Today we are excited to welcome author Quinn Loftis to Contessa at the Crossroads for an interview. This interview can also be found in the Never Too Old for YA Books group on Goodreads.
You may know of Quinn's books:
Jaque Pierce was just an ordinary 17 year old girl getting ready to start her senior year in high school in Coldspring, Texas. When a mysterious foreign exchange student from Romania moves in across the street, Jacque and her two best friends, Sally and Jen, don't realize the last two weeks of their summer was going to get a lot more interesting. From the moment Jacque sets eyes on Fane she feels an instant connection, a pull like a moth to a flame. Little does she know that the flame she is drawn to is actually a Canis lupis, werewolf, and she just happens to be his mate; the other half of his soul. The problem is Fane is not the only wolf in Coldspring, Texas. Just as Fane and Jacque are getting to know each other, another wolf steps out to try and claim Jacque as his mate. Fane will now have to fight for the right to complete the mating bond, something that is his right by birth but is being denied him by a crazed Alpha. Will the love Fane has for Jacque be enough to give him the strength to defeat his enemy, will Jacque accept that she is Fane's mate and complete the bond between them?
The Grey Wolves Series
Before tonight Cassie Tate’s biggest concerns were whether she could pass Algebra and how she was going to keep Elora, her best friend, from dressing her in a skimpy fairy costume for Halloween. Her feet were firmly planted in suburban reality and she had no reason to believe her life would be anything but that of a typical teenager. That is until tonight, when Cassie saw something that no human was ever supposed to see; in the blink of an eye she was thrown into the world of the Light and Dark Elves.He comes from a realm where light and dark have fought for millennia. He is of a race known to humans only in myths and legends. The darkness that lives inside him is a part of both who and what he is and it makes him the most gifted spy and assassin in the history of his time. His life is not his own; he lives in the service of the Dark Elf King. He slays who he must, has mercy on no one, is relentless in his hunt, and never tires of seeing his prey fall. He is Triktapic, assassin, spy, most feared of the Dark Elves.
Now, in the midst of his King’s complicated plans to expand the Dark Elves’ holdings into the mortal realm, for the first time, Trik finds his loyalties divided. For no Elf, Dark or Light, can turn away from their Chosen.
Unbeknownst to the mortal realm, the battle between Light and Dark is being brought to their doorstep. The only one who can keep it at bay holds darkness in his heart like a lover, and the one who can sway that heart must decide if she can look beyond his black past, beyond his evil nature and see the man he is destined to be.
The question must be asked, does love really cover a multitude of sins? Can true love actually conquer all or will his darkness consume those around him until all that stands is an assassin with the blood of the mortal realm on his hands?
Elfin Series
Don't they look good?
So without further ado, let's hear what Quinn has to say!
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
After reading A Wrinkle in Time and thinking how awesome it would be to create magical worlds for people to escape to.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Roughly 2.5 months, sometimes 3
What do you think makes a great story?
Engaging characters, description that brings the book to life, exciting plot.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I write in the morning for about 3 hours and then again in the afternoon for about 2 hours. In between I’m picking up my son from school and trying to get some exercise in.
How do you balance family and writing?
Very carefully, lol. Just kidding. The evenings are for my family. That’s when I spend time with my husband and son. We eat dinner together and then spend time together.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Ideas just float around in my head and usually as I write the story begins to form. If I need facts I research on the internet.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
It’s not as easy as one might think. Keeping the facts straight, creating characters that are endearing, strong, evil, emotional, it’s all very challenging.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
6 books so far, working on book 7. My favorite is Beyond the Veil
Are your characters based on anyone you know?
The 3 girls are loosely based on 3 of my best friends from high school
Do you have a favorite place you love to write?
My dining room table and the library café.
Tell us one thing we wouldn’t know already know about you.
I love the smell of scotch tape.
What do your family and friends think about your books?
So far they all like them.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Watch T.V., crochet, read, spend time with family and friends
Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves and their craft? If so, what are they?
Write as often as you can about whatever pops into your head. Write what you know. Remember that you will always be learning. You can never decide that you have “arrived” because that is when your writing will become irrelevant.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
A zoologist, then a writer. Good thing the writer thing worked out cuz I suck at science.
What are your favorite books and which authors inspire you?
Pride and Prejudice, the Bible, Harry Potter Series, Mercy Thompson Series
For an aspiring writer what do you feel are certain do's and don’ts for writing a successful book?
Don’t try to please everyone. Do show don’t tell (look this up, I didn’t know what it meant). Don’t stress over bad reviews. Do talk to other authors and get tips and encouragement from them.
What are you working on now?
Book 6 in the Grey Wolves Series, Fate and Fury.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Quinn. It's been great having you here with us!
Quinn is a wife, mother, nurse, and writer...not always in that order. She loves to read, write, crochet, and sleep when she can. She has a beautiful little boy and awesome husband who puts up with her crazy hours.
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