Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

Continuing with our five-week Adrien English series challenge (one AE book per week). In anticipation of the brand new Adrien English Holiday story So This is Christmas coming out by the end of the year!

Let's discuss A Dangerous Thing here during the week 47 (Nov. 21 - 27). See you then! :-)

Here's the whole schedule:

Week 46 (Nov. 14 - 20): Fatal Shadows
Week 47 (Nov. 21 - 27): A Dangerous Thing
Week 48 (Nov. 28 - Dec. 4): The Hell You Say
Week 49 (Dec. 5 - 11): Death of a Pirate King
Week 50 (Dec. 12 - 18): The Dark Tide

Feel free to use the weekends as 'flexible sliding' to the next book and to the next discussion topic.

So...it's the weekend. Which means we can start discussing ADT, right? :-D

I'm still at the beginning, but I already have a couple of things I'd like to pick your brains on.

When Adrien is telling Angus he’s going away for a few days, Angus asks him

”What do I tell to that cop of yours?”
“He’s not my actual personal property,” I said shortly. “He’s a public servant.” In more ways than one.

I didn’t remember that last comment, “in more ways than one”, from my previous reads. Is Adrien referring to Jake’s having other lovers?
I surely interpreted it that way when I read it this time and I can totally see how it flew over my head the first time. I was so disappointed when I realized Jake was with Kate when Adrien called him from the ranch. I was still deluding myself that he wasn’t seeing anyone else while he was “dating” Adrien. Poor little, naïve me.
So I probably didn’t know what to make of that comment and forget all about it.

Then I was reading the part where Adrien thinks:

I refused to do something so self-destructing as love a man who hated himself for being homosexual – which, by extension, probably meant he subconsciously hated me too.

I don’t know if Jake hates Adrien, even subconsciously; it frankly seems unthinkable with all we know now of Jake’s feelings and the way they developed.
Still, reading this passage, it immediately came to mind the one thing I never managed to forgive Jake for: the time, in THYS, when he pushes Adrien and makes him fall down. Adrien stayed down because he saw in Jake’s eyes the will to strike again and hurt him.
I know there were so many other feelings and things at work there too, but maybe Adrien wasn’t so off the mark in ADT.
Or maybe in hindsight it’s too easy to link this kind of comments with what happens next.
What do you think?

When I first read Fatal Shadows I wasn't exactly wow'ed. I kept thinking what I'm missing...This series was in my recommendations for a year at least, before I actually started reading it. So I decided to try the second one. As it turned out A Dangerous Thing was the point of no return for me. By that I mean that I totaly fell in love with this series and i had no idea how good it was going to be. That was also the book where I found my favourite m/m author. I have yet to find a book by Josh that I don't like.

What always struck me with this book, especially on rereads, was seeing out of his depth Jake is in his relationship with Adrien. He was clearly uncomfortable being intimate in anyway with another man, but he kept trying. But that first time having sex, I didn't really understand just how much this meant to Jake until I did my first reread. This is something he'd never done one-on-one or without restraints and a bunch of rules before. It must've really been a down the rabbit hole moment for him. His concentration and determination in that scene takes on a whole other meaning when you realize that this is the first time that it's about more than just mechanics and getting off, and he couldn't do any of the things he usually did that would keep emotions or intimacy at bay because Adrien wouldn't go in for that kind of thing. Then we get to ADT and he tells Adrien that he was his first in every way that mattered. <3

Elena wrote: "Then I was reading the part where Adrien thinks:

I refused to do something so self-destructing as love a man who hated himself for being homosexual – which, by extension, probably meant he subcons..."

I don't think Jake ever hated Adrien. He was frustrated by him plenty, and probably very afraid on an instinctive level about what it would mean if - when - he could no longer hide their relationship. Plus at that point in the investigation, he was covering up more than just their relationship but also Adrien's level of involvement in it. I'm sure he told himself he was doing it to protect Adrien as much as himself, but Adrien then threw it in his face and Jake snapped. It doesn't excuse it but I think it was more fear than hate, and if there was any hate it was all for himself for being a hypocrite. It's what eventually lead him to resigning.

