Meet veteran and author Ella Quinn!
Learn all about what she does for fun, her writing process and her favorite romance tropes.
So read on for some behind the scenes info exclusive to Military Spouse!
- Do you ever base your characters off of the people in your life?
I’ve only based one character on a person in my life and he died many years ago. It ended up being therapeutic for me because he was a truly horrible person, and I’ve made him the villain in all the books in my Trevor novella series.
- How long does it take you to write your books?
For a big book, generally about three months, if life doesn’t get in my way. Of course that happens a lot. Novellas usually take about a month. But I was under a lot of pressure last year to get one done, and I wrote it in four days. I never want to do that again!
- What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Discovering my characters. They are so multi-faceted, and suddenly a part of them will emerge that I didn’t see coming. For example, I never actually thought Augusta in Believe in Me would actually shoot anyone. The way I had originally thought about the scene, Phinn shot the villain, but as I was writing it, the whole thing changed.
- What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing?
I love traveling, sailing, and downhill skiing. I also read a lot. I like to try new restaurants and new foods. You might have noticed in my books that food is a big deal to me. I really live to eat, but I don’t like junk food or processed food. When I was researching Believe in Me I discovered that French fries (called pommes frites in Europe) became popular in the 18th century France and Belgium, whereas, they weren’t really known in the US until after WWI. They are actually a Belgium invention. The reason we call them French fries is because our soldiers didn’t realize they were in Belgium because everyone was speaking French.
- Do you have a favorite character trope to read? What about write?
I love the compromised couple who must marry, and I probably use it too much. But my readers seem to like it too, so it’s hard to stay away from it. There is just something about a couple having to make it work that seems to sharpen my creativity. And, of course, the more my heroine resists, the more my hero wants to convince her to marry him.
To connect with Ella, visit her website. And to get your own copy of BELIEVE IN ME, click here!
