Nancee Cain's Blog, page 15

Saving Evangeline Teasers

What’s an angel to do when the girl he’s sent to save is hell-bent on ending her life?

Coming soon from Omnific Publishing, Saving Evangeline by Nancee Cain.

Heart of Dixie Romance Writers Annual Luncheon

Join us for the 18th Annual Heart of Dixie Romance Readers’ Luncheon on June 14, 2015 in Huntsville, AL

featuring New York Times Bestselling Author Sylvia Day! https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSylviaDay

This luncheon is a great way to meet and visit with favorite authors.

10:00 – Check-In Begins

10:50 -11:40 – Meet & Greet with the Authors

11:45 – 12:30 – Lunch

12:45 – 2:00 – Guest Speaker Sylvia Day, Door Prizes & Celebrations

2:00 – 3:00 – Charity Book Fair & Signing (Please limit outside books to 5)

Cost: $35. Attendees will receive a coupon good for $5 off a Book Fair

Purchase.

For those with E-Readers, please bring them to make onsite purchases of

select books!

Registration closes May 31st: https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1467

Author Spotlight: M.V. Freeman

I’m so excited to have M.V. Freeman return today to discuss her new upcoming release, Illumination. This is the second book in the The Hidden Races Series. Again, I have to say, this is another spectacular cover. Please give us a quick blurb about the book.

Illumination:

Capricious and free-spirited, Mina Tepes is forever trying to intervene. Some would say she interferes. Her attempt to save a friend worsens a war already waging between her people, the Darks, and their reviled overlords, the Mages. Desperate, she turns to the man who saved her life as child–an enemy Mage named Xander.

As part of the ruling class, Xander Fjordson should never have taken notice of Mina, but even as boy, one look into her large dark eyes and he was lost. As an adult, involvement with her has ripped his world to shreds. Though the war she unintentionally instigated has made them enemies, when she comes to him bleeding and injured, he is unable to say no. He puts at risk what is left of his status and his family as he follows her, knowing in the end he’d have to betray her.

Together Xander and Mina begin to unravel terrible secrets as the war escalates. Soon Xander must choose: save his family or the woman who’s come to mean more to him than his own life.

This sounds darker than your last book. For those readers that have not read the first book, Incandescent, do they need to?

MVF: It is a series—so unfortunately it would be helpful. I also hope that I wrote it in such a way that you can read it without.

Tell us about this fantasy world you’ve created. There are Mages, Humans, Darks and Elementals. What special powers do each of these species (is that the right word?) have? And what are their weaknesses?

MVF: Let me make it short and sweet: 

Elementals: Control elements, the weather. Weakness: They need a balance
Mages: Their magic is strongest with illusion, transfiguration, telekinesis, teleportation, etc. Weakness: with each successive generation they get weaker.
Darks: Can walk in the night; their magic is similar to Mages, but darker and used more to assist them in their hunting. Weakness: Sunlight, and most are monsters.

What draws Xander to Mina and vice versa?

MVF: I love these two; Xander and Mina are drawn to each other—because they see each other as who they truly are. Xander is an artist—which Mina loves and encourages, she believes in him. Xander appreciates Mina’s capricious ways—and admires her free spirit. I love the balance of the two. To me this is Romeo and Juliet meets Underworld.

Who do you imagine playing them in the dream movie (or who was their inspiration?

MVF: This is why I love Pinterest! I have photos! But I see Xander played by Joseph Morgan, and Mina by Ashley Green. You can go here to see some of my inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/mvfreeman/illumination/

Any particular songs on a playlist for this book?

MVF: The main song for this book is: A Familiar Taste of Poison by Halestorm. Of course, for your listening/watching pleasure I have a link to it.

https://youtu.be/lHZKPYQnsmc

How many books do you anticipate in the series?

MVF: Originally I planned three books—but there will be ultimately be four books in this series. The third one is tentatively named “Blood on Paper” which will continue the story featuring Lev Tepes –Mina’s brother and an Art thief as the hero. Rachel Sullivan is the reluctant witch and heroine. The fourth book will feature Stefan Tepes (Cazacul) and Nicki Monroe, currently I’m calling that book Iridescent; but I believe I am going to re-name it.

I can’t wait to read the entire series and wish you much success. Thank you for stopping by.

Thank you Nancee for having me on your blog! It is always a pleasure.

