Cal Beaufontaine, trainee chef, is starting his career at the Alhambra in Modesto. He doesn't want the attention of the local super-stud, but Luis is determined to win him. Cal has other problems. He's hearing things -- voices that drove the previous tenant in his apartment to wholesale destruction.
Rob is under commission to clean two Elizabethan portraits painted on wooden panels. But a couple of collectors want them as well, and one will stop at nothing to get his hands on both panels.
The portraits were stolen from Fox Courtney's home, and he wants them back. Fox is a vampire and he, too, will stop at nothing.
The inevitable clash will endanger Rob and his family, but as he grows closer to Fox, there's even more at risk - his heart.
Hello Chris and welcome to my blog!
CQ: It’s great to be here!
RJ: I know you have had a million new books coming out over the last few weeks and I wanted to grab this opportunity to drill deeper into the writer that is Chris *wonderful* Quinton (Yes, I am biased)... So I am diving straight in with my first question:
RJ: Do you write an outline before every book you write?
CQ: A short outline in the first instance, just to set the main points in my head *g* Then I write the opening lines. If that gels, I fix the title, and start a proper synopsis and build characters. Not that it’s carved in stone, of course.
RJ: So you have this story in your head. Does it ever refuse to be written down on paper - do you ever experience writer's block?
CQ: Do I ever! Mental Constipation is a pain in my virtual arse! [can I say that?]
RJ: As long as it’s a virtual arse then I am happy.... ROFL!
RJ: What do you do to get past the mental block?
CQ: Usually, getting out of the house helps. For instance, I’ve been finding that Finders Keepers, the current WiP, has been sluggish. I get in the train Wednesday and by the time I’ve reached Chester I have a couple of thousand words scribbled. But the simple fact of walking from home to my favorite coffee shop does the trick.
RJ: Do you ever have days where the words flow so fast that you get cramp in your hand?
CQ: Oh, yes! Not as many as I’d like, but when the words flow as if you’re taking dictation, it’s a blast!
RJ: What books have most influenced your life most?
CQ: That’s a hard one. Let’s see - I discovered The Return of the King Trilogy and Mary Renault’s The Last of the Wine round about the same time when I was 12 or 13, Then I found CJ Cherryh’s Faded Sun trilogy, and I’d say they probably had the most impact on my reading and writing.
RJ: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? In your genre and outside of it?
CQ: If you mean new to me, there have been lots! Far too many to list here. In the new to publishing authors, over the last couple of years and in no particular order, it’s got to be Sue Brown, Stuart Wakefield, Kate Sherwood, and um, Whatsername - RG Somethingorother... But seriously, there are a lot of new writers I like, too many to mention.
RJ: You have helped me a lot since I first started writing. It was your support that had me turning in Oracle and I think there are plenty of people who would hunt you down and shoot you for doing that! ROFL... You were my mentor...If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
CQ: Mentoring you? You mean nagging, threatening, patting backs and feeding you chocolate and wine? It was a tough job but someone had to do it. *G* Besides, I had help when I started writing many years ago, so I just pay it forward. My mentors? Not that I’ve ever met them, but only devoured their books - CJ Cherryh for deep and complex characterisations both human and alien, world building and convoluted plots. Josh Lanyon for great plots and characters, and bringing the MM plot arcs into the mainstream of mystery and romance fiction. They’ve shown me how to do it, and I do my best to find my own way to emulate them.
RJ: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
CQ: The friends I made when I started writing fanfiction way back in the 70’s. They are still close friends. We’re a widespread band of sisters *g*.
RJ: How do you handle reviews (bad or good!)
CQ: The good ones give me a warm, fuzzy feeling *g*. The bad ones that have absolutely no constructive criticism get laughed at and completely ignored. The bad ones that do have something constructive to say get thought about very carefully and kept in my internal editor’s file.
RJ: Okay, last question... I promise... What are your current projects?
CQ: Right. Okay. Um... Paradox is sitting with Silver Publishing and I’m waiting for the edits.
Finders, Keepers is the current WiP, and the first draft is about two-thirds done.
Bennett’s Folly is the collaboration with you - still in the planning stages. Then there’s Fool’s Rush, Oil and Water, The Lennox Selkie, Cause and Effect, Spiked, Taking a Chance - and about half a dozen more with titles, and even more still in vague outline.
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RJ: I just remembered. I have one more VITAL question to ask you... If you met Alex O'Loughlin what would you say to him? Would you lose the power of rational speech or ask him relevant cutting edge questions?
CQ: LOL! I’d try for the cutting edge questions, but I’d probably end up being a giddy idiot. Hmm... Wonder if those tatts are real?
RJ: And what about Adrian Paul and Peter Wingfield... together... what would you say to them?
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CQ: Guh! Well, I already met Peter face to face and became ridiculously tonguetied, which considering he’s of an age to be my son, is plain silly. I’d almost certainly be the same with Adrian. I am obviously an old cougar at heart but with very little social courage.
RJ: On that note I want to thank you for answering my questions! And good luck with your new books. I have read both and I love them equally... xxx
CQ: Thanks for having me, hon [[[hugs]]] I appreciate the invitation, especially now. It’s been a crazy few weeks.
