What made you decide to be an author?
Childhood passion? I
always loved art and would follow my art teacher around to help. This love of
the creativity ventured into writing. Detoured by the science career life for a
decade, I'm now a full-time author.
What do you like best about being a writer?
What do you like the least? Love:
creativity, hearing my characters, watching them grow. Loathe: rejection,
editing (usually by round 20...)
How do you think your life experiences have
prepared you for writing? Interesting life experiences, including
heartache, make for great material. I like to subtly (or not subtly) weave my
own stories of this adventurous life journey into my stories. Villains—watch out
if you wronged me! (joking…well only partly). I also live by the 3 P’s in writing
and life: Perseverance, Patience, and Putting in the Time.
Have you ever felt as if you were being
dictated to while you wrote a book--as if the words came of their own accord?
If yes, which book did that happen with? Not really dictated, but my characters do make surprising decisions
that stray from my outline.
I’ve written 4 novels (2 being released
after this one, this spring—one of those is a novella) and are working on a 5th
novel (the third in the “Hundred” trilogy). This number doesn’t include the 3
practice novels now collecting dust in a drawer.
What’s your favorite time management tip? Post-its,
spreadsheets (mostly for promotion work), and setting daily or weekly goals.
Also, being okay with deviating from those goals when I need to. When I am in
writing mode, I love to put in at least 2000 words a day (or set a weekly goal
of 10,000), for example.
Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do
you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer? I
am a plotter, complete with beat sheets and GMC and character charts. However,
the outline is written in pencil, as I said above, sometimes these quirky
characters take me in a new direction than I had planned. I am in love with my
character charts, though. I used to be plot first, character second. Now I
delve into my characters first, and from that, the plot unfolds.
If you had one take away piece of advice
for authors, what would it be? My
3 P’s above: Perseverance, Patience, and Put in the Time. Resilience and effort
are key.
Did music help you find your muse with this
book? If yes, which song did you find yourself going back to over and over
again as you wrote? Not
one song, but I do enjoy listening to non-word or minimal lyrics music
(soundtracks, Celtic). I love the entire The Architect album (Kerry Muzzey,
with the Chamber Orchestra of London).
Tell me more about A Hundred Breaths.
Healing his heart…with her last breath.
1263, Scotland
Simon MacCoinneach’s vengeance runs deep. The blade is the only
way to end the blood-thirsty Nordmen’s reign upon Scottish soil. His soul might
be lost, but the mystical Healer he kidnaps from the isles could be the answer for
his ailing mother…and his heart.
Isles-born Gwyn reluctantly agrees to a marriage alliance with
this heathen Scot in return for the sanctuary of her younger brother from her
abusive Norse father. Her brother’s condition is beyond the scope of her
Ancient power, for larger healings steal breaths of life from her own body.
As Simon and Gwyn fight to
outwit her madman father and a resentful Norse betrothed, Gwyn softens Simon’s
heart with each merciful touch. Gwyn’s Seer sister foresees a bloody battle—and
an end to the Nordmen—but Simon will also die. Will Gwyn save Simon on the
battlefield even if it means losing her last breath?
How about an excerpt from A Hundred Breaths?
“I’m your wife, and still I am guarded?”
Simon shrugged though she couldn’t see. He’d given up on excuses. “What
must I do to prove I won’t flee? I signed your marriage contract. I said my vows.”
Her voice broke on those words.
Was she crying? He laid the tray of food on her table and approached. He
didn’t touch her, as much as he wanted to link his arm within hers as they’d
done during their walks. He reached inside his ganache and withdrew her small,
simple dagger. Unadorned with jewels or carvings, it possessed a bone hilt and
a blade worn from use. Likely from tree limbs, flowers, and household use. His
smith had sharpened it and cleaned the hilt.
“Here,” he said, placing it in her lap. Gildy had retrieved the sheath
from Gwyn’s laundered gown.
Gwyn stared at it, her fingertips dancing butterfly wings hovering over
the hilt. After a moment, she drew her hand around it and pulled it from its
leather sheath. She rose and whirled on him, the dagger pointed out before her,
barely pressing into his chest.
He didn’t retreat as he met her fiery, misty gaze.
She made no move to remove the dagger’s tip.
“A smidge to the center, Gwyn, and you’ll be square over my blackened
heart.” He held her glower. The heat blazed in her entrancing blue eyes like
the devil. He fought a smile.
Buy links:
iTunes
Walmart
Kobo
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Jean, thank you so much for being with us
here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.
Bio:
Jean’s background
is in science and she draws from her interests in history, nature, and her
family for inspiration. She writes historical and contemporary romances and women’s
fiction. She also writes articles for family-oriented travel magazines. When she’s
not writing or chasing children, she enjoys tending to her flower gardens, hiking,
and doing just about anything in the outdoors.
Where can readers find more about your
stories, books and you on the Internet?
Website https://www.jeanmgrant.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/JeanGrant05
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jeanmgrantauthor/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16582543.Jean_M_Grant
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jean-m-grant
Other book:
Thanks for hosting me today, Sharon! Love the post!
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