Author Bio: M.V. Freeman lives in North Alabama. A nurse by day, at night she enjoys creating and exploring alternate worlds within our own. She gravitates toward stories of determined heroines and anti-heroes who push the boundaries as they both fight to find their light in the dark.

M.V. is represented by Victoria Lea from The Aponte Literary Agency. Her award-winning and best-selling debut novel INCANDESCENT is the first in the Hidden Races Series. Currently she is working on the third book in the series, while plotting others. When not writing, she can be found reading, cooking, throwing around kettle bells, or making coffee.

You can find her on twitter: @MVFree

And more about her here (as well as links to pre-order)

Website: http://www.mvfreeman.com/

Simon & Schuster (pre-order links) http://bit.ly/1OscWoP

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMVFreeman?ref=hl

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mvfreeman

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mvfreeman/illumination/

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=65233334&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Google +: https://plus.google.com/100536411253117557991/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6431724.M_V_Freeman

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.V.-Freeman/e/B008QYIYMS/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

About.me: https://about.me/mvfreeman

Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/MVFreeman

My advice for new writers.

I’ve had a few people ask me how I got started writing. Quite frankly, I was bored with television. I was a young mom with a small child and a husband who worked 3-11. I had written angsty stories as a teenager, but decided to try my hand at romance writing, thinking  it would be easy. After all, I took English in high school and college. I read voraciously.

Wrong.

It isn’t easy and I had a LOT to learn. I dabbled for a few years, but real life interrupted and I had to return to work full time. Writing was shoved aside for over ten years until I found out a dear friend had published a romance novel. I was amazed and in awe. I timidly mentioned I had tried writing a few years back. She took me under her wing and helped me. I wouldn’t be sitting this close to being published without Jill Odom.

Next, I joined my local Romance Writers Of America chapter, Southern Magic. I was terrified and intimidated entering my first meeting. I mean there were AUTHORS there! (yeah, I know, DUH) But, authors are my rock stars. I’ve always loved reading. I had fangirled over many of these remarkable women at the annual Readers Luncheon. Why would they want me there? I didn’t belong. I wasn’t published, I didn’t even know where to begin.

I think this is a common fear for most new writers. We’re scared we don’t belong with “published” authors. We’re terrified of being humiliated. Let me tell you a little secret. Yes, pull in closer, I’m going to whisper this. Guess what?

Authors are readers, too.

Yep, that’s the big secret. Authors loved books way before they wrote one single word. We all started right where you are today.

So start by putting an idea down on paper. Will every single word remain? Nope. Will your first book be published? It happens, but not often. Some things you write will never see the light of day.

Here is my step by step advice.

1. Write. Every. Damn. Day. Even if it is just one sentence. Sentences become paragraphs. Paragraphs become pages. Pages become chapters. Chapters become books.

2. Do Nanowrimo when it comes around in November. If you are a plotter, start plotting now. If you’re a pantser like I am, well, just go for it when it rolls around. (although you might want to at least get an outline done) Nanowrimo is a community of like minded folks who want to write. They challenge you to complete 50,000 words in the month of November. It’s a great motivator. They even send you cheer-leading type emails to encourage you as you write. Plus, it gets you in the habit of writing every day.

3. Hook up with other writers. Join writer associations like Romance Writers of America. Friend them on Nanowrimo. Friend authors on social media. Most believe in paying it forward. We wouldn’t be here without the help of others.

4.  Ask questions, even if you think they are silly. I guarantee someone else has wondered the same thing.

5. Take classes. Community colleges. RWA classes, other writing venues. Most classes I’ve attended were reasonable or free.

6. Enter contests. I can’t stress this enough. Where else for $15-30 can you get professional critiques? I promise, asking your friends is nice, but usually not helpful. They are either so brutally honest you quit writing, or they fangirl over stuff they hate because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. Contests give you honest opinions from non-biased writers.

Does some of the critique hurt? Absolutely. I still have not re-visited the manuscript that got these comments. “I have to admit if this was anything but a contest entry I would not have read far into the story.” OUCH. I admit, I cried over that one. Here’s another. “I didn’t connect with the hero or heroine.” WHAT? HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE MY BABIES?! *insert loud wailing and gnashing of teeth* And the parting comment: “I would have no interest in reading anymore.” Yep. More tears shed. (I plan to revisit this manuscript someday. I still love those characters. However, I won’t worry if it isn’t salvageable, not everything we write is.)

