Interview with Donna Grant

Jen: This week we are excited to have Donna Grant back for another visit at the blog. Donna, will you please share a short bio with us?
Donna: Donna Grant has been praised for her "totally addictive" and "unique and sensual" stories. She's the author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance - Scottish Medieval, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic. Grant's newest series, Dark Sword, promises to be her most addictive yet. Don't miss this intoxicating series with Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders that are dark, dangerous, and delicious.

She lives in Texas with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats where she's weathered five hurricanes in the last three years. To learn more about Donna and her books, please visit www.donnagrant.com and www.donnagrant.com/blog.

Jen: Tell us about Dangerous Highlander and where it's available.
Donna: Dangerous Highlander is the start of my Dark Sword series about primeval gods inside Medieval Highlanders, Druids, and magic. I have a little of everything in the series. You can find out more about the series, including a glossary, the Beginning, characters, and FAQs at www.donnagrant.com/darksword.

The book can be found anywhere books are sold as well as online.

Jen: Are there any other writers, published or not, in your family?
Donna: No, just me.

Jen: How does your family feel about your career?
Donna: They are very supportive. They’re all like my own special publicity department. I’m so blessed with that.

Jen: Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing?
Donna: Oh, yes. I have two spiral notebooks that I keep with me to keep up with my daily page count, character descriptions, and series information. I can write without music, but I like to have it on.

Jen: Have you noticed your writer's voice has changed over the years due to your experience? If so, how?
Donna: The more an author writes, the more she changes. Its just the way of it, I think. We learn with every book we write, with every set of edits we go through, and with every discussion with our editors and agents. It’s a constantly changing process.

And yes, my voice has changed, I believe. I read my earlier works and cringe.

Jen: What kind of research did you do for this book?
Donna: Medieval is my preferred time period for my books, so I’ve done tons of research over the years. I don’t do as much as I used to because I’ve retained a lot of it, but I do go back and see if I can find any new kernels of information.

There always has been mixed information on Druids. Since Rome wrote the history the way they wanted, who knows how Druids really where? So, I made my Druids how I pictured them.

Jen: What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? Easiest?
Donna: The easiest for me is beginning a book, and in some ways ending it. The most challenging is ending it so that it prompts readers to want the next one in the series.

Jen: What’s the most rewarding aspect?
Donna: Putting that last period at the end and knowing that I’ve finished another book. That just never gets old.

Jen: How do you pick the character’s names?
Donna: This may sound really weird, but my characters pick them. Of course, there’s always the names I stay away from because they’re associated with people I know. Lol. But really, I’ll get my book of names out and read through them one by one until a name just pops out at me. That’s how I know which one to use.

Jen: Do you feel as if the characters live with you as you write? Do they haunt your dreams?
Donna: Most definitely. I’m immersed in their world while I’m writing their story. Even when I finish the book, they will stay with me letting me know if I missed a scene I should go and add or I didn’t quite get what they were trying to tell me.

Jen: What five authors or people, from the past or present, have been important to you as an author? What question or comment have you always wanted to say to them?
Donna: Every author I ever read has been important to me. They helped me develop into the writer that I am. Then there is my awesome agent who is just, well…awesome.

My comment to them would be “Thank you for the stories, thank you for the worlds you’ve taken me to. Without you, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Jen: If you could travel back in time for one year, what time and place would you choose? And if you could only take 3 things with you, what would they be?
Donna: Oh, easy. Medieval Scotland. It’d be difficult to give up hot water, electricity, toilets, toothbrushes, and the food I know, but I think it would be neat to see that time period for myself.

The three things I would take would be a toothbrush, my iPod, and a camera to take pictures.

Jen: What's next for you?
Donna: My next book out will be book two in the Dark Sword series, Forbidden Highlander (May 25, 2010).

I’ve been contracted for three more books, so I’m busying writing. Book four just got turned in and I’m working on book five now.

Jen: Where can you be found on the web?
Donna: My website: www.donnagrant.com
Blog: www.donnagrant.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/donnagrantauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/donna_grant
Danger: Women Writing: www.dangerwomenwriting.com

Jen: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Donna: Oh, yes! Tell me what romance series keeps you running to the bookstore as soon as the book comes out.

Jen: Donna is giving one lucky commenter their choice of a signed copy of Mutual Desire or The Pleasure of His Bed. To enter the drawing, you first need to leave a comment or question for Donna. Then to finish your entry, you must either leave your email address is your comment or send a message to contests.bookblog@gmail.com. The winner will be chosen on Sunday, January 3.