a novella!

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  7. In the past couple of years I've read through your backlist, and loved every second of it. It was so wonderful to read the Adrien English books knowing that all the books already existed and were there, ready to be purchased. Now I'm at the point where I have no more unread books by you. I'm so glad you're so prolific, 4-5 projects a year is a lot! (Even though I'd love to read even more of your books, please don't strain yourself, I don't want you to burn out.) Out of the projects you mentioned, I'm looking forward to The Boy with the Painful Tattoo the most, but I'll read anything you decide to write. Anyway, I'm off to pre-order Stranger on the Shore. Thanks for being so awesome! :)

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  8. Hi, Josh! It looks like an exciting year to be a reader. As I have already pointed out in the past, but it bears repeating: take care of yourself and don't get stressed trying to to more that you feel like just to make readers even happier. We are happy anyway, because your stories are always deep satisfying.

    Ciao

    Antonella

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  9. I will love whatever you write whenever you write it. That said, that isn't very helpful, is it? The ones I most want want are Stranger on the Shore, Fair Play, and Winter Kill. So, it looks like I will be a happy girl this year. Everything else is just gravy! If I could only have one more, it would be between Ill Met by Moonlight, sequel to Snowball in Hell, and Haunted Heart: Spring. The best ones, however, are the ones you write because the stories call to you, even if they aren't on the list. Isn't that how Haunted Heart was? The Winter story was my very favorite from last year. The way I figure it, the more you enjoy yourself, the more we enjoy ourselves :)

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    1. That's true. TBWTPT was shuffled to the side when the idea for HH suddenly popped up. I just HAD to write it. Which was actually very fun.

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  10. Whatever makes you happy will make me happy. a happy Josh makes a great story. You lead, I'll go along.

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  11. I'm especially looking forward to The Boy with the Painful Tattoo. I love Kit and J.X. And very excited for the audio version as well.

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  12. I think it's wise of you not to assign to too many writing projects beforehand — it certainly gives you more artistic freedom. And who knows what new, wild ideas this year'll bring you? The kind of ideas that you want to carry out right away. ;-)

    And hey, I really, really liked this part of your blog post: " -- And how I do that is to calculate what I am most eager to write --" There. You have a perfect solution — just write what you desire to write and everybody will be happy, you and your readers. :-)

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    1. I can honestly say all of these projects are stories I really do want to write -- and that's a good feeling.

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  13. Happy Josh = Happy Readers......and
    Two votes for no scary

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  14. I think you should write where your heart and your imagination takes you, at whatever pace feels right for the story. I know there are many fans waiting for their own favorites to make an appearance, so it's hard to throw up a hand and shout, "Me, me!," but I would be lying if I said I didn't have my own. I'd love to hear more stories from Haunted Heart, whenever they happen.

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    1. I so enjoyed writing the first one. I do look forward to revisiting Flynn and Kirk.

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  15. It's lovely that you have this long list of future projects, but we all do want you to take care of yourself, which includes enjoying what you're working on!

    I've also pre-ordered Stranger on the Shore, and am very happy with your selection of 2014 sure deals and probables. Boy with the Painful Tattoo is problematic, being both highly anticipated and at a turning point. It's got to be a tricky balance between the stylish humor in those books and not allowing Kit to become a parody of himself. ; )

    If something else could be worked in this year, I'd love to see the next episode of Haunted Heart.

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    1. :-D Thank you! Yes, the H&M books are tricky because of the humor. I think maybe I do have to be in a certain frame of mind to "write funny."

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  16. Josh - Any or all of it sounds fantastic as the muse strikes you. A mix of brand new stories and re-visiting beloved characters sounds amazing. Seriously, excuse me while I swoon over all the audio editions and a historical print antho coming as well! Happy writing :-)

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  17. How about something with too much snow in it, and how much it sucks for your characters? I could really identify with that. About paranormal and horror, I can do some of that. I'm not a horror fan, but was surprised to find myself writing a paranormal story, still vacillating on whether or not to make it noir. YES for creative freedom, or else it gets boring!

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    1. Uh oh! Too much snow in your corner of the globe? :-D

      I have to have some deadlines or I just don't get around to writing (there's always too much else happening in the empire) but if it's just a series of deadlines, then it takes the fun out of it for sure.

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  18. I like it all so anything goes. What moves you the most will be fine. However I am hoping that TBYTPT rocks your world. :-D

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    1. Once I let myself go and drop into Kit's world and Kit's story, I know I will be enjoying myself mightily.

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  19. "And we’re continuing to look into more possibilities for translation in other corners of the globe."

    *Worrrrrried*:

    Into German as well???

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    1. That would be nice eventually, but I think the best options for translation are when an actual foreign publisher picks them up. Otherwise I have no way of knowing how good the work is -- and there's no infrastructure for marketing and promotion.

