We’ve come to the end of the road with Jake and Adrien. The Dark Tide, their last book together which I’m calling “Jake’s and Adrien’s Long Goodbye” 🙂 will be released soon and I have a number of questions for their creator, Josh Lanyon. So let’s begin …
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Hi Josh Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed one more time.
Hi Wave. Thanks for having me again. It’s always a pleasure. (That’s not what you said the last time I interviewed you :)
Since this might well be your last interview on this website [you made that a condition of this exclusive, plus I don’t know what I could possibly ask you after three interviews] 😀 let’s make it a great one. As you know, the reason for this interview is the end of The Adrien English Mysteries and here’s my first question.
How emotional are you, now that the series has ended?
“*Sob** What makes you ask? *blows nose loudly* (There, there!! Here are some tissues – you’re making a mess with all the crying. You have to control yourself or we’ll never get through this interview) 😀
Seriously? On one hand it’s a relief. I completed the story arc I intended — and I believe the series ends on a high note. Not a giddy, blowing my kazoo high note, but on the high note of still having had something to say, still having plenty of plot, and still enjoying exploring the characters. This book completes the thematic circle — that’s satisfying to me as a writer. But…I’d be lying if I tried to pretend that it isn’t hard saying goodbye to Adrien and Jake. I’ve been writing them longer than any other characters — I was writing this series during some of the toughest periods of my life — so I’m attached to them. No question. In fact, I did occasionally feel a flicker of disbelief when I’d remember that this was the final book.
Adrien English Mysteries which you started almost 10 years ago, is, in my opinion, the primary reason for your popularity – that’s where it all started. Of course you have written many other popular books much loved by readers, but they were all fans of Adrien and Jake (well maybe not Jake so much if you talk to Kris):) before they became attached to your other books. What do you feel are the keys to the popularity of these books?
Well, actually, more and more readers seem to come to me through the novellas — maybe the series sounds a little intimidating? — but I’d agree that AE is what established me — and probably defines my writing for a lot of people. As for why these characters and this series? Part of it is longevity. That sounds simplistic, I know, but ten years is a long time. It means a lot of readers have had plenty of opportunity to discover the series. It also means there’s been plenty of time to explore the characters in depth — and that does have a lot to do with reader engagement. As much as I love novellas (and I do — in fact, Fatal Shadows is probably technically a novella) the novel allows much more room for developing characters. Room for extended family and friends and love affairs and employee woes and all the delicious details that bring characters and stories to life.
Other elements…I think — know, in fact — that Adrien was a real change from the protagonists of gay mystery that had gone before. He came along when gay mystery was very much defined by three distinct branches: campy amateur sleuth stuff like Stan Kraychik or Fred Hunter, classic hardboiled private eyes and investigators like Joseph Hansen or Richard Stevenson, or the fun, porny pulpy stuff from William Maltese or Larry Townsend. Adrien was just…normal. Average. He wasn’t flamboyant. He was low key and sort of serious — but funny. Real life funny. He wasn’t a professional investigator — I love the fact that he sometimes gets it wrong. And he has sex, but these books were not sex romps. And of course it was a very small field back then. So that worked in my favor.
What surprised you the most about the characters?
That Jake married Kate. I didn’t want that to happen, but I couldn’t see a logical or realistic way around it. I knew the further I got into the book that this really was the way it would have to play out, but it was painful to write.
The big surprises, though, came with the side characters. Lisa was initially just there for irritation and amusement, but the more I thought about her, the more I saw that she was sincere in her fears and that her fears weren’t entirely misplaced. Also the Dautens. I started out cynical about them, but the more I thought about them, the more I saw that they were good, decent people — and that they were going to be very good for Adrien. Whether he liked it or not. And of course his feelings for Emma. Emma was probably one of the few surprise characters. I didn’t really plan on her — I don’t like kids (in books) particularly — and that Adrien would bond to her was unanticipated. But then I bonded to my nieces and nephews in a way I never anticipated either. (Funny, the similarities between you and Adrien.) 😀
Which character (and you have to choose) wouldn’t let go in their final chapter? (I know they are not dead, but they will be retired, for a while anyway)
Ha! * Unexpected lump in throat* All I can say is it is very hard to say goodbye to Adrien. (More tissues? I really think you have to learn some self control and stop being such a baby) 😀
You left the door open for a return of these two characters in case the muse strikes you. I assume, like other authors, you don’t want to completely shut the door to what has been a good gig for you. I’m curious – what would be a likely occasion for them to make a brief appearance? Christmas? A cruise? <g> The murder of their creator? The latter would be a great mystery for them to solve, but who would write the book? 😀
I think this is a good place to leave it — to leave them. I could probably do some sort of holiday short — maybe along the lines of those little interview thingies, but to do an actual novel…I don’t know. I’d have to have a plot that really gripped me, that would seem so perfect for Adrien that it would inspire me to throw off the dustsheets and bang open the windows. I can’t imagine — at this point in time — what that would be.