I think Adrien has this knee jerk reaction to undermine his importance to other people, since he knows he's not going to have a long life due to his heart. It makes it easier for him to think that others don't need him, just like it makes it easier for him to be reckless at times. In his recklessness he can both feel alive and face his own mortality.

K. wrote: "When I first read Fatal Shadows I wasn't exactly wow'ed. I kept thinking what I'm missing...This series was in my recommendations for a year at least, before I actually started reading it. So I dec..."

I realized I've read A Dangerous Thing more times than the other books in the series, not exactly intentionally, but it became a kind of comfort read for me because it's the active beginning of Adrien and Jake's story.

I loved that Adrien's response to frustration with everything (Jake, his mother, his responsibilities as a business owner, his writer's block) was to impulsively take off to the place he hadn't been for 20-something years, the place that had impacted but was so removed from his present life, and one that Lisa never understood.

This is the book where all of Adrien's suppositions of just how Jake would be as a lover are turned upside down, and where despite his words (or silences) Jake's actions demonstrate his feelings. It's the one where on those last pages of the last chapter Adrien fully acknowledges his own feelings.

Thank you for your answers Mymymble and Linda.

I think you're right, I can't believe Jake hated Adrien at any time, he was frustrated by him plenty, but hate? No.
So it's probably like you said, that comment was colored by Adrien's subjective perspective.

I loved that Christmas coda for the same reason, Mymymble, we have so little occasion to see what's going on in Jake's head.
He doesn't speak much about his feelings until TDT and for the rest we have to rely on Adrien's perceptions.

Mymymble wrote: "Oh and if anyone notices the quote about the crucifix, let me know. I can't find it."

In this book? I did a search for "crucifix" and nothing came up. Maybe it's a later book. I also looked up "cross" but found nothing that related.

Mymymble wrote: "Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Elena wrote: "Then I was reading the part where Adrien thinks:

I refused to do something so self-destructing as love a man who hate..."

You're welcome.

I think for that reason Adrien actually is an unreliable narrator in some senses, like every time he brushes aside Jake's true feelings for him.

It was sad to me when Adrien woke up in the hospital with the feeling that Jake had been holding his hand, but let it go when he woke up. Jake drove all that way to be with Adrien, but he couldn't even hold Adrien's hand when he was awake to see it. I loved that Jake gave Adrien the massage. It was a chance for Jake to touch Adrien in a nonsexual way and get used to the feel of him. When Jake returned from fishing, he was able to hug Adrien and put his mouth on Adrien's neck. Now I have to get back to it, because I think I remember something good coming up. Ha! No pun intended.

Mymymble wrote: "

Nope I think THYS or possibly DOAPK. I did those cross/crucifix searches too. I don't know if it's significant but I felt so at the time."

There will be plenty in TDT, so maybe it was that book. "Crucifix" just brought up the discussion at the art gallery. There were too many search results for "cross" to weed through them.

Okay, so how much did Jake want to snap Kevin's head off? ;)

Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Okay, so how much did Jake want to snap Kevin's head off? ;)"

LOL.
I love when Jake gets all jealous and (more) rude everytime another man shows interest in Adrien. :-D

He doesn't have any right to be and I should be pissed as hell that he acts like that while he's having sex with half LA, but I’m still laughing thinking of the chocolate line and imagining Adrien’s face during the whole thing.

So many sharp-eyed comments here already! Cool. :-)

Elena wrote: "I didn’t remember that last comment, “in more ways than one”, from my previous reads. Is Adrien referring to Jake’s having other lovers?"

”What do I tell to that cop of yours?”
“He’s not my actual personal property,” I said shortly. “He’s a public servant.” In more ways than one.

That's the way I understood it. Or rather, I saw it as a jab about Jake's BDSM adventures. For some reason my mind made the instant connection between the 'public servant' and someone serving as a dom in BDSM scene.

Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "What always struck me with this book, especially on rereads, was seeing out of his depth Jake is in his relationship with Adrien. He was clearly uncomfortable being intimate in anyway with another ..."

Yes, I was pondering over this today while listening to A Dangerous Thing and eagerly longing for chapter 12 to happen. :-)

During my rereads it's been interesting to witness Jake's behavior with Adrien in this book. How at first he's unable to put himself through even touching, let alone kissing Adrien. Hell, probably even thinking about Adrien makes him perplexed most of the time! :-D But, how he's also unable to let go and give up his budding relationship-of-sorts with Adrien.

