Interview with Quinn Loftis

Author Inteview with Quinn Loftis

Short Bio

        _{Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, son, Doberman and cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.} 

 _{As you have grown as a writer, do find that your sources of inspiration have changed as you have worked through the series?}

_{Yes and no. I’m always looking for new music as a source of inspiration. For the most part, I think when I go back and read the past books those inspire me because I fall in love all over again with the characters.}

    _{Do you still find inspiration in the same things you did when you first starting writing or have taken to looking into other things to inspire you?}

_{Really it’s the characters that inspire me as well as the readers words of encouragement.}

 _{Finishing book six, do you feel the way you address obstacles and conflicts has matured and changed as the story of the Grey Wolves continues to evolve.}

_{Definitely, my writing has grown so much from Prince of Wolves to Fate and Fury. The conflicts have evolved and become more involved and I have upped the amount of fast paced action in them as well.}

    _{Did you have any hope or idea that the series would go as far as it has? Is there any one character that you find yourself relating to more than   others?}

_{Not a clue. When I wrote Prince of Wolves I honestly didn’t know how many books would be in the series nor did I know how many characters would be in it. I relate most closely to Jacque and a little bit of Jen.}

  _{Do you find that events in your daily life end up in your books?}

_{No, but there are some situations that were inspired from my teen years. Can’t divulge which they are *wink, wink*}

  _{As the storyline develops, do you feel that the background research gets tougher or easier to do?}

_{It definitely gets tougher. Not just because of back ground research on something specific, but just having to go back to the other books for reference to make sure I am not changing any key points or facts. It becomes very time consuming and can be very daunting.}

 _{For writers who are new to writing about fantasy characters, what suggestions would you give them  that would help them learn the fundamentals of writing about fantasy characters? How did you learn about the Canis Lupis?}

_{I think an important part of any writing is to write what you know and enjoy. It’s just logical that you are going to do a better job writing what you truly enjoy. Once you have picked the characters you can decide what staple traits to keep and maybe come up with some new, fresh ideas as well. I did a lot of research on Grey Wolves, where they live and the pack mentality of wolves. It was all very interesting.}

 _{How do you handle your writing and family while juggling the outside career of being a nurse? How do you handle juggling what amounts to three careers at once? You are a mom/wife, a nurse and an author. That has to take some talent.}

_{Well at first it was very difficult but thanks to the amazing readers I am able to write full time now so I have hung up my stethoscope. I try to keep my writing on a schedule so that I make time for my family. It is easy to get caught up in the story and not realize I have been writing for several hours without coming out of my office. My husband is very good about helping me manage my time wisely.}

_{You recently renovated your writing space. Do you find that having an organized, colorful, creative space helps the flow of ideas and working out conflicts in the story?}

_{This is actually something that is a huge help to me and such an inspiring place to sit and work. The vivid colors create a space that keeps me alert and awake. Being in a place that I really enjoy also makes it easier to focus on my writing. I am truly blessed to have my new office and I love it!}

  _{Do you have one particular kind of music you listen to that tends to help with the creative process of writing? What are some of your favorite tunes?}

_{I listen to a very wide variety of music and typically pick the song according to the scene I’m writing. My favorites right now include, Stupid Boy (sung by The Voice contestant Cassadee Pope) Try by Pink, The Weight of Us by Sanders Bohlke, Pitch Perfect sound track, I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift.}

   _{Concerning the cover artwork of your books, are you instrumental in their conception?}

_{The last four book covers (Elfin included) I have designed but I don’t have the means to layer them and make them look beautiful so I send the cover artist a rough draft of what I want and then they tweak it and change it up until they come up with the idea I had in my head.}

  _{It is obvious to anyone with eyes that you look very young for your age.  “I’m just saying” (spoken in Jen’s voice) Do you think that this has had an impact on your writing in how it has been perceived and received?}

_{I don’t feel my age most of the time and looking young, I think, has a little something to do with that. I think also because I look young I have kept a young personality and have to remind myself that I am not a teenager any more. I don’t know if it has had an impact on my writing other than because I feel young maybe that makes the writing for YA a little easier. As for the readers it might make the younger readers feel like they relate to me because I look young.}

  _{Do you foresee any of your books being made into movies?}

_{I wish! I would love for that to happen but I would have to have a producer offer that as I don’t have the funds to front such a major project.}

  _{Do you think at some point you would write a screenplay for one of your books?}

_{I don’t know if I would even know where to begin with a screen play lol}

  _{Would you like to see any of your books made into a movie or do you think it would challenge the integrity of your work?}

_{I would love to see it made into a movie, however I would ask to have some input into the making because I wouldn’t want them to turn it to crap.}

 _{Have you ever kept a journal? In what other ways did you express yourself though writing before starting the Grey Wolves Series?}

_{I have kept LOTS of journals. I used to write lots of poetry and short stories. I express myself so much better through writing than the spoken word.}

  _{As writer, do you find yourself enjoying writing from the hero/heroines point of view, or the villains?}

_{I think I enjoy both. I have enjoyed Mona’s character, her sarcastic attitude and little verbal quips have been fun to write.}

 _{Do you find that you cry when characters die?  I confess I cried when Dobby the house elf died.}      

_{I cried like a baby when Dobby died. I have a hard time when my characters go through difficult things. I cried in Out of the Dark when I wrote some of the scenes between Jen and Dec, it was hard to see them struggle so much even though I was the one writing it.}

 _{Do you find that it is hard to let go?}

_{Very hard. I dread when this series ends.}

 _{Have you ever given any thought to writing in a new area, outside the subgenre of Paranormal Romance?}

_{I am considering writing a YA contemporary romance…}

  _{Do you foresee something cataclysmic event on the horizon for the Grey Wolf Pack?}

_{Hmmm, now isn’t that an interesting question. We are in for some big things and I’m very excited about it!}