This is the cornerstone of your writerly achievements so far, and I was wondering if you’re going to publish all of Adrien’s and Jake’s adventures in one huge omnibus (à la Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple or Poirot)? I’m sure the fans would love to have an A & J “collection.” A very attractive doorstop if they can’t lift the damn book!
I love that idea, but I don’t see that happening any time soon.
Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, imagine that this series would have achieved the heights of popularity that it did and still does?
No. Never.
To what do you attribute the longevity of the series and the characters? I have my own thoughts but I and your readers would definitely be interested in your perspective of why this “unholy” 😀 pair worked!
Part of the longevity is simply having that backlist made available again so that a whole new audience found the books. For that I want to thank Loose Id for making the stories available once more — and then Laura Baumbach followed by putting them back into print through MLR Press. I’m thankful to both — and I hope the books have proved worth their time and investment.
You’re probably referring to something else, though. As far as the story of Adrien and…whoever he ends up with…I think I had a universal theme and I paced it carefully. There was a strong and believable obstacle to him getting what he wanted, but what he wanted was believable and appealing enough that readers kept rooting for him — for Jake too. Readers liked Adrien and they cared what happened to him. That’s crucial in a series, but equally crucial is having enough story there to last over several books. That’s one reason why, although I could keep coming up with mysteries for Adrien to solve, the real story is pretty much finished. The series would have to turn into a different kind of series to continue on at this point.
What do you think is the single reason people are attracted to series books? You have written other stories that are almost as well received as The Adrien English Mysteries, but they always seem to take a back seat to this series and I can’t figure out why it has such a hold on your fans, aside from the great characterizations.
Again, I think longevity plays a role here. Ten years allows for some considerable word of mouth to spread. The series was well-entrenched with readers long before anyone thought of writing an m/m mystery, so I benefited enormously from that head start. There was never going to be any catching up to this series for anyone — including me — coming immediately afterwards. Give it a few years…who knows?
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Your friend Batboy, a long time fan of the series, has a few burning questions he hopes you will answer, especially the last one.,
1. Your characters tend to be very vivid and easy to picture. One exception is Guy Snowden. It’s hard to tell if you intend him to be a pretentious jerk, a nice man with
a few affectations, or none of the above. How do you feel about Guy?
Hey there, Batboy. I enjoyed writing Guy because he definitely has these flaws — the fake accent, the affectations, the tendency to sleep with former students — but he’s also smart, insightful, caring. Guy had to be attractive — had to have many fine qualities — in order to attract Adrien, but I tried to give readers enough clues that they wouldn’t get too attached. Guy isn’t right for Adrien. That’s not to say that no one besides Jake is right for Adrien, but Guy wasn’t the…er…guy. He was definitely a rebound relationship but someone Adrien cares about and would stay friends with.
2. What mystery writer’s work demonstrates best what you were aiming at in the Adrien English series?
Good question. I don’t know. I was trying to do what I hadn’t yet seen done in gay mystery — and I’d seen pretty much everything available (and tracked down a lot of what was out of print). I was greatly influenced by Hansen, of course, but I wanted to go for something a little lighter, a little more contemporary — at the same time I really didn’t want another over-the-top campy amateur sleuth. I wanted that noirish vibe of an ordinary guy caught up in extraordinary circumstances. And I wanted the relationships — all the relationships — to be real. To feel real and to evolve in realistic ways — because character is always the single most interesting element to me in any story. So I don’t know if a single writer best demonstrates what I was trying for so much as an informal update of the hard boiled literary tradition of Chandler, Macdonald, and Hansen — only with an amateur sleuth rather than a professional investigator.
3. In every AE mystery so far, Adrien has been a murder suspect. Is that to increase tension and provide a motive for him to investigate on his own, or just to keep him alert, defensive, and tossing out wisecracks? In other words, is it to help the plot along, or to reveal more about Adrien’s character?
It’s a combination. It adds a little tension and certainly motivation for getting involved in stuff he has no business getting involved in — it gave him a little more leverage with Jake — but mostly it does offer lots of room for Adrien to be Adrien.
4. As Adrien asked in Death Of A Pirate King, “Who are you and what have you done with that asshole Riordan?” Jake in Book 4 was drastically different from the Jake in the previous 3 novels. What happened in the intervening time to change him so completely?
Two years of marriage and a “normal” life. Or, more precisely, getting what he wished for. It tends to have a chilling effect on one.
I have a follow-on question – Did you change Jake’s personality as a sop to fans of the series who hate his guts, so that calls for “off with his head” would be reduced to a dull roar?
No. All my stories are about characters learning and growing. Assuming Jake and Adrien have a future together (and, frankly, even if they don’t), Jake’s character would have to show movement and growth. If he ends the final book in the same place he started out in the first, that’s not much of a character arc. And I’m sure most people have noticed by now that these books are almost as much about Jake as they are Adrien.
