Interview with Jennifer Quintenz(Indie of the Month)

I completely agree that indie-authors need more championing - as they books are fantastic! In Indies you find tough-topics and some really unique plotlines; it's a whole different sidetSo, each month, I'm going to be doing an interview with an indie author, as a way to promote their work! This week, I'm talking to Jennifer Quintenz - but, you can call her Jenn!

 

Hi Jenn! Welcome to A Day Dreamer's World! Can you tell me a little about your book series, 'Daughters of Lilith' and what inspired you to write it?

Thanks for having me, I’d love to talk about the books!  The Daughters of Lilith series follows the life and adventures of Braedyn Murphy, a sweet if shy teenage girl who discovers around her 16th birthday that she is a descendent of Lilith, the mother of all demons.  I love taking old mythology and seeing what would happen if it played out in a contemporary setting.  In this case, it’s the ancient Mesopotamian mythology of Lilith (Adam’s first wife, before Eve), and her offspring.  

 

You've also written for TV, did you think this helped when writing 'Thrall', 'Incubus' and 'Sacrifice'?  Or was there a huge difference?

Great questions, and the answers are yes and yes!  Actually, “Thrall” started out as a TV pilot - so I’ve always envisioned it as a “series” - it just so happens it’s a book series now, not a TV series.  The script garnered some positive attention but never got picked up by a production company - one of the realities of this business.  Usually, I’d just sit down and write the next script, but this story, these characters - I knew they could find an audience if I could just get them out into the world.  So - with the support of my awesome manager - I sat down to write my first novel.  

 

'Daughters of Lilith' Book One.

And YES - there is a huge difference between writing for TV and writing a book.  In a TV script, your job - in some ways - is to paint a picture with as few words as possible, and leave a lot of the details of that world up to casting directors, set designers, costume designers, directors, and actors.  In other words, you want to tell a compelling story without stepping on the toes of all the other amazing collaborators who will be bringing the story to life.  But when you write a novel, all of a sudden you have to put on all those hats yourself.  You become the costume designer, set designer, actors - the details of the world, what the characters think, their movements and inflections, it’s all on you.  So that was probably the biggest mental shift I had to make switching from TV to the books.

The covers for the books are absolutely gorgeous - what was your reaction to seeing them? 

Um... thank you!  I actually designed them myself (in another life I majored in studio art, and I have always been in love with Photoshop, so I figured, why not do them myself?)  I feel like I’ve learned a lot with each cover, and my skills are definitely improving with each one.  The first one took waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer than the most recent one... but that’s another post!  :D

'Thrall' has a lot of paranormal/supernatural aspects - what interests you most about this genre?

The high stakes and life-and-death of it all.  But that only matters if the characters are completely grounded in human emotions.  I try to spend as much time crafting Braedyn’s life as a teenager, with all the challenges and opportunities that entails, as I do crafting the larger-than-life battles and supernatural creatures.  

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer - I know that’s an answer many writers give.  I wrote and illustrated books as a child, then graduated to short stories in high school and college, then shifted over to features and TV scripts after graduation... but at the heart of it all I just love telling stories.  

Where is your favourite place to write?

This is not exotic but I have this amazing zero-gravity chair in my living room and it enables me to write comfortably for as long as I want.  I bought it after working on a TV show with a brutal schedule, where I was sitting and writing for 12-14 hours a day and actually got a stress fracture.  From sitting.  Ergonomics, people.  Ergonomics.  

Is there one book you have read that you wished you had written?

YES!  “The Silver Metal Lover” by Tanith Lee.  Oh this book... I return to it at least once a year.  I love love love that book, the world, the characters... if you have not read it, do yourself a favor and hunt it down immediately.  

The most recent book in the series,
 'Sacrifice'

How do you celebrate finishing a novel? 

I... need to figure something better out.  Usually I finish a novel, relax for an hour or two, then try to get myself organized for the next project.  What I’d like to do?  Go out to an awesome dinner with my husband and some close friends, have some good wine, talk and laugh until closing... yeah, I should do that after finishing the next book!

If your series was to become a TV show or be adapted for film, who would you want to play your main characters?

There are some many amazing actors out there... this is really hard.  For Braedyn, I could see someone like Hailee Steinfeld or Zoey Deutch or Chloë Grace Moretz.  

 

For Lucas?  Okay, so I just saw Ender’s Game - and Asa Butterfield rocked that part, so he’s totally on my radar right now.  As for the older characters, I’d love to see Nathan Fillion playing Braedyn’s amazing ex-soldier father, Murphy.  Maybe someone like Alan Rickman as the complicated archivist, Thane.  Jensen Ackles would be an incredible Hale.  I’d love to hear other thoughts on this.  

You have the chance to live the life of one of the characters in 'Daughters of Lilith' for a day - who would it be and why? 

For one day?  It could be cool to be Braedyn or Karayan, to get the chance to explore dreams with that level of control... but I wouldn’t want to be them for any longer that that!

 

Is there going to be another book in this series - or are you working on something new? 

Yes and yes!  The Daughters of Lilith series is planned as 5 books.  But beyond that, I’ve got at least 3 other series I want to start on, and I’m pitching a new TV pilot currently.

Where can we find you online, and buy your books? 

All my books are available at Amazon.com in print or for the Kindle - and Thrall just came out as an audio book, too!

As for me, you can find me here:

Website: http://JenniferQuintenz.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferQuintenz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennq

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5926932

Thank you, Jenn! 

Thank you, Sophie!  It was fun!

Do you think it's important to support indie authors?

Tell me in the comments!