Dancer’s Feet, Writer’s Pen: An Interview with Quinn Jamison, author of The Art of Time

Quinn Jamison has lived in the same house in Pennsylvania since she was born. Her family is the most important thing in her life, and she is very close with her sisters and parents. Quinn has been dancing from the time she could walk and discovered her love for writing and books along her journey of being a dancer. She enjoys writing historical romance the most but sometimes explores other genres. She devotes her hours to the creation of her books and plans to write many of them. The Art of Time is her first novel, written in three months when she was sixteen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

You can buy The Art of Time here.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title The Art of Time just came to me. It has two meanings. There is a famous painting that plays a major role in the story, and the lead female character time travels. But it can also refer to what makes time itself beautiful and precious. So, it sounded perfect as I said it aloud to myself. My entire family instantly loved it, too. I decided it was meant to be.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I felt as if my heart skipped a whole beat, and an overwhelming joy I can’t even begin to describe took over. My cover looks better than I ever imagined. The sight of the colors, the elements, the font, and the style mesmerized me, especially in person. As I got to hold my book in my hands for the first time, it made me want to cry because my dreams were coming true.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

When I discovered my love for reading, I started dabbling in writing. I didn’t always like to read, but once I found what I enjoyed reading, I loved books. It surprised me since I was always a dancer. All I ever wanted to do was dance, dance, and dance even more. However, for almost all of my life I’ve been bullied and ostracized. My whole experience made me want to write a book, and a little over a year later, the idea to write The Art of Time popped into my head. Writing helps me heal internal wounds, so as I wrote The Art of Time I realized how cathartic it was for me to put my thoughts and ideas into words.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The most rewarding part of publishing was the finished product. The most meaningful part was getting to design it the way I wanted since I have a particular style and like to show it.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Wait by M83, Time After Time by Cindi Lauper, and The Scientist by Coldplay.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

Everyone should be able to do what they want in life. We must believe in ourselves. I want readers to look up to the strong main female character, Lavinia, and know we as people can get through anything. I’ve wanted to empower women for a while now, and I wrote Lavinia a certain way for a reason. Funnily enough, a lot of Lavinia’s personality is based on me. When I made her character up, her age was a few years older than me. I envision my perfect reader as a big romance and fantasy lover. I want them to enjoy the wild ride that is this book.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I am in the middle of working on a sequel to The Art of Time and a new historical romance novel!

You can buy The Art of Time here.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.