It's like he's testing himself, right? Or maybe not testing, but... I can't help thinking that with Adrien he's constantly hovering near the line between controlled and uncontrollable — terrified of falling over to the other side. I mean, this is a guy who really, really likes to be in control. And who's also perfected his control over his own actions and desires his whole adult life.

So, yeah. As frustrating as it is from Adrien's point of view, it's truly fascinating to witness unforeseeable, intimate back-massage and gentle neck kisses alternate with surprisingly nasty and ill-judged fag-comments aimed at Adrien. Not to mention Jake sharing his dream of getting married with a woman. Jake really comes across as a person who doesn't know what he wants at this point — or as a person who's beginning to see (maybe unconsciously) what he really wants, but is having big difficulties dealing with it at the moment. Maybe that's why he so vocally puts these things into words and shares them with Adrien? To actually reassure himself of them? Because it's quite clear that Jake's mouth says things his actions do not support.

It's also intriguing how they both take turns NOT walking away from each other. Jake keeps reminding Adrien how he feels about homosexuality and relationships between men, and Adrien keeps reminding Jake that Adrien didn't ask his help, didn't ask him to follow Adrien to the ranch, didn't ask him to stay. Still neither of them leave the situation.

Sorry for these random thoughts. I feel like I'm going in circles! :-D

K. wrote: "As it turned out A Dangerous Thing was the point of no return for me. By that I mean that I totaly fell in love with this series and i had no idea how good it was going to be. That was also the book where I found my favourite m/m author. I have yet to find a book by Josh that I don't like."

:-)

Karen wrote: "This is the book where all of Adrien's suppositions of just how Jake would be as a lover are turned upside down, and where despite his words (or silences) Jake's actions demonstrate his feelings. It's the one where on those last pages of the last chapter Adrien fully acknowledges his own feelings."

Yes! Well said.

Mymymble wrote: "Adrien isn't an unreliable narrator, but he is first person so everything is filtered through his reality."

This is so interesting. I do agree with you, but I also feel that Adrien is a bit unreliable narrator.

Not as unreliable in some aspects as for example... Kit (out of Josh's characters). :-)

But, could someone who understands better the mechanics of first-person narrative than I do, ponder more about this (aloud) here? What I'm trying to ask is that how much does the liability of the the first-person narrator vary in general? Hugely, I bet? Do you guys have thoughts on this? I *think* I'm trying to picture how it varies from author to author, from story to story, from the beginning of the series towards the end of the same series... the whole variety of this.

If this sounds like a dumb question (Yes! There's a question in there somewhere! LOL.) feel free just to ignore it. :-)

Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "I think for that reason Adrien actually is an unreliable narrator in some senses, like every time he brushes aside Jake's true feelings for him."

Oh yes.

We can see this in so many emotionally tricky moments when Adrien uses his sarcastic comments as an escape from the situation.

And THAT reminds me of one of my favorite AE moments when Jake finds Adrien's off button in chapter 12 (page 179, Just Joshin print book). :-D

Loretta wrote: "It was sad to me when Adrien woke up in the hospital with the feeling that Jake had been holding his hand, but let it go when he woke up. Jake drove all that way to be with Adrien, but he couldn't even hold Adrien's hand when he was awake to see it."

Yes. This bit really squeezed my heart.

Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Okay, so how much did Jake want to snap Kevin's head off? ;)"

Ha! Aren't those scenes the best!!! So amusing to see a jealous Jake. :-D

Elena already mentioned the chocolate line, which was a great scene. As were Jake's words later on (chapter 10, page 154 Just Joshin print book): "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..." :-)

I also love this bit (chapter 7, page 88 Just Joshin print book):

Kevin refilled my plastic cup with more box wine. I smiled thanks. Kevin smiled welcome. Jake kicked my ankle.

Oh my gods! I find this laugh-out-loud funny! And so Josh!!! :-D :-D :-D

Elena wrote: "Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Okay, so how much did Jake want to snap Kevin's head off? ;)"

LOL.
I love when Jake gets all jealous and (more) rude everytime ano..."

