13 December 2013

FANtastical Friday #7: Bria Quinlan Sweepstakes!

Welcome to FANtastical Friday!

This week our FANtastical Friday is the talented and awesome Bria Quinlan.

I got to know Bria when she did a stint in New Mexico in a town about 30 minutes away from me. We, of course, became fast friends. We rode to our RWA chapter meetings together for several months. Spending that much time alone in a car together is a true test of friendship, and let me tell you, I came away from the experience loving her all the more. She is just an amazing person and a wonderful friend. And she seemed to like me even when I forced her to read to me for three hours straight. See? True friendship!

Without further ado, please help me ...

Welcome, Bria!!!

FANtastical Friday Question...

Darynda: Because I knew the answer to this question, I had to ask her to tell the story here. I love it! I had to ask her: What is the fastest you've ever written a manuscript?

Bria: What's the fastest I ever wrote a manuscript?

**There’s a bit of a spoiler for Secret Girlfriend & Secret Life below. Tiny, itty bitty one.***

Often you hear writers talk about their "gift book" and I’d always wonder what that really meant until it happened to me.

A few years ago, I was laid off and decided to basically sell everything and hit the open road (coincidentally, this is how I met the Devastating Darynda). When I'd written Secret Girlfriend, I believed it would just be a quick, fun break from my fantasy series.

Only, the characters stuck with me. I knew I wanted to write about Rachel (the bff). I'd planned for her to be this quirky, light-hearted friend who was obsessed with little known facts. I'd peppered her chatter in Girlfriend with some (one snuck through...the one about 2% of high school couples getting married and sticking long term). But, one night I sat down wrote chapter one and in about 10 minutes.

It was darker than expected. The panic attack that hit the pages was real and fast and so true to her that it was clear that everything I thought I knew about Rachel was wrong. Rachel had been living a lie and had a secret so big there were barely hints of it in book 1. They're there. Go read the scene where Amy chases Luke down in the hall and Rachel's response. I saw her then and didn't even know it.

So, I stuck the book back on my hard drive and tried to ignore it because I DID NOT WANT TO WRITE THIS BOOK. I said I never would and I couldn't believe Rachel was being so pushy.

I tried to ignore her as I drove out to the deserts of Tombstone , Arizona , where I met with my CP and lived in 109' temps in a tin roof oven of a cabin for a week. Hot! Hot! Hot!

Even in the heat, I sat down and wrote chapter 2 right away...and it was a shocker. I never saw it coming. I'm not kidding. There was no big redemption plan. No, "well, let's be fair." No, he didn't get the girl, so he deserves one. But, as soon as the words spilled out, I saw it all. I remembered their story. I knew the whole thing and how it almost went so horribly wrong. I knew lives were at stake this time and how two such damaged people had the absolute power to push one another toward destruction or understanding.

Over the next seven days I finished the book. The last day I wrote 68 pages (much to the horror of my CP who got up at 4am and was like, “Seriously? Go to bed!"

In the end almost nothing was changed and the prose was actually fairly clean. Eight days. Eight days for my gift book. There's a joy to that that was amazing, but also a sadness because you know it's never going to happen again. Every book is different.

But, that's why they're gifts. They happen once, blow you away, and leave you with an incredible experience and memory.

Darynda: SEE WHY I LOVE IT??? And, Bria, you have me beat by a couple of days. You're right, tho. I did that once. ONCE! Wrote an entire first draft in 10 days. Have not done it again and I can't see myself ever doing it again. But I love that drive. That burning desire to get the book onto the page.

I need a moment to sigh…

Thank you SOOOOO much for being here!

MEET BRIA QUINLAN

Golden Heart finalist Bria Quinlan writes Romantic Comedies for teens that take hard topics and make you laugh through your tears. Her stories remind you that life is an adventure not to be ignored. You can contact her find her at www.briaquinlan.com OR on twitter @briaquinlan.

She also writes sweet & sassy Contemporary Romances as Caitie Quinn.

Both personalities are represented by the awesomely amazing Laird Lauren Macleod of the Clan…. Oh, wait. Of Strothman Agency.

Check out her books and join the conversations at Goodreads.

And… because Caitie wants her own about section too….

ABOUT CAITIE

Caitie writes stuff. Stuff that’s funny — hopefully.

If it’s not funny, you can totally blame the weather, or her lack of chocolate, or the formatting, or her cat. Wait, she doesn’t have a cat. Scratch that last one.

You can also check her out on twitter @CaitieQuinn .

To learn more visit

| Website | Twitter |

Enter to Win a digital copy of

WRECKLESS

from Amazon!

25 Winners will be chosen!

Perfect as a holiday gift!

ENTER GIVEAWAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

Wrecked

Wreckless... Where obsession and rebellion collide.

Bridget Larson's never met a rule she didn’t like. Drawing inside the lines isn’t just a way of life – it’s the only way she can make it through the day. And through it all her BFF Leah has stood inside the lines with her through the unspeakable. Then Bridget catches her boyfriend with Leah--and the last thing on her mind is staying safe.

Salvation... A bad boy and his jacked up pickup.

Jake Moore was everything she needed and nothing he claimed to be. With one night of freedom and a spontaneously scribbled Rebellion List, Jake leads Bridget down every path she thought was forbidden... And into the one place she'd thought was lost to her forever.

Check out these other great titles by Bria Quinlan

Secret Girlfriend (RVHS Secrets #1)

Since her mom died, Amy Whalen’s been invisible—but not in the cool, superpower kind of way. Overlooked at school and ignored at home, Amy holds tight to her few constants: running, painting, and her long-held crush on soccer god, Chris Kent. But as senior year nears, Chris doesn’t just notice her, he needs her.

Amy will agree to almost anything to be with him.

Everything is great—sort of—until Luke Parker shows up for soccer tryouts and sees through every one of Amy’s defenses. When Luke decides he wants Chris’s spot on the team and wouldn’t sneeze at the captain’s jersey either their rivalry spins out of control.

It doesn’t help that Luke also wants the girl Chris kept hidden all summer: AMY.

Secret Life (RVHS Secrets #2)

Rachel Wells is a liar—big time. No one outside her family knows about the panic attacks or meds, the weekly therapy drive-bys or the “safe” outfit. If she could hide it all from her string of ex-boyfriends and her best friend Amy, then why should anything change? But, when the one guy as messed up as she is blackmails her into helping him, life goes from closely restrained to out of control.

Sometimes choosing between sanity and love is the craziest thing of all.

Question of the week?

Do you read young adult (YA) novels?

If so, what do you love about them?

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FANtastical Friday #7: Bria Quinlan Sweepstakes!

ABOUT CAITIE

Perfect as a holiday gift!

Wrecked

Check out these other great titles by Bria Quinlan

Secret Girlfriend (RVHS Secrets #1)

Secret Life (RVHS Secrets #2)

Question of the week?

ENTER HERE

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