Welcome special guest: author Erin Quinn (@ErinQuinnAuthor)

Today we have Erin Quinn visiting. An award winning author, her books have been called “riveting,” “brilliantly plotted” and “beautifully written” and have won, placed or showed in the Booksellers Best, WILLA Award for Historical fiction, the Orange Rose, Golden Quill, Best Books,  and Award of Excellence. The fourth book in her Mists of Ireland series, HAUNTING EMBRACE, will be in bookstores October 2011.


* So, Erin, what inspired you to become a writer?
For me, as with so many writers I know, the inspiration is more of a calling.  I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write or want to be a writer.  The fascination with words and putting them together to make that perfect sentence (description, line of dialogue, action—fill in the blank) keeps me at it every day.
* When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
I think I was nine or ten.  It was about fairies that lived in a tree.  I’ve no idea where it is now.
* How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?

I’m one of those few who sold the first book I ever wrote to the first editor who ever read it (but before you hate me, let me follow that by saying that I went on to make every beginners mistake ever made and it then took me ten years before I sold my second book).
* What genre(s) do you write in? What drew you to write in it/them? What’s your favorite genre of all to write in?
Paranormal romance is what I love to write.  I think I came to this genre naturally and before it could even be called a genre.  When I started there was romance and there was horror and never the twain should meet.  I loved them both but always longed for elements of one to find their way into the other.  My first novel fell pretty solidly in romantic suspense, but then I wanted to branch out and write something different.  (see above, beginners mistakes).  At the time, different didn’t have a home.  No one was publishing paranormal and no one knew what to do with my past-life paranormal.  I am so glad that times have changed and those locked doors are easier to get through these days.  Different definitely has a place in the romance genre now.
* What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
I don’t have a worst advice story to share but I have 3 bests.  :)
     First, move on.  If you finish a book and you don’t sell it right away, don’t spend years revising it and trying to sell it.  Write something new.  It was a hard lesson for me to learn but I’ve learned it well.
     Second is along the same lines.  The only thing that sells more books is more books.  You need to write and then write some more.  You need more than 1 book on the shelf to gain any momentum in your career.
     Third, don’t write what you know—write what you want to know.  I think this one should be set in stone and placed on every writer’s desk.
{Thanks for the advice! They’re great words for a writer to live by.}
* How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?
     I used to cry (either way, ha ha).  Now I look at it much differently.  I have a book that I started that I know (I mean in the pit of my gut know) is

brilliant.  Can’t sell it because it’s just too different.  (Do you see a trend in my career?)  Five years ago—even two years ago, I would have been devastated.  Now, I’m looking at it as a chance to stretch my boundaries and publish it on my own.  If it’s as good as I think it is—well, you know what happens.  If it’s not, well then, I guess I’ll know.
     Selling a book to a publisher is actually not the hardest part of publishing.  Getting readers to pick it up, to take a chance on a new author—that’s the challenge.  So acceptance by a publisher is grand—don’t get me wrong.  But it’s not the golden ticket.
* In regard to the book you’re promoting, which actor and actress do you envision playing the roles of your hero and heroine? If there’s a villain or other characters who are pertinent to the story, who would play those parts?
For Haunting Embrace, I think Áedán would be Joe Manganiello (excuse me while I fan myself).  For Meaghan, she’d be a cross between Natalie Portman and Rachel McAdams.
{Oh my. *Fanning self* Joe is yummy!}
* The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
Haunting Embrace is the 4^th in my Mists of Ireland series and the last of this particular story arc.  (Although I do have stories in mind for some of the other characters I’ve introduced in the series).
     The books are in this order:
 ~ Haunting Beauty, Mists of Ireland 1 (which is being re-released in mass market paperback September 6)
 ~ Haunting Warrior, Mists of Ireland 2, Winner of the Booksellers Best Award
 ~ Haunting Desire, Mists of Ireland 3, released April 2011

 ~ Haunting Embrace, Mists of Ireland 4, releases October 1
     You can watch the trailers for them here: http://www.erinquinnbooks.com/Trailers.htm
{Still fanning self... those are some hot cover models on your books! Especially the guy on HE...mmm... :) }
*** Now for some fun info… ***
* What’s your favorite color?
Pink
* What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Haagan Daas Mocha Chip
* Are you a cat, dog or both kind of person?
Mostly dog but only because my husband won’t tolerate a cat so I can’t have one.  In fact, my little dog Buttercup has a star role in Haunting Beauty.  She plays the part of Bean. :)
* Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
Not just no, but hell no.
* Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
Well, I love cold and rainy weather, probably because I live in Arizona where the sun always shines.
* Are you a morning person or night owl?
The older I get, the more night owley I get. :)
{Same here. It's a great time to get some writing done. :) }
* What’s your favorite day of the week?
Friday—when the weekend is still ahead with not a minute wasted.
* What’s your favorite number?
11
* If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
Um…I don’t know.  How rich am I?
{As rich as you want to be! ;) }
* If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
Ipad, bathtub, microwave, grocery store, computer

*** About Erin’s book and series… ***

Haunting Embrace:

“A SERIES THAT TAKES MY BREATH AWAY.”— Fresh Fiction

ENDLESS LOVE

Within Meaghan Ballagh surges the blood of an ancient sorceress whose long ago love for the druid Áedán ended in treachery—a fate that ensnares Meaghan herself when she is thrust into the past. She can feel the desire between the sorceress and the handsome druid rise inside her. To ensure her survival, she must piece together the history of the woman who haunts her and the man who needs her.

ETERNAL BETRAYAL

Áedán recognizes Meaghan. He always will. For the spirit of his one true love—and immortal enemy—is in her. A woman for whom Áedán once risked everything he ever had only to be repaid with betrayal and eternal damnation. This time, he’s not going to let Meaghan escape—because together they have the power to change their destiny.

As the passion between them grows, so do their fears of arousing an ancient, haunted, and forbidden love, and for changing a past that could irrevocably destroy the future.

Praise for Erin Quinn’s Haunting series

“With the skill of the Irish seanchai, Quinn spins a tale of time travel woven into the mystical threads of ancient Ireland.” —The Historical Novels Review

“Complex and mysterious.”—New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon

Amazon      Barnes & Noble      Books-a-Million      Indie Bound

When I began writing this series, I was going through a “reinvent yourself” period.  I decided to throw out everything I’d been thinking about and worrying about and just write the story I wanted to read.  I ended with Haunting Beauty which I still feel is one of my best books.  From there I became so enthralled with the world of Fennore, that I had to keep writing.  I still have passionate feelings about the world and know I will need to return to it, if only to tell Liam’s story.  And Eamonn’s.  Oh and maybe Miles’…  And…

***Find Erin here***

www.erinquinnbooks.com
Follow Me
http://www.facebook.com/ErinQuinnAuthur
http://twitter.com/#!/ErinQuinnAuthor
http://quinnessentials.blogspot.com/

Thank you for joining us here today, Erin! It was a pleasure meeting you at AZ Dreamin' (http://arizonadreamin.wordpress.com/ ~ Looking forward to 2012!) & getting to know you and your work there and here on the blog.

Erin will be giving away a copy of Haunting Desire to one commenter. Please leave your name and an email address in the comment, so if you win, Erin can touch base with you. Contest will run until 9 PM Pacific on Wednesday, September 7, 2011. A random commenter will be pulled by C.R. and said winner will be contacted by Erin. Good Luck!