Since we're talking about Kevin, I can't resist reminding everyone about the So This is Christmas snippet Josh has already shared with us:

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=8...

Johanna wrote: "That's the way I understood it. Or rather, I saw it as a jab about Jake's BDSM adventures. For some reason my mind made the instant connection between the 'public servant' and someone serving as a dom in BDSM scene."

Yes, it makes sense.

Johanna wrote: "I can't help thinking that with Adrien he's constantly hovering near the line between controlled and uncontrollable — terrified of failing over to the other side. I mean, this is a guy who really, really likes to be in control. And who's also perfected his control over his own actions and desires his whole adult life."

I always had the impression that Adrien inspires in Jake thoughts and actions that nobody else in his life does, like Adrien was this sort of "wild card" that Jake unexpectedly finds in his life and doesn't quite know how to handle.

Johanna wrote: "Sorry for these random thoughts. I feel like I'm going in circles! :-D"

I love reading your random thoughts on Adrien and Jake.
Please, don't stop, Johanna. :)

Johanna wrote: "Not as unreliable in some aspects as for example... Kit (out of Josh's characters). :-)"

I know, it's off topic, but I can't resist. An example of Kit being an unreliable narrator?

Johanna wrote: "And THAT reminds me of one of my favorite AE moments when Jake finds Adrien's off button in chapter 12 (page 179, Just Joshin print book). :-D"

Johanna wrote: "Kevin refilled my plastic cup with more box wine. I smiled thanks. Kevin smiled welcome. Jake kicked my ankle.

Oh my gods! I find this laugh-out-loud funny! And so Josh!!! :-D :-D :-D"

Fantastic, both scenes. :-D

Thanks for the link to the So This is Christmas snippet, Johanna. Can't wait for the rest!

I'm set to start this one now... unfortunately I loaned this out at the beginning of the month but Amazon said it is coming back to me on 11/20... so that better be some time today, I can't wait!

So, I just had an “epiphany” of sorts.

I love this series, the writing is brilliant, the character arcs are awesome and all that.
But I just realized why the first four books never made my favorites shelf, unlike TDT, and why this is only my second re-reading of the entire series, again, unlike TDT.
All the books are great, but while reading them I feel so frustrated and restless.

Though the good parts are good, I never manage to completely enjoy them without a bitter aftertaste, because there are all the other little things in the background, the signs of what’s going to happen later. It’s like seeing a huge storm approaching, knowing it’s coming and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. You can only brace for it and hope there’ll be something left standing after it passes.
I want to take Jake and bring him to a good therapist, I want to warn Adrien, I’m sure in the next couple of books I’ll want to slap Captain Crunch and punch Paul Kane in the face or lock him in a cell with a shrink available 24/7.

It’s probably a statement to Josh’s talent that I feel so invested in this story, but it’s draining.
For me reading the whole series feels like this huge tension that keeps growing until it reaches its peak at the end of DoaPK and the TDT is like balm on the wound.
I can’t wait for when it’ll be time to read TDT, I know it’ll make it worth it, and So This is Christmas, assuming that, since they’re finally officially together, it’ll be less frustrating than this.

Stealing Johanna’s line, sorry for the random thoughts, I needed to share this and see if anyone has ever had the same reaction.

Elena wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Not as unreliable in some aspects as for example... Kit (out of Josh's characters). :-)"

I know, it's off topic, but I can't resist. An example of Kit being an unreliable narrator?"

I hope it's okay by Josh that I'll borrow her comment (November 2013) from Holmes & Moriarity story discussion topic for this. Her comment fits well here because she also mentions Adrien:

Josh wrote Nov 18, 2013: "God. I remember reading a review early on of SKHE and the reviewer was going on about how unattractive Kit was, including being BALD. Whereupon I spit coffee out and nearly choked to death laughing.

Where the hell did she get bald?!

But anyway, part of the trouble was no doubt that Kit is an unreliable narrator and his ego is hammered when the series starts.

In my mind he's a perfectly attractive forty year old. Tall, blond, naturally lean but no longer active or taking care of himself, so he's put on some pudge and his hair is a mess and he's how we all look when we don't get fresh air, sunshine or exercise.

