More audiobook goodness from Joe Cosentino’s Nicky and Noah Series

Joe Cosentino’s back today with an interview with his own characters – something that amused me a great deal! – to talk about his latest Nicky and Noah book out in audio format. Drama Runway is narrated by Caleb A Meacham, in the N-duo’s tenth outing in audio. Read the interview here!

Q&A with Nicky Abbondanza and Noah Oliver

the leading characters in Drama Runway, the 10th Nicky and Noah novel by Joe Cosentino now an audiobook performed by Caleb A Meacham

Joe: Hi, Nicky and Noah. How are my very own Holmes and Watson?

Nicky: I always thought Holmes was a homo.

Noah: And John was his john.

Joe: Moving right along. Congratulations on the release of the tenth audio book in your award-winning and popular Nicky and Noah gay cozy mystery series!

Nicky: Thanks. It’s great to get out of the book and stretch out in the audio book. As you know, I have a big head.

Noah: Two actually.

Joe: What do you both think about Caleb A Meacham’s performance in your latest audio book?

Nicky: Like me, Caleb is an amazingly talented actor. He sounds more like me than me!

Noah: As you know, the Nicky and Noah mysteries are loaded with humor, mystery, romance, clues, red herrings, and a shocking but happy ending.

Nicky: Pun intended.

Noah: Caleb performed each character differently and perfectly, exactly as they really speak. I marveled at how he created over twenty different and wildly entertaining voices with such perfect comic timing.

Nicky: It takes a great actor to know a great actor. (smile)

Joe: Nicky, since the readers can’t see you both. Describe Noah.

Nicky: My hubby is tall, with golden blond hair, and crystal blue eyes. He smells like fields of strawberries. And he’s all mine.

Noah: That’s so sweet.

Nicky: Thank Joe. He wrote it.

Joe: And Nicky?

Noah: My Nicky is tall, with thick dark hair, a sexy Roman nose, and piercing eyes like emeralds. Thanks to the gym on campus, he has quite a muscular body, which I tend to enjoy quite often. Not to mention his nearly foot long—

Joe: Hotdogs he brings home for dinner. What makes this series so special?

Nicky and Noah: Us!

Nicky: The Nicky and Noah mysteries is a gay cozy mystery comedy series, meaning the setting is warm and cozy, the clues and murders (and laughs) come fast and furious, and there are enough plot twists and turns and a surprise ending to keep the pages turning faster than a priest lassoing an altar boy with his rosary beads. At the center is the touching relationship between Professor of Play Directing Nicky Abbondanza (that’s me).

Noah: And Associate Professor of Acting Noah Oliver. You watch us go from courting to marrying to adopting a child, all the while head over heels in love with each other (as you fall in love with us). Reviewers called the series “hysterically funny farce,” “Murder She Wrote meets Hart to Hart meets The Hardy Boys,” and “captivating whodunits.” One reviewer wrote they are the funniest books she’s ever read! Another said you’re “a master storyteller,” Joe.

Nicky: But she didn’t mention that we tell you everything to write.

Joe: How are the novels cozy?

Noah: Many of them take place in Vermont, a cozy state with green pastures, white church steeples, glowing lakes, and friendly and accepting people. Fictitious Treemeadow College (named after its gay founders, couple Tree and Meadow) is the perfect setting for a cozy mystery with its white Edwardian buildings, low white stone fences, lake and mountain views, and cherry wood offices with tall leather chairs and fireplaces.

Nicky: Plus, I’m a cozy kind of guy. I like to cuddle.

Noah: With me.

Joe: Tell us about your current release.

Nicky: I don’t think we should talk about our sex lives.

Joe: I meant the current audio book release.

Nicky: Ah. I’m on loan from the Theatre Department, directing a fashion show for the Fashion Department at Treemeadow College—founded by gay lovers Tree and Meadow. The plan is to showcase the new black leather line by famous fashion designer Ulla Ultimate of Ultimate Fashion (FU for short). The visiting professor’s rebellious son, Treemeadow fashion student Cory Ultimate, is featured as one of the models. The other hot and hunky male student models are feuding exes Shane Buff and Julio Bonero, and picked upon plus-size (Try saying that three times fast at a microphone) model Cosmo Capra. As rehearsals for the show begin, I’m happier than an anti-gay politician in a drag show. However, I find out quickly the runway is a dangerous place as sexy male models drop faster than their leather chaps. Noah and I need to use our drama skills to figure out who is taking the term “a cut male model” literally before my hubby and I end up steamed in the wardrobe steamer.

Joe: Why did you pick a fashion show as the setting for book ten?

Nicky: You picked it, Joe! As usual, we had no choice but to come along for the ride.