However, let me point out this was my first contest entry. It scored 49/100. What did I do after that critique? Did I hang up my “pen” so to speak? Hell, no. I  decided I’d prove to myself I could write. I took classes. I entered more contests. I found critique partners. I continued to WRITE. EVERY. DAMN. DAY.

Don’t worry if you enter a contest and get a bad score. Sure, it might feel like a failure, but it isn’t. Did you hear that? IT IS NOT A FAILURE. Because here’s the thing, the lower the score, generally, the better the critique.

The comments above? Did they hurt. Of course they did. Maybe she could have phrased things a little “nicer.” But, the judge explained why she didn’t like my entry. At various points she showed me where/how to improve it. The judges that just give 5/5 or 4/5 on everything, rarely make comments. To me, while it is flattering, it isn’t helpful. I WANT and NEED the explanations and advice. That’s how I learn.

Enter contests. I promise, your writing will improve. I kept at it. (See the picture above, those are all contest entries from 2013-2014) My scores improved, but usually I’d score high with two judges and bomb with one. I finally decided it wasn’t too bad, I meant two out of three people liked my stories! And again, the judge that hated it gave the best critique. Judges are not the enemy. Most of them are writers. They know what you’re going through and they want you to improve. So learn from them.

And yes, I finally placed and won in a category. My husband swears his hearing problems are the result of my scream of excitement. Did the final judge (who are usually editors and agents) ask for it? No… but someone else did.

Saving Evangeline will be published next month with Omnific Publishing!

Hang in there. Dreams do come true, as long as you work for it.

The Calm Before the Storm

It’s done. Saving Evangeline now resides with the copy editor. It’s been quite a ride, full of joy, tears, hair pulling and voracious use of four-letter words. It’s been both difficult and rewarding at the same time. And now, after almost a year of daily, hard work, I find myself anxious and uncertain. It feels like that eerie calm before a storm. I’ve worked on my brand. I have a newsletter I’ll be sending out soon. (If you are so inclined, you may sign up here: http://eepurl.com/bhFwvD ) I have someone working on a brand logo for me (thank you Shannon) and Mallory is rescuing my pitiful website. I even have a street team in the works. They say I’ll have a cover soon. But the question remains…now what?

I wait.

*sigh*

If anyone knows me in real life, this is the hard part. I’m not a patient person and have some OCD tendencies. I want everything done yesterday. I’m worried I should have done more to the manuscript. I’m worried I’ll do something wrong in publicity. I’m worried I’ll be a failure. Pacing the kitchen, I expressed my frustration to my DH. He’s a patient, wise man and my rock.

He shook his head and chuckled. “Sit back and be still for one damn minute. Look at everything you’ve accomplished since you went to that convention last year. (Romantic Times 2014.) You’ve worked hard, and your book will be published sometime this summer. Enjoy the time off and quit worrying about shit that will work itself out.”

“But what if everyone hates my book? I put so much of myself into it.”

“Then what’s not to love?”

And that, folks. Is why I married him.

And so, I’m going to sit on my front porch and appreciate the scenery around me and contemplate on just how lucky I am.

A Valentine Extra, Saving Evangeline

Dear Evie,

So, it’s Valentine’s Day and I know you’ll want a stupid poem, so here goes nothing.

 Candy apples are red,

Cotton candy is pink,

I’m pretty damn sure,

My poem’s gonna stink.

Yeah, I know. That sucked. (Speaking of sucking… I hope that’s my present. *hint, hint*)

Crazy Girl, I don’t know how else to express my love for you, except to say, I love you. I love the way your eyes soften like melted chocolate when I make love to you. I love your hair when it’s wild and free. I love the way you take care of that stupid mutt, Goner and me.(Damn, that was pretty good. I should’ve made that my stupid poem) I love the sound of your laughter and hope to hear more and more of it. I love that you’re terrified of heights but willing to try anything. I love that you get my sick sense of humor. But most of all,  I love the fact you fell for me when it was so damn wrong.  Evangeline Lourdes Salvatore, please be mine. For ever and ever. XOXOXO

Love, Remi

PS What the hell do those XO things mean, anyway? And I made the card, I hope you like it.

************************************************************

Dear Remi,

Your poem sucked. XOXO means hugs and kisses. And as for your present for later, I’m on it. *wink, wink* Just shove Goner off the bed when you get here.