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  20. I love Kit and J.X, so The Boy With the Painful Tattoo is at the top of my list. And I also LOVE scary and paranormal, so bring it on!

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  21. Hey Josh! Write at the pace you enjoy, so not to feel pressed. I for one, have no problem going back and rereading the many many books I own of yours, and when you do come out with new ones, that are attached to other books, I go reread those in anticipation of the new one! I want you to keep your creativity, so your pace is fine with me! I like paranormal, but not so much scary, although most times one without the other is not possible.

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    1. Paranormal without scary...hmmm. Yes, it's hard to think of paranormal without some scary elements.

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  22. It all sounds good to me! I've been eagerly awaiting Kit & J.X.s next book, so that is the one I am most excited for, everything else sounds amazing too!

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  23. What you have planned sounds exciting! I'd love to see Haunted Heart: Spring - IF you can fit it into the schedule without unduly straining. Most important is to work at the pace you are comfortable with. We'd much rather have fewer books from you than no books!

    Pam

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  24. Haunted Heart-Spring nothing more to add

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    1. It's definitely going to happen! The question is only when.

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  25. Is Stranger on the Shore a new series or a sequel in an existing series?

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  26. 4 or 5 projects a year? I wish I could manage more than one. I know this is your job but even so, I need to up my output. Less 125K manuscripts and more novellas, I think.

    Since Snowball was the first published gay romance I read and still one of my favourites, I'd be all over a sequel for that. However, can I just say "Yay" to the Fair Game sequel.

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    1. Well, 4 - 5 includes a couple of shorts, without question. I surely don't foresee five novels! (Though God knows there was a time I did crank out five novels in a year.)

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  27. Love your work, Josh. Me, I'm particularly looking forward to Bite Club -- because I loved Mummy Dearest.

    But really, I'll be happy with anything. Any new Josh Lanyon goes on my auto-buy list.

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    1. Thank you very much. That's always great to hear.

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  28. Well to be honest, I've really missed reading your work...I respect the creative process but I'm dying for Boy with the Painful Tatoo, Winter Kill, Dangerous Ground, and I adore Fair Game so an unexpected sequel would be lovely. Juxtaposed with all that however, I'm also a fan and I love what you do, so write what you love and I'll love what you write ;)

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    1. Aww. Thank you! I'm lucky I have so many readers who are so very patient with my experiments!

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  29. I'm excited about the next book about Kit and JX. I love two characters. But I like them all your books, without exception. Thank you very much. Gracias

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    1. Whenever I see Kit's name, I smile. So that has to be a good sign. ;-)

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  30. It seems like you more or less already have four projects set in stone: Stranger on the Shore, Fair Game, The Boy with the Painful Tatoo and Winter Kill. But I understand parts of these are already done?

    Anyway, if two more projects are allowed, I wish those will be Ill Met by Moonlight and the sequel to Snowball in Hell. I love your historicals with a passion, they always have a visceral feeling which shakes me to the bone. And those sequels have waited long enough. Besides, are you planning to publish a historical collection this year? It seems perfectly reasonable to have those sequels out around that time. :-) As much as I'd love to read Haunted Heart: Spring and Dangerous Ground 6, they can wait another year, really. :-)

    That said, whatever you choose to write, I'll be reading happily and eagerly. ;-) Oh, and I love all the audio books you put out, just high quality and fantastic!

    Xu

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    1. Yes, I'm not really counting Stranger because it's already done and in edits now. So it's 4 -5 additional things.

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  31. All the plans sound absolutely wonderful! I'm adding my vote to happy Josh = happy readers :-) It's most important that you take care of yourself and write what you enjoy writing. I'm looking forward to all of these stories equally! (Haunted Heart is at the top of this equal thing...ahem, but just knowing that it will happen at some point is awesome) Happy writing, dear Josh! :-)

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  32. The excerpts of "Stranger on the Shore" looks great - so really excited. I've always love your full length stand alone novels. And it will be very interesting to see where you are taking Kit and JX, especially after you admitted you were mulling over it... mmm.

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    1. I *think* it's pretty good. I hope so. At least it's a full-length novel, so that should make people happy. :-D

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  33. I do like when you put out print anthologies of your work as I've enjoyed re-reading the volumes of the collected short stories and I'm still more of a print than ebook gal. Next to Adrien, the Dangerous Ground fellas are my faves so more of them, please. Although I look forward to whatever you write.

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    1. Good! That's great to hear -- I do the print mostly because I know there are readers like you who just still love it.

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  34. I'm just happy Tattoo Boy is still on your list to be done this year. :) Fair Game sequel, Yay! More audiobooks, Yay! New stuff, Yay!

