| English | Français | Deutsch |
Damien Drechsler soon to be back with… | Bientôt le retour de Damien Drechsler avec… | Damien Drechsler kommt bald wieder, und zwar mit…
More on | Plus d’infos sur | Mehr dazu auf
| English | Français | Deutsch |
EN | I finally decided to create my Patreon account. For those who do not know this site, Patreon is today for artists what Gaius Maecenas – whose name has become synonymous with an arts patron – was in ancient Rome for Virgil and Horace: a facilitator, or in other words, a means for any artist to be able to dedicate more (ideally: all) of their time to their passion. For me, this passion means writing as well as reading and reviewing books on livresgay.fr (in French) and on Rainbow Book Reviews (in English ). This double-passion is of course time-consuming; but when you love doing something, you don’t count the hours. Yet, in order to be able to devote even more time to it, I would be very grateful if you could support me. More resources would mean more free time, more freedom, more reviews… and above all, more novels.
Patreon is very simple: if you want to support me, just
Then, you register as a contributor, you choose your monthly contribution, and voilà. You will then benefit from certain advantages, newsletters, additional information, exclusives, etc. I explain everything in this public article (in English, French and German): The Why and the What | Le pourquoi et le quoi | Das Warum und das Was
Thanks in advance!
FR | J’ai enfin décidé de m’inscrire sur Patreon. Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas ce site, Patreon est aujourd’hui aux artistes ce que Caius Mæcenas – mieux connu sous son nom francisé Mécène – était dans l’Antiquité à Virgile, Properce et Horace: un facilitateur, autrement dit, un moyen pour les artistes de pouvoir dédier plus (idéalement: tout) leur temps à leur passion. Pour moi, cette passion, c’est avant tout l’écriture ainsi que la lecture et la rédaction des fiches de lecture que vous êtes de plus en plus nombreux à apprécier sur livresgay.fr (en français) ainsi que sur Rainbow Book Reviews (en anglais). Ces deux passions, bien sûr, sont chronophages; mais quand on aime, on ne compte pas les heures. En revanche, pour pouvoir y consacrer encore plus de temps, je serais très reconnaissant si vous pouviez m’apporter votre soutien. Plus de moyens, ça voudra dire plus de temps libre, plus de liberté, plus d’articles… et surtout, plus de romans.
Le fonctionnement est très simple: si vous souhaitez me soutenir, il suffit
Ensuite, vous vous inscrivez sur le site en tant que contributeur, vous choisissez votre contribution mensuelle, et le tour est joué. Vous bénéficierez par la suite de certains avantages, des newsletters, des informations complémentaires, des exclusivités, etc. J’explique tout dans cet article public (en anglais, français et allemand): The Why and the What | Le pourquoi et le quoi | Das Warum und das Was
Merci d’avance!
DE | Ich habe mich endlich dazu aufgerafft, ein Patreon-Account zu eröffnen. Für diejenigen, die diese Website nicht kennen: Patreon ist heutzutage für Künstler das, was Gaius Maecenas – sein Name wurde eingedeutscht als Mäzen zum Gattungsbegriff – in der Antike für Virgil und Horaz war: ein Vermittler, mit anderen Worten, jemand, der Künstlern ermöglicht, ihrer Leidenschaft mehr Zeit zu widmen. Für mich ist diese Leidenschaft vor allem das Schreiben sowie das Lesen und Rezensieren; mehr und mehr Leser besuchen meinen französischen Literaturblog livresgay.fr oder lesen meine Kolumnen auf Rainbow Book Reviews (auf Englisch). Diese doppelte Leidenschaft ist natürlich zeitaufwändig; aber wenn man etwas gerne macht, ist man do nicht kleinlich. Dennoch wäre ich sehr dankbar, wenn Sie mich unterstützen könnten, damit ich noch mehr Zeit dafür habe. Mehr Ressourcen bedeuten mehr freie Zeit, mehr Freiheit, mehr Rezensionen… und vor allem: mehr Romane.
Die Funktionsweise von Patreon ist simpel: Wenn Sie mich unterstützen möchten,
| English |
Yep, exciting news—starting today, Feb. 24, I’m on a Book Blast Blog Tour with my new novel “Ordinary Whore”, with book presentations, reviews, and another excerpt. If you want to read the first two excerpts I’ve already posted elsewhere, you can find one on this site, the second (in French and English) on the Club Littéraire du Marais website. You can also listen to the “Ordinary Whore” Playlist on this site.
I’ll share the different blogs and sites who talk about my book below and will daily update the list. Please don’t hesitate to visit the different websites and blogs!
| Deutsch |
Am 11. Februar erscheint mein neuer Roman “Eine ganz normale Hure”, eine Geschichte, die von Einsamkeit, Verlust, trügerischen Wahrnehmungen, Familiengeheimnissen und… Neugeburt erzählt. Der Roman besteht aus zwölf Teilen. Hier ein kurzer Auszug aus Teil 2:
Das tiefschwarze Wasser nimmt mich wie einen alten Freund auf. Es fühlt sich warm und gemütlich an.