I love you, Evie

PS And thank you for not saying amen after forever and ever. That creeps me out. Oh, and I know you had Peter do the fancy script. I can’t read your normal everyday handwriting. Thank him for his help. I love the valentine.

PSS You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and this made me cry. I love you forever and ever. XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Serendipity and signs

As I posted earlier, I’m in the midst of edits for my upcoming book, Saving Evangeline. It’s a paranormal romance that involves angels. Having a touch (okay a LOT) of OCD tendencies, I struggle with over thinking things. Even though the manuscript is now back in the hands of my editor, I woke up this morning having doubts. Did I add too much? Did I cut enough? Is it tighter? Is it too angsty? Or too slapstick in parts? It’s like sending your child to school for the first time. You want others to like it. You want it to fit in, yet be different. So as I’m driving to the evil day job, I round the corner and look up. We all need to do that more. Stop and look up, not down, nor behind us or even in front of us. Look up. This is what I saw. Thank you.

The First Cut is the Deepest.

The day finally arrived! I received my manuscript back from my editor. Taking a deep breath, I dove in, ready to work. Page one, a comma needed. Page two, a question mark replaced the misplaced period. I read on, make a few changes, knock out some prepositional phrases, substituted stronger verbs. In my mind, I’m thinking, “What’s the big deal about edits? Why was I so nervous? This isn’t bad at all.”

And then three-fourth of the way through, I see this: The introspection is getting tedious and redundant.

Did you hear that thud? That was my heart sinking. Hmm. I decide to keep going and ponder on the changes that might need to occur. And then this: Trim some of this or I might hack what you love.

I feel like Fred Sanford from Sanford and Son, clutching my chest. Hack my baby? This book is part of me. She’s killing me. My first book will never be published because I’m having a heart attack.

The Devoted Hubby walks in the room. “What’s that weird, hissing noise?”

I make a mental note to sign him up for first aid classes. “Nothing. Don’t mind me, I’m dying.”

“Okay. Holler if you need anything.” He leaves to putter in his man-cave, oblivious to my distress.

I re-adjust my glasses and forge ahead. Ten pages from the end I find a longer note: This scene should be climatic. It goes nowhere and I don’t feel it is needed. It dilutes the previous scene.

“What?” I scream at my computer. My hero just did the big reveal! It was intense and full of gut-wrenching emotion! While my paranormal book is full of humor with a bad boy angel, it deals with some deep, dark issues. Mental Illness. Suicide. Shame. Fear. This scene she wants me to cut provides some comic relief. Not to mention it features one of the best side characters I’ve ever written… I mean he’s the devil. He’s gorgeous and snarky and in my mind, when it’s made into a movie, he will be portrayed by Alex Skarsgård, for heaven’s sake. How can I cut him? Noooooo, say it ain’t so!

Luckily, I have a terrific support group of author friends. And I’m old enough to listen. I stepped away and thought about it. Sure, I love that scene. But my editor is right. It leads nowhere and made the previous scene anti-climatic when it is the crux of the book. During 2014 Nanowrimo I hammered out a rough draft for the companion book to this one. They are both stand alone stories, but some of the characters appear in both books. My wonderful, acerbic, gorgeous devil is one of the major players in the second book. I remember as I wrote it thinking, “Damn, I used that line in the other book.” Guess what? Yep, now he can say them for the first time in his own story.

However, I’m not going to lie. It’s hard to cut words you have painstakingly and lovingly crafted together to tell your story. Taking a deep breath, I highlighted the scene and then copied and pasted it into my slush pile of extras. I hit delete. Going back to the beginning, I started re-reading, re-editing and re-writing. And as I looked for redundancy, new words flowed, making my characters stronger, deeper. I inserted more humor to temper the angst. And when I finished the first round of edits, I found myself moved by my own story. Hopefully, my editor will agree.

Author Spotlight: M.V. Freeman discusses her new release, INCANDESCENT

I ‘ m honored to interview M.V. Freeman, author of INCANDESCENT. Today is your release day, how exciting! Thank you for taking the time to talk about your book, I know your schedule must be hectic. So let’s jump right in with the questions. For those that don’t know you, tell us about yourself.

I’m an art school drop-out turned nurse with a love of riveting stories filled with adventure, anti-heroes and heroines, who adores coffee, kettle-bells, and cooking.

I had the privilege of reading an ARC of INCANDESCENT and LOVED it. Would you mind giving the readers a quick blurb?