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    1. Haunted Heart will definitely go into audio this year. I'm going to have to pick that narrator carefully because it's another series.

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  35. Of course I will be happy to read anything you right - I've bought just about everything and loved it all. Having said that, I really want to see where Haunted Heart is going. I think I've read Winter three or four times now and I can't wait for the next one!

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    1. That makes me happy -- thanks for letting me know!

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  36. Ohmygod!!! A sequel to Fair Game, you have made my year. I love that book, it is one of my absolute favorites. I am beyond words right now. Thank you this is so...wow and more anything else is bonus. If I could have picked just one thing this would have been it. Also I just wanted to say thank you for The Dark Tide audio book that I won in your draw back in January, while I have to admit I don't think audio books are my thing on a regular basis. I very much enjoyed the opportunity to listen to one for a change of pace.

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    1. Excellent! I'm glad you're looking forward to the Fair Game sequel.

      And I understand not everyone is going to love audio books -- it's great that you tried it though!

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  37. You are going to make an old Colombian lady very happy this year.I have all your books and audio books love them so anything will be great. And if you want to throw something in Spanish better. Scary will be great too and second and third parts of our beloved characters just great. And some picture of yourself too.

    Maria Noriega

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  38. It is so funny. When you pull back, it's to 4 or 5 titles. Other writers pull back on their titles, crickets. As a fan of your work, I'm happy with whatever you want to crank out. It a win win for your readers.

    I look forward to Painful Tattoo and Fair Play. The only thing I ask as a suggestion is could you please skip the long, long, long description ending with the word sub or unsub? I just thought OMG lot of words to describe killer. One word is fine and it is assume we don't know who it is except he killed. Saves you from getting carpal tunnel. Just a though.

    Looking forward to a bumper crop of good reads from you.

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  39. I too am happy with all of the titles you are planning to release ( I also vote for paranormal & scary so more HH if possible)
    and a big THANK-YOU for giving us paperbacks also, YEA! and I prefer IMbM and TRM in their own paperback as well as Bite Club (& Mummy Dearest) in its own. I love the different stories and artwork for the covers.

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    1. The cover art is part of the fun, isn't it? I agree! :-)

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  40. Welcome back, Josh! Am pleased you had a relaxing holiday :)
    I'm very excited at all your planned releases for this year! I'm still catching up with most of the books and novellas you published in 2013 (I know, I know!) incl. Haunted Heart, BRB, and the sequel to In a Dark Wood.
    Anyway, among the upcoming projects I'm the most looking forward to are the sequels to Mummy Dearest and to This Rough Magic. I've recently re-read the beautiful Christmas coda you wrote last year for Brett and Rafferty, and that got me wishing to hear more about them soon... As you said in one comment in that post, there's something so fragile in their relationship, like it could break at any time like a precious old Christmas ornament handed down from previous generations... Besides this couple, I also love Mathew and Nathan from Snowball in Hell very much. I understand how it would be difficult to handle two historical novels at the same time, so if you had to give priority to one of them for later this year, I wouldn't mind to read Ill Met by Moonlight first :)

    Congratulations on the success of the published audiobooks so far!
    And I'm very pleased you're publishing more of your back catalogue in print as well. Nothing compares to a print edition, especially one where you've personally selected the artwork to go with it.

    Thank you. All the best
    Paola

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    1. Thank you, Paola. TRM and its sequel are tricky in that I wanted to write madcap...but that's not an easy era to be madcap and gay. I love the characters too -- even if their journey did end up being more complicated.

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  41. Wow, so much to look forward to! I just want to say that you're an amazing writer Josh, regardless of whether it's mystery, paranormal, historical etc. Naturally romance is your absolute forte but it just baffles me how a writer can be this good at so many different aspects.

    Do take care and there is no need to strain yourself, many of us will patiently wait in order for you to unleash you creativity to its fullest and create a work that you're satisfied with at your own pace.

    I want to read every single one of these mentioned books with a fiery passion but if I have to choose, I'd say The Boy With the Painful Tattoo, Ill Met by Moonlight and Fair Play (oh my gosh, had no idea you were going to make a sequel to this!). A sequel to Snowball in Hell would be wonderful as well.

    Love from Sweden.

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    1. Thank you very much. :-) I must say you're all very reassuring as to both your level of patience and tolerance for my little experiments! I do appreciate it.

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  42. Yippee! A year full of anticipation! The set projects aside, I’d love to read the sequel to Snowball in Hell and definitely HH: Spring – can’t wait to read the next installment of Flynn and Kirk. Winter Kill too as I love detective stories. DG6 will be a big bonus, but DG5 has helped quench the thirst a bit, so another year is fine. :D

    As others have mentioned, whatever you write, I’ll love too. Just pace yourself and enjoy the writing!

