×
×
homepage logo

40 books later, she has more stories to tell

Jenn Naumann – a.k.a. Quinn Avery – says she’ll never stop writing

By Fiona Green - Staff Writer | Feb 19, 2023

Jenn Naumann, who writes under the pen name Quinn Avery, will release her 40th book, ‘Lost Girls of Kato,’ on March 14.

“I feel like I’ve always been an author. I’ve always had stories in me.”

So says Blue Earth native Jenn Naumann, who goes by the pen name Quinn Avery.

Naumann began her journey toward authorship at a precocious age, penning a ‘My Little Pony’-themed book when she was just eight years old.

Decades later, she is still writing, but now as a published author.

Naumann’s 40th book, a thriller titled ‘Lost Girls of Kato,’ hits the shelves on March 14. She intends to celebrate the achievement with a release-date book signing at the Blue Earth Community Library and Fossil Discovery Center at 6:30 p.m.

Naumann plans to promote the novel in other libraries throughout the area, too, as well as at the North Iowa Book Bash in Northwood, Iowa, and at a fall craft and vendor show in Slayton.

‘Lost Girls of Kato,’ which Naumann classifies as ‘romantic suspense,’ follows a dual timeline from the point of view of two different characters.

The first narrative, which takes place in 1986, is told from the perspective of a 12-year-old latchkey kid and centers on the disappearance of several children in Mankato.

The second, present-day narrative follows a woman from California who relocates to Mankato to become a social worker.

“It turns out that they have a link, but I’m not going to say what it is,” Naumann teases.

She explains the idea for ‘Lost Girls of Kato’ originated with the death of her best friend and cousin last year.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about life and death, and that correlation,” Naumann says, adding she named April Marie – a character in the novel – after her friend.

The book’s setting also derives from Naumann’s memories. Though she spent her late childhood and teenage years in Blue Earth, Naumann lived in Mankato until she was eight and returned there to attend college.

“I actually grew up in a lot of the neighborhoods I talk about,” Naumann says. “A lot of it is from my memories. I still kind of feel like it’s ‘my town,’ and it was fun to re-visit and re-live some of that.”

Naumann enjoyed writing ‘Lost Girls of Kato’ so much, in fact, that she hints at a potential sequel.

“I’m playing with the idea of a sequel about college-age girls,” she explains. “If I get a lot of good feedback, I’ll keep going with these (characters).”

When asked if she ever has trouble coming up with new ideas for books, Naumann immediately answers in the negative.

“I love telling stories,” she says. “I’ve got hundreds of them in my head. I’m also a movie and TV show freak.”

It seems that Naumann’s hobbies fuel her writing. Through reading books and watching movies and TV shows she finds herself constantly immersed in other people’s stories.

“They always say, if you’re not a reader, you’re not going to be a good writer,” Naumann observes.

While she likes to consume material, Naumann says she particularly enjoys creating her own stories, and cites a love for “getting to make up my own world, with my own rules.”

Forty books later, Naumann’s mind is still chock-full of ideas for stories. Apart from a potential sequel for ‘Lost Girls of Kato,’ she shares she is halfway through a novel which she describes as “Goonies for adults,” complete with treasure hunting and a romantic storyline.

Naumann’s only challenge, perhaps, is finding the time to write all of her ideas down. Apart from enjoying the occasional Harley ride with her husband, Brian, she also travels frequently to visit her son on the East Coast and her daughter in Colorado, and she is otherwise busy with her two stepdaughters and six grandchildren.

She and Brian are also in the middle of building a house together at one of their favorite haunts – Lake Shetek.

Nonetheless, Naumann welcomes correspondence from readers, and invites those who are interested in purchasing her books to contact her at www.quinnavery.com to request signed copies.

Quinn Avery’s books can also be found on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and at Blue Earth’s Becki Steier Studio.

Odds are, there will be many more yet to come.

“I’m not going to stop writing, so I might as well keep going,” Naumann says with a smile.