Today I am so pleased to welcome Quinn Anderson to Joyfully Jay. Quinn has come to talk to us about her latest release, Hotline. She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

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Hello, everyone! This is Quinn Anderson, author of the Murmur Inc. series, and I’m here to share some inside information about, Hotline, coming out October 31st. Stay tuned to hear about where I get my ideas, writing comedy, and how I went “undercover” as a sex worker to research my novels. Leave comments on the tour posts for a chance to win a $10 Riptide Publishing gift card!

I don’t have a specific ritual for character creation, and I’m afraid my process is a bit vague. I start off by giving myself a challenge. For Hotline, my challenge was to write a character that was much less educated than I am. Thus, I created Zack, the snarky college dropout who is clever without being overly intelligent or poignant. For my latest book, Action, I decided to write a character who is naturally an introvert and yet elected to become a porn star, one of the most extroverted careers out there.

That’s the base on which I built these characters, but as for how I made them breathe, that’s another story. I sort of get a “feel” for my characters. I determine the handful of emotions that will rule them during the narrative, and then I give them certain physical attributes and personality traits based on that. For example, a character with the base emotion “sad” might have watery eyes, a faded blue scarf, and a propensity for listening to bad breakup songs. These things suggest that the character is sad without me having to say it, or even have anything happen to them. For “happiness”, I might pick ruddy cheeks, a wide face that lends itself easily to smiles, and an energetic personality.

Once I have a “feel” for my character, I ask myself random questions about them. If I can answer them easily, then I know my character is real to me. If I can’t, I walk them through scenarios in my head until I’m certain I know how they’d react in a variety of situations.

Sometimes, if I can’t quite pinpoint what a character would do, I’ll list every possible reaction and then ask myself, “Would they do this, or something else?” until I hit on one that feels right.

And of course, it’s important to have realistic negative traits as well. I actually tend to be way too hard on my characters and assign them a lot of flaws, usually things like stubbornness, selfishness, and arrogance.


Blurb

HotlineZack never intended to become a phone sex operator, but with half a college degree and a smart mouth, his options were limited. It helps that he has a knack for thinking on his feet and a willingness to roll with whatever his clients throw at him. Sure, he gets his fair share of creeps and unconventional requests, but it pays the bills, and he’s in no danger of breaking his one rule: never fall for a client.

Until a man named “John” starts calling, and Zack finds himself interested in more than a paycheck. It’s not just that John has money, or that his rumbling baritone drives Zack wild. He’s everything Zack isn’t: educated, poised, and in total control of his life.

A twist of fate brings them face-to-face, and now that they’ve seen each other—and spent an unforgettable night together—they can’t go back to the way things were. A sex worker and a trust fund brat . . . It’s like Romeo and Juliet, but with less stabbing and slightly fewer dick jokes. Hopefully they can pull off a more successful ending.


Bio

Quinn Anderson is an alumna of the University of Dublin in Ireland and has a master’s degree in psychology. She wrote her dissertation on sexuality in popular literature and continues to explore evolving themes in erotica in her professional life.

A nerd extraordinaire, she was raised on an unhealthy diet of video games, anime, pop culture, and comics from infancy. She stays true to her nerd roots in writing and in life and frequently draws inspiration from her many fandoms, which include Sherlock, Harry Potter, Supernatural, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Buffy, Marvel, and more. You will often find her interacting with fellow fans online and offline via conventions and tumblr, and she is happy to talk about anything from nerd life to writing tips. She has attended conventions on three separate continents and now considers herself a career geek. She advises anyone who attends pop culture events in the UK to watch out for Weeping Angels, as they are everywhere.

Her favorite television show is Avatar: the Last Airbender, her favorite film is Tangled, and her favorite book is Ella Enchanted. She can often be spotted at conventions, comic shops, and midnight book releases. If you’re at an event, and you see a 6’2” redhead wandering around with a vague look on her face, that’s probably her. Her favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, screwing the rules, finding the Master Sword, guided falling, consulting for the NYPD, guarding the galaxy, boldly going, and catching ’em all.

Connect with Quinn:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorQuinnAnderson/
Tumblr: quinnandersonwrites


Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Hotline, one lucky winner will receive $10 in Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 5, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.
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