All blogs are property of authors and copying is not permitted.

Click image to one-click your copy of Soldiers of Fortune

CLICK BELOW & SUBSCRIBE TO THE RB4U NEWSLETTER

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Guest Blog: Jane Leopold Quinn: Inspiration is Everywhere, The Will to Write is Harder to Come By

As early as 2008, I was attracted to writing a series taking place in small town America. I was raised in a small Iowa city, Dubuque, and the idea has always "called" to me. I loved Jan Karon's books with Fr. Timothy Kavanagh and all his compatriots in the small North Carolina town of Mitford. I even loved the town map inside the front cover. So, over the years, my town, Birchwood Falls, took shape. I even drew a map of the town, and as you can see, drawing is not my specialty. Then I had to people the town with interesting characters with interesting stories.

Since I was a little girl, I've always loved westerns, TV shows and movies and books. The westerns of the 50s and 60s were my favorites, and it just so happens that I found a TV channel with some of those old shows. Yay. As a lot of girls did, I fell in love with Little Joe Cartwright but eventually moved on to Nick Barkley on The Big Valley. Joe and Nick fueled many a young fantasy, not together though. Oh, crikey, now I have that idea in my head — a fully adult fantasy. Oh, yeah! The first manuscripts I wrote were westerns.Jake and Ivy is out now. The Long Road to You is due out February 5. Both are about handsome, hunky cowboy brothers and their beautiful strong-willed women.

The first book I had published was a time travel to Roman Britain. Unfortunately, it's not available at the moment since it's contracted and sitting at a new publisher. That book was inspired by a trip I made to Bath, England where I photographed the tomb of a Roman soldier at the Roman Museum.

So many people say they could write a book, would like to write one, mean to write one some day. How many of them do that? Very few of us manage to write one, let alone many. We authors are the precious few.

To be able to write a story and publish it means we join the centuries-long family of authors. It seems like there are a lot of us, but our percentage is so small compared with the whole of the world's populace. How many people do you know who say. I could write a book" but don't?©

There's so much inspiration for stories out there. All it takes is the will to write them down and a bit of talent for story telling. And focus and commitment. It takes all that to create characters and a plot line — beginning, middle, and end. I've used photographs, TV commercials, cowboy fantasies, Russell Crowe in Gladiator, Flamenco music all as inspiration for stories. I've used a bit of my own romance with my husband. Because of these disparate ideas, my books aren't neatly tied up in a series except the small town and the western books. Sometimes I regret that since series books are so popular, but I'm still proud of every one of my books. They represent my thoughts, my loves, and my life.

I began this writing journey as a way to ensure that I would have something that belonged only to me with my name on it. It's the best job in the world! The Real Deal is the second of the Birchwood Falls books. Lost and Found is the first. After a decade at war, Marc comes home to investigate his parents' mysterious deaths. Beautiful jazz singer Phoebe hungers for fame and craves love. Despite their differing paths, they give in to their sizzling attraction. Will their passion turn deadly when the killer decides two murders might not have been enough?

BLURB:
When her fiancé is busted at a gentlemen's club, attorney Norah Ballard calls off the wedding. Shocked and humiliated, she grabs her suitcase and takes the first train out of town.

Easygoing teacher Michael Banning spots the new woman in town and recognizes her from college. She's even more gorgeous and sophisticated now. He's no longer the nerd he was back then, and now that she's on his turf, he's going to touch and taste every sleek, beautiful inch of her. Whatever her reason is for being in his town, he'll fulfill all her desires so she never wants to leave. Norah won't let another man—no matter how sweet, smart and sexy—get close enough to hurt her again. Mike's passionate pursuit of her, the way he seems to know just how to arouse her, turns her into the wanton woman she hadn't known she was.

He's accused in a local scandal, something he wasn't involved in. Birchwood Falls is in danger of flooding. He has a hell of a lot on his plate. When Mike’s in trouble, Norah's going to be there to help him. And when Birchwood Falls is in trouble, she's going to help the town she's fallen in love with too.