Danach sitze ich am Strand und zittere vor Kälte, während der leichte Wind meine Haut trocknet. Wie lebendig und friedlich ich mich dabei fühle!
Meine Zähne klappern so sehr, dass ich nicht höre, wie diskrete Schritte über den Sand gleiten. Ich springe erschrocken auf, als mir jemand ein Badetuch auf die Schultern legt.
Rachid, der junge Mann, den ich vor einigen Stunden eingestellt habe, steht hinter mir. Er ist weiß gekleidet. „Es tut mir leid! Ich wollte Sie nicht erschrecken. Aber ich habe gesehen, wie Sie zitterten, also dachte ich, Sie bräuchten vielleicht das hier“, sagt er verlegen. Er hebt das Badetuch wieder auf, das heruntergerutscht ist, als ich aufgesprungen bin. Er drapiert es über meinen Oberkörper und reibt meine Arme.
Ich trete einen Schritt zurück und starre ihn benommen an. „Ist schon in Ordnung“, sage ich schließlich. „Du hast mich erschreckt. Aber jetzt ist alles in Ordnung. Und danke für das Badetuch.“ Ich lassen mich wieder auf den Boden fallen.
Rachid sieht mich an und weiß nicht, was er tun soll.
„Komm schon“, ich klopfe auf den Sand. „Setz dich her.“
„Ich dachte, Sie wollten alleine sein.“
„Selbst wenn du dableibst, fühle ich mich allein“, murmle ich. Dann lauter: „Ich hab nichts gegen ein bisschen Gesellschaft einzuwenden. Komm schon, setz dich.“
Er gehorcht.
Wir blicken in die Ferne, wo über dem Meer das schwache Morgenlicht fast unmerklich zunimmt. Eine angenehme Stille legt sich zwischen uns.
Er bricht sie nach einem Moment. „Ihnen ist immer noch kalt“, flüstert er. „Wollen Sie sich nicht was anziehen?“
„Meine Klamotten sind in meinem Zimmer“, flüstere ich zurück und achte darauf, die Magie der frühen Stunde nicht zu zerstören.
Rachid denkt darüber nach. „Wollen Sie, dass wir… miteinander schlafen?“, fragt er. „Dadurch würde Ihnen wärmer werden.“
Fassungslos starre ich ihn an. Dann dämmert es mir. Genau das soll er natürlich vorschlagen. „Nein“, sage ich. „Nein, ich will nicht… wie hast du es genannt? Mit dir schlafen? Nein, ganz sicher nicht.“ Ich lächle. „Trotzdem danke.“
„Sie sollten nicht hierbleiben“, murmelt Rachid. Er beginnt, mit einer Hand im Sand herumzugraben, und hebt sie dann hoch. Die feinen Körner laufen sanft zwischen seinen schlanken, gebräunten Fingern hinunter.
„Was?“, frage ich. Eine Sekunde lang glaube ich, dass das schon wieder eine der sonderbaren Warnungen ist, die ich erhalten habe.
„Sie sollten nicht hierbleiben. Sie werden sich erkälten“, erklärt er.
„Hm“, sage ich. „Komm her.“ Ich ziehe ihn näher. „Leg deinen Arm um mich. Das wird mich wärmen.“
Er kuschelt sich an mich und legt seinen Arm um mich. Ich spüre seine Körperwärme, seinen Atem an meinem Hals. Die Umarmung fühlt sich gut an, fast mütterlich.
„Sir?“, meint Rachid. „Ich habe mich gefragt…“
„Nenn mich Marc. Was denn?“
„Ach, nein. Das kann ich Sie nicht fragen.“
„Doch. Bloß keine Angst.“
„Aber… Sie sind mein Chef.“
„Guter Gott, nein! Michele ist dein Chef. Vielleicht glaubst du, dass ich in der Nahrungskette etwas weiter oben sitze, aber das ist meiner Meinung nach nicht der Fall. Wir sind irgendwie Kollegen. Also schieß los.“
Er denkt nach. Dann: „Ich dachte, Sie wären Madame Di Forzones… Ehemann?“
Nur mit großer Mühe gelingt es mir, nicht schallend aufzulachen. „Überhaupt nicht! Sie bezahlt mich für meine… ähm, Dienstleistungen. Genauso, wie du bezahlt wirst, verstehst du?“
„Wirklich? Aber so, wie Sie aussehen, müssen Sie doch nicht… ich meine, warum tun Sie das?“
„Du brauchst Geld zum Leben. Ich auch.“
„Aber… aber Sie sind Franzose. Sicherlich gibt es in Frankreich andere Jobs für Sie.“ Rachid schüttelt ungläubig den Kopf.
„Sicher, ja. Aber mein Job passt mir.“
„Wie sind Sie… in das alles hineingestolpert?“
„Zufall. Das Leben. Ich hatte die Qual der Wahl: Hure oder Verbrecher oder Politiker. Was sowieso mehr oder weniger das gleiche ist. Mein Vater war Politiker, weißt du, und ich wollte nie so werden wie er.“
„Ah. Okay. Ich verstehe“, lügt Rachid. Er starrt mich an, ein verletzlicher junger Mann, der dreinsieht wie Kate Bushs Man with the Child in his Eyes.