Laurie Hudson’s strange affinity for fire forced her to give up on normal years ago. Distanced from her family and with few friends, she’s managed to carve out a small but lonely niche for herself as a bartender at an upscale restaurant. The unexpected arrival of the new owner, Mikhail Petrov, a brutal but charming man, up-ends her life, exposing her to a hidden world where she is the prize everyone desires.

A formidable Tri-elemental, Mikhail Petrov commands earth, air, and water. He doesn’t give a damn what the untrained Fire Elemental Laurie wants. Her rare power is the key to his freedom, and he doesn’t hesitate to seize her for his use—an act that propels him into a war he isn’t ready to fight. The cost could mean his life and the destruction of his people.

“I’m not the good guy, Laurie. But I’m also not the bad guy. I’m simply your better choice,” Mikhail tells the reluctant Fire Elemental as he begins to train her. As their enemies close in, Laurie’s feelings toward the frustrating Tri-elemental change before she realizes—a little too late ­that Mikhail may not have been her best choice, after all.

This cover is beautiful and very representative of the story! Where do you get your inspiration to write these type stories?

I write Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. I think my current stories are an Urban Fantasy/Romance mix. I never do things the easy way. They come from all over; a movie, a news article, the people I see and meet. This is my first book in the Hidden Races Series, INCANDESCENT. I was inspired to write it by the movie Eastern Promises –I loved the Russian Hero in that movie.

*sigh* Mikhail Petrov. That accent, those eyes… Oops I digress, please continue, so this is a series?

Yes! The Hidden Races Series. Which surprised me, because when I first wrote this book I wanted it to be one book, but I wasn’t even half way through when I realized I had to have a series because I like intricate plots too much. This first book is also a re-release; and even though that was a great experience, I wanted the series in one place. This book has undergone extensive re-editing; which has allowed me to add more to certain scenes which, in my opinion, deepens the story.

What can we expect in the future with this series?

There will be mayhem, and romance. Each book will feature a different hero/heroine, but all of the characters will be in each book because of the over-arching plot line. I love Fantasy, Urban Fantasy—and it comes out in my story telling. In this series; I have a Humans, and the hidden races are Darks, Mages, and Elementals. Book two (will be out in 2015)—and this will be feature a Mage who is trying to regain his status and a Dark who knows no boundaries. Book three (I’m writing now)—This will have an uptight nurse, who is also a human witch, and a Dark Art thief who wants to collect her. Book four (I’m plotting)— will have two people (A Dark and a Mage) whose lives are in pieces, and they put each other back together again.

Very exciting! I definitely want more of Mikhail Petrov. He absolutely gave me the shivers yet intrigued me. Is he based on anyone you actually know?

No. If there was someone even remotely like this in my life, well then, I’m hanging with some scary people if you ask me! I created this character by observing and talking to people—I love Russian culture; and with the help of those who actually have interacted and lived in a Slavic country I was able to create a fictional character who I thought was very cool. (and I’m so glad you loved him!)

I have to confess I secretly call him Misha, do you?

I would not call Mikhail –Misha if you are not family, or a close personal friend…. or you have something you can hold over him. It’s not healthy…

*Gulps and looks over shoulder, nervously.* So if you had a dream cast for the movie, who would play Mikhail and Laurie?

Viggo Mortenson if he’s still young enough, if not, Michael Fassbender and for Laurie, Rachelle Lefevre.

Exactly who I pictured! Okay let’s have some fun, quick fire questions:

Favorite color?

Black/Red/Blue. I love these colors equally. I don’t know why—but I do.

Favorite genre of music?

All genre’s. I listen to anything from Baroque, to Metal, and Indie

Do you have a playlists for your stories?

Oh yes I do—I even choose a theme song for each book. (I put them on Spotify) INCANDESCENT has two, The New Divide by Linkin Park, and My Songs Know What you did in the Dark- Light ‘em up, by Fall Out Boy.

Coffee or tea?

Both. I love Coffee (French Roast); especially in the morning and tea (Rose tea, Lord Bergamont) in the afternoon. These are my weaknesses.

This was so much fun. Thank you for joining me today! I look forward to reading all of The Hidden Races Series.

Thanks for having me Nancee, this was fun!

