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The Inside Reader: Kate McMurray
May. 18th, 2010 11:55 amShow me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends - Silas Weir MitchellI have only "met" Kate McMurray recently, her first book, In Hot Pursuit, came out with Loose Id and I almost missed it. Then one night I decided to "test" a new author, and Kate's book was there in my reading list... it was love at first read, Kate had it all, good characters, strong plot, hot sex. I highly recommend her book, and I'm really glad to host her today.
Kate McMurray's Inside Reader List
I have a confession to make up front: I am a book hoarder. I own more than can probably reasonably fit in my New York City apartment. Then I got an e-reader last year, which at least means I don’t have to find spaces to put new books, but I just buy even more. Which is all to say that I have read a lot of books, and own a lot of books, and it’s really, really hard to distill my favorites into a list of ten. What follows is a list, mostly of LGBT novels with some romance thrown in for good measure, that is a strange hodgepodge of books I think are important, books that influenced me as a writer, and books I just like a whole lot. In no particular order.
1) Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon. Aside from the Adrien English mysteries just being a really fantastic series (I bought The Dark Tide the day it came out and then let it sit for a month because I was so sad to see the series end), Fatal Shadows has the dubious distinction of being the first ebook I ever bought, and it served as my gateway drug to the greater world of e-publishers and m/m romance. Plus, I could easily populate half this list with Lanyon’s books. I think his special gift is the novella; I continue to be impressed by how he can give you everything you need to understand the characters and situations in so few words. Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: MLR Press; 2nd edition (May 9, 2007)
Publisher Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=FATL0001
ISBN-10: 0979311047
ISBN-13: 978-0979311048
Amazon: Fatal Shadows
Someone's out to get Los Angeles bookseller Adrien English. His best friend has been viciously murdered, now he's getting weird phone calls and sinister gifts from a mysterious "admirer." The cops think he's trying to divert suspicion from himself-with the exception of sexy and homophobic homicide detective Jake Riordan. Is Riordan really such a great detective--or does he have a few secrets of his own? Is his offer to help Adrien on the level or is he out to nail his favorite suspect -- to the wall?
2) Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann. I love the Troubleshooter series. I come from a big military family, so I think there’s just something about soldier stories that I find appealing, plus Brockmann’s books suspense, mystery, romance, and witty dialogue. This series was also the first place I’d seen a full-on gay romance in what I’d consider to be the mainstream. Gay characters pop up in fiction all the time, though mostly as sidekicks, and I thought that was what Brockmann was doing with Jules Cassidy—without a doubt my favorite character in the whole series—until Hot Target, when Jules meets Robin. One thing I also appreciate about the series is that, even after the HEA (in All Through the Night, which I’ve read, like, three times), Brockmann never gives short shrift to Robin’s alcoholism, never just sweeps it under the carpet. It’s still a problem he’s dealing with later in the series. Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1St Edition edition (November 29, 2005)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345456953
ISBN-10: 0345456955
ISBN-13: 978-0345456953
Amazon: Hot Target
New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann knows exactly what makes hearts race and pulses pound: peril and passion. No one succeeds more brilliantly at blending these exhilarating elements in breathtaking novels of men and women forced to grapple with the deepest emotions and the highest risks. And there’s no better proof than her new novel of suspense: Hot Target aims to thrill on every level. Like most men of action, Navy SEAL Chief Cosmo Richter never learned how to take a vacation. So when he finds himself facing a month’s leave, he offers his services to Troubleshooters Incorporated. Founded by a former SEAL, the private-sector security firm is a major player in the ongoing war against terrorism, known for carrying out covert missions too volatile for official U.S. military action. But the first case Richter takes on is anything but under the radar. High-profile maverick movie producer Jane Mercedes Chadwick hasn’t quite completed her newest film, but she’s already courting controversy. The World War II epic frankly portrays the homosexuality of a real-life hero–and the storm of advance media buzz surrounding it has drawn the fury of extremist groups. But despite a relentless campaign of angry E-mails, phone calls, and smear tactics, Chadwick won’t be pressured into abandoning the project. Then the harassment turns to death threats. While the FBI appears on the scene, nervous Hollywood associates call in Troubleshooters, and now Chadwick has an army of round-the-clock bodyguards, whether she likes it or not. And she definitely doesn’t. But her stubbornness doesn’t make FBI agent Jules Cassidy’s job any easier. The fiercely independent filmmaker presents yet another emotional obstacle that Cassidy doesn’t need–he’s already in the midst of a personal tug-of-war with his ex-lover, while fighting a growing attraction to Chadwick’s brother. Determined to succeed–and survive–on her own terms, Chadwick will face off with enemies and allies alike. But she doesn’t count on the bond she forms with the quiet, capable Cosmo Richter. Yet even as their feelings bring them closer, the noose of deadly terror all around them draws tighter. And when all hell erupts, desire and desperate choices will collide on a killing ground that may trap them both in the crossfire.
( books from 3 to 11 )
About Kate McMurray: Kate has been writing since she could hold a pen. She has a degree in English literature from a big school in New England. By day, she is a nonfiction editor. She also plays the violin, has a lot of unfinished craft projects, and reads a lot of books. She’s maybe a tiny bit obsessed with baseball. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with a presumptuous cat.
In Hot Pursuit by Kate McMurray Publisher: Loose Id LLC (February 16, 2010)
Publisher Link: http://www.loose-id.com/In-Hot-Pursuit.aspx
ISBN-13: 978-1-60737-517-3
Amazon: In Hot Pursuit
Hard-working NYPD cop Noah Tobin didn’t even want to go on vacation. But it’s been a tough eighteen months since the death of his lover, so he’s determined to make the most of it. On his first night in sunny Florida, a chance encounter with a handsome man in a bar bathroom jumpstarts something in Noah that’s been dormant for all those months. Then the man disappears.
Noah’s vacation is thrown into upheaval because he can’t just let it go when he learns that the mysterious man who turned his life upside down went missing. He volunteers to help with the manhunt for his mystery man, a wealthy restaurateur named Harrison Knowles. But finding Harry is only the beginning of Noah's hot pursuit.
1) Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon. Aside from the Adrien English mysteries just being a really fantastic series (I bought The Dark Tide the day it came out and then let it sit for a month because I was so sad to see the series end), Fatal Shadows has the dubious distinction of being the first ebook I ever bought, and it served as my gateway drug to the greater world of e-publishers and m/m romance. Plus, I could easily populate half this list with Lanyon’s books. I think his special gift is the novella; I continue to be impressed by how he can give you everything you need to understand the characters and situations in so few words. 
2) Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann. I love the Troubleshooter series. I come from a big military family, so I think there’s just something about soldier stories that I find appealing, plus Brockmann’s books suspense, mystery, romance, and witty dialogue. This series was also the first place I’d seen a full-on gay romance in what I’d consider to be the mainstream. Gay characters pop up in fiction all the time, though mostly as sidekicks, and I thought that was what Brockmann was doing with Jules Cassidy—without a doubt my favorite character in the whole series—until Hot Target, when Jules meets Robin. One thing I also appreciate about the series is that, even after the HEA (in All Through the Night, which I’ve read, like, three times), Brockmann never gives short shrift to Robin’s alcoholism, never just sweeps it under the carpet. It’s still a problem he’s dealing with later in the series. 
In Hot Pursuit by Kate McMurray 