„Hey“, schlage ich vor. „Lass uns schwimmen gehen, ja?“ Ich springe wieder auf. Das Badetuch rutscht wie ein Schleier zu Boden. Alles ist besser als mein Schicksal zu besprechen. Schlimmer noch, Rachid hat mir seine unversehrte, unschuldige Seite gezeigt. Ich habe keine Lust, von seinen verletzlichen Augen, seinen tiefsinnigen Fragen berührt zu werden. „Komm schon.“ Ich helfe ihm auf. „Und zieh das aus!“ Ich zerre spielerisch an seinen Klamotten.
Rachid entkleidet sich. Sein entzückender junger Körper glänzt im frühen Licht der Morgendämmerung. Er grinst mich an.
Ich klopfe ihm auf den Hintern und laufe dann weg.
„Das wirst du mir teuer bezahlen!“, schreit er grinsend und läuft mir nach.
Wir stürzen uns in die sanften Wellen, beide wunderbar nackt, und wir quietschen und plätschern, zwei verspielte Kinder, zwei vom Leben noch unberührte und unbeschmutzte Knaben, während die Sonne am Horizont aufgeht.
Ab 11. Februar erhältlich auf:
| English | Français | Deutsch |
Marc Laforge, main character of my new novel “Ordinary Whore”, has a thing for music. Just as I have. That’s why there’s quite a lot of music in the novel, and I thought you light want to check out which songs and tunes Marc is listening to… Here you are.
Marc Laforge, le protagoniste de mon nouveau roman “Putain Ordinaire”, a un truc avec la musique. Juste comme moi. C’est la raison pour laquelle il y a beaucoup de morceaux musicaux dans le livre, et je me suis dit que ça vous amuserait peut-être d’écouter cette espèce de B.O. de Marc… La voici donc.
Marc Laforge, die Hauptfigur in meinem neuen Roman “Eine ganz normale Hure”, hat was mit Musik. Genau so wie ich. Deshalb kommt Musik in dem Buch auch so oft vor, und ich hab mir gedacht, dass es euch vielleicht interessiert, was Marc sich so anhört… Hier also die Playliste.
| English | Français |
Vous voulez un deuxième extrait de mon roman “Putain ordinaire”?
C’est possible – rendez-vous sur
https://literarymarais.com/members
(extrait en français et anglais)
You want do read another excerpt of my upcoming novel “Ordinary Whore”?
Easy—just proceed to
https://literarymarais.com/members
(excerpt in French and English)
| English |
On January 31, my new novel “ordinary whore” will be released in eBook format (for Kindle and Kobo) as well as paperback format. It tells the story of Marc Forgeron, a young man working as a deluxe escort. He believes that you only need to be young, handsome, and rich to find happiness, eventually… And then his estranged father suddenly dies. And all of Marc’s precious preconceptions as well as his life slowly come crumbling down …
The book is constructed in twelve parts. Here you can read a short excerpt from the end of the part 2.
The still black water accepts me like an old friend. It feels warm and cosy.
Afterwards, I sit on the beach, shaking with cold while the scarce wind dries my skin. How alive and peaceful that makes me feel!
My teeth clatter so much that I don’t hear the discrete footsteps in the sand. I leap up with a start when someone drapes a bath towel over my shoulders.
Rachid, the young man I recruited some hours ago, stands behind me. He is dressed in white.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you. But I saw you shivering, so I thought you might need this,” he says sheepishly. He picks up the towel, which has slipped down when I jumped to my feet. He drapes it over me again and rubs my arms.
I step back to look at him, dazed. “It’s all right,” I finally say. “You did frighten me. But it’s all right now. And thank you for the towel.” I let myself fall down on the ground again.
Rachid looks at me, not knowing what to do.
“Come on,” I pat the sand beside me. “Sit down.”
“I thought you wanted to be alone.”
“Even if you stay with me, I’ll feel alone,” I murmur. Then, louder, “I don’t mind your company. Come on, sit.”
He obeys.
We gaze into the distance above the sea where the faint morning light increases almost imperceptibly. A comfortable silence settles down between us.
He breaks it after a moment. “You’re still cold,” he whispers. “Don’t you want to get dressed?”
“My clothes are in my room,” I whisper back, careful not to destroy the magic of the early hour.
Rachid considers this. “Do you want us to… to make love?” he asks. “It will warm you.”
Caught unawares, I stare at him. Then it dawns on me. Of course, this is what he is meant to propose. “No,” I say. “No, I don’t want to… how did you call it? Make love? No, definitely, no.” I smile. “Thank you, though.”
“You shouldn’t stay here,” Rachid murmurs. He starts to dig one hand into the sand, then lifts it. The fine grains run smoothly down between his slender, tanned fingers.
“What?” I ask. For a second, I believe this is another of the strange warnings I’ve been getting.
“You shouldn’t stay here. You’ll catch a cold,” he explains.
“Hm,” I say. “Come here.” I pull him closer. “Put your arm around me. That’ll warm me.”
