At the Romance Writers of America Conference in 2012 I met the delightful Ella Quinn. We clicked immediately. Apart from both being writers of historical romance we were both ex Army lawyers (but more on that later). Ella is one of the most generous people I have come across on the interwebs and I was so thrilled for her when she finally "got the call". I am delighted to have a chance to take tea with her today and have a good, old fashioned chat!
My dear Ms. Quinn, as an American living in a former British
Colony, I expect you to be well acquainted with the taking of tea… do you have
a particular favourite I can provide you with?
Actually I live in a former
Danish colony that England took custody of a few times, though I did live in
England for a couple of years. (AS: I never knew the Danes colonised the Carribean! You live and learn...)
I prefer a blend of Ceylon and Assam. (AS...I am sure I can rustle something up...just let me push the Earl Grey to the back of the cupboard)
Occasionally one runs into fellow writers whose lives and
careers have followed a similar trajectory and you and I share the peculiar
career choice of military lawyers. My career was as a reservist but yours was as a
full time Army Officer in the JAG Corps. Can you tell me a little bit about
your time in the military and, if you are not going to be shot, the most
interesting case or period of your career?
My most interesting jobs were as a prosecutor where I got
quite a bit of trial time. For some reason we went through a period where we
had a slew of sex cases. I won every one of them so that was quite a coup as I
was up against more experienced civilian attorneys. My other most interesting
job was as the operational law advisor for an Army Special Forces battalion. I
have degrees in international relations, so I actually got to use them.
(AS: Operational law was my particular interest as well. I loved my job as a Brigade legal officer advising on the Geneva Conventions and Rules of Engagement...oh and I have visited the JAG school in Charlottesville, VA)
Of all my friends, you probably win the prize for the most
exotic location…how do you come to be living on the Island of St. Thomas in the
Carribbean?
My husband didn’t want to retire in Europe. We’d been living
there for quite some time, but he didn’t want to be a expat. He never was able
to explain why. Anyway, I had to find a place we both liked with a US flag.
Neither of us had been in the Virgin Islands, but we had friends living here.
So we visited and fell in love.
You are a writer of Regency Romances. What draws you to that
period?
The Regency had always been my favorite period, I’ve read
and re-read my Georgette Heyers I don’t know how many times, but, when it came
to writing, it picked me. I knew I wanted to write something, but I kept
hearing, write what you know, but that was boring to me. Then I heard, write
what you read. A month or so later, I had an image of a lady in Regency dress
striding angrily around a room, and I had to write it down.
What do you love most about a regency hero?
That they were
encouraged to be skilled in bed. They also knew how to dress, dance, and had
manners. I can’t tell you how tired I am of the “guy” culture.
Your first two books
are coming out in rapid succession, with THE SEDUCTION OF LADY PHOEBE, released
on September 19 and THE SECRET LIFE OF MISS ANNA MARSH coming out in November.
The third book comes out in January. Are the books in a series? If so what is
the common theme that unites them?
They are part of my series the Marriage Game which appears
to have a total of seven books. All the men and some of the women are friends.
They also don’t mind meddling in each other’s lives if necessary.
ABOUT ELLA QUINN
Ella’s studies and other jobs have always
been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies,
were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start
writing them.
She is married to her wonderful husband of
twenty-nine years. They have a son and granddaughter, Great Dane and a
Chartreux. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa,
England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make St. Thomas, VI home.
Ella is a member of the Romance Writers of
American, The Beau Monde and Hearts Across History. She is represented by
Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency, and published by Kensington.
Her debut novel The Seduction of Lady Phoebe, will release in September 2013. Find out more about Ella and her books on her WEBSITE
Polite society has its rules for marriage. But
for Ella Quinn’s eligible bachelors, their brides will show them that rules are
for the weak of heart…Phoebe Stanhope is not a typical Lady. As feisty as she is quick witted, no one can catch her, especially when she is driving her dashing phaeton with its perfectly matched horses. And unlike her peers, experience has guarded her against a growing list of would-be suitors. But when she encounters Marcus Finley, what she fears most burns deep within his blue-eyed gaze…
For Lord Marcus, the spark of recognition is but a moment in the love he has held these many years. Now that he’s returned to England, all the happiness he desires rests on Lady Phoebe never finding out that he was the one who turned her heart so cold and distant. He must work fast to gain the advantage—to convince
her what she wants is exactly what she denies—but in order to seduce her into his arms, he must be willing to give up more than he can control…
We may all dream of retiring to a tropical island and Ella was able to fulfill the dream.
Where would you like to retire to?
