Interview of Author Jane Leopold Quinn

Today I'm pleased to present an interview of romance author Jane Leopold Quinn.

Latest Book: Lost and Found
Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B00I8NS0X0

BIO:
Jane Leopold Quinn is a multi-published, erotic romance author of M/F, M/M, F/F and ménage (M/F/M). She's written in contemporary, Western historical, fairy tale, and time travel. Her imagination was always fertile but became public when she began writing hot romance over a decade ago. Her main interest is writing, but creativity in authors isn't usually limited to writing. Other interests include building and decorating doll houses and miniature room boxes, as well as designing silk flower arrangements. She'd love to paint, but even her stick figures are unrecognizable. Alas—can't do everything. Of course, her characters can.

Q: How did you celebrate publishing your first book?
A: I was in Germany with my husband and mother visiting my niece, her Army husband, and their three kids. I was incredibly excited about the release but I don't think anyone else realized the significance. All in all, I guess it was more exciting than if I'd been at my desk as a legal secretary. The really amazing coincidence was that the first book was Ancient Ties, a time travel to 2nd Century Roman Britain. Located near Stuttgart is Villa Rustica in Hechingen-Stein, Germany. I'd researched this 2nd C. villa for my hero Marek Benin Verus while writing the novel and was ecstatic to discover it was near to the U.S. military base at Stuttgart. On the hottest day of that year, my family and I drove to the villa and were the only people there touring it that day. What a major thrill for me. I'd seen Roman ruins and antiquities in Bath, England (Aquae Sulis) where my story takes place, but this villa "took the cake." Another really wonderful happenstance was that on a distant mountain, you could see against the sky, an outline of a Medieval castle. Different ways of life separated by centuries and miles, but within sight of each other. All I can say is WOW!

Q: Your novel is being made into a TV series/movie. Who’s in your dream cast?
A: I seem to have an abiding love for Jake Gyllenhaal and would love him as almost any of my heroes especially Marc Rahn in Lost and Found. I'm pretty jealous, so I haven't found a female actor I like well enough for my guys. Although I have to say I liked Amy Adams in American Hustle. She'd work as Phoebe Barnes in Lost and Found.

Q: What is the most important thing you do for your career now, as compared to when you first started writing?
A: When I first began writing, it was for the mad, passionate love of the act. Stories poured out of me like crazy. Now I look back and wish I'd been more organized. Readers seem to love series books. Very few of my books are series. Home to Stay and its sequel The Keeper. Lost and Found is the first book of a series that takes place in Birchwood Falls, Iowa and the second book is in the process of being written. The rest of my books are standalones. The REAL important thing I need to do now is to WRITE!

Q: If you could change something about your first book, what would it be?
A: I wouldn't change a thing about Ancient Ties. There were great reviews, one 5 star review from Just Erotic Romance Reviews before the book was even released. After that, the 5 star reviews piled on and Romantic Times Magazine gave it 4-1/2 stars and Top Pick. Sales also got me into PAN, the Published Author Network group of Romance Writers of America. You can't get much better than that. I'm so proud of the story - and this reminds me - it's out of print right now and needs to be back in the world. The success of Ancient Ties was a hard act to follow.

Q: Do you eat comfort food/listen to music when writing?
A: When I really want to be in my "writing zone" I listen to tenors like Josh Groban, Mario Frangoulis, Andrea Bocelli, and groups like Il Divo, Due Voci, and The Opera Band. There are some instrumentalists I also like - the violinist David Garrett and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Q: Give one advice tip to an aspiring author.
A: Keep writing. Keep learning about the craft. Keep writing.

Q: If you could give a younger version of yourself advice, what would it be?
A: Don't be so timid. Go after what you want in life. You're smarter and cuter and thinner than you thought at the time. ;-) But if my life hadn't happened the way it did, I wouldn't have met my wonderful husband and be on my way to celebrating our 25th Anniversary in a few months.

Q: Any part of a book that drives you crazy as you write: beginning, middle, or end?
A: Without a doubt, the middle. Anyone can begin writing a book. I always know how the book will end. That damned middle is the stickler. Making sure there's enough conflict, excitement, love. Sigh…

Q: Out of your entire backlist, which book has the best opening line? What's the line?
A: "Val, baby, open your eyes," Rafe demanded, his voice raspy with lust. This is from a short story, Valentine's Day. Rafe has plans for Val and I made them happen. ;-)

Q: How many stories are swirling around in your head? Do you keep a mental list, a computer file, or a spiral notebook filled with the ideas?
A: I have several manuscripts begun and in various stages of completion. They're well organized and filed at my desk. I have a three book Western series, a vampire story, a series of Smokin' Mini Western Tales, and my Roman Britain book is out of print until I decide what to do with it next. The Ellora's Cave book just out, Lost and Found, is the first story in a series. The second book is being written. The number of stories swirling in my head isn't the problem. My need to over-revise, over-analyze, and over-fear myself many times keeps me from finishing and submitting a manuscript. That brings up another bit of advice I'd give an aspiring writer. Write the damn book and get it off your desk - either submit it or self-publish it!

Fun Stuff:
Q: What is your favorite holiday and why?
A: Labor Day is the traditional start of a school year. We grow up thinking that's the beginning of life. I taught school for a few years, so continued with that. Now I'm married to a teacher so, still, Fall begins a new school year. To me it's the time to organize your life, make plans, and start over.