    Savanna

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    1. DG6 is probably going to be a very different book, which is why I think I need more time to stew. :-D

      Thank you for the kind words!

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  43. Nathan and Matthew- PLEASE!; all things Adrian- YESSSS!; anything Lanyon- FAN-TAS-TIC!!!!!!!!!! *your narrators absolutely SLAY me* :0)

    Denie~

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  44. I just want to say how much you have affected my reading habits. I sought out Joseph Hansen's mysteries because you mentioned them (I so love Dave), same for The Charioteer (oh, you don't get prose like that anymore), and since then I've been trying to sample some classics of gay literature. So, I hope you're happy, it's all your fault.

    That said, Fair Game was the first of your books I read and remains my favorite. I'm looking forward to the sequel, though it has a high standard to meet. But Snowball in Hell holds a special place in my heart. I would love to read more about Matthew and Nathan; I'm rooting for them to stay together somehow.

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    1. There you go! It's the 'unsettledness' in SIH and HH that's so heart-wrenching and makes one wanting for more. Fair Game is great and complete in itself. Though I certainly like it too, the need for a sequel is not as urgent, IMHO.

      Savanna

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    2. I don't think I could receive a nicer compliment than to hear that I've introduced you and others to some really wonderful books! Thank you.

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  45. Josh, I'm late to the party, but for what its worth, I'd love to read the next books in the historical series...This Rough Magic, Snowball in Hell, etc. I find those times in our history very interesting...particularly in M/M novels. I'd love to read a novel based upon Monuments Men...that would be fascinating. At the end of the day, though, if you write it, we'll read it. :-D

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    1. Thank you, Cynthia! There is a bittersweet pleasure in writing historical. It's not as lucrative, but it is very satisfying.

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  46. My robot-proof word was "Love." Yea!

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  47. Thanks for the updates Josh - you've answered most of my questions that have been on my mind about upcoming and timing of new reads. I will patiently wait for your releases as they come whether it is this year or next. Definitely worth waiting for :-) - I hope you are enjoying Valentines Day!

    If we can vote for audible releases in the future - I would love to hear Don't Look Back, Cards on the Table & Mexican Heat. Maybe you should start a fund for audible - I will contribute;-) I think they were a huge success - seemed to be.

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    1. I do plan to put pretty much everything into audio. I don't own the sole rights to Mexican Heat, so that is a little complicated. I think Laura did put that into audio, tho' I have been told the results were horrifying.

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  48. I definitely fall into the "if you write it, I will read it" category. I've been collecting M/M mysteries for a long time, and I can't say how much I appreciate what you've brought to the genre: a fine balance of great story-telling, romance, characters whom I want to get to know better, and hotness. If s/he's lucky the reader gets one or two of the above in a story; each of yours gives us the whole...package.

    Your choices for this year are great. I'd really like to read Painful no matter how it turns out and more Snowball.

    But may I put in a quiet word for another Irregulars volume, since there was a hint of Something Big Out There waiting to come and we can't just leave Rake and Archer making glass beads at each other, even at Solstice... And maybe someday there will be time to check in on Septimus and Colin...

    Whatever you end up doing, have fun with it!

    --hopkins--

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    1. Thank you very much! It's always such a pleasure to work with BEB. I did love writing that little story.

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  49. I'm really looking forward to the publishing of Fair Play! Glad to know that I may be able to read it this year! The Haunted Heart: Spring is also another book I look forward to. I just read Winter last week and really enjoyed it :) And because I'm a reader from Taiwan and was introduced to your works because of Shinshokan's translations, I wish that your works can be published in Chinese as well!
    And I've got a question…would the Adrien Series continue? I finished the whole series from vol. 1 to vol. 6, but I just want to read more! I'd like to know what consequence the death on the ending of vol.5 will bring to Adrien and Jake. Also, I would love to read the lovely life after Adrien and Jake live together! So is there any possibility for vol.7? Please....

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    1. Welllllll, I keep promising a nice little Christmas story for Adrien and Jake one of these years, so that will certainly happen. Though I can't say for sure when.

      So far no one has approached me to do Chinese translations, but I'm certainly open to the idea. :-)

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  50. These are all such kind comments. Thank you!

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  51. I can't say I'm happy to learn that Fair Play won't be out until November but I'm glad that The Boy with the Painful Tattoo will be out before summer. I'm also looking forward to Winter Kill. Love the mysteries stories of yours.

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    1. Whereas for me, it's like HOLY MOLY. It's that soon!! :-D

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  52. Hi again, Josh,

    Can you clarify Stranger on the Shore, Winter Kill, and Fair Play, as either novels or novellas? Thanks.

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  53. Stranger on the Shore is an 80K novel. Winter Kill will probably come in around 70K as will Fair Play. So novels. All three of them.

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