Author Q&A with Quinn Raye
Author Q&A with Quinn Raye
I’m a YA MxM multi-genre short story/novella author based in the UK. I am a history nerd as well as a complete geek over anything to do with the military and RAF. I’m often to be found exploring historic houses, military museums and ex-RAF airfields whenever I’m not writing. I am a metal-head, and my favourite bands are Grandma’s Smuzi (from Ukraine) and Rammstein (from Germany.) My favourite animals are leopard geckos and reptiles in general. I actually have a leopard gecko of my own as a pet.
Tells us about your writing/ published book(s)
I always describe myself as a ‘multi-genre YA author’ as it’s very hard to pin down what it is I actually do! I mostly do write Fantasy of different flavours (paranormal, epic, high, urban etc). I also write about just pure paranormal as I have a certain fascination for ghosts. I also have a sci-fi series that I’m working on. I also write crime novellas which feature a spy and his gangster husband. Which leads me to say that my stories always feature LGBTQ+ characters as I am LGBTQ+ myself. It’s important to me to have that representation there. As to the books I have published, well, I’m working on about eight different series and have about half a dozen books published thus far. I have just actually published my seventh book which is the second entry into my ‘A Spy’s Villainous Suitor’ series. The novella itself is called ‘Becoming the Devil’ and features a Ukrainian ex-spy and an English mob boss. It’s set in Essex as that’s the (UK) county I was born in (yes, I’m English!) I must add here though that I usually publish my books via Smashwords, Rakuten Kobo et al rather than Amazon. I used to publish on Amazon but I’ve long since taken my stuff elsewhere now.
Where’s your favourite place to write?
In my bedroom as it’s where I keep my computer. My desk is right beside my leopard gecko’s vivarium as well, so I can care for my pet while I write. My gecko helps me to write as she’s my muse. My bedroom is also quiet and (mostly) free from noise. I say mostly because if there’s any noise made – it’s usually me making it!
How do you approach starting a new book?
By completely pantsing it! I generally have a rough idea as to what I want to achieve with whatever story I’m working on, but I prefer to let the words flow by themselves for the most part. Usually, if I do that, the resulting plot surprises me with twists and turns I didn’t initially plan for (literally and figuratively)
What’s your favourite genre to read?
I will literally read pretty much anything and everything, but I would say… fantasy is probably my favourite. At the moment. That may change at the drop of a hat, though. Depends on where my head’s at I suppose!
Have you always wanted to write?
I suppose so. I’ve been writing for about forty years, since I was six years old, so writing is something that I’ve always done. I’ve only taken writing seriously (as more than just a hobby) over the past ten years or so.
What do you do when you have writer’s block?
I usually write a lot of nonsense or a short surreal story, just to get the words flowing again. It doesn’t have to make any sort of sense at all or may seem implausible… but it helps me to get my head out of that block.
Tell us about a scene that you loved but had to edit out of your book
I don’t think I had to edit any scene out of Becoming the Devil. Not that I can remember anyway. I actually wrote the story in 2025 but have only just published the book now about a year later. Although I’ve read through the book checking for additional errors and trying to find clarity in the words, perhaps, I don’t think I remember editing anything out of it.
Do you like reading the same books you write?
Absolutely! I will read and write pretty much anything, and I think it helps me to read stuff in the same (multiple) genres as I write in.
Do write under a pen name? If so, tell us about how you chose it
Yes. Sort of. Partially. This might not make any sort of sense – initially – but there is a method behind the ambiguity of that answer! Actually ‘Quinn’ is my real first name. ‘Raye’ is not my real surname. I wanted to (partially) keep my anonymity so chose a partial pen name. ‘Raye’ is actually a calculated misspelling of my father’s first name! (His name is Raymond or Ray for short). So, I’m honouring my father with my pen name.
How do you choose your book’s title(s)?
I usually pick a pertinent phrase from the text itself, to tie the title to the text. For my ‘A Spy’s Villainous Suitor’ series, I always have ‘Devil’ in the title. The first book was ‘Running with the Devil’, the second book is ‘Becoming the Devil’ and the remaining books in the series also have ‘Devil’ in the title. I just liked the idea of having that continuous theme for that particular series. One of my main characters is always described as a bit of a devil as he’s a ruthless mob boss. So, I’m tying each title into my secondary main character.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?
