Good morning! Please welcome guest author Jane Leopold Quinn. Though I will be away for most of the day, please feel free to leave comments for Jane and I will post them as soon as I return. Thank you!
~Kate
Can you write sex scenes at any time or do you have to be “in the mood?”
What a fun question. Sometimes I can’t keep my head in the scene if I’m letting life happenings distract me. For me, though, to write really well, I need to ignore my surroundings, close my eyes — music helps — sink into the scene, and just type. Let it fly. Let ‘er rip. Then, if I turn myself on, I’ve succeeded.
Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
I’ve found inspiration lots of ways:
1) Many years ago, as a single woman, I went to England. At the Roman Museum in Bath I took a photo of the tombstone of a Roman soldier. When the film was developed the edges of the stone were clear but the carving in the center was hazy. I told people that the soldier came out to meet me. A few years later I went back to the same museum with my husband and took the same photo. Clear. I told people that the Roman soldier showed that he approved of my husband. I hadn’t begun writing at that point. A few years later the story came to fruition in my mind. It’s the story of an Iowa school teacher who visits Bath England, steps through the entry way of a 2nd Century Roman villa in ruins, and meets a Roman soldier. Ancient Ties was born. The book received 4-1/2 Stars and Top Pick from Romantic Times and many 5 star reviews. That was a pretty high place to start and to live up to. Unfortunately, Ancient Ties isn’t available for sale at the moment.
2) A Bocelli song inspired my Flamenco dancer heroine, Ivy Westlake, in Jake and Ivy.
3) A cough syrup commercial on TV — an unattractive guy kept coughing and irritating friends and co-workers. He takes the cough syrup and instantly turns into a handsome hunk. My story, Mercenary Desires, was born. A former special forces soldier turned mercenary-for-hire rescues a jewelry designer from Egyptian kidnappers. Even though he’s undercover and bearded and scruffy looking and she has no idea what he really looks like, she falls for him.
4) Nick Barkley on The Big Valley — ah, those black clothes and gloves… He became Nick Gabriel in Jake and Ivy and is the star of his own story, The Long Road to You, which is upcoming.
5) Listening to music, tenors especially. Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo, Josh Groban, Mario Frangoulis, and groups like Due Voci and The Opera Band.
What do you like best about writing ménage?
What’s not to like? Choreographing the characters’ actions and position — that’s the most important task to me. Then there’s the eye closing, music playing, and creating as sexy, hot a scene as I can. And I try to portray a growing caring for each other so there’s emotion in the scene.
What do you like best about writing erotic romance?
I’d always entertained myself with fantasies, but once I started writing them down, giving them to my characters, that’s when I felt that writing was what I was meant to do. I suppose that sounds a little presumptuous to say, but it was like a little miracle and made me the happiest and most fulfilled I’d probably ever been in my work life. Anyway, what I love about writing erotic romance is that it came so easily to me. Not that it’s necessarily easy to write, but, well, I guess I can’t say it any differently. It came easily to me.
Do you find it harder to write novels or short stories?
The more manuscripts I write, it seems harder to write long. I don’t know why, but my stories are shorter than they used to be. On the other hand, I’ve discovered I love writing shorts. That was a big surprise to me, since I don’t particularly care to read shorts. I get their artistic qualities, but I still don’t read them. But I love writing them, condensing a story to its cleanest essence, making every word count, every emotion fresh.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
I have three latest releases. Jake and Ivy is the first western I wrote. This is the Flamenco dancer story. Ivy, a proper Eastern girl falls first in love with the dance, then in love with the handsome, loner cowboy. Jake doesn’t know it, but he needs Ivy’s love. Wooing the Librarian was originally published as Hot Under the Collar. A bounty hunter turned preacher, Pres MacKay, meets a mail order bride, Isis Garrett, who has no intention of marrying anyone. Within twenty days I published these two loosely related westerns and one republished contemporary. Home to Stay brings together Nickie, a newly divorced woman finding her way by rehabbing an old, small town house and Hank. Hank’s the deputy sheriff who investigates the stalker hounding Nickie. He’s an inveterate loner and commitment-phobe, but Nickie is too much for him. She becomes the only woman to get through his defenses and makes a difference in his life.
Do you have an excerpt from your latest release you would like to share?
Absolutely!
Through a tragic accident, Hank Crossman
lost almost every person he ever loved —
by the time he was 18.
Excerpt:
During the funeral, he sat in the woods outside the church leaning against a tree trunk, grinding his back over the rough bark like some sort of medieval flagellation. It was his fault. Ricky would have known better than to dive in if he’d been there. He was probably showing off. He choked back the agony of imagining Ricky inside the coffin. They’d never go tramping through the woods, never play dumb video games in Ricky’s basement. He’d never see his floppy blond hair and happy blue eyes, never have a friend again. That was for sure. He’d never get that close to anyone again.
And he never intended to come back to Parkersburg after college, but got sucked in when a judge refused to release his good-for-nothing father from rehab unless a family member vouched for him.
His grief and guilt lead him to the Marines where he
lost his heart to the innocent victims of war.
He thought he’d left his hometown forever,
but his conscience forced him to return to
take care of his alcoholic father.
If he had to be home, at least he was safely
ensconced in his career as a lawman. For a long time,
he was able to do his job and still cut himself off
from any personal relationships.
Nickie Grace changed all that.