Links to find M.V. Freeman and her book, INCANDESCENT:

Simon & Schuster; http://bit.ly/1vxEoHj

Author FB page: http://on.fb.me/1yx6PXO

Blog: http://paperbacksnpapercuts.blogspot.com/

Web site: www.mvfreeman.com

Twitter: @MVFree

LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/1IrTOqA

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MVFreeman

Google+: http://bit.ly/160LhvX

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mvfreeman

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mvfreeman/

Amazon Author Page:   http://amzn.to/1yJ4Fbt

John J. Quinlan, World’s Most Tattooed Male Romance Cover Model

I’m very excited to interview John Quinlan today. I was lucky enough to meet him at Romantic Times in NOLA this year. First of all, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview. I’ve told everyone what a great, motivational guy you are and how kind you are to your fans. I know you’re a proud Dad; I’ve seen the pics of your adorable 3 children.

Thanks so much for the kind words. I always make time for the fans and I do my best to be a loving father to my children. Right back at you, as I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule as well to sit down with me for this interview today.

So let’s start with a quick bio. Tell me about John Quinlan.

I’ve been involved in athletics, professional wrestling, fitness & modeling since the age of 19. I have been an image model for dozens of apparel brands, jewelry and supplement companies as far away as Japan and Asia, along with appearing in television documentaries, commercials, art gallery print work and having my likeness used on children’s literature book covers. I am also a Physique competitor and a current Romance Novel Cover model, as well. As of 2014, I am the most tattooed male romance cover model in the world. In November, for the second time, I was a featured model in Duemila Magazine of Italy. I would like to personally thank Simone Soldera for believing in me as a model. It’s an honor to represent the United States in such a prestigious publication. I just competed November 1st as a physique model at the 2014 NPC New England Championships in my home town of Boston, Massachusetts.

I can’t imagine being in front of that many people. I would probably die of stage fright. How did you become interested in being a cover model for romance books?

There is nothing like show day, being on stage in front of a sold out arena feels so great. I became a cover model after many years of people telling me I had the look for it. I never took them seriously until I spoke with author Cassandra Carr. She gave me the encouragement to take the leap in the world of romance.I’ll always thank her for that.

Where did you grow up? What were your aspirations/dreams as a kid?

I grew up in Melrose, Massachusetts which is a suburb north of Boston. It’s funny; as a kid growing up in the 1980’s in Boston, my idol was Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs. I wanted to be a professional baseball player.

I know the area, I have family that lived in Lynn, Massachusetts. What professionally are the accomplishments you’re most proud of?

Being named the official spokes model for Addiction Series that campaigns nation wide for awareness against drug addiction is something I’m very proud of. I like having the title of being the most tattooed romance cover model in the world. Eventually, when another model comes along with more body art than me and takes the title, I will still be proud to say I was the very first guy who broke the tattoo stereotype in the romance world. I paved the way for these guys to showcase their talent to the world, whereas before, they might not have been able to do so. I have a few projects lined up in 2015, and we will see how they all play out.

I love that you’re involved with addiction awareness. I work as a nurse in that field. There are so many misconceptions about addicts. It sounds like you’re going to be busy in the future, can you share more information?

There is a fitness model reality TV show in the works which I’m really excited about along with a huge Boston based project set to begin in the spring. However, at this time, I am sworn to secrecy about from agents & lawyers due to copyrights and things of that nature. I’ve also been signed to appear as a featured cover model, man of romance at the 2015 Romantic Times Convention in Dallas, TX. I’m also scheduled to appear at several book signings. And, producer Jillian Bullock has signed me to play the character role of Sgt. Jason Garrett, a mixed martial arts instructor, in her 2015 film, A Sense of Purpose: Fighting for Our Lives which is set to begin filming in Philadelphia this summer.

I know a lot of us will be looking forward to seeing that. So I met you at Romantic Times in New Orleans in 2014. I remember gasping and saying, “Oh my God, you’re Beckett!” I recognized you from some of the teaser pictures for Debra Anastasia’s Poughkeepsie series. How did you meet Debra?

I met Debra Anastasia through a mutual friend Julie Cooper Barber. Julie was the one who referred me to Debra when she was looking for a model to play her character, Beckett Taylor in her video version of Return To Poughkeepsie. I was honored to be selected as Beckett Taylor. Special thanks to both, Julie and Debra.

How does do you feel being the focus of the “female gaze?” There is so much in the media about the objectification of women. Do you feel that way sometimes? I know I felt uncomfortable for you at RT when a few of the women asked you to take your shirt off in a busy hallway at a convention.