Probably the only advice that immediately comes to mind Is something I was told… after I published my tenth book on Amazon some years ago. (yes, really.) It’s as follows – The number one rule of writing is that that there are no rules. I found that oddly liberating and is something I want to pass on to others. Just do what you want and don’t try to emulate others. Your voice is exactly that – YOURS. Write like yourself and don’t listen to any rules as they usually are too rigid. Or maybe I’m just a punk rule breaker at heart. I don’t know.
Do you do research for your books? If so, what kind of research?
Yiss! I usually watch a load of videos on YouTube primarily if there’s something in particular, I want to know or learn about. I’m a visual learner, so watching videos really helps me out. Also, visiting appropriate landmarks helps out to. I’ve visited loads of historic houses near to where I live as well as ex-RAF airbases and other such landmarks – all of which helps in one way or another.
How do you fit writing into your everyday life?
As much as I can and whenever I can! I’m not usually online or even on the computer during the day. It’s usually in the evenings that I’m tied to that keyboard trying to fit in as many words as I possibly can in the limited time that I have.
How do you approach ‘world building’?
I usually base my worlds on the real world so there’s not much building to be done! I either usually set it in places that I’ve visited or know a little bit about (due to research) or even if it is a fictional fantasy town, I base it on pre-existing ones. In my Dragons of Fire and Ice series for example, I have towns which are basically fictional versions of ones in Germany, Denmark, New Zealand, Ukraine etc just as a touching point. In my ‘A Spy’s Villainous Suitor’ series, I mostly base it in Romford in Essex (well, technically, Romford’s actually counted as being a borough of Greater London, these days but I still count it as Essex. It once was in Essex!) As mentioned in an earlier response, I was born in Essex (not Romford though). Although I live in a different English county now, I’m honouring my birthplace because I obviously know the patois really well. (rhyming slang and the like as I usually am heard employing it myself on occasion!)
How do you handle criticism?
It depends on how it’s delivered. If it’s ninja-style bare-faced criticism from a complete stranger that I distinctly didn’t want or ask for, then…. Yeah. My reaction is not a good one and that’s putting it very politely. If it is genuine constructive criticism, which I’ve specifically requested from someone I trust, then I will listen and implement it if I really think it genuinely will help. It usually does help, actually.
Describe your perfect character to me
My perfect character has to be relatable but not perfect. Everyone is flawed so I like my characters to be flawed or compromised in some way. They do have to be nice though and not obnoxious or sarcastic. I prefer to read characters in the LGBTQ+ community (of any flavour of the rainbow) as I like to recognise myself in the books I’m reading.
Tell me about your current work
I’m currently between projects at the moment, although I do have more ideas planned for various short stories and novellas in the very near future. They’ll be in various genres but at least one of them will be another entry in my ‘A Spy’s Villainous Suitor’ series. The boys need a holiday, and it won’t go as planned in one way or another!
Tell me about your main character
I have too many main characters to mention, I’m afraid! I’m working on eight different series, so I have the same number of main characters! I think that would likely be a very long and boring answer if I described them all, so I’ll just focus on one. I’m choosing the main character from my ‘Becoming the Devil’ story seeing as I’ve mentioned that story a few times already. His name is Mykhailo Koval, but he’s also known as his diminutive of Misha. He’s of Ukrainian descent but he was actually born in Chigwell in Essex himself. He’s directly descended from Zaporhizhzhian Cossacks, so he has a sort of Cossack hair style. He’s 6’ 4” and he loves boxing. He’s an ex-MI5 agent and now works for an owner of a chain of high-end fish restaurants in the Essex and London area. Misha is also getting married to the owner of the restaurants, Zakariah Quantrell, who also happens to be a mob boss!
Would you want your book made into a film?
Yes! To any of the series I’m working on! That would make my entire life if that happened. As long as the films actually adhered to the plot I actually wrote. Many other films-from-books veer quite wildly from the source material which is always a disappointment to me.
How many books do you own?
I have literally no idea to be quite fair! I’m not trying to flex but at a guess, I’d say over a thousand? That’s physical books. I couldn’t even make a guess as to how many books I’ve got for my e-reader. I read A LOT!