Interview with Jean M. Grant, Author of A Hundred Breaths.

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:

Amazon   

Or  https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Breaths-Jean-M-Grant-ebook/dp/B07MHWKVKL

The Wild Rose Press

Or https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/6541-a-hundred-breaths-paperback.html

Barnes and Noble

Or https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-hundred-breaths-jean-m-grant/1130195745

iTunes

Or https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-hundred-breaths/id1449022252?mt=11

Walmart

Kobo

Google Play

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

Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/Jean-M.-Grant/e/B0728KFXP9/

Other book:

A Hundred Kisses (book 2 in the trilogy), also available: Amazon and other online retailers.

Kobo or https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-hundred-breaths

Google Play Or https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jean_M_Grant_A_Hundred_Breaths?id=3WGHDwAAQBAJ&hl=en

Debut Novel: A Hundred Kisses by Jean M. Grant

Character Interview with Alasdair Montgomerie

Where are you from? Did you have a happy childhood? I hail from near Eaglesham, Scotland. My childhood – uh, no. My mother’s dead. My father, well, he’s the one who had her killed. And he’s a -. Yeah. I’d rather not talk about it. Next question?

Where do you live now and what do you do for a living? Is there something you'd rather be doing? I prefer to not disclose where I live right now. Keeping a low profile, traveling as a trader, you see. Secretly, I fight for the Cause to restore the rightful heir upon the Scottish throne while a ruthless English King slays all the Contenders. I’ve got a vile baron hunting me, too.

What's going on in your life right now? I’m making my way to the isles to relay pivotal information for the Cause. [coughs] I mean, uh, I’m traveling to the Isle of Uist for trade – salt and fish. Yes, yes. That’s right. And my name – could you scratch that above? It’s actually Sir Aleck Stirrat. Hey, don’t look at me that way. It’s complicated, aye?

Is there someone special in your life? Well, on my way to the isles, I encountered an enchanting lass, Deirdre, near the village of Dornie. There’s a fire about her from which I can’t pull myself.

How did you meet? What's his/her family like? She’s mysterious, breathtaking. But, her cook and confidante told me that Deirdre’s cursed – she needs to be wooed by a hundred kisses or something like that. Her father, the Laird of Eilean Donan, seems pretty eager to see his daughter married. Something fishy going on there. But like I said, she’s a captivating lass. Lots of spunk. Not your typical lady.

What's keeping you two apart? A few too many secrets. I sense that she has a few of her own.

What one thing could you do that would make you feel like the relationship will work out? Well, I need to tell her about my haunted past. And, by cravens, I lied to her about my identity. For the Cause’s sake, I’ve needed to travel under a guise, and well, she doesn’t know who I truly am. I surely messed it up, didn’t I?

Any last comments? Look, are we done? I need to get going to Uist. My friends are waiting for me there.
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Kisses-Jean-M-Grant-ebook/dp/B06XPH5XX2
The Wild Rose Press Ebook: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5014-a-hundred-kisses.html
Paperback: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/5070-a-hundred-kisses-paperback.html

Interview with Jean M. Grant, Author of A Hundred Kisses.

What made you decide to be an author? My love of words and the fictional worlds that I can get lost in. Diana Gabaldon and JK Rowling are my inspirations. I could also be called a daydream believer.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least? Being able to write anything I want and using paper as an emotional outlet. It’s cheaper than therapy. What I like least? The long road of querying and rejection. But it all pays off in the end and I become a better writer for it.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing? I’ve been fortunate to travel to some amazing places, meet interesting people. I love to use them in my stories. I also have been working on a novel that uses my science background and family experiences.

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? I think all books (and characters) speak to us. We’re not sure where our characters are going sometimes, but it’s a remarkable ride!

You’ve written 3 unpublished, and 1 published novel and are working on a 5th (querying that one; mainstream women’s fiction) and 6th novel (prequel to A Hundred Kisses). What’s your favorite time management tip? Nooks and crannies. Write when you can. I love early mornings. No need to write every day, but do be intentional with your writing time. You have to make the time for it.

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 first, but sometimes I go pants-ing, typically in the middle of my book. Sometimes scenes will pop into my mind, so I write them and find a home for them later. I do love a good outline and GMC chart. I tend to plot heavily first, then fill in the character development.
If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? The three P’s: Patience, Perseverance, and Putting in the time. Don’t give up on your dream, no matter how long it takes.
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? I love Enya, and movie scores

Tell me more about A Hundred Kisses.
1296
Two wedding nights. Two dead husbands.
Deirdre MacCoinneach wishes to understand her unusual ability to sense others’ lifeblood energies…and vows to discover if her gift killed the men she married. Her father’s search for a new and unsuspecting suitor for Deirdre becomes complicated when rumors of witchcraft abound.