Noah: And what a ride it was! The anticipation in the air, flashing lights, pounding music, enticing runway, gorgeous models, captivating clothes, and revealing costume malfunctions.

Joe: And all your favorite people are back!

Nicky: To keep peace in the family (and arsenic out of my oatmeal), I cast my handsome husband, Associate Professor of Acting Noah Oliver, and our adopted son, Taavi, as models in the show.

Noah: Of course our best friends, Theatre Department Head Martin Anderson and his long suffering spouse Ruben, are producers, with office assistant Shayla Johnson on hand to supply sassy remarks.

Nicky: Try saying that three times fast and not spraying someone’s face. My best sparring partner, Detective Manuello, and Noah’s and my both sets of riotous parents are also along for the fun.

Joe: Does a reader need to have read or listened the first nine books before reading or listening to book ten?

Nicky: No. Each book is a separate mystery—all about us! However, I recommend reading them in order to watch how I nab Noah and we start our family. It’s quite a story! The order is Drama Queen (Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Novel of the Year), Drama Muscle (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Dance (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Faerie, and now Drama Runway (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention).

Joe: Who are the new characters/suspects/victims for book ten?

Noah: Added to the colorful cast of regular characters are Lila Hekekia, a fashion design student screaming for “religious freedom” as she eyes Ulla’s show for herself. Lila’s pursuit takes a spin when she finds out her current squeeze, Associate Professor of Fashion Design Tyler Greenway, had a questionable past with Ulla. Accident-prone fashion student, Johnny Riley, has a secret known only to muscular stage managing student, Hoss Packer. Businessman Miles Jeffrey has been hired by Ulla to find a husband for Cory, in hopes that her son will finally settle down. Miles finds it to be a difficult task given Cory’s penchant for throwing himself at the other male models.

Nicky: As passions and tempers explode, once again Noah, our friends, and mostly me use our theatrical skills to trap the murderer in a shocking climax—no pun intended.

Joe: Who was your favorite new character in Drama Runway?

Nicky: Johnny Riley, with each of his fingers bandaged from sewing in the shop, is an absolute hoot. His romance with muscular Hoss Packer, the student stage manager, is quite touching (pun intended) as well.

Noah: Johnny’s personal secret isn’t revealed until later in the book. It’s a doozy!

Joe: Which new character do you like the least in book ten?

Noah: Lila Hekekia is riotously funny as the student crying “religious discrimination” whenever she doesn’t get something she wants.

Nicky: Like so many evangelicals today, she practices quite the opposite of what she preaches, and she is shocked when others—like me—stand up to her bigotry.

Joe: Which new character was the hardest to understand?

Nicky: Ulla’s son Cory is wild, wicked, and wonton. (Try saying that three times fast while putting on lipstick.) However, he is acting out in hopes of gaining his mother’s attention, and ultimately her love. Their dynamic is quite layered and interesting. Kudos to you Joe, but mostly to me.

Joe: Which new character in book ten was the sexiest?

Noah: Ulla’s assistant, Miles Jeffrey, is secure in his own gorgeous skin. He knows what he wants, and ultimately (pun intended) how to get it. But he’s not sexier than Nicky.

Nicky: Or Noah.

Joe: Why do you think there aren’t many other gay cozy mystery series out there?

Nicky: Most MM novels are erotica, young adult, dark thrillers, or supernatural. While that’s fine, I think we’re missing a whole spectrum of fiction. In the case of the Nicky and Noah mysteries, they include romance, humor, mystery, adventure, and quaint and loveable characters in uncanny situations. The settings are warm and cozy with lots of hot cocoa by the fireplace. The clues and red herrings are there for the perfect whodunit. So are the plot twists and turns and a surprise ending to keep the pages turning faster than a conservative politician removing environmental regulations. No matter what is thrown in our path, Noah and I always end up on top. At least I end up on top.

Noah: Which is just fine with me.

Joe: When you appeared in Drama Queen, did you envision this as a series?

Noah: Totally. Though each book has its own complete story and ending, you wrote the first three books together. When they were so popular, you kept writing—with us whispering into your ear.

Joe: I’ve been told the books would make a terrific TV series. Who would you like to play you?

Nicky: Here’s our cast wish list: Matt Bomer as me, Neil Patrick Harris as Noah, Rosie O’Donnell and Bruce Willis as Noah’s parents, Valerie Bertinelli and Jay Leno as my parents, you as Martin Anderson (nepotism!), Nathan Lane as Martin’s husband Ruben, Wanda Sykes as Martin’s office assistant Shayla, and Joe Manganiello as my brother, Tony.

Joe: How can your readers get their hands on the new audio book of Drama Runway, and how can they contact you?

Noah: The purchase links are below.

Nicky: And readers can contact Noah and me through your web site. We love to hear from readers!

