Author Spotlight: Daelynn Quinn

Introducing YA fantasy author Daelynn Quinn:

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
 Besides writing novels, I enjoy hiking, running, and occasionally painting. I am a vegan with hippie tendencies, and yes, I like to hug trees. But besides that I have three children - all boys - who keep me busy most of the time. Reading was not always a passion of mine, especially in my youth, so I am adamant on making sure my boys learn the joys that can be found inside books. 

2. When did you start writing, and why?
To be honest, it all started with a backache. A very severe backache. About two years ago I somehow managed to injure my back and I was practically bedridden for months. I got tired of watching the television, and my book collection was rather small at the time. I had just gotten my Kindle and had read a few indie books that I had gotten for free from the Kindle store. After a while, I thought, "I could do that! I could write!" So, to keep myself from getting bored, I spent my days lying on the couch with my lappy perched on my thighs, writing a book. After my back healed, I just couldn't stop!

3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
I write about whatever crazy ideas pop into my head. The dystopian genre pulls me in as well as YA/NA because younger characters are so naïve and impulsive – it makes the plot more exciting. What I enjoy most about my writing is coming up with new ideas as I go along. I try to have an outline when I begin, but as I get to know my characters more I have a tendency to stray.

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
I recently released Neverland Academy, a contemporary YA adaptation of Peter Pan and I'm currently working on an untitled work, which will be the frontrunner of a lengthy series in which vampires exploit humans the way we currently exploit animals.

5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
Neverland Academy takes place in the real world, so there is nothing terribly exciting about that. But the specific setting is quite interesting. It takes place on an old antebellum plantation on the outskirts of Athens, GA. One of the peculiar things about this mansion-turned-school is that it has hidden tunnels running through the walls and underneath the academy, which was previously used as a station in the Underground Railroad. This is where Finn and his band of outcast boys stay hidden while they pull their pranks.

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
Daphne is a typical rebellious teenager. She reminds me a little of what I tried to be in my youth, but failed miserably because I’m a wimp. She is strong-willed and never backs down from a fight, but she’s also vulnerable when it comes to her heart. Finn is a lovable prankster who refuses to give up his youth. He almost always has a positive outlook on life, which makes him so charismatic among his peers. I love Finn’s charm despite his refusal to grow up.

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book.
My first book, Fall of Venus, started out based on a dream I had once when I woke up in the woods and had no idea how I got there. That was it. The idea evolved as I wrote and by the time I was halfway done writing it, I had the whole series mapped out in my head.

8. Daelynn Quinn's books on Amazon:
Neverland Academy
Fall of Venus (Fall of Venus #1)
Crimson Return (Fall of Venus #2)
The Trinity (Fall of Venus #3)

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Neverland Academy:

It was the worst day of Daphne’s life. Not only had her parents moved her from Atlanta to the middle of nowhere, but her boyfriend broke up with her in the middle of a crowded club and her parents grounded her for a month for sneaking out and stealing the BMW. All in one night! If she were back home in Atlanta it would be no problem. She could always find ways of getting around her punishments. But this was rural Georgia. And there was nowhere to go but woods and farmland. That is, until Finn showed up at her window.

Finn was the invincible mascot of Neverland Academy where Daphne’s brothers attended. For the five years since he’d been expelled from the all-boys boarding school, he lived in the old slave tunnels under the former antebellum plantation home. He and his band of outcast boys lived for pulling pranks on the school’s professors, and especially the headmaster, Byron Trappe, who had a personal vendetta against Finn.

Daphne grew to love life under the academy. But there was one problem. She was falling for Finn. Hard. She knew he didn’t want a relationship or anything that resembled growing up. But when the wall she built between them begins to crumble before her eyes, will she stay at the academy and face impending heartbreak? Or will she leave her heart behind and escape the dangers of criminal life, including a perilous encounter with the vengeful headmaster?

Excerpt:

 “You’re not a student here,” a voice drifted from behind her as if a breeze carried it through a drafty window.

 Daphne jumped nearly two inches off her seat and her heart thumped wildly against her chest. Quickly she hit “Send” and stood, guarding the computer screen. She was shocked to meet face to face with a boy who looked not much older than she. Judging by his stature, tall and athletic, he looked like he couldn’t possibly be young enough to attend, but his boyish face complete with deep-set dimples defied that thought. His hair, black as coal was spiked up in that “just got out of bed” look and he was dressed in a black V-neck tee shirt and jeans, which had worn holes in the knees. She was well familiar with the style, being in the crowd she was in, but this didn’t exactly look like a fashion statement. Especially not with bare feet that looked like they’d been through a few mud puddles since his last shower. It certainly didn’t meet the dress code for Neverland Academy.

“Apparently neither are you,” Daphne retorted, letting her gaze scan him from head to toe, but she refused to meet his eyes. There was something intimidating about this boy. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was something about him that made her incredibly nervous.

The boy smiled, showing off a perfect set of teeth.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, leaning back against the bookcase and crossing his arms in a cocky manner.

Daphne twitched nervously. Surely this guy wasn’t old enough to be a professor, was he? “I was just sending an email. See, my parents haven’t set up the Internet at our house yet and I just needed to get in touch with some old friends from—”

“No not here, in the library. I mean what are you doing at the academy? Don’t tell me Professor Pervpot has changed the rules to allow girls in.”

“Professor who?”

The boy rolled his eyes and sighed. “Trappe?”

“No!” Daphne laughed. “My brothers are starting school here. We came to help them move in and do the tour and stuff, which was incredibly boring, I might add. And speaking of Trappe, is it just me or is he a really creepy guy?”

“Don’t I know it.”

For the first time Daphne met his eyes and did not look away. She was dazzled by the clarity of them. It was like somebody sliced a lime in half and stuck the two halves in his eyeballs, with the flesh facing out. She’d never seen green eyes that looked so bright and clear. She struggled to look away, but couldn’t. His gaze remained on her, audacious and enraptured.

“So you’re into computers, huh?”

“Kind of,” Daphne replied humbly.

“Kind of? Really? What you just did seemed like the work of a seasoned hacker.” Daphne trembled a little. Would she get in trouble? Who was this guy?

“Don’t worry,” he said, catching on to her nervousness. “I won’t tell. What’s your name?”

“Daphne,” she said. She instinctively turned toward the entrance of the library when voices drifted in from the foyer. Daphne could hear the distinct voice of Headmaster Trappe approaching along with her mother’s gentle voice. She turned back to the boy. “What’s yours?”

But he was gone. Daphne walked along the computer tables, peeking down each aisle of bookcases, but the boy was nowhere in sight. He just seemed to disappear.

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About the Author:
Daelynn Quinn was born and raised in southern Maryland where she spent her youth exploring and falling in love with nature in the woods behind her house. She graduated the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in dietetics, which she promptly abandoned to pursue writing. Daelynn’s writing is fast-paced and laced with current issues that concern her. Her first dystopian trilogy, Fall of Venus, focused on climate change and the biochemical industries. Her recently-released YA novel, Neverland Academy, delves into child abuse and negligence. Daelynn is excited to be commencing a new series, which will tear into the animal exploitation industries. While she is not reading or writing, Daelynn enjoys brainstorming while mowing her lawn, cooking healthy meals her kids refuse to eat, and watching old episodes of Mr. Bean with her three boys.

Where to find Daelynn:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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