Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

The Monuments Men Murders, The Art of Murder series book #4, comes out next Sunday, June 30th! This calls for a partyyyyyyyyy!

Join the festives in a good company and take part in the drawing of awesome prizes. This time we're giving away several JL items which feature quotes or covers of different Josh Lanyon books. We're giving away at least these:

- 1 mug (The Monuments Men Murders)
- 1 bag (Baby it's Cold)
- 1 key ring (Come Onto These Yellow Sands)
- 1 mouse pad (Adrien English series)
- 1 notebook (Jefferson Blythe, Esquire)
- 2 bookmarks (The Dickens with Love AND Cards on the Table)

Our lucky, randomly drawn winners will be announced on Sunday, June 30th. Until then we'll post a couple of party games per day. Taking part in even only one of the party games will give you a chance to win one of the prizes above.

Here's our first game: There're always plenty of goodies and goofiness in our launch parties. :-) What will you bring to the party this time?

I'm bringing party hats. I want to see Sam Kennedy's face when he's urged to wear one. :-D

Woot! Thanks for setting this up, Johanna! You always throw the best parties.

I'm bringing margaritas!

How about some party games...? I'd love to see Sam doing the limbo haha!

Jordan wrote: "Woot! Thanks for setting this up, Johanna! You always throw the best parties."

Hey, I saw that you brought your home made granola with you. That's a good idea for breakfast. After we've enjoyed Loretta's margaritas all night long... :-D

Loretta wrote: "I'm bringing margaritas!"

Thank you, dear. Those are a necessity for sure!

Trio wrote: "How about some party games...? I'd love to see Sam doing the limbo haha!"

LOL! I bet Jason will beat Sam in our limbo contest! But even seeing Sam participate will be a reward in itself. :-D

Sam will be unbeatable in 'laughing game', though. You know the one where we'll find out who can keep a straight face for the longest period of time, right?

I love launch parties. Thanks so much for setting this up.

I am bringing cakes!

I'll bring the G&Ts!

I'm bringing a bunch of blank canvases and some finger paints.
I am very interested in viewing our artwork after several margaritas!

Johanna wrote: "Trio wrote: "How about some party games...? I'd love to see Sam doing the limbo haha!"

LOL! I bet Jason will beat Sam in our limbo contest! But even seeing Sam participate will be a reward in itse..."

Oh, that Sam. The first Sam that came to mind us SamSpayedPl. The GandTs should help. I have no ampersand on my Kindle's keyboard.

Loretta wrote: "I'm bringing margaritas!"

A woman after my own heart.

I'll bring the giant margarita glasses? How about sugar to rim the glasses?

Okay, how about crackers with cream cheese and fig & thai chili jam on top?

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "I am bringing cakes!"

Yum! They look delicious, Ije.

SamSpayedPI wrote: "I'll bring the G&Ts!"

Good thinking! :-)

Want to have a mojito after one of those? Here, I brought mint with me... where did I put it? Oh, it looks like Haldis' dog Eliot likes mint too... :-D

Haldis wrote: "I'm bringing a bunch of blank canvases and some finger paints.
I am very interested in viewing our artwork after several margaritas!"

Ha! Can't wait to see how those paintings turn out. LOL!

Loretta wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Trio wrote: "How about some party games...? I'd love to see Sam doing the limbo haha!"

LOL! I bet Jason will beat Sam in our limbo contest! But even seeing Sam participate will be ..."

:-D

Loretta wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Trio wrote: "How about some party games...? I'd love to see Sam doing the limbo haha!"

LOL! I bet Jason will beat Sam in our limbo contest! But even seeing Sam participate will be ..."

Well, I'm sure also SamSpayedPI can't wait to do limbo... for all we know that's her secret superpower. :-)

cat wrote: "Loretta wrote: "I'm bringing margaritas!"

A woman after my own heart.

I'll bring the giant margarita glasses? How about sugar to rim the glasses?

Okay, how about crackers with cream cheese and f..."

*faints of happiness*

:-D :-D :-D

Time to meet all the party-goers! :-)

Here's our second game: Take a look at the word search below. The first four words you see describe you. Share your words with us!

I'm lazy, insecure, naive and shy.

I think I need another margarita.

:-D

Hi, everyone!

The fist word I saw was passionate :D, and I suppose I am, but I would have said obssesive... more if we're talking books XDDD

Johanna wrote: "

Time to meet all the party-goers! :-)

Here's our second game: Take a look at the word search below. The first four words you see describe you. Share your words with us!

"

Sweet, happy, elegant and patient. LOL! I think I am the opposite of all these. :D

cat wrote: "Loretta wrote: "I'm bringing margaritas!"

