Expressions Today: an interview with author Devyn Quinn

I recently got a chance to speak with Devyn Quinn, author of the Dark Tides series from Signet publications. During our discussion Ms. Quinn talked about the growing popularity of Indie publishing and her upcoming Steampunk novel, The Resurrectionist.

BP Hi Devyn, how are you today?

DQ I’m good, Beth, thank you!

BP Devyn, for those who have never read your work – you are a proliferate author, known for your thrilling and sensual Romances. Among your published work are a vampire series from Kensington Books and the mer-folk series, Dark Tides, from NAL/Signet. Your writing is also known for its modern gothic style. What is it about the dark and mysterious attracts you as a writer?

DQ I have a dark and depressive mind set, so I automatically look for the shadows in the sunlight, and the ugly things lurking around corners!

BP You recently announced that you are entering the world of Indie (independent) publishing. What prompted you to make the move from traditional publishing to Indie?

DQ Writing for a NY publisher and having to wait months and months to get paid even though I had fulfilled my part of the contract was the main reason I walked away from traditional publishing. Lack of publisher promotion and support also played a major role in my decision. I also wanted more control over the final content, cover art, etc… It just seemed to make sense. I’ve recently hired my own team to handle those things so I can concentrate on doing what I do best, which is writing the stories I want to tell.

BP I’ve heard similar observations from other authors about lack of active involvement from traditional publishers when it comes to promotion of books and the authors they contract. Do you have any thoughts why this is, or is this something we can only speculate about?

DQ I have figured out that the more the publishers pay for an advance, the more they are going to spend for promotion. They don’t sweat recouping a 3-4 thousand dollar layout as much as they do the 100k advance. If you aren’t a writer who warrants the big advance, they aren’t going to do more than give your book a listing in the catalog.

BP I know you are branching out into the Steampunk genre. Can you tell us more about Steampunk?

DQ I really had no interest in the genre until an idea hit me during a documentary I was watching on television. Once I started thinking about it, I realized that the book would only work if it were set during the era the documentary took place. As I knew nothing about steampunk, I had to do a lot of research to find out about the genre and what parameters I had to work with. Fortunately the genre is wide open as to the addition of paranormal elements.

BP Do you mind sharing a little about your forthcoming novel, The Resurrectionist?

DQ The Resurrectionist is actually based in fact, from the characters of historical events, specifically the incidents of grave robbing in order to obtain corpses for medical study. Before 1832, only the remains of those executed were allowed to be used. That left a serious shortage of bodies for anatomist to study on, and thus the theft of the dead ensued. In the Burke and Hare case of 1828, these people were committing murder to obtain fresher bodies for study. At the same time, females were not allowed to study medicine. My main female character, Florentia Palmer, is a composite of Dr. James Barry, who was discovered to be a woman after s/he passed away, and a few other activists for women’s rights during that particular era, when women were finding more opportunities for work outside the home as the industrial revolution began.

BP Can you give us a hint on future books from Devyn Quinn?

DQ Aside from The Resurrectionist, I’m working on a new dark Urban Fantasy series. Originally it was slated to be sold to NAL. However, the offer that came through from my editor was not acceptable and I decided to handle the series myself. Book 1, Incantation, is slated for an August 2013 release.

BP A fun question for you now – or at least I hope! Readers love heroes and authors love creating them; but if you were to point to one historical figure as being the kind of hero you could fall in love with who would it be and why?

DQ Certainly I would say Lord Byron, who was described as mad, bad and dangerous to know! If that isn’t an enticing description of the bad boy, I don’t know what is!

BP Do you mind sharing with readers how to get news updates about your books and signings?

DQ You can always check my website at www.devynquinn.com or find me on Facebook and/or twitter.

BP Devyn, it has been a real pleasure speaking with you today! Thanks so much for taking time to talk with me.

DQ Thank you, Beth. I appreciate your time!

Bio: Devyn Quinn lives in the scenic Southwest, though she has called several other states home. She is a huge fan of dark gothic music & shoot-’em-up action movies. But reading is her first love and Devyn spends too much time with history books, as well as feeding her addiction for celebrity biographies. She especially enjoys reading books on Hollywood before the 1960′s and is crazy about Marilyn Monroe, her legend and her myth.

Devyn lives with her cats, ferrets, and one little single Shih Tzu doggie, Tess.

Expressions Today interviews ©2012 by Beth Perry, all rights reserved, and available courtesy of Hubpages.