He snuggles up and wraps his arm around me. I sense his body heat, his breath on my neck. The hug feels good, almost motherly.
“Sir?” Rachid asks. “I was wondering…”
“Call me Marc. What is it?”
“Oh, no. I can’t ask you that.”
“Yes, you can. Don’t be afraid.”
“But… you’re my boss.”
“Good Lord, no! Michele is your boss. Maybe you consider me a bit higher up in the food chain, but I don’t think I am. We’re colleagues, somehow. So, go ahead, shoot.”
He ponders this. Then, “I thought you were Madame Di Forzone’s… husband?”
I stifle a laugh. “Not at all! She pays me for my… uhm, services. Just like you’ll get paid, you see?”
“Really? But with your looks, you don’t need… I mean, why do you do it?”
“You need money to live. I do, too.”
“But… but you’re French. Surely there are other jobs for you in France.” Rachid shakes his head, unbelieving.
“Surely, yes. But this suits me.”
“How did you… get involved in all this?”
“Chance. Life. I had the choice: whore, or criminal, or politician. Which is more or less the same anyway. My father was a politician, you know, and I never wanted to become like him.”
“Okay. I see,” Rachid lies. He gazes at me, a vulnerable young guy who looks like Kate Bush’s Man with the Child in His Eyes.
“Hey,” I propose. “Let’s go for a swim, shall we?” I jump up again. The towel slides to the ground like a veil. Anything is better than to discuss my lot. Worse, Rachid has shown me the unharmed, innocent part of him. I don’t want to be touched by his vulnerable eyes, his pertinent questions. “Come on.” I help him stand up. “And get out of these!” I playfully tug at his clothes.
Rachid undresses. His delightful young body glistens in the dawn’s early light. He smirks at me.
I slap him on his buttocks, then run.
“You’ll pay for this!” he shouts, grinning, and runs after me.
We race into the balmy waves, gloriously naked, shrieking, splattering, two playful kids, two boys unspoiled and unsullied by life, while the sun comes up behind the horizon.
Available on Jan. 31, 2021 on
| Français |
Le 30 janvier prochain paraît mon nouveau roman “putain ordinaire” (format ebook pour Kindle et Kobo ainsi que format livre de poche), qui raconte l’histoire de Marc Forgeron, un jeune homme qui travaille comme escort de luxe. Il croit qu’il suffit d’être jeune, beau et riche pour finir par trouver le bonheur un jour… C’est là que son père, avec lequel il est brouillé, meurt soudainement. Et toutes ses précieuses idées préconçues ainsi que sa vie s’effritent lentement…
Le livre est construit en douze parties. En avant-première, voici un court extrait de la fin de la deuxième partie du livre.
L’eau encore noire m’accepte comme un vieil ami. Elle est tiède et confortable.
Ensuite, je m’assois sur la plage, tremblant de froid pendant qu’un zéphyr timide sèche ma peau. Je me sens vivant et en paix dans ce petit courant d’air.
Mes dents claquent tellement que je n’entends pas les pas discrets sur le sable. Je sursaute quand quelqu’un passe une serviette de bain sur mes épaules.
Rachid, le jeune homme que j’ai recruté il y a quelques heures, se tient derrière moi. Il est vêtu de blanc. « Désolé ! Je ne voulais pas vous effrayer. Mais je vous ai vu frissonner, alors j’ai pensé que vous pourriez avoir besoin de ça », dit-il d’un air gêné. Il ramasse la serviette, qui a glissé par terre lorsque je me suis levé. Il la drape à nouveau sur moi et me frotte les bras.
Je recule pour le regarder, étourdi. « Tout va bien », dis-je enfin. « Vous m’avez fait peur. Mais tout va bien maintenant. Et merci pour la serviette. » Je me laisse retomber sur le sol.
Rachid me regarde, ne sachant que faire.
« Allez », je tapote le sable à côté de moi. « Asseyez-vous.
— Je pensais que vous vouliez être seul.
— Même si vous restez avec moi, je me sentirai seul », je murmure. Puis, plus fort : « Je n’ai rien contre votre compagnie. Allez, asseyez-vous. »
Il obéit.
Nous regardons l’horizon au loin, au-dessus de la mer, où la faible lumière du matin augmente presque imperceptiblement. Un silence confortable s’installe entre nous.
Il le rompt au bout d’un moment. « Vous avez encore froid », murmure-t-il. « Vous ne voulez pas vous habiller ?
— Mes vêtements sont dans ma chambre », je réponds dans un murmure, veillant à ne pas détruire la magie de cette heure matinale.
Rachid réfléchit. « Voulez-vous que nous… fassions l’amour ? » demande-t-il. « Ça vous réchauffera. »
Pris au dépourvu, je le regarde. Puis, je comprends. Bien sûr, c’est ce qu’il est censé proposer. « Non », dis-je. « Non, je ne veux pas… comment vous dites, déjà ? Faire l’amour ? Non, franchement, non. » Je souris. « Merci quand même.
— Vous ne devriez pas rester ici », marmonne Rachid. Il commence à enfouir une main dans le sable, puis la soulève. Les grains coulent doucement entre ses doigts minces et bronzés.