Excerpt:
Hands shaking and in a rush, she hooked the snap between her breasts, jiggling a little to settle herself in the cups. She rubbed at the burning prickles on the back of her neck. Crossman. It was Crossman. She knew it was him before she turned around.
He stared at her from the darkened hallway, his rapt gaze heating her skin. She crossed her arms over her breasts. To give the devil his due, he drew his gaze up to her face. She wondered if he was married, because the way he looked at her made her hope he wasn’t.
Nickie Grace’s ex was the quintessential cheating bastard.
Rehabbing her great-aunt’s house in Parkersburg, Iowa
would be her refuge from her feeling of failure.
Until someone started playing “pranks” on her, and Hank,
the cop, started wanting to protect her.
Excerpt:
“Could your ex be behind the pranks?” Hank asked quietly, his voice breaking the silence.
Her gaze jerked back to him. “No, it’s not his style. And besides, why would he? He doesn’t care.”
“Are you sure? Some men don’t like to lose what they consider their property. What does he do?”
“No, it’s not him. I’m sure of it. He’s glad to be rid of me.” It was hard to sniffle back tears quietly so he wouldn’t hear.
“What’s his name, Nickie?”
“Why? It doesn’t matter. It’s not him.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
Oh, God. Why would Rod do this? He wouldn’t. What would be the point? He’s proud and arrogant but not possessive. She was sure it wasn’t him, but Hank had put doubts in her mind.
“Okay, I’ll find out who’s doing this, though.” He pushed off the railing and strode toward her.
She intends to keep Hank at a distance until one night they dance
and being in his arms felt soooo good.
Excerpt:
She looked down but only saw their chests pressed together. God Almighty, he was hard-muscled and broad-chested, and she could feel his erection riding against her belly. Her lashes dipped automatically and her stomach muscles heated and flowed moltenly like a warm chocolate cake with a hot fudge center. What in the name of…what was she going to do? Rod had shaken her with his phone call. All she’d wanted was to get out of the house and get the sound of her ex-husband’s voice out of her head, but she wasn’t going to get in the middle of someone else’s relationship again.
She stared into the open neck of Hank’s uniform shirt. Big mistake. The hollow of his throat, the beating pulse there that she could see so up close and personal, tempted her until she had to bite her tingling lips to keep from pressing them on his skin.
He ducked his head next to hers, his lips hovered on her neck. “You smell good.” He shrugged, urging her arm up over his shoulder.
What makes the hero of Home to Stay hot?
Hank Crossman in Home to Stay is hot. What makes him hot?
1) Gorgeous
2) Tall and muscular
3) So vulnerable and afraid to make a connection, any connection, that he names his rescue dog “Dog.” Giving his pet a real name could require Hank to really care.
4) The tenderness and caring he shows as he relives his time in the Marines in Africa, aching over the sad plight of the innocent women and children caught in war.
5) The way he goes after Nickie like a heat seeking missile and can’t understand how she gets under his skin.
6) He tries to keep up the appearance that he’s a tough SOB until he can’t even fool himself any longer.
What are your favorite genres to read and write?
I write erotic, mostly contemporary, some western, but I love to read Regency, erotic or not. For some reason, it’s relaxing to read.
What book are you currently reading?
Ans: Currently I’m re-reading an oldie keeper of mine, Judith McNaught’s Until You.” Two of my favorite keepers are Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Susan Andersen’s Exposure. I never tire of re-reading these two. The heroes are in lonely torment, the heroines too. Children are involved and are absolute life savers for the adults in their lives.
Bio
Sensual fantasies were locked in my mind for years until a friend said, “Why don’t you write them down?” Why not, indeed? One spiral notebook, a pen and the unleashing of my imagination later, and here I am with more than a dozen books published. The craft of writing erotic romance has become my passion and my niche in life. I love every part of the creative process — developing characters, designing the plot, even drawing the layout of physical spaces from my stories. My careers have been varied — third grade school teacher, bookkeeper, secretary — none of which gave me a bit of inspiration. But now I’m lucky enough to write romance full time — the best job in the universe!
My Books
Ellora’s Cave
Lost and Found
Indie
Valentine’s Day
His Hers & His
The Keeper
Soldier, Come Home
Winning Violetta
A Promise at Dawn
Jake and Ivy http://amzn.com/B00OEFC9LK
Wooing the Librarian http://amzn.com/B00ONZSRPS
Home to Stay http://amzn.com/B00P3AQ8WQ
The Long Road to You (coming soon)
Siren
Undercover Lover
Mercenary Desires
I’ll Be Your Last
Jane Leopold Quinn
My Romance: Love With a Scorching Sensuality
http://janeleopoldquinn.BlogSpot.com + https://twitter.com/jelquinnauthor
Social
Thanks so much, Kate, for having me here today. This was a fun interview to do – reminded me of how I started writing and why I love it so much. Now! Back to my sequel to Jake and Ivy. Nick’s story.
What a great interview! I love the covers… so sexy! I wish you all the best!
What awesome excerpts. I really enjoyed reading them.
I loved JAKE AND IVY. Now I have two more to read.
I always find Jane’s novels to be so character-driven. First you make me care about them and then you put them through hell. Glad you give them a HEA. *hugs*
I enjoyed the interview, ladies. Sounds like a great read, Jane!
Great interview. It’s fun to discover how you write. Love your books. You always manage to keep the tenderness and love in them.