The Real Deal is available here:
http://amzn.com/B00RVY0AGW
http://www.ellorascave.com/the-real-deal.html

Bio
My Romance: Love With a Scorching Sensuality
Jane Leopold Quinn is a multi-published, erotic romance author of M/F, M/M, 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.

My Books
Ellora's Cave:
Lost and Found
The Real Deal
Indie:
Valentine's Day
His Hers & His
The Keeper
Soldier, Come Home
Winning Violetta
A Promise at Dawn
Jake and Ivy
Wooing the Librarian
Home to Stay
The Long Road to You (coming February 5, 2015)
Siren:
Undercover Lover
Mercenary Desires
I'll Be Your Last

Jane Leopold Quinn
Love With a Scorching Sensuality
http://janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/jelquinnauthor
Amazon Author Page

18 comments:

Paris said...

Jane,

Take heart, your artistic illustrations are more recognizable than anything I've attempted so that I don't forget how I've set up a town:) Good luck with your new series. I have to agree that we have the best job in the world!

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

Thanks, Paris. It was so much fun to make that map.

And thanks to RB4U for hosting me today.

Tina Donahue said...

The Real Deal sounds wonderful, Jane - hope you burn up the net with your sales. :)

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

Ha! From your lips to the "gods of sales" ears. Thanks, Tina.

Unknown said...

Hello Jane, you are so right. Inspiration is everywhere. All the best with your books.

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

Thank you, JoAnne. My funniest inspiration was a cough medicine commercial. It "birthed" an undercover mercenary rescuing a woman who'd been kidnapped by terrorists in Egypt. And this was years before all the Arab Spring stuff.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Jane! I love your map. I write all my stuff through a small town and yep, have one too.

The cover of your book is so nice and I loved the blurb. Here's hoping for great sales.

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

Thanks, Vicki. Yes I think the cover is classy looking.

Now that I'm learning more on the computer of Paint, maybe I can do more with the map.

Cara Marsi said...

Jane, thank you for reminding me that writing and publishing books is an accomplishment. I sometimes forget that. I, too, grew up with Westerns. I LOVE Roman Britain. I've been to Bath, England, and it was one of my favorite places there. I want your time-travel. I'll keep an eye out for it. But, please if you can, let us know when it's out.

Your new book sounds great. The cover is beautiful. Best of luck.

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

I'll be shouting to the heavens when Ancient Ties is out again. The inspiration behind that was that I took a photo in the Roman Museum of the tombstone of a Roman soldier. When it was developed, the edges of the tombstone were sharp but the carving was hazy. I told everyone that the soldier came out to meet me. A couple years later, I want back with my new husband and took the same photo. This time the carving was clear. I took that to mean my soldier approved of my husband. ;-) That led to my heroine stepping through the ruined doorway of a Roman villa and going back 2,000 years in time to Roman Britain.
Lucky woman...

Rose Anderson said...

I love that "To be able to write a story" quote. That really sums it all up. :) Best luck on your newest releases, Jane. And the older ones. Ancient Ties is a favorite of mine.

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

Hey, Rose. Thanks. Yes, that quote was something I made up all by myself. ;-) It's sad when you tell someone you wrote a book, some will say they've always wanted to write one. Okay, then do it. It's not that easy, so writers are pretty special.

Sandy said...

Jane, you deserve to be proud of yourself. I've even had people come up to me and ask me to write their idea for a story. I always tell them I have enough ideas. lol

Good luck with your new series.

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

Oh, that's funny. They can write their own stories. Who better?

Thanks, Sandy.

jean hart stewart said...

Much success with this new one and know you'll have it...

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

Thank you, Jean. I appreciate it.

Melissa Keir said...

I love the cover! I'm a small town girl myself and I love writing and reading about small towns. There's something about everyone knowing everyone and coming together to help that I love!

janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com said...

Thanks, Melissa, about the cover.

It's funny about small towns. When I grew up and lived there, I went so far as to marry the "wrong" man to get out to the big city. Now that I'm married to the right man, I'd like to go back to the small town.

Share buttons