Hello, Readers, and thanks for dropping in.
Please help me welcome Erin Quinn to the blog today. Erin is the award-winning author of the Mists of Ireland series, and she’s here to celebrate the release of her latest novel. HAUNTING EMBRACE hit your favorite bookstores just last week.
She’s also here to share a wonderful blog post and excerpt and to give away a book.
Before you read on, just one warning. Keep a tissue handy!
~~~
Why I Write
by
Erin Quinn
I’m relatively new to the writing world—well, new in terms of books. I just finished writing my seventh novel and am embarking on my eighth—compared to authors like Nora Roberts, Christine Feehan and Linda Howard, I’m an infant.
Recently I was talking to one of my kids about the fabulous JK Rowling. I wondered if she’d ever write anything again now that Harry Potter is done. My youngest said, “Why would she? She’s stinkin’ rich.”
The thing is, being a writer isn’t just about a job and it’s rarely about the paycheck. A very small number of writers actually make a living at it. The rest of us do it because we love it (hate it, obsess over it, crave it—fill in your own descriptor here). I fall in that latter group. It’s a love/hate relationship that changes on a daily basis. I love having a contract to write a new book, I hate having to finish a new book by a set date, I love having the deadline that forces me to finish the book, I hate meeting the deadline—especially when it’s down to the wire.
But the bottom line: I love crafting the kind of story I like to read. That part never changes. And no matter if I’m loving or hating being a writer, it is always .so much more than what I do. It defines a part of who I am. A very important part.
I never felt this more as I did when I finished my last book, HAUNTING EMBRACE, Berkley Trade; October 4, 2011, the final book in my Mists of Ireland series. HAUNTING EMBRACE was a very challenging book for me to write for many reasons. I was on a tight deadline and having a hard time getting over the hero in HAUNTING DESIRE, Book #3 in the series, who I’d fallen madly in love with. But the beauty of creating your own stories and characters, is that you can make them everything you desire. Once I finished the first draft of HAUNTING EMBRACE I knew that Áedán, the hero of the new book, was every bit the kind of man I could fall in love with (as soon as I got him to admit he was human, of course).
Haunting Embrace is a love story about life and the rewards that come with embracing who we are and what we want from our lives. Here’s a brief excerpt of a scene where Áedán is still trying to pretend he’s someone—something—that he’s not.
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“But in all the legends . . .” Meaghan began. “They say each person who used the Book of Fennore suffered unbearable consequences. Most of them died for it. Is that a lie?”
“No.”
Meaghan turned her head, risking peril as she looked into Áedán’s eyes. His face was very close, and she could see each facet, each shade, each alluring shift in color. His scent surrounded her, elusive and male, seducing her to breathe deeply and take him in. How could she think of him as evil? Dangerous, yes. Arrogant, absolutely. But evil?
“What would you crave more than anything if you’d spent eternity alone in a world without texture, without touch?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know. Company?”
“Emotion. Feeling. A reminder of what it is to be human. That is what I asked in return for each gift I gave.”
“You wanted to feel? That was your price? Not their souls? Not their lives? But . . . why . . . how did that kill them?”
“They killed themselves,” he said bluntly, and in his words, she felt satisfaction. Not pleasure, but a sense of justice.
She frowned, trying to merge the sparse pieces he’d scattered in front of her into a picture that made sense.
Áedán went on, his voice mesmerizing, his words disturbing. “They could not bear what they became without the ability to feel. They could not bear a year of what I withstood for eons.”
“You took their ability to feel anything?”
“Anything good,” he said.
Meaghan’s eyes widened as she thought that through. Anything good. Joy, love, compassion? He’d taken their ability to experience the things that made life worth living.
“I left them their greed and anger. Their hatred.”
Oh God.
She swallowed hard, her heart aching for the poor fools who’d come to the Book of Fennore for help and in return had been stripped of life but not of living.
“And you enjoyed it?” she said. “Hurting them like that.”
“Yes.”
“You want me to think you’re a monster, don’t you?”
“I am a monster, beauty. What I want matters not.”
“But now you’re free.”
“Am I?”
“Well, you aren’t trapped in this curse anymore, are you?”
“And yet, from moment to moment, I might find myself invisible to anyone but you.”
Meaghan heard the barely suppressed violence in his words, saw the tightness in his features, felt the burst of hot breath as he exhaled.
“Do you still want to hurt people, Áedán?”
“I told you. It’s never been about what I wanted.”
“What about me?”
“You, I definitely want.”
Her face burned hot at the carnal wave of emotions that hit her, so tangible that they formed pictures in her head, yearning deep in her body.
~~~
Talk to me about anything and one lucky commenter will get an autographed copy of Haunting Beauty (Book 1 in the Mists of Ireland series).
To learn more about me and my books, go to www.erinquinnbooks.com where you’ll find book trailers, contests and news!
Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hug your loved ones today and tell them how much they mean to you!
Erin Quinn
www.erinquinnbooks.com
Follow Me:
~~~
Barbara here again:
Erin, thanks for visiting with us and sharing that wonderful excerpt! Best of luck with HAUNTING EMBRACE. I hear it’s flying off bookstore shelves!
Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment or question to be entered in the drawing for a copy of HAUNTING BEAUTY. The drawing will be open through Sunday, and the winner’s name will be posted here on Tuesday. Check back to see if your name has been drawn.
And thank you again for stopping by the blog.
Best,
Barbara
Hi, Erin, and thanks again for being here!
Readers – looking forward reading your comments and questions for Erin.
Barbara
Erin,I read your book “Haunting Warrior” I was truly mesmerized.I became a fan of your books.Is this book part of a series?
Barbara, thank you so much for having me as a guest today! Your blog is lovely and I’m honored to be here.
