Today I’m happy to welcome Chris Quinton to the blog to answer my intrusive questions! Welcome Chris! It’s lovely to have you here. First question, as always, what persuaded you to come and visit?
Why? A combination of reasons – last year, my publisher started their close-down process, and the copyrights to eleven of my titles returned to me. Since then, after the inevitable procrastination, I have read them through, tweaked, edited, and made/bought/was gifted new covers for them all. They are now all released to the wild, spread wide across umpteen platforms. So, too, are all my other titles, which were previously only on Kindle Unlimited, and I’m hoping to spread the word.
Also, interviews are fun, and you’re a good friend that Lockdown has prevented us from meeting up for a coffee/tea and a chat.
What started you writing?
Good Grief, that’s so long ago I can’t remember when it started. I have a vague memory of telling my toys [dolls, racing cars, horses/ponies] stories – adventures we all went on. That sort of naturally segued into writing them. Then, at eleven, I went to South Wilts Grammar School for Girls, and discovered the Greek and Roman myths, and History, so they joined the story population. I was the archetypal Brit pre-teen: crazy about horses, ballet, and reading anything I could get my paws on, especially historicals and science-fiction. My parents, bless ‘em forever, gave me their library cards, so I had free rein in the adult sections as well as the children’s. By then, my English teacher would only mark the first two and half pages of my free-writing essays… What do you expect when you tell someone like me, “Write two and a half pages on the title, Sunrise.” She got about five pages on a Native American meeting a palomino pony for the first time.
Where do you write?
My desktop is in my bedroom, so mostly, I write there. Pre-Pandemic, and soon Post-Lockdown, I also write in a coffee shop. When I can travel to visit friends, I write during the train journeys, thanking the gods for iPads. No matter where I go, I always have a paper notepad and pens with me, as well as my iPad. I should add a qualifier to that – I try to write. The Dreaded Writer’s Block is only too real.
What do you like to read?
Most of my reading preferences have a mix of genres. I love science-fiction, fantasy, mysteries, historicals, contemporary, with or without some romance. I also read a lot of fanfics, currently I’m hooked on the Marvel Cinematic Universe fics…
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I enjoy making lap quilts partly by machine, and doing the actual quilting by hand while listening to audio books, or podfics of my favourite MCU authors’ works. We have three dogs here at Chez Chris, and while I don’t help walk them – my Bloody Back won’t let me – they are great company. As soon as Lockdown ends, I’ll walk to the shops along the river most days, taking photos, keeping an eye on the River Mafia [the local swan family], and hoping to catch a glimpse of other wildlife. Otters have been seen occasionally, despite being in the middle of a [small] city.
Tell me a little bit about your most recent release. What gave you the idea for it? How long did it take to write? What did you enjoy about writing it? What did you hate?
All but one of my stories have been rereleases, and the only new title for ages is Duet. It was originally intended to be a Christmas novella, but… Procrastination… Writer’s Block… Anyhow, it took me way too long to finish it.
The idea was Christmas carols sung for charity at the annual Christmas market here in Salisbury, my home city, giving the family a chance at the big time via an impresario who was blown away by their talents, and how that would impact on their lives. But that got a little derailed by ghost music and an old harpsichord. I loved that the story let me use one of my favourite pieces of opera – usually, not at all my preferred thing. Also, I fell down the research rabbit hole hunting down harpsichords, their history, their makers, and their sounds. I hated that my writing had stalled completely before the ghost music theme hit me. Once it did, the story took off.
Duet is told from the point of view of John King, one of four brothers, and all the family are singers. John is a tenor, and he connects with Simon, a baritone, and they become close. He is fascinated by the story of an old harpsichord in Simon’s family, and by the melody he keeps catching on the edge of his hearing.
Duet
Once burned, twice shy, John hasn’t dared to act on his attraction to Simon, until the chance to sing a famous duet sets their friendship on fire.
The echo of a centuries-old love, unheard by most, brightens Simon’s life. Then John picks up the melody and finds the words to their song. When music decides to write a love song, it’s a duet…