Interview With Author Carolyn Summer Quinn
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Greetings, Awesome Gang! My name is Carolyn Summer Quinn. I’m the Author of 15 books and later on today I’ll be working on my 16th. I’m originally from the suburbs but have gloried in living in New York City for nearly 38 years! I wrote MAMA ROSE’S TURN, the first full biography of Gypsy Rose Lee’s notorious stage mother who inspired the Broadway musical GYPSY. It’s back on Broadway right now with Audra McDonald starring as Rose. I’ve also written two Historical Fiction books, both set during World War II in Europe, UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN and TO BLOOM LIKE A TULIP, two books for children, KEEP YOUR SONGS IN YOUR HEART and NOW AND FOREVERMORE ARABELLA, and all the rest are in my favorite genre, Cozy Mysteries!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
TO BLOOM LIKE A TULIP is my latest book, and it’s about an accidentally divided family, set in Brooklyn, New York and Holland during World War II. A mother takes her two youngest children along when she goes to America to settle an inheritance and the father remains in Amsterdam with the three oldest children. It’s supposed to be temporary, but the situation gets a whole lot crazier when the Nazis invade and half the family is stuck living under Nazi occupation. Furthermore, they’re Jewish, so they’re in peril, and they’re targets for persecution. I was inspired by how so many people, during World War II, were unable to find out any news of their family members who were in Europe or Japan. That was my initial idea and I took off and flew with it from there!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Only one. I’ve written 15 books so far on my laptop while sitting cross-legged on my bed. Hey, it works for me!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
AUNTIE MAME by Patrick Dennis. That one is my all-time favorite, hands down, since I was twelve years old, and I’m a long way from twelve at this point! I also love ADDIE PRAY by Joe David Brown and anything by Agatha Christie.
What are you working on now?
At the moment I’m working on a little mystery set in my late father’s hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey. He grew up in a very colorful Catholic neighborhood and I was raised on stories about it, so it’s been a real joy to write.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use a whole bunch of them. Twitter works beautifully. Use the hashtag #writerslift, share your book info, and authors help one another by retweeting your posts. They’re great! I use AllAuthor, too, and all of the social media sites. I also love, love, LOVE going on Canva and making little wall signs for social media about the books. Canva is great for that and has a free option. Fellow authors, take note!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
As the old song says, “Don’t give up the ship!” Keep going.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My dad used to say whenever there was a naysayer around, “Tell yourself ‘hooray for me – to HECK with you!'” Well, actually, he used a stronger phrase than “to heck,” but I’m cleaning that up here for public consumption, tee hee!
What are you reading now?
I became intrigued by the limited series SAY NOTHING on Hulu, so I’ve been reading the book that it’s based on. What a story! Shocking and horrifying and intriguing, all at the same time! And it’s true.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have so many ideas for books that I am just going to keep on writing them.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
AUNTIE MAME, ADDIE PRAY, and…WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS by Jonathan Kellerman. That’s a phenomenal mystery!
Author Websites and Profiles
Carolyn Summer Quinn Amazon Profile
Carolyn Summer Quinn’s Social Media Links
Author Interview Series
To discover a new author, check out our Featured Authors page. We have some of the best authors around. They are just waiting for you to discover them. If you enjoyed this writer’s interview feel free to share it using the buttons below. Sharing is caring!
If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. After submitting we will send it out in our newsletters and social media channels that are filled with readers looking to discover new books to read.
If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.