Q: What are two things people might be surprised to know about you?
A: That I have an extremely racy mind (which is why I write erotic romance) and that I've had a more adventurous life than people might suspect. Maybe some day I'll write a fictionalized version…

Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: An archeologist.

Q: Favorite food.
A: Filet, macaroni and cheese, chocolate covered peanuts. All healthy foods. ;-)

Q: Favorite happy memory.
A: Falling in love with my niece the day she was born.

Q: Favorite drink.
A: Chocolate martini!

Q: Hot summer days or chilly winter nights?
A: Chilly winter nights.

Q: What is the top thing on your bucket list?
A: A few things actually: going back to Rome and London (or anywhere in England and Scotland). Returning to Sorrento, Italy and Taormina, Sicily. Going to Pompeii for the first time.

Q: If you could have a super power, what would it be?
A: To live a very long, healthy life. Super Geriatric Woman. I'd better start losing that weight. ;-)

Tell us where to find you: website(s), publisher’s page(s), blog(s), Facebook page(s), etc. List them all!
Jane Leopold Quinn
My Romance: Love With a Scorching Sensuality
http://www.janeleopoldquinn.com
http://janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com
http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/
Ellora's Cave - http://www.ellorascave.com/lost-and-found.html
Amazon - http://amzn.com/B00I8NS0X0">http://amzn.com/B00I8NS0X0
All Romance e Books - https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lostandfound-1417151-340.html
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-and-found-jane-leopold-quinn/1118707444?ean=9781419903557
USAToday -http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/02/07/erotic-romance-eroticas-new-releases-february-2014/5273775/

BLURB:
Hunky Marine Marc Rahn enlisted after his high school graduation to escape the pain of his parents’ fatal car wreck. Now on leave after eight years and multiple Middle East deployments, he returns to his small hometown to put to rest his suspicions that the “accident” might actually have been anything but.

What he doesn’t expect is an intriguing flash of a pierced nipple from a new neighbor on move-in day. The breast’s owner, Phoebe Barnes, is a beautiful young jazz singer who plans to make it big in the music business. Her early years in foster care made her hungry for attention and fame, and she’s out to achieve both at almost any cost.

Despite their differing paths, Marc and Phoebe quickly give in to the sizzling attraction between them. But will their passion turn deadly when the person who killed Marc’s family decides two murders might not have been enough?
A Romantica® suspense erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

EXCERPT:(R-rated):
Unhhh, what’s that? Phoebe cranked open one eye to check the time. Nine twenty-two. Shit. She’d wanted to sleep until at least ten. Nine twenty-two wasn’t really too early but still—

Rolling off the bed, she slowly trekked to the front room of her small house and peeked out the picture window to see what the ruckus was about. Someone was moving into the bungalow across the street. Finally. The house had been empty for quite a while and was too cute not to have a family living there.

A big man at the back of a truck directed movers into the house. It was a small truck so there wasn’t all that much furniture. An iron bedframe balanced against a tire while the man bent over, his gray t-shirt riding up exposing a muscular back and giving her a peek at a gorgeous ass in snug jeans. He and another man in work clothes hoisted a black leather couch into the air and marched it up the porch steps and through the door.

She put out a hand to balance against the window frame, too curious now to go back to bed. When the man bounded back down the porch steps, his gaze riveted on hers.

His face with its hard features, strong chin and dark shadow of a beard tugged at her heart. Short black hair stuck up over his forehead, which would have made him look boyish if he hadn’t been filling out that t-shirt and jeans so well. She saw all this clearly. The street was only two lanes wide. Did this small amount of furniture mean the fascinating-looking man didn’t have a wife and family? Not that it would make any difference to her.

He lifted a hand to shade his eyes, a big grin splitting his face.

She shivered. The arm holding her up shook. “Oh my God!” Slamming back to the side of the window, she pressed both palms against the wall’s rough plaster.

Naked! She’d just shot him full-frontal nudity. She’d been so engrossed in the sight of him she’d completely forgotten her own bare-assedness. Oh shit! He’ll either never speak to me or he’ll be over here in five minutes.

How the hell was she going to get back to the protection of the bedroom? Her tiny house offered a clear view from the front window all the way through to the back. Afraid to peek around the curtain to see if he was still watching, she realized how cold she was. Her nipples—with a little gold ring piercing one tip—stood out like ripe, hard raspberries. Of course it was the chilly temperature and not her immediate attraction to the man’s jeans. And chest. And flat belly…

Okay. Pull yourself together. Just sprint to the bedroom. He’s probably not looking any longer. Just go!

She flew through the bedroom door, threw herself onto the rumpled bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. A fine time to be embarrassed by her nudity but she liked to pick the time and place to grace a man with her body.

And welcoming a new neighbor with a buck-naked flash wasn’t quite the same as taking over a plate of cookies or a tuna casserole.

Then it hit her again. She had just flashed the new neighbor. Laughter pealed out in a rush. Jesus. What a nutcase. Well it probably wasn’t the first naked woman he’d ever seen. Unless maybe he was gay?

Crap! What a waste that would be.

“Well I’ll be damned.”

“Did you say something, Mr. Rahn?”

His balls had instantly drawn up into the hot shelter of his groin, his cock swelling in interest. Swallowing heavily the last spit in his mouth, he stood transfixed.

He would have to have perfect long-distance eyesight.