Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Thanks for inviting me to chat with you! I’m Dianne Greenlay and I am a physiotherapist (and retired EMT) by day, and by night, I write award-winning action adventure novels for older teens and adults (The Quintspinner series), as well as a brand new children’s picture book series for kids ages 4-8, ( The Grooty Fledermau Series, written in the pen name of D.L.Kruse) and I have also dabbled in the comedy genre with a short story adapted from a one act play I wrote, called “The Camping Guy”.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your ‘Quintspinner’ book?
Being a prairie girl, I had to do a tremendous amount of research about the workings of eighteenth century sailing ships, (what did sailors do when they needed the bathroom??) and the lives of the pirates, navy men, and privateers (What was a Queen Anne pistol anyway and why was it a favourite weapon?). I even boarded a real three masted tall ship and sailed on it for an afternoon, to “haul sail” to get an idea for what it felt like. And … I even went so far as to make and sample a pint o’ sailor’s grog – just for research purposes you understand! I also had a lot to learn about the 1700’s lifestyle right down to what they ate, wore, and how people behaved. In the end, it was worth it, as the first book in the series won several awards for best historical.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I love Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books, and Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I was fortunate enough to have Diana Gabaldon do a blue pencil (editing) session, in person, of Quintspinner’s opening chapters.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I live In Canada, which is one of the largest countries in the world. It takes many days to travel from one coast to the other! However, I really enjoy visiting the city of Vancouver, which is a west coastal city with a very temperate climate. It is lush and green year round, and sits on the edge of the Pacific ocean which laps at its shores.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
I used to be a pantser – one who writes by the seat of her pants, but in writing books in a series, I soon found that both plotting and using an outline became an absolute necessity so that all the loose ends could be finished up and also so that many twists and turn could be developed in the plots.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Deadly Misfortune’ book?
Deadly Misfortune didn’t take nearly as long to write as Quintspinner did, because I had already done all of the research, and I used a bare bones outline to keep me steering towards the climax of the story. I write only for an hour or so a day so it took about 4 months.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?
Because Amazon is by far, the largest book selling platform in the world, and I am so short on administrative time for my writing, I have chosen to have the Quintspinner series available only on Amazon for now. There was a period of about a year that it was also available on a worldwide reading platform called Wattpad, where it quickly amassed well over a million reads, but once I wanted to put it into KDP’s Kindle Unlimited program, I had to make it exclusive to Amazon.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?
The Quintspinner story has a major plotline about Spinner rings with paranormal powers. I have travelled throughout the Caribbean where there is often a strong belief in magic, voodoo, and superstitions, and spinner rings are very prevalent. It is said that the spinning of an object produces a meditative or trance state during which a person can have desires for good health, love, revinge, or good luck given to them. I couldn’t decide which ‘gift’ a spinner ring in the book should have, so I modified my story to include 5 rings, each with its own special power. Quint ( for ‘five”) sounded a lot more exciting and mysterious than ‘Five spinner” so the title was born. I have since changed the title to ‘Pirates of Blood Bay Island” hoping that it would help fans of pirate books find it more easily. The cover for Book One has been changed 4 times as well, as I try to find an image that will draw readers in.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I really enjoy developing surprises and twists and turns in the plot and in the character’s motivations. That keeps up my own interest in developing the story line and I think it keeps readers turning the pages, too.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Why yes, so glad you asked! (evil laughter comes from me as I release the sound of the drums and ominous deep notes from the background music of cello ….) One of the favorite characters doesn’t make it and I’ve had readers say that brought them to tears … can you guess who?
Book Is Available On Amazon
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