Readers….talk to me. Please…
I haven’t read any of your work yet, but I can’t wait to get the chance! The covers of your books are delicious as well
Eyecandy is the number one thing that usually draws me to a book! 
You have some AWESOME covers. Totally yummy. You better be sending some cookies to your cover artist!
I have a love/hate relationship with writing also. I love the stories I have in my head. I hate the fact that sometimes getting that perfect scene in my head typed into my computer is like sitting on a cactus. It’s painful, but feels so good when you’re done!
Erin – you’re very welcome!
And thanks so much for the compliment on the blog. I love what my webmaster and I did with it…but I will say it’s even more special today with all your lovely eye candy!
Barbara
Erin i love your book covers
Hi Gail, yes Haunting Embrace is the final book in the Mists of Ireland series (so glad you loved Haunting Warrior!!). The order of the books and character tie ins can be found here: http://www.erinquinnbooks.com/Order_Books.htm
Sara, I totally love my covers. I sent coffee mugs with the covers on them filled with chocolate to the artists. They did an amazing job.
Cynthia–ha ha. Although even when it’s over, I don’t think sitting on a cactus ever feels good. (lol). But yes, it can be so very, very (VERY) painful trying to pry those images from your head and capture them with words on a page. sigh.
Barbara–smirk. Yes, “the boys” are quite the view, ha ha.
Hi Erin, I agree that it’s important to write what you love. Create the sort of characters you can fall in love with and a world you want to be in and readers will notice
Plus it makes it fun to write and challenges rewarding to overcome.
Hi Erin!
Good to see you popping up in all kinds of places.
I don’t think I have ever heard an Author say that they write just for the money. Its like a painter painting and creating masterpieces just to get rich, what a waste it would be! Just as it would be for an Author to stop writing as soon as they make it rich! Oh the horror!
Writing is just as much artistry as painting or sculpting, or any art for that matter. I certainly give Authors huge credit for their “crafting”.
Thanks Erin for this nice post! So good to hear from you again!
~Wendy
Hi Erin, I followed you here from your own blog. Interesting post, I enjoyed reading it. You don’t specify if this contest is international or not though, most are not. If it is, I would love to be entered.
If you are now writing the stuff you love to read about, would you ever try a YA or Sci-Fi if a published would give you a contract for it?
auriansbooks at gmail dot com
Nothing is better than a free book, unless of course free chocolate is included
Erin…I love your books and the covers. I’m like you…writing is a love/hate relationship. But getting the story on paper is the best part for me. If I don’t, it runs around in my head until, it’s down on paper or in the computer.
Have a great weekend
Hi Na, thanks so much for stopping by. Yes, I think it’s so important to write what you love.
Wendy! It’s always good to “see” you! Hope life has been treating you well. Some days I definitely feel like an artist…and others…just a hack with ink stains on my fingers, lol.
Aurian, as long as you don’t live in a controlled country where it’s hard to get things in and out, you can enter! I love my international readers.
Gwen, I thought about giving free chocolate, but then I ate it so….sorry, lol.
Regina! Just saw your comment. You know I love those hunky covers. sigh.
Hi ladies, big fan of Erin’s books and would love to win this. I love the covers of these book. Jimmy Thomas is gorgeous.
A couple of questions for Erin. Do you have any new books planned? To continue this series or start another? Also if you could write any other genre what would you write?
Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win.
Mary, so good to hear from you! Where have you been, girl! Hope all is well with you.
Erin,
Those covers! The excerpt makes me want to read more. I’ll echo what Gwen says – nothing better than a book unless it’s a book + chocolate. I hope you enjoyed the chocolate.
Erin, you are a pro, girl! I loved your excerpt, and your covers rock. You were so right about being a writer. It rocks some days and it stinks on bad days. The good days way outweigh the bad ones. I wouldn’t stop writing if I knew for certain I would never sell a book. (That’s why I went Indie!)
Keep giving us wonderful stories.
Laura, thanks so much (to a fellow book and chocolate lover, ha ha)
Mary–Indie is the new Sundance, right? I’m so glad to see it getting the respect it deserves. Write on!
All of your books have beautiful covers, because of that I put them into my TBR list (which was recent and haven’t gotten the chance to start one yet). Sounds like a little bit of a love hate relationship when you write =) guess that just means you are using part of your soul to tell the story.
Looking forward to reading my first Quinn novel!
Chris, I think we must have been posting at the same time and I missed your comment on Friday! Yes, I have books in the works. I’m currently pulling together a proposal for a new series that I’m very excited. I also have this very weird book that I’ve been wanting to write for about a year and I think it’s finally time. I can’t say more than that about it. It’s just weird but strangely compelling.
I also have stories in mind for continuing characters of the Mists of Ireland series (specifically Eamonn, Liam and Ellie (the little girl from Haunting Desire).
And THEN I have a novella coming out for Christmas AND one for Valentines Day. Sheesh, I really wish I could quit the day job, lol.
Oh–and another genre…it would probably be something very dark like horror. Not the bloody slasher kind, but the dark and creepy Stephen King kind. In fact, my weird book will probably fall in that realm.
Although, since you asked, I have been toying with doing something completely out of my comfort zone and trying my quill at a straight, no paranormal or dark and creepies contemporary romance. We’ll see.
Thanks so much for coming by and saying hi! It’s been great meeting you via FB and blogs!
Lexi, I hope you will bump me up on your pile and give one of my books a try. (and of course, I hope you’ll love it, lol)
Thanks again to Erin for visiting with us last week and to all the readers who stopped by.
The winner of a copy of HAUNTING BEAUTY is:
Lexi
Congrats, Lexi! Please get in touch with me via the Contact Barbara form on my website.
Best,
Barbara