5. What does Adrien put on his chips?
Vinegar and salt — less salt these days. In fact, maybe he could sub fruit for the chips? (I love vinegar on my chips. I thought that only Canadians did that because Americans always make fun of us for having vinegar with our french fries or chips as they insist on calling them in Britain. 😀 )
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What do you think is the one personality trait about Jake that stirs everyone into a frenzy? Fans of the series either love or hate him and it’s mostly the latter, after The Hell You Say was released.
Oddly enough I think it’s also what makes readers love him. There’s not a lot of compromise with Jake. He’s blunt. He’s blunt in what he says and what he does. It makes him effective and strong — because he doesn’t spend a lot of time overthinking or second-guessing. It’s part of his toughness, and part of what makes him a good cop and protector — but it also makes him insensitive and rude and unkind. And the inability to bend is what cracked him in the end.
What was your strategy when you wrote The Hell You Say? Obviously you knew the furore it would cause and the backlash against Jake that would make the fans who disliked him before have a reason to hate him even more.
The idea was never to make fans like Jake. 😀 The plan was to tell the story of these two guys — explore the impact they had on each other and how it changed their lives — within the framework of solving mysteries. Because nothing says “I Love You” like a high body count. If you read the books, it’s a clean trajectory. Jake says from the beginning that he wants to be married and have a family. He doesn’t stop wanting that, but his feelings for Adrien take over. Had Kate not got pregnant, it’s hard to say what would have happened — I think it would have all gone the same way only taken a lot longer to work through. I think it was actually kinder to everyone to get Kate pregnant. The readers who didn’t believe Jake would marry Kate were the starry-eyed romantics of the group.
(Can I say here, as someone who really loves Jake, that THYS really made me rethink whether I wanted to invest any more emotion in him?)
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I have a few questions from the series’ biggest fan, thelastaerie
1. Josh, we know there will be an unearthed corpse in Adrien’s bookstore and you have written quite a few ghost or haunted house stories. Do you believe in the world beyond? Or were you the kid who slept with the lights on? *g*
Howdy, Eve! I am the kid that used to leap from the doorway to the center of my bed so that the monsters living underneath couldn’t grab my ankles.
2. Given the emotional highs you gave your readers in the AE books, did you ever get all choked up when you wrote them? If so, which particular scene(s)?
This always sounds goofy, but yes, I do occasionally choke myself up writing scenes — and when it happens I know I’m probably on the right track. I can’t remember if there are scenes in the first two books, but in THYS the scene when Adrien goes to the hospital to see Jake, the scene in the bookstore when Jake tells him he’s going to marry Kate, and the scene where Jake pushes him. They were all hard to write and they all moved me. In Pirate King there’s the final scene, obviously, but there’s a little scene when they’re talking on cell phones and Jake tells Adrien he’s disappointed in him. And Adrien responds. I find that scene affecting — largely because that’s the first time they really acknowledge what has gone between, the first time you get a sense that Jake is aware of what he did and that maybe he does have genuine regret. In Dark Tide there are a few scenes, but I’ll leave those to readers to decide on.
3. Despite some death threats from readers, Jake is undoubtedly the best-loved anti-hero. How much do you think his struggle (with his sexuality) is his own fault? How much of it is the world he lives in? And did you mode him according to someone you know (real person or fictional character)?
“Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man.” I think we’re all, to some extent, the product of our upbringing — family, education, culture…these all play a role in who we become. It’s easy to stand back and say, “hey I overcame this, you need to do the same,” but none of us is the same and no one really knows anyone. I’ve never been big on judging people. (Judging their WRITING, hell yeah — not the person.) Hopefully that comes through in the stories I choose to tell; I have a lot of flawed heroes, a lot of stories about redemption. Jake is a fictional construct, but he’s sort of a composite of a number of men I’ve known. And not one of them was a bad man. They were all good men, as a matter of fact, but…
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We’re coming to the end (I can hear you breathing a sigh of relief) 😀
too busy sobbing my eyes out ( Here’s another box of tissues – I can’t afford all the money I’m spending on trying to get you to show some restraint. Damn! What did I just say? Don’t blow your brains out)
What would you say to the original fans of this series when it was first published by Gay Men’s Press who don’t like the fact that instead of a straight 😀 mystery, the protagonists have sex with each other and it’s turned into half romance and half mystery? Some of these fans think you have sold out. What would you say to them?
It’s a common enough complaint. Mystery readers in general don’t like a lot of sex and romance in their stories. I knew that from the beginning. I don’t regret beefing
up the romantic element because I enjoyed writing that — enjoyed writing the relationship because that particular relationship defined these men. The sex…I probably feel better about it having read Joseph Hansen’s work as James Colton. It’s so exuberant and life affirming that I think there is beauty in it. That said, there’s quite a bit less sex in The Dark Tide than the other books (with the exception of THYS). It wasn’t appropriate to the story this time — whereas in ADT and DoaPK those scenes felt integral.
Why did you decide to move the series to Loose Id? You knew that the target audience and demographic of Loose Id was quite different from that of Gay Men’s Press and that you would have to include some sex scenes between Adrien and Jake in order to sell the stories. Didn’t that put you off?
There are a couple of panicky emails between myself and Loose Id — I came across them the other day. 😀 I definitely dithered over the decision to move the series into the realm of romance. The funny thing is, if you were to ask readers of strictly romance, I’m guessing their view would be this series isn’t nearly romantic enough. Anyway, after GMP folded, I approached the usual suspects like Alyson, Cleis, etc. and none of them wanted to pick up a series in the middle. Everyone was willing to look at something new, but no one wanted the third book in an old series. And I still wanted to write this series, and I knew that readers still wanted to read it, so I had to look outside the box. I noticed ebooks and ebook publishing — and this thing called m/m romance. Not gay romance as I knew it, but not so far from it that I felt I couldn’t fit in.
Why do you think Adrien is so loved by the fans? And Jake ….. well Jake arouses other emotions I’m afraid.
I think Adrien appeals because he’s nice and normal. A lot of readers identify with him. He’s like…the boy next door. He’s not perfect but he tries to do the right thing and he’s kind. He’s got his flaws, for sure, but they’re flaws a lot of us share. And — and I think this is probably a big one — he doesn’t whine. He rarely loses his sense of humor. I think those are appealing traits — they are for me, anyway.
What would you like to say to Kris, Jake’s nemesis? How can we make her love him?
I fear Kris is a lost cause. She is one tough audience.*g*
And finally …..What would be your epitaph for Jake and Adrien now that they’re retired? I know they are not dead because you keep hinting that they might return, but just in case ……
Happily Ended
So we leave Jake and Adrien (maybe together) on some desert island, drinking margaritas or beer, with no dead bodies and mysteries to solve, just spending the time in other more carnal pursuits – I hope with each other. 🙂
Maybe they would like to have some company from the hot tub guys.
Adrien English Mysteries
First of all, thanks so much for the interview, Josh and Wave! And for answering my silly questions. *fangirl squee*
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There are quite a few questions about the reasons for the popularity of the series and the uniqueness of it. If I have to put in my 2 cents, I’d say the relationship story arc of the series set the AE series apart from a lot other long-running gay mystery series (I follow plenty myself), at least for me. In most series, you can pick up any book and it wouldn’t really matter much if you read in sequence or not. Even if there’s romance involved, it’s more along the line of the main protagonist to find his true love, or the main protagonist’s settled blissful life with his partner. With AE, although each book can be read as stand-alone, the romance part is really a long saga and needs to be followed in sequence. And I believe that allows readers to be emotionally invested because we can’t rest until we find out the outcome of the pair that we are rooting for. Josh said it well that it’s a story about Jake as much as it’s about Adrien.
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As for revisiting Adrien & Jake in the future. I love it when authors bring back old series characters for some cameos in their new stories. So if you have another modern day mystery set in LA (or France?!?), who knows? maybe we can “bump” into Adrien and Jake?
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oh my, I am rambling again… *sobs* *getting tissues* indeed, it’s hard to say goodbye to them. And I hope that when you mean “long goodbye” – it also indicates the length of the final book? *g*
Hi Eve
Thanks very much for contributing a few questions. I can tell from Josh’s answers that he much preferred your questions to mine. 😀
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To answer one question – the book is long, over 80K – that’s all I’m allowed to say until the review is posted. Please no more sobbing. I’ve spent enough money on Kleenex while wiping away Josh’s tears. 😀
Hi Eve. The book’s 81K. Certainly the longest Adrien. And that was after I spent two days cutting a lot of verbiage — words like “some,” “just,” “little,” etc. You’ll get a nice, fat final read. *g*
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I think you’re right too about the over-arching plot (or the fact that the books must be read in sequence). The mysteries stand alone, but for the romance to make much sense — for any kind of emotional continuity — the books have to be read in order.
Just popping in to say–happily ended, indeed. I never doubted it.
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Hey there, Sweetbea.
Very interesting interview!
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This, “Well, actually, more and more readers seem to come to me through the novellas — maybe the series sounds a little intimidating?” is very true. I haven’t started the series yet because the novellas, which have a finite end, have drawn me instead, but now I’m very curious to read the series.
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Big congrats on finishing the story arc! That’s a huge achievement.
Hi Val — and thanks.
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To be honest, I’m one of those readers who would be leery of starting what probably sounds like an emotionally intense literary journey with no end in sight. I’d hate to get invested in something that later fell apart or the author took a dark turn and killed all the characters off in a final explosion. *g*
Love the interview Josh and Wave…
Adrien and Jake will be missed…
E.H>
Thanks EH
I’m sure that Josh will respond to each comment when he wakes up, the lazy sod. 😀
Lazy sod?!
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Well, I have put in a few late nights over the course of this year.
Thanks, EH. These books have been a pleasure to write — first to last.
Great interview Josh and Wave.
I don’t want it to end but I can’t wait to read the book.
Thanks, Elayne. I tried to keep faith with the readers.
Great interview and responses! For me, it is always hard to read that last book or watch the last episode in a series. It took me years to watch the final episode of Star Trek TNG. And don’t get me started on Queer as Folk.
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But I’ve been looking forward to this one, and I promise not to wait too long to take a look.
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Congrats on the upcoming release!!
Thanks, Sloan.
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My big fear is that the book not be “spoiled” for anyone through reviews or discussions. I know how it is when you’re anticipating getting home to watch a game or something and someone casually mentions who won or the entire cast was stranded on a desert island or something like that.
Josh and Wave, great interview! And it wasn’t as soul-wrenching as I thought it would be. XD
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The reason I like Adrien so much IS that he is so normal. He’s not some super hero, he’s just a guy. Someone you would like to have for a friend or a neighbor, to have a coffee with and gossip. He’s nice and kind, but he’s not a pushover. And he’s funny. I believe people are so invested in him because we all want to believe that nice people have good things coming to them.
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I like the idea about revisiting Adrien and Jake in one form or another. I have this picture in my head – the family dinner with Dautens and Jake in the middle of it. *giggles* Crossover? Cameos? It all works for me. But, on the other hand, I’m glad the main story is over. That way Adrien and Jake would never lose their appeal.
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Congratulations, Josh! I like the sound of ‘Happily Ended’ and I’m looking forward to your new stories. And, of course, The Dark Tide. ^^
Hi there, Lady M.
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Thanks for the kind words.
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I do think one thing I did right was in not trying too hard with Adrien. I didn’t go out of my way to make him any one thing. If I’d tried too hard to make him flippant and a smartass, he’d have become quickly tiresome. That kind of behavior pushes readers away — just like it pushes people away in real life.
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Nor do I always let Adrien have the upperhand. Perfection is boring. Adrien sometimes gets it wrong. But he’s also smart enough to see that and acknowledge it (‘coz it is HIS series). *g*
Loved the interview Josh and Wave. I hope that really wasn’t the last interview you’ll be doing for the site, Josh.
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I’m so excited for the book, but, at the same time, I’m sad the series is ending. I think I’ll definitely need a box of tissues handy while I’m reading next Tuesday. Got any to spare, Wave, or did Josh use them all?
Nichem
As I said in the post, I don’t know what I could possibly ask him after 3 interviews? Boxers or briefs maybe, or commando? What does he take with his cornflakes?
Yes. My point exactly. WAVE is the one with the problem about interviews. I give interviews to anyone unwise enough to ask.
Hi Nichem — and thank you! I hope you enjoy the last book.
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As for not doing more interviews here, that is TOTALLY Wave’s idea. I still have no clue what she’s on about. (I think she just finally ran out of questions and doesn’t want to admit it.)
*sigh* I am so looking forward to the new book and yet am already grieving the end of the series. It’s a weird dichotomy: wanting it to never end and knowing it must before it gets stale. I applaud Josh for putting all of us in that state. Really. It’s smart to finish on a high note.
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Until this interview, I hadn’t consciously thought in terms of the books being about Jake almost as much as Adrien. But yeah they are. And there is evidence of what a terrific writer Josh is, to give us such insight into Jake even tho’ the story is told in Adrien’s voice.
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Thanks, Wave, for bringing us this interview. And thanks, Josh, for sharing Adrien and Jake with us!
Hi Wren
I had to bribe him before he would agree – I promised no more interviews. 😀
“I promised no more interviews. ”
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You and these nutty rumors. I think it will be perfect if you have to answer fifty questions about this. *g*
Sadist!!! 😀 I’ve already answered more questions about this than I expected. It’s all your fault because you pulled the rug out from under my feet and said that it was all my idea. 🙂
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I promise that if I ever come up with intelligent questions to ask you in the future I will be the first in line for yet another interview. I know at that time you’ll make me pay.
That’s right! Drugs are legal in your country. THAT explains it. *g*
Thank you, Wren. I’m always startled when a reader says they don’t like first person POV because they want to know what the other character is thinking. I think if the writing is remotely competent, a reader can pretty well follow most of what the other character is thinking — plus, it’s more interesting not to know EVERY thought the character has. More intriguing, I think.
Less sex in Dark Tide??? NOOOOO!!!!!
Salina, I sort of think you have to go by the demands of the story. But there is sex and, more importantly, there is lots and lots of relationship stuff (and I bet you like that even better than the sex).
Oh, *sniff*. I can’t bear the thought of the series ending but I know it has to…
Nice to see thelastaerie and batboy out there and of course, Maestro… Bravo!
As one of Jake’s very few supporters I’d have to say book four was probably harder on me than it was on him. He needed a sea change but… Well. Maybe having one’s carefully constructed house of cards blow down is hard on everyone.