« Quoi ? » je demande. Pendant une seconde, j’ai cru que c’était un autre de ces étranges avertissements que j’ai reçus.
« Vous ne devriez pas rester ici. Vous allez attraper froid », explique-t-il.
« Hm », dis-je. « Viens par là. » Je le tire vers moi. « Mets ton bras autour de moi. Ça me réchauffera. »
Il se blottit contre moi et me prends dans son bras. Je sens sa chaleur corporelle, son souffle sur mon cou. Ce câlin est agréable, presque maternel.
« Monsieur ? » demande Rachid. « Je me demandais…
— Appelle-moi Marc. Qu’est-ce que tu veux savoir ?
— Oh non. Je ne peux pas vous demander ça.
— Oui, tu peux. N’aie pas peur.
— Mais… vous êtes mon patron.
— Bon Dieu, non ! Michele est ton patron. Peut-être que tu me considères un peu plus haut dans la chaîne alimentaire, mais je ne pense pas que je le sois. Nous sommes collègues, d’une manière ou d’une autre. Alors, vas-y, dis-moi ce qui te tracasse.
Il réfléchit à cela. Puis : « Je pensais que vous étiez… le mari de Madame Di Forzone ? »
J’étouffe un rire. « Pas du tout ! Elle me paie pour mes… euh, mes services. Tout comme tu seras payé, tu vois ?
— Vraiment ? Mais avec votre physique, vous n’avez pas besoin de… Je veux dire, pourquoi faites-vous ça ?
— T’as besoin d’argent pour vivre. Moi aussi.
— Mais… mais vous êtes Français. Il y a sûrement d’autres emplois pour vous en France. » Rachid secoue la tête, incrédule.
« Sûrement, oui. Mais celui-ci me convient.
— Comment avez-vous… atterri dans tout ça ?
— Par chance. Par la vie. J’avais le choix : putain, ou criminel, ou politicien. Ce qui est plus ou moins la même chose, de toute façon. Mon père était un politicien, tu vois, et je n’ai jamais voulu devenir comme lui.
— D’accord. Je vois », ment Rachid. Il me regarde, un jeune homme vulnérable qui me fait penser au Man with the Child in his Eyes de Kate Bush.
« Hé », je propose. « Et si on allait nager, d’accord ? » Je saute à nouveau sur mes pieds. La serviette glisse par terre comme un voile. Tout vaut mieux que de discuter mon sort. Pire encore, Rachid m’a montré la partie indemne et innocente de lui. Je ne veux pas être touché par ses yeux vulnérables, ses questions pertinentes. « Allez. » Je l’aide à se lever. « Et enlève-moi ça ! » Je tire sur ses vêtements.
Rachid se déshabille. Son corps jeune et charmant brille dans la lumière du petit matin. Il me fait un sourire narquois.
Je lui donne une tape sur les fesses, puis je pars en courant.
« Ça, tu vas me le payer ! » s’écrie-t-il en souriant et me court après.
Nous nous jetons dans les douces vagues, glorieusement nus, hurlant, nous éclaboussant, deux enfants espiègles, deux garçons intacts et pas encore souillés par la vie, tandis que le soleil se lève à l’horizon.
Disponible à partir du 30 janvier 2021 sur
| Français | English |
Sur le site du Club Littéraire du Marais, vous pouvez lire une histoire de Noël que j’ai publiée dans mon recueil de nouvelles Petites Portions.
On the website of the Club Littéraire du Marais, discover a Christmas Story I’ve published in my short story collection Small Portions.
| English |
This interview was originally published in two parts on Gay Book Reviews in 2019. Since the site was closed at the end of that year, I’ve decided to re-publish it here. Please note that you can read the French version on livresgay.fr and that there is even a Japanese translation with additional questions and answers (both in Japanese and English).
Great news! Some days ago, I sent Josh Lanyon an email asking her if she’d accept to be interviewed on Skype, and she replied straight away saying she’d be delighted. Here I am now, fiddling with the button-down shirt I’ve donned for the occasion. I know I’m not going to have high tea with royalty, but shoot me—in my eyes, Josh is somehow like Male/Male murder mystery royalty, so I felt I had to dress up a bit. I realize I could have—should have—ironed said shirt, but anyway, it’s too late now; the Call-button has been pressed. When the connection is established, I see a sunlit scenery, and the woman I only know from her writing and the odd photograph you can stumble upon on Internet is sitting near a sparkling pool, a warm smile on her face and what looks suspiciously like a glass of Irish coffee in her hands. It is Irish coffee, as she admits in an aside during our interview. A nice little breeze is stirring some chimes I can make out in the background. Their soft cling and clang will pleasantly accompany our entire conversation.
ParisDude (all smiles): Hi, Josh. How amazing to finally be able to see you in the flesh—well, as much as our cam-to-cam get-together can be called “in the flesh”.
Josh Lanyon (with a little wave): Bonjour, Dieter! Ça va?
PD (surprised): Ça va, merci. You speak French?