A woman after my own heart.

I'll bring the giant margarita glasses? How about sugar to rim the glasses?

Okay, how about crackers with cream cheese and f..."

I'll just sit here by the crackers and watch the chaos!

Dramatic, naive, eloquent LOL

Hy, guys! Good to be around you again!

I'm bringing some glitter to the party! Disco ball!

I'm still reading Footsteps, and new book is coming. I love summer!

My first four words were loyal, peace, passion, and restless. This is fascinating!

Don’t get glitter in Josh’s pool again!!

Yes, have some of my granola for breakfast. It pairs well with this yogurt. Thanks to Johanna for reminding me I’d brought it!

Compassionate, passionate, outgoing, thoughtful.

Honest, Lovely, Outspoken and Passionate

Rosa wrote: "Hi, everyone!

The fist word I saw was passionate :D, and I suppose I am, but I would have said obssesive... more if we're talking books XDDD"

Hey there, passionate lady. :-)

Johanna wrote: "SamSpayedPI wrote: "I'll bring the G&Ts!"

Good thinking! :-)

Want to have a mojito after one of those? Here, I brought mint with me... where did I put it? Oh, it looks like Haldis' dog Eliot like..."

At least now she smells minty fresh!

Kirsten wrote: "cat wrote: "Loretta wrote: "I'm bringing margaritas!"

A woman after my own heart.

I'll bring the giant margarita glasses? How about sugar to rim the glasses?

Okay, how about crackers with cream ..."

LOL.

Goge wrote: "I'm bringing some glitter to the party! Disco ball!"

I knew I could count on you bringing the disco ball, Goge! Can't have a Fanyon party without that. :-D

Prey!?!?! WHAT!?!?
Peaceful
Reserved
Loyal

Heh, it looks like we're a bunch of highly passionate people. So many of you spotted that word!

I ended up with talented, eccentric, restless and charming. Erm. Yeah. Such big words. Sleepy and lazy would hit closer to the truth atm. :D

Oh, and I found an almost but not quite forgotten bag of glitter confetti in the back of a drawer. Should I bring it to the party?

Haldis wrote: "Prey!?!?! WHAT!?!?
Peaceful
Reserved
Loyal"

Oh, wow. *wide-eyed*

Calathea wrote: "I ended up with talented, eccentric, restless and charming. Erm. Yeah. Such big words. Sleepy and lazy would hit closer to the truth atm. :D

Oh, and I found an almost but not quite forgotten bag o..."

That bag of glitter confetti will make this party PERFECT. Thank you, dear Calathea!

Dramatic, restless, outspoken, witty.

Peaceful, witty, thoughtful and sweet!

I wouldnt really describe myself as sweet :)

So, tell me, why are you here? What is it about Jason and Sam you like so much that you're willing to bring virtual cocktails, cakes and confetti to this party? :-) Why do you love Jason and Sam? What do you love about their story?

And yes, I realize it's pretty... reckless... to assume you all love them BOTH, because, well, you know... :-D

The lurve

Well also the mystery. The two of them working together. The attraction etc etc

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "The lurve"

Awww. :-)

#TeamJason
Though it is fun to see the human being revealed under Sam's gruff attitude.

Johanna wrote: "So, tell me, why are you here? What is it about Jason and Sam you like so much..."

What makes Jason special to me is that he's not only an FBI agent, he's an artist. Sure, he gave up on creating his own stuff because he thought he wasn't good enough -- but as far as I'm concerned, an artist who gives up, or who goes through an extended fallow period, is still an artist. It's a mindset, it's a way of seeing the world. And Josh *shows* us that Jason has the sensibility of an artist through little telltale details -- like when he looks at the moon in the first book and it brings to mind a particular work by Julius Grimm.

I've read fiction where the MC is supposedly an artist and I didn't believe it for a second. You need the tells, the small noticings, to convince me. Awareness of light, or color, or texture, or patterns, or framing -- or picking up on resonances with other artists' work -- I need to believe something like that is going on. Perhaps subliminally most of the time, but sometimes intruding into the character's consciousness and there on the page for me to see.

Jason is not the classic law enforcement bro -- he came to his career from a different world with an entirely different sensibility. Some readers have criticized him because he's too reactive, or too emotional, or what have you, for an FBI agent -- but that's what I love about him. He's an odd bird, a neither-nor, an artist in the FBI, and he's not like any other fictional character I've met. Every time he has a meltdown (view spoiler)[like in The Monet Murders at 14% when he tells Sam "No fucking way" will he work with him after having just been unceremoniously dumped (hide spoiler)], I'm cheering him on.