Under the façade of a trader, Alasdair Montgomerie travels to Uist with pivotal information for a Claimant seeking the Scottish throne. A ruthless baron hunts him and a dark past haunts him, leaving little room for alliances with a Highland laird or his tempting daughter.

Awestruck when she realizes that her unlikely travel companion is the man from her visions, a man whose thickly veiled emotions are buried beneath his burning lifeblood, Deirdre wonders if he, too, will die in her bed if she follows her father’s orders. Amidst magic, superstition, and ghosts of the past, Alasdair and Deirdre find themselves falling together in a web of secrets and the curse of a hundred kisses…

How about an excerpt from A Hundred Kisses?

She sensed no colors in the murky, lifeless water, and it was freeing. All breath escaped her. Muted visions passed before her eyes—her mother, her father, Gordon, and Cortland. Just a moment longer, she thought…

Suddenly, a burst of warm light invaded her thoughts as air filled her lungs. Red-hot hands burned her shoulders and ripped her from her icy grave. She breathed life into her body. She coughed, gagging on the change.

Muffled words yelled at her.

Oh, God, so hot. His fingers were like hot pokers. Her head pounded as she slowly returned to the present. Heat radiated from her rescuer. Somebody had pulled her from the water.

“Wh—?”

“Hush, lass. You nearly drowned.”

His voice was as soothing as a warm cup of goat’s milk on a winter’s day. A red-hot glow emanated from his body. Never before had she felt such a strong lifeblood, and it nearly burned her. She struggled in his arms to get free. She blinked, only seeing a blurry form before her. “Release me!”

She splashed and wriggled, and he did as told. She clambered to the shoreline. Numb and shaken, she began to dress. It wasn’t easy as she fumbled with slick fingers to put dry clothes over wet skin. She instantly regretted her naked swim. She pulled on her long-sleeved white chemise first.

She faced the forest, away from her rescuer. He quietly splashed to shore. His lifeblood burned into her back. He wasn’t far behind, but he stopped. She refused to look at him until she was fully clothed, not out of embarrassment of her nudity, but for what had just happened. He released a groan and mumbled under his breath about wet boots. His voice was not one of her father’s soldiers.

When she put the last garment on, her brown wool work kirtle, she squeezed out her sopping hair and swept her hands through the knotty mess. She fastened her belt and tied the lacings up the front of the kirtle. Blood returned to her fingertips, and she regained her composure. Belated awareness struck her, and she leaned down and searched through her bag for her dagger. She spun around.

She gasped as she saw the man sitting on the stone-covered shoreline, his wet boots off. Confusion and the hint of a scowl filled his strong-featured face. She staggered back, caught her heel on a stone, and fell, dropping the dagger. Dirt and pebbles stuck to her wet hands and feet, and she instinctively scrambled away from him.

His glower, iridescent dark blue eyes, and disheveled black hair were not unfamiliar. Staring at her was the man she had seen in her dream—it was the man from the wood.

Jean Grant is a scientist, part-time education director, and a mom. She currently resides in Massachusetts and draws from her interests in history, science, the outdoors, and her family for inspiration. She enjoys writing non-fiction articles for family-oriented and travel magazines, and aspires to write children’s books while continuing to write novels. In 2008, she visited the land of her daydreams, Scotland, and it was nothing short of breathtaking. Jean enjoys tending to her flower gardens, tackling the biggest mountains in New England with her husband, and playing with her sons, while daydreaming about the next hero to write about...

Website: http://www.jeanmgrant.com
Twitter: @JeanGrant05
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmgrantauthor/

Jean, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interviews.

Interview with Nancy Lee Badger, Author of Spark, Clan of Dragons, Book One

What made you decide to be an author? I was a voracious reader, and brought books along when working the midnight shift at New Hampshire 9-1-1 (not much happens, especially during a late night blizzard). I decided I could write a better story than most of the books I read, so I started doodling on a legal pad, then would race home and re-type them, once my shift ended. I’ve had stories inside my head, and they needed an outlet. Seeing my stories in print was a dream that came true.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least? I love being my own boss. After my two publishers closed their doors, I ramped up my indie-publishing and turned my writing into a business. What I do not like is my solitary writing. Hubby heads to work, and I must get myself in the chair, and write. I joined my local chapter of Romance Writers of America as well as the Triangle Association of Freelancers. Monthly meetings get me out of my cave.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing? I volunteer every fall