JL (chuckles): Oh, un peu. A very little un peu. It’s one of my ambitions. To learn French. But I’m practicing my French for next year’s Salon du Livre (the Paris Book Fair that takes place every year in March, note from PD). I’m sorry it took me so long to get to the interview, but here we are. And (laughing) please, let’s pretend I can be coherent when I’m in the homestretch of a book.
PD (nods): I can’t even imagine how busy you must be at the moment. And I’m all the happier you found the time to squeeze our little talk into your schedule. (Thoughtfully). You know, for quite a while, you’ve been something of a mystery to me, mostly because your bio on the French amazon site presents you… as a guy! They even call you John in one place…
JL (pointing at herself and laughing): Well, I identify as female (she/her), but I suspect my publishers are being super-extra careful not to offend by assuming anything. Which of course I appreciate. As for John…? (With a wink). Well, I’m sure John appreciates it, too.
PD: So, I take it Josh Lanyon is your nom de plume. How did you come up with that name?
JL: The Josh is a bit personal, so I won’t go into that, but Lanyon is from Mary Renault’s classic novel The Charioteer. I read the novel in college, and to say that it changed my life would not be an exaggeration. And this is what we always hope as writers, isn’t it? That something we write may actually change someone’s life. Or at least make them think a little.
PD: I can only agree with you. Tell me, Josh… I surmise that you make a living out of your highly successful books. But if you weren’t writing, what would you be doing today? Jobwise, I mean?
JL: I would probably be teaching at a small private college somewhere. Oh! And possibly solving the occasional murder on the side! (chuckles playfully)
I must say I’m very relieved Josh is such an easy-going person. I tend to be shy and taciturn on first sight, but she simply makes me feel at ease, as if we’d known each other since time immemorial.
PD: I’m curious—what made you start to write in the first place?
JL: I’m that weird, rare thing. A born writer. And I was very fortunate in that I always had teachers, all the way from second grade through college, who encouraged and nurtured my writerly tendencies. By fourth grade I was certain I would be A Writer. (You can hear the capital A and W here).
PD: I’m wondering what wee Joshy might have been like… a whirlwind? A Shirley-Temple-cutie-pie? Or, like me, a quiet and shy bookworm?
JL: A skinny blonde little twerp with—now-embarrassing—imaginary friends. I was a mix of shy and bossy—and am legendary within my family for frequently dragging my kid sister into trouble.
PD(laughs at that): Ha! Almost hard to believe. What did that little California girl dream of becoming? Did she already know she’d be a famous writer one day? And how many of her dreams have come true?
JL: I thought I’d own more horses, that’s for sure (winks at me). Well, the truth is, I was always a storyteller. According to my grandmother, long before I was old enough to read, I would pick up books and explain what the story was in baby talk. And then once I had graduated to coloring books, I would spend the entire coloring session telling my sisters and friends the story of whatever it was I was coloring. (As an aside). I was clearly competing for Most Annoying Child on the Planet award.
PD: Well, let’s talk shop a bit, shall we? On our French site, livresgay.fr, we’ve just been discussing your Adrien English-series, so I’d love to know: how did you come up with the idea of creating the two main characters, adorable Adrien and tortured Jake? And where did you get that highly effective idea from, you know, the one that has them pine for each other without even the slightest hint of an eventual HEA almost till the very last paragraph?
JL: May I just say that I think it’s so terrific you have this site. Wonderful! When I first started publishing gay mysteries and M/M Romance, there were NO sites like this. (Thinks it over, then shakes her head). Well, to be fair, blogging and the internet didn’t exist when I was first published. But it’s amazing to see how the world of LGBTQ genre fiction has evolved in some twenty-plus years.
Anyway, thinking back to Adrien and Jake… I’m going to disappoint you, but I don’t remember exactly how I came up with those two particular characters. Before A&J I started many stories with gay male protagonists—a number of those stories were later finished and published as M/M Mysteries—you know, I Spy Something Bloody, Cards on the Table, The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks… But at the time those were simply for my own amusement. I had no idea there was any kind of market for them (in fact, there wasn’t).
I can tell you that when I create characters, I tend to create them in pairs. I believe I instinctively come up with two people who are compatible and incompatible in key ways. That creates a natural, organic conflict—no insurmountable obstacles, but realistic, legitimate challenges that would have to be overcome. My personal experience is that most relationship difficulties—and I include all human interactions in that—stem from the inability or unwillingness to communicate.
(Laughs). Now I’m forgetting the question!
PD (prompting): Adrien and Jake, and their complex love-story…
JL: Right. With Adrien and Jake, they fall for each other almost at once—and against their better judgment—but they do have genuine obstacles. Jake starts the series a very different person with different biases and attitudes from how he ends the series. And it is his relationship—really, his friendship—with Adrien that makes that character arc, that change of heart possible.
I think that’s how it works in real life. We meet people along the way who shape our views and change our attitudes. Or at least, that’s how it works for those of us with the ability to grow and evolve. (Sends me a meaningful gaze, both playful and serious). Not everyone has that ability.
As far as the emotional impact of the story… I think by writing in first person, I was able to write with more emotional immediacy? Intensity?