I’m looking forward to The Dark Tide so much, and even more, to maybe someday renting a quiet hotel room on the beach by myself and reading them all over again in order, All A&J/all the time. Radio Josh.
You ROCK OUT LOUD.
Thanks, ZA. You’re kind as always.
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There’s great satisfaction in landing this wobbly little plane safely. Okay, one wing fell off, but mostly safely. *g*
Hi Josh, thanks for this interview. I am really looking forward to The Dark Tide although I have to say, I am still recovering from The Dickens with Love. I could happily read about James and Sedge in London…just sayin’…
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Leslie, thanks. I’m so glad you enjoyed TDwL. I loved the mood and the qurkiness of that one. Granted, quirky is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. *g*
Great interview guys! I LOVE this series and it will be bittersweet to read the last book. I truly want both guys to have a happy ending, whether or not it’s with each other. On the other hand, the AE books have become one of my favorite series and for that reason, I will be sorry to see it finish. Well done Josh.
Thanks, Cait. I feel good about the way it ended. I feel like most readers will be happy with it, will feel like the story cycle completed the way it was meant to. I took a lot of time especially as I went through the edits so as not to shortchange the readers. It’s more than twice as long as the original edition of Fatal Shadows.
Can’t WAIT to read it. I have no doubt it will be awesome.
Aw, thanks Cait.
“I feel good about the way it ended. I feel like most readers will be happy with it”
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I’m hoping for the kind of ending that makes everybody happy except for Kris *G*
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But seriously (and I know I’m repeating what has already been said by other posters): it was the fact that there was a real arc to the story, one single gradually unfolding real conflict, that made the series so compelling for me.
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I much prefer this to the sort of series featuring a couple who find yet another new relationship mountain/molehill in each volume, most if not all of which could be overcome in 5 minute flat with a talk. Though, yes, MEN and talking…
“I’m hoping for the kind of ending that makes everybody happy except for Kris *G*”
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I fear Kris would be happy with nothing less than an exploding car going over a cliff. NOT that I don’t like dramatic endings myself. *g*
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I think a series works best if you have some kind of over-arching storyline. But that means you have to commit to finishing it. Otherwise it’s like those TV shows that get cancelled the first season and no one ever knows who kidnapped the president’s wife.
Thanks for the interview Wave, Josh.
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Josh you must be quaking in your boots. The expectations for tDT are so high. Are you completely sure you will be able to match them?
I think it is the most anticipated book of the year in our m/m romance circle
Ingrid, I am quite sure I CAN’T meet the expectations, so I’m not even worried about it. (Much.) There’s just too much pressure because people know it’s the last and so no matter what I do I think there will have to be a tiny bit of disappointment. That feeling of IS THAT IT?!
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I just wrote the book the best I could and hopefully no one will feel like I forgot to address too many crucial points or left out some vital conversation. If I did, I bet I’ll hear about it. *g*
What a great interview, Wave and Josh.
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I can’t add anything different to what everyone has already said, but I did want to say how much I love Adrien, and even Jake too. As much as I can’t wait to read “The Dark Tide”, I’ll be sorry to see the last book in the series; it’s always hard letting go of something we love so much. I have my hopes that Adrien and Jake may crop up now and then, though.
Thanks, Gaycrow. I can guarantee that I would never be able to go the rest of my life without ever writing anything about them again.
I hate to tell you guys this, but the last time Josh had a much anticipated book released by Loose Id he crashed their system. I remember vividly waiting for HOURS for the damn book (I think it was Dangerous Ground) and cursing. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen this time. 😀
Yes, but I think that’s because LI scheduled me and Jet and someone else all at the same time! And it was their old system. I don’t think there are too many crashes these days.
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I hope.
Ha, then I will be lucky. Tuesday is a lot earlier for me then you lot across the ocean 🙂
Gaye
He swore me to secrecy – I don’t know how I’m going to write the damn review with all the restrictions – I’ll probably only be able to say “Jake and Adrien didn’t have a lot of sex in this book” because he has let that cat out of the bag.) 😀 In any event my review will be posted either Thursday or Friday. Do drop by then.
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Gald you liked the interview. It was very hard work in between all the crying. 😀
Yes. It’s true. I told Wave she couldn’t use any of the characters’ names. Or ANY pronouns. And NO adverbs either.
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I’m just looking out for my readers.
You will pay for this Josh. Remember, I still have a review to write. The pen is mightier than the sword. 😀
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Wouldn’t it be funny if there’s a replay of what happened with the DG release at Loose Id? 🙂 Not that I wish that on my worst enemy and you haven’t quite reached that exalted level yet.