He's not classically beautiful like Adrien, but to be fair, Adrien doesn't think he's classically beautiful. He describes himself as pale and boney Anglo Norman."

Trio wrote: "I'm set to start this one now... unfortunately I loaned this out at the beginning of the month but Amazon said it is coming back to me on 11/20... so that better be some time today, I can't wait!"

Can't wait to hear your thoughts, Trio! :-)

I'm loving all of your random and not-so-random thoughts, and do understand Elena's trepidation. ADT is a "before the storm" book, the beginnings of a heartbreaking love affair, and since Jake is technically off duty here, also the beginnings of Adrien and Jake as a (despite Jake's ongoing protests) detective team. As much as Jake continues to discourage this, it's one of the consequences of choosing to gather information (and get closer to Adrien?) by picking Adrien's brain in FS. In classic amateur detective fashion, Adrien's natural curiosity and concern for justice just draw him into dangerous situations.

I enjoy the journey of revisiting the humor and passion of this series, but I also couldn't go through this without TDT waiting for us in the end.

Elena wrote: "So, I just had an “epiphany” of sorts.

I love this series, the writing is brilliant, the character arcs are awesome and all that.
But I just realized why the first four books never made my favori..."

Well, I enjoyed reading your "random thoughts", Elena. :-)

I find it so cool that we all have such personal, emotionally rich relationship with this series. Isn't it awesome how the AE books have literally became part of our lives? Someone mentioned earlier how clearly she/he remembers when and where she/he read Fatal Shadows for the first time — I think many of us can relate to this. The scenes and the emotions throughout the series remind us of the other things going on in our lives — and vice versa.

Anyways, back to your pondering, Elena. I'm awfully glad that Josh wrote The Dark Tide and I'm certainly looking forward to So This is Christmas but if the series had ended with Death of a Pirate King, it would have left me perfectly happy. :-D For reasons even unclear to me, that's always been my favorite book of the series. (If one would have to choose a favorite.)

So, yeah, it's lovely to share and compare our experiences about Adrien and Jake! Not many authors manage to get their readers this invested in their stories and characters. Even though it's a bumpy, winding ride. :-D

Mymymble wrote: "And in first person, Maria McCann's 'As Meat Loves Salt'. We know Jacob's a murderer in the first chapter, but we live with him and bleed for him and only gradually come to accept how mad he really is. Which is a second shock because we (I) have taken on his warped reality as our own, knowledgably, knowing he's bad, until, suddenly, it's too much. About the same time as we realize the guy he hero worships isn't that perfect. Because before we'd seen him through Jacob's rose tinted eyes. I think that was the last novel I cried over."

Oh my. What a tough book that was to read! I had totally forgotten about Jacob's first person POV there. Thank you for reminding of this one, Mymymble. It's a perfect example of an extremely unreliable first-person narrator, isn't it?

And yes — children! Like Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. I recently re-read that one with my RL bookclub and some of the other readers found it distracting and difficult to remember that we see everything through child's eyes there. I've never disliked that in To Kill a Mockingbird. I've always thought that the POV is a big part of the brilliance of that book.

With Adrien it's wonderful to see everything through his dry wit, isn't it. And the way he feels so comfortable inside his skin (even with the heart condition — or maybe because of that!).

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, Mymymble!

Johanna wrote: "Elena wrote: "Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Okay, so how much did Jake want to snap Kevin's head off? ;)"

LOL.
I love when Jake gets all jealous and (more) rude..."

Of course poor Kevin is going to have his heart broken again (hopefully not physically by Jake) :-)

I think Adrien's self deprecating humour and defense mechanism always made him an unreliable narrator, especially when it comes to his personal love life. He's quite perceptive on other things :-)

I also re-read ADT the most, I think... it's between ADT or DoaPK. THYS was my favourite of the whole series, but it's just a bit painful to re-read many times :-P

I find the budding romance elements in ADT a comfort to read. There were lots of doubt from both sides and like Johanna said, it's like they were testing boundary.

Adrien hearing a woman's voice next to Jake when he called him was a brilliant scene. I didn't know to cry or laugh...how Adrien insisted on not slamming the phone because he's an adult! And I can imagine Jake holding the phone in shock, mind racing and probably got out to ask Angus where Adrien went that very morning :-)

Johanna wrote: "Elena wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Not as unreliable in some aspects as for example... Kit (out of Josh's characters). :-)"

I know, it's off topic, but I can't resist. An example of Kit being an unreli..."