Joe: Thank you, Nicky and Noah, for interviewing today.

Nicky: It is our joy and pleasure to share our tenth audio book in the series.

Noah: So take your seats, everyone. The runway lights are flashing, the music is pulsating, and the models are ready to enter.

Joe: Curtain up on the ultimate in fashion, and of course hilarity, romance, and murder

Nicky and Noah: Nicky and Noah style!

About the Audio Book

DRAMA RUNWAY (the 10th Nicky and Noah mystery), a comedy/mystery/romance novel by JOE COSENTINO

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LISTEN TO A SAMPLE HERE

It’s spring break at Treemeadow College, and theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza is directing a runway show for the Fashion Department. Joining him are his spouse, theatre professor Noah Oliver, their son Taavi, and their best friend and department head, Martin Anderson. The show, designed by visiting professor Ulla Ultimate, is bound to be the ultimate event of the season. And bound it is with designs featuring black leather and chains. When sexy male models drop faster than their leather chaps, Nicky and Noah will need to use their drama skills to figure out who is taking the term “a cut male model” literally before Nicky and Noah end up steamed in the wardrobe steamer. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining tenth novel in this delightful series. Take your seats. The runway is lighting up with hunky models, volatile designers, bitter exes, newfound lovers, and murder!

Rainbow Award Honorable Mention!

Praise for the Nicky and Noah mysteries

“Joe Cosentino has a unique and fabulous gift. His writing is flawless, and his use of farce, along with his convoluted plotlines, will have you guessing until the very last page, which makes his books a joy to read. His books are worth their weight in gold, and if you haven’t discovered them yet you are in for a rare treat.” Divine Magazine

“a combination of Laurel and Hardy mixed with Hitchcock and Murder She Wrote… Loaded with puns and one-liners…Right to the end, you are kept guessing, and the conclusion still has a surprise in store for you.” “the best modern Sherlock and Watson in books today…I highly recommend this book and the entire series, it’s a pure pleasure, full of fun and love, written with talent and brio…fabulous…brilliant” Optimumm Book Reviews

“adventure, mystery, and romance with every page….Funny, clever, and sweet….I can’t find anything not to love about this series….This read had me laughing and falling in love….Nicky and Noah are my favorite gay couple.” Urban Book Reviews

“For fans of Joe Cosentino’s hilarious mysteries, this is another vintage story with more cheeky asides and sub plots right left and centre….The story is fast paced, funny and sassy. The writing is very witty with lots of tongue-in-cheek humour….Highly recommended.” Boy Meets Boy Reviews

“Every entry of the Nicky and Noah mystery series is rife with intrigue, calamity, and hilarity…Cosentino keeps us guessing – and laughing – until the end, as well as leaving us breathlessly anticipating the next Nicky and Noah thriller.” Edge Media Network

“A laugh and a murder, done in the style we have all come to love….This had me from the first paragraph….Another wonderful story with characters you know and love!” Crystals Many Reviewers

“These two are so entertaining….Their tactics in finding clues and the crazy funny interactions between characters keeps the pages turning. For most of the book if I wasn’t laughing I was grinning.” Jo and Isa Love Books

“Superb fun from start to finish, for me this series gets stronger with every book and that’s saying something because the benchmark was set so very high with book 1.” Three Books Over the Rainbow

“The Nicky and Noah Mysteries series are perfect for fans of the Cozy Mystery sub-genre. They mix tongue-in-cheek humor, over-the-top characters, a wee bit of political commentary, and suspense into a sweet little mystery solved by Nicky and Noah, theatre professors for whom all the world’s a stage.” Prism Book Alliance

“This is one hilarious series with a heart and it just keeps getting better. I highly recommend them all, and please read them in the order they were written for full blown laugh out loud reading pleasure!” Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

ABOUT JOE

Joe Cosentino was voted Favorite MM Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen, the first Nicky and Noah mystery novel. He is also the author of the remaining Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance, Drama Faerie, Drama Runway, Drama Christmas, Drama Pan, Drama TV, Drama Oz, Drama Prince, Drama Merry, Drama Daddy, Drama King; the Player Piano Mysteries: The Player and The Player’s Encore; the Jana Lane Mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll; the Cozzi Cove series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Moving Forward, Stepping Out, New Beginnings, Happy Endings; the In My Heart Anthology: An Infatuation & A Shooting Star; the Tales from Fairyland Anthology: The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland and Holiday Tales from Fairyland; the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories Anthology: A Home for the Holidays, The Perfect Gift, The First Noel; and the Found At Last Anthology: Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando. His books have won numerous Book of the Month awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions. As an actor, Joe appeared in principal roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Jason Robards, and Holland Taylor. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Goddard College, Master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz, and is currently a happily married college theatre professor/department chair residing in New York State.