It’s all good. The kindness that has been given to me by so many in the industry will forever be appreciated. I always try my best to do as much as I can for the fans, because without them, models like me would be nothing.

Does anything make you uncomfortable? Boundary-wise?

Not really at this point, as I have done everything from conventional to adult themed modeling.

Do your tattoos have meanings behind them? How many do you have?

I have 27 individual tattoos and they all have their own personal meaning. I keep some of the meanings to myself but a few of my favorites are the oriental Kanji “family” symbol inside my left wrist which represents my chidren as well as the 3 nautical stars inside each of my forearms which represents my 3 kids as well.

You must have a vigorous work out routine. How many hours a day do you work? When competing, what type of diet do you follow? Have you always been in shape?

It all depends, Nancee. Usually an hour is my limit as far as a training session goes, unless I am doing some form of cardiovascular workout. Then it will go a bit longer. I’m usually in the gym 5 days per week. I try and mix and match light weight for high reps with some heavier weights with lower reps to keep the muscles and myself from getting bored. When getting ready for a show or model shoot, I always eat clean. I keep my sodium low and drink nothing but water. I stay away from processed foods and cut out my carbohydrates after 6pm. I try and make fitness and a healthy lifestyle a routine I am fairy consistent with.

Consistency seems to be the key. I’m afraid the only exercise I get is channel surfing does that count? Who inspired you to get and stay in such amazing shape?

There was a person who inspired me when I was thirteen years old. If it wasn’t for him I would never have started working out and probably wouldn’t be sitting here with you today. Special thanks to Rich Green. Rich was a super athlete in high school and the quarterback of the football team. He had great genetics and I remember saying I want to be built like this guy. He was the very first one to take time and explain to me some routines and he gave sound advice towards weight training. I will always be grateful to Big Rich for helping me.

And when you aren’t competing or just want to pig out, what is your favorite food? You know the one that is totally wrong for you, but you just have to have it?

I love a hometown favorite in my area, Bianchi’s Pizza! It’s located on Revere Beach and I could eat it every day of the week. So good! I’m also a sucker for coffee Oreo sundaes, I have eaten 6 of them in one sitting before!

My thighs just expanded two sizes thinking about pizza and coffee Oreo sundaes. How many book covers have you been on?

I really don’t know, to tell you the truth. Maybe a dozen or so? I know a few dozen authors have claimed images of me that aren’t out yet. They are sitting on them, waiting to appear on the cover of their next unfinished novels in the near future.

Congratulations! I’m sure I’ll be seeing lots of them when I browse bookstores. What is your greatest accomplishment? What is most important to you?

I have to be honest here with you and say my answer to both of these questions is the same. My greatest accomplishment is when I hear somebody say I am nice guy, without an attitude and ego free. Of all the things I have accomplished that is the most important to me. The lasting impression I make on people goes a long way. I always do my best and go out of my way to help people and give the fans and authors what they want. The way I see it, we are helping each other in this symbiotic relationship. I also want to personally thank you as well, Nancee, because without great writers like you, models like myself would never be able to showcase our talents to the world through book covers, featured galleries and interviews like this. God Bless You, always.

What surprised you the most with this path of being a Romance Novel cover model?

I never thought I would ever be involved in this business the way I have been. What surprised me the most to be honest with you is the way I was openly accepted by so many authors from all over the world. I am truly honored and humbled.

What does your family think about you being on Romance novel covers?

They are proud of me. Some of my close friends with senses of humor like to poke fun, but in the end, I have a thick skin with a sense of humor myself and it’s all good.

I know you are a spokesperson for Drug Awareness, and you did the ALS challenge. Any other causes you’re passionate about?

Breast Cancer Awareness is a big one as I support Anita Jeter-Peterkin’s Wrapped in Pink campaign as well as Tina DeSalvo’s Friends Fight Together Fund.As we finish up, I won’t do the Barbara Walters out-of-left field questions, and hopefully I haven’t made you cry. Could you just tell us your hopes and dreams for the future?

I could sit here for days and talk about my hopes and dreams for the future. To be a great dad and be successful in whatever avenue this game of life takes me.

Thank you, John. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. Readers, look for John Quinlan on the cover of your favorite romances and find him on the web!

http://www.johnjosephquinlan.com/

https://twitter.com/JohnJQuinlan

https://facebook.com/therealjohnquinlan?fref=ts