Kit is blond?! How did I miss that?
Oh, well, if so many people get to think of Jake's hair as dark, I can do the same for Kit. :-D

Thanks for finding Josh's comment and putting it here, Johanna.

Johanna wrote: "I'm awfully glad that Josh wrote The Dark Tide and I'm certainly looking forward to So This is Christmas but if the series had ended with Death of a Pirate King, it would have left me perfectly happy. :-D For reasons even unclear to me, that's always been my favorite book of the series. (If one would have to choose a favorite.)"

Really?
Well, we're all different. I would have died of frustration if the series ended with DoaPK, but to each his own.
Like Karen said, I couldn't go through this without TDT at the end of the tunnel.

thelastaerie wrote: "Of course poor Kevin is going to have his heart broken again (hopefully not physically by Jake) :-)"

:-D
Something tells me that this is gonna be fun to read.

I feel such kindred spirit with Adrien.

It was so typical of that beef-witted lout to go off half-cocked, thinking he had all the answers when he only knew part of the story ....

They just never listen, do they?!

So, what do you think about the Guardians? Was that what followed Adrien down the mountain? That was certainly a spooky scene. Jake felt something, too. That spine-chilling howl that had them both running back to the Bronco...

Elena wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I'm awfully glad that Josh wrote The Dark Tide and I'm certainly looking forward to So This is Christmas but if the series had ended with Death of a Pirate King, it would have left ..."

To me, the ending of Death of a Pirate King is such a hopeful one. :-D

Ame wrote: "I feel such kindred spirit with Adrien.

It was so typical of that beef-witted lout to go off half-cocked, thinking he had all the answers when he only knew part of the story ....

They just never ..."

LOL.

Johanna wrote: "Elena wrote: "So, I just had an “epiphany” of sorts.

I love this series, the writing is brilliant, the character arcs are awesome and all that.
But I just realized why the first four books never ..."

Hi!! I'm joining now ;) I already had re-read the whole series this year but I couldn't resist the invitaion, and I'm enjoying all your comments a lot :)
For me DoPK is the same, it's my favourite of the series and despite I'm really grateful for TDT, the ending in DoPK is really good.
I don't know what these boys have, but once I start reading I can't stop till I finish XD

Rosa wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Elena wrote: "So, I just had an “epiphany” of sorts.

I love this series, the writing is brilliant, the character arcs are awesome and all that.
But I just realized why the first f..."

Glad to have you joining the discussion, Rosa! And oh yeah... we're all completely, hopelessly, happily hooked, aren't we! :-D

yay! I got my loaned book back :) I think ADT is my favorite Adrien/Jake romance (esp. since I wasn't growling at Jake the whole way through the book). Run away Adrien, run!

Johanna wrote: "Rosa wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Elena wrote: "So, I just had an “epiphany” of sorts.

I love this series, the writing is brilliant, the character arcs are awesome and all that.
But I just realized wh..."

Maybe I'm not answering much because it's difficult to express myself in English, but I'm enjoying being part of this through reading comments :)

Johanna wrote: "Someone mentioned earlier how clearly she/he remembers when and where she/he read Fatal Shadows for the first time —."

I will never forget it - I was shopping at Whole Foods and listening to Fatal Shadows on audio... I was picking out essential oils when Adrien went to Rob's funeral, and when he met Bruce.

I often get a longing to read the books again (strange maybe to some who haven't understood my relationship to AE) so I'm SO glad we are doing this re-read!

Rosa wrote: "Maybe I'm not answering much because it's difficult to express myself in English, but I'm enjoying being part of this through reading comments :)"

I know the feeling, Rosa, sometimes it's hard to find the right words to express your exact thoughts in another language.
You can start small, though, even with a quote you like.

I know I love it when a passage from the book makes its appearance here, it's like opening a surprise gift everytime, you never know what the other person chose for you. :)

By the way, now I'll expect you two, Johanna and Rosa, to expand on why the end of DoaPK is so good for you, during DoaPK's week. :-D