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Now boys and girls I have a review to write – I hope Jake still loves me after he reads what I have to say. 😀
It takes a lot to rattle Jake. *g*
What a great interview! I’ve been a fan of the series (and your work) since THYS was released. I don’t even recall how I stumbled across it, but it was the first e-book I ever purchased and started me on my obsession with e-books (much to my wallet’s chagrin 🙂 At the time, I think I recall you had the first book available to read on your website, and I subsequently went back to purchase it as well as the second book. I love the mystery and Adrian’s dry humor as well as his wit. Like many of the others have mentioned, your characters are so endearing because they are normal. They have flaws, both physical and/or emotional, and it makes them more real to me (if that makes any sense). As much as I love the romance in the stories, it is the action and the mystery that I love even more. Romance is like the icing on top of the cake. The stories have a nice pace that keep me involved, never too much of any one element to overwhelm.
It’s sad to see the end of such a great series, but also a sense of happiness at having closure. Thank you for creating such wonderful characters and sharing their stories with us.
“It’s sad to see the end of such a great series, but also a sense of happiness at having closure. Thank you for creating such wonderful characters and sharing their stories with us.”
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Thank you!
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Yes, I gave away FS for about six months on my website. That was a while back. But I knew how hard it would be to publish the third book if readers couldn’t lay their hands on the first ones in the series.
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And it all worked out. *g*
“I’m hoping for the kind of ending that makes everybody happy except for Kris *G*”
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“I fear Kris would be happy with nothing less than an exploding car going over a cliff.”
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Is it really that bad to hope for a little maiming to take place in the last book??
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I mean it’s not like I’m hoping *anymore* that Jake’s dick will get cut off by the little ex-preggers wifey scorned or a former cock-on-the-side-sub-turned-pyscho-killer.
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Although that could be a great way to switch the tables so to speak on Jake, don’t you think, Josh? Perhaps a Valentine’s day story??
Nothing remotely that romantic, Kris.
Yay for J! And a big WOOT for Adrien V!
Thanks, Miss D. *g*
I refuse to believe this…
(gets up and walks away….)
Which part do you refuse to believe, Tracey? That Wave doesn’t get to use any adverbs or pronouns? That IS pretty amazing, I know. *g*
OK, Mr. Smarty-pants, you know what I’m talking about. LOL
Very excited to read this one. 😀
Thanks, Davina!
Great interview – as always.
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Can’t wait for The Dark Tide… If Loose ID crashes I am burning their website to the ground.
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I’d like to second (or third… there are a lot of posts here) that no one state anything that could even be –remotely– interpreted as a spoiler in a review or comment (I am looking at my fellow readers here) without CLEARLY marking it as containing spoilers with ALL CAPS, in red with sparklers. Personally, I am not going to read any reviews until I finish the book. I trust no one (cynical I know, but it gets me through the day).
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Finally – Kris, you might be on to something with the comment about Jake getting his dick cut off… Josh did say there was not a lot of sex in this book! *g* That’s okay with me, I mentally insert sex scenes into books I read all the time. My mental version of Charlotte’s Web is absolutely filthy 🙂
“Josh did say there was not a lot of sex in this book! *g* ”
I should probably hasten to say that — I think anyway — the amount of sex is appropriate to the story. I mean there’s nothing goofier than trying to force a sex scene into a book just because a certain number of pages have passed. I think most readers get pretty bored with that.
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I could be wrong. *g*
Nice interview, Wave.
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[quote]’That’s one reason why, although I could keep coming up with mysteries for Adrien to solve, the real story is pretty much finished. The series would have to turn into a different kind of series to continue on at this point.”[/quote]
Which is why I’m not grieving over the series concluding. Why spoil a good thing by refusing to let it end when the time comes?
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[quote]”The idea was never to make fans like Jake.”[/quote]
Good point. Personally, I think Jake is a masterpiece, but he’s not usually likable. He’s in an almost impossible situation, and that’s not likable. Yet we can understand what Adrien sees in him, and Adrien, at least, has very little trouble understanding why Jake does what he does.
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[quote]”I really didn’t want another over-the-top campy amateur sleuth. I wanted that noirish vibe of an ordinary guy caught up in extraordinary circumstances. And I wanted the relationships — all the relationships — to be real. To feel real and to evolve in realistic ways — because character is always the single most interesting element to me in any story. So I don’t know if a single writer best demonstrates what I was trying for so much as an informal update of the hard boiled literary tradition of Chandler, Macdonald, and Hansen — only with an amateur sleuth rather than a professional investigator.”[/quote]
If that was your intention, yeah. Nailed it.
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[quote]”I think it was actually kinder to everyone to get Kate pregnant.”[/quote]
To everyone except Kate, that is. It’s probably a good thing she remains a shadowy figure, so we’re not reminded of the trail of destruction Jake’s left behind him. And wonder how a woman Jake describes as ‘a tiger’ would react to learning she’s been led down the primrose path. Or maybe she turns out to be the killer in Book 5, the one who’s so carefully arranged to frame Jake for a series of grisly murders?
“To everyone except Kate, that is.”
Very true.
Thanks BB
I treasure every compliment that you pay me or crumb that you leave behind.