PD: Yes, I get that. (Putting a finger on his lip in thought). What I always find amazing is how much you as well as many other female writers seem to know about the gay male psyche… Is it merely amazingly empathic guesswork, or do you have a bunch of gay friends you can cross-check that aspect with?
JL: I’ve always had close, positive relationships with the men in my life, which helps, I’m sure. And I’ve worked in male-dominated industries. Most of my mentors were men. And good writing is a blend of experience, education, and empathy. You need all three to tell any kind of meaningful story. IMHO.
(Leans forward). Here is a very weird thing, and I have no idea how to explain it or why it would be true. For some reason the books I wrote about gay men were ten times more “real” (makes quotation marks in the air) as far as the characters and their relationships, than the novels I wrote about female protagonists. Maybe I feel pressure to create a certain type of female protagonist? Whereas, writing gay men allowed me simply to observe and relate—you know, relate as in report what I saw in the world around me, but also as in… connect with emotionally?
PD: I see. But there’s also the physical, bodily side… I mean… (winks)… the “mechanics” are not that hard to figure out, I guess, but all the rest? Sensations, emotions, thought processes during the carnal act? Not for all the world could I imagine what a woman experiences when making love. How come you seem to know so well what goes on inside us guys? (Chuckles). Are we really so easy to read?
JL: A certain type of writer—and men and women are equally guilty of this—focuses on the mechanics of sex, but when you’re having sex, you’re not focused on the technical aspects. (Jokes). Correction, maybe the very first time—AM I DOING THIS RIGHT???—but after that…no. (Grows serious) So, this…preoccupation with plumbing misses the very point, the very power of the sexual experience.
Sex is a very personal, intimate thing. But certain human experiences are universal. Our need as infants for touch, for example, and how it affects emotional and psychological development if we don’t get that. So, I try to always make sure my scenes are A – true to the characters—and every character has a unique history and their own psychological profile, and B – true to recognizable and relatable human experience.
(Laughs and winks). Okay, and yes, of course, I’m a grown-up sexually active woman who is reasonably experienced and reasonably observant!
PD: I always think of you as the Britishest US-author—sorry for that word—because your writing reminds me of Agatha Christie, E.F. Benson, or your fellow countrywoman, Elizabeth Peters, especially your pitch-perfect dialogues and the wry humour you show in, say, the Adrien-English-series or Séance on a Summer’s Night, for example. Did you read much British authors?
JL: My family background is what they used to call “Scotch-Irish”—(air quotation marks again, accompanied by a laugh)—which is accurate, given the amount of drinking that went on—with a bit of French, Italian and Welsh thrown in for emotional variety. I grew up in the Southern California Scottish sub-culture. (Seeing my amused expression, she adds) Yes, that is a thing!—My sisters and I learned highland dance, country dance, I studied Gaelic, and we’ve been in a Celtic folk band for just about thirty years. I grew up surrounded by Brits—Scots in particular—so yes, I grew up reading British crime writers. I read writers like Georgette Heyer, Ellis Peters, Agatha Christie, and all the Golden Age greats long before I got around to American crime writers like Chandler, Hammett, Hansen.
PD: Do you still have time to read?
JL: I’m trying to find more time to read this year.
PD: What genres do you prefer?
JL: Mystery is definitely my preferred genre. Before I published Fatal Shadows I had literally read every single gay (and most lesbian) mystery published before 2000. My preference is actually vintage mystery. Particularly those written in the 1940s. In fact, my husband—the writer/critic Kevin Burton Smith—and I are working on a non-fiction book tentatively titled Mr. and Mrs. Murder about fictional married sleuthing couples prior to the 1960s.
PD: Oh, such as Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence Beresford! Just love those characters.
JL: Correct! Yes. Very good!
PD: Now to something completely different. In early August, your latest novel, Mainly by Moonlight, will be released. If I’ve counted correctly, that’ll be the fourth novel you publish this year—to say nothing of your participation in the M/M Mystery Romance Anthology Footsteps in the Dark. How do you manage to be so prolific? Do have you have a special writing schedule? When do you have time for your hobbies—I gather you do have hobbies?
JL: In theory I do have hobbies! I love to garden, swim, watch classic film noir with the SO, chase my crazy little dog around the house and yard. (As a matter of fact, her dog, which she tells me is called Marlowe the Mutt, is currently curled on the back of her chair, snoring into her neck). I would love to read more. (Her expression becomes somewhat longing before she shakes it off.) I’m having a productive year, yes, but this is the most productive year in a very long time. I had a serious burnout in…God. When was it? 2012? I had done fourteen projects the previous year—three for mainstream publishers—and I had a spectacular crash and burn. I couldn’t bear to think of writing. Anything. At all. It was frightening. And it’s taken me this long to get back to what I consider a healthy and reasonable full speed.
PD: I also noticed how well edited and almost typo- and error-free your novels are, not counting the tiny errors the good old “shit happens”-ghost sprinkles any written work with. Do you proofread your work yourself, or do you have a special someone who does it for you? If it’s the latter, a big kudos to her/him…
JL (lights up): Merci! I’ll pass your compliments to the chef (winks at me). I use Keren Reed for editing most of the time. I can also recommend Deb Nemeth (she does all my Carina books) and Dianne Thies for copyediting.
PD: What are your next writing projects? Any chance we might get a sequel to the Adrien English-series? I guess I’m neither the first nor the only one to ask that question…
JL (with mock surprise): WHAAAA??? I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!!!! I don’t currently have another AE novel in me. However, next year is the 20th anniversary of Fatal Shadows, so there will certainly be some kind of AE fiction happening. Most likely codas, but perhaps a short story or a novella. We’ll have to see.
PD: Mmmh… Can’t wait to be there and read it! By the way, my boyfriend is frustrated so little books have been translated into French. Do you have any projects in that sense? You’d make one man exceedingly happy as it is…
JL: MxM Bookmark does plan on translating the Art of Murder series and the Holmes & Moriarity series, so that’s good news, I hope. Of course, they can only publish so much, so I am open to working with an additional French publisher should one come along. I do have a lot of books out there needing translation.
PD: Have you already visited France? Or my home-country, Austria?
JL: No! Next year will be my first trip to France. I’m very excited. Sadly, I’ve never been to Austria. It always looks like a fairy-tale kingdom to me.
PD: It’s worth a trip, I can tell you. And I’m not only saying this because it’s my home-country… (Looks at his list of questions). Tell me—if you were to name only one, what would be your Favourite Book Ever, you know, with capital F, B, and E?
JL: I know some people can answer this, but I’m not one of them! Different books have meant different things to me at different points in my life. Sometimes these books stand the test of time, sometimes they don’t, but they all “do their work” (air quotation marks) as it were. I can say that the book that most influenced me was, as I mentioned, The Charioteer, by Mary Renault, but I’m not sure even that book would be my single most favorite book.
PD: Sometimes, we read a book and can’t help musing, ‘Darn—why haven’t I written this!’ Is there any such book you can think of?
JL: Ack. Again, I’m going to disappoint you. I’ve never read anything that I wished I had written. I’ve read things so good—and so bad!—I found them inspirational. I’ve read things I’ve loved and things I’ve thought, ‘Hm, how can I capture that feel in my own writing?’ Maybe when I was very young. I remember reading The Egypt Game and thinking it was the most fantastic book.
PD: Your upcoming release, Mainly by Moonlight, seems to be a murder mystery with a witchy twist (claps hands with excitement). Just for the record—two of my favourite genres! Now, I remember the first time I came upon that mix—murder mystery cum paranormal—in your writing when reading The Darkling Thrush. What made you stray, if I may say so, from your usual path?
JL: Well, you know as much as I love mystery, it’s fun to try different things. Also, it’s good to learn new things, to stretch those creative muscles. It keeps it fresh for me, and it attracts new readers. I like writing romantic, funny holiday stories too—and I try to do one each year. One of the best things I did—though maybe one of the least popular—was the Edwardian mash-up Curse of the Blue Scarab. There are some projects worth doing simply because they test you, which pushes you to be a better writer.
PD: Mainly by Moonlight is announced as the first book in a series called Bedknobs and Broomsticks. May I be so bold as to ask you if we can get a glimpse of the future instalments?
JL: I love, love, love this new trilogy. It’s—at least I hope!—funny and romantic and poignant and, yes, mysterious and magical. But at heart it’s an exploration of what it means to love. The story begins with Cosmo, who happens to be a witch, falling in love at first sight with John, who is non-magical and, worse, not terribly romantic. But Cosmo’s best friend—unbeknownst to Cosmo—casts a love spell on John. So, we have a relationship that starts out based on a false premise. By the time the spell is removed from John, he thinks he’s in love—maybe he is in love?—, and their wedding is two days away. Oh, and Cosmo is suspected of murder. So… it’s complicated. And in the second book, due out later this year, matters get far more complicated when John learns that Cosmo is, in fact, a witch. That’s when all hell breaks loose—though hopefully not literally. (She laughs at that).
PD: You’re very successful with M/M murder mystery romances. Is there another genre you’d like to explore?
JL: Eventually, I’ll probably transition to non-fiction; I see that as a natural progression. But for whatever reason, right now I’m experiencing a kind of creative renaissance, and I’m full of ideas and stories. The challenge is finding time to actually write everything buzzing in my brain.
PD: Speaking of time—my gosh! I didn’t see it fly by! I guess I should let you do some more writing. Again, a huge thanks for talking to me!
JL: Thank you so much, Dieter, for such thoughtful and entertaining questions. I enjoyed chatting with you!
Update December 2020: Many things have changed, as you can imagine, since this interview took place in 2019. For one, Josh was supposed to come to Paris in early 2020 for the Salon du livre, which, because of the pandemic, was cancelled. Therefore, the drink she and I were meant to have didn’t take place either, alas. Let’s hope we’ll be able to have it in the near future. On a more positive note, Josh released the first two books of a new cosy murder mystery series, Secrets and Scrabble, and plans to release three more books next year, for which I and all the other Josh Lanyon-fans are waiting with bated breath.
For more information and updates about Josh Lanyon, please visit her website.