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I really appreciate that you contributed such great questions and without too much prodding from my pitchfork!! 😀
[quote]”I really appreciate that you contributed such great questions and without too much prodding from my pitchfork!!”[/quote]
Your pitchfork is my command, Wave.
But I thought you were going to present the questions *anonymously*!
BB
>>But I thought you were going to present the questions *anonymously*!<< You know how much I love you so it wouldn't have been fair to take credit for your wonderfully incisive questions. Josh would have figured it out in a flash. 😀
‘As far as the story of Adrien and…whoever he ends up with’
Josh, do I need to hunt you down and hurt you? ;P I’ll cry buckets if he doesn’t end up with Jake after all they’ve been through! (yeah, I’m already weepy at the thought that it’s the last story – don’t make me cry MORE, it’s not a pretty sight)
Love the questions and responses.
Why I love these guys so much is – Adrien – well, even when he’s knocking on death’s door, he still retains his sense of humour. You can deal with anything life throws at you if you keep your sense of humour about it all.
Jake – this one is a bit harder – he’s an asshole, no mistake about that – but even when he was at his worst, he still cared about Adrien. He’s got a good heart – he just doesn’t want anyone to know about it. He’s like Will Turner in POTC for me – he’s the character that grew the most and you have to admire him for that if for nothing else. (plus he gets brownie points because Adrien so obviously loves him, whether he ever says it or not)
“he’s the character that grew the most and you have to admire him for that if for nothing else. (plus he gets brownie points because Adrien so obviously loves him, whether he ever says it or not)”
Yep. They both have character arcs, but Jake’s was by far the largest and most dramatic.
I’ll absolutely miss A&J but I’m happy that you completed the story arc you wanted to tell.
I love Jake’s growth through all the series, there is no way he could have believably come out of the closet any sooner than he did, and I don’t think there was anyone more shocked than Jake himself when he realized he loved Adrien. He just lacked the ability to do anything about it. I understood the marriage and actually found it fit with the man Jake thought he was. (of course I pulled the covers over my head for two weeks and refused to get out of bed after I read THYS – but I’ve gotten over it) The Jake in DOAPK was finally willing to admit to still wanting Adrien, yet he still didn’t want to change his life to make that happen. He was willing to walk on eggshells just to get close to Adrien again after two years but he never understood what it was Adrien needed – until the end.
Adrien’s growth is not as noticeable, he seems to be the same guy throughout the series, if anything he is more subdued in DOAPK, I think he was pretty much going through the motions with Guy, accepting the fact that Guy was a rebound relationship and that he would never love anyone as much as he loved Jake.
I think since the 5th story takes place not long after Adrien has surgery – it’s not likely to be a sex filled romp. Then again, that is why I like your stories as much as I do. I like the sex in the books but a little goes a long way and it’s generally to move the character’s relationship along with the story.
Can I just steal your comments, Liz? *g* That’s how I feel about Jake and what he did in THYS.
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I don’t know if I am in the minority (I kind of doubt it, we are just less vocal? *g*), but I liked Jake right from the start. I think his pain and struggle are very palpable and that makes me identify with him and root for him. Haven’t we all been in denial or impossible situation that we feel trapped but couldn’t get out? If Adrien is likeble because he’s the boy next door who tugs our heart , then Jake is the brooding bleeding hero that we want to set free.
You’re definitely NOT the minority, Eve.
Great way of putting it, Liz.
And I appreciate your comments about the sex in the stories. It really does come down to the type of story and characters. Immediately post-open heart surgery is bound to slow most of us down a bit. *g*
Hi Josh,
I just have to say that I’m glad the first books in this series have been re-published. I just recently found you through this website, and I just picked up the first two AE books this weekend. I’m looking even more forward to reading the series now, though.
Thanks Wave and Josh, for this nice chat.
Thanks, Lynn. I’m very glad the books found their way back into readers’ hands.
It’s good to see from the comments that Josh didn’t quite manage to completely cry his eyes out and that despite the puffiness and redness they are still in working order :). The idea that this is the last Adrien English book to look forward to is hard even for us fans – I’m both eagerly anticipating and dreading The Dark Tide-, I can’t imagine what it must be for the writer whose mind Jake and Adrien inhabited for a full decade.. possibly more, as I’m not sure they’re ever going to move out complteley. One thing I can say after reading the interview is thank goodness that Loose Id and MLR press picked up the series or I would probably never have found it. It has been a truly wonderful ride.
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Oh, and I was the kind of kid to leap on my bed so that the monsters living underneath couldn’t grab my ankles, too. I solved the problem by storing stuff under my bed, and now no monster could find enough space to hide there. They’ve been replaced by the occasional spider – which frankly isn’t much of an improvement. Anyway. *cough*
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Oh, and any word on the print version yet?
Sure, Mary. People make fun of us NOW, but the kids who made fun of us back then were all eaten by monsters. *g*
Josh
You didn’t answer the question about a print version of TDT. Mary hates ebooks and only reads them when there’s no other option. Is there a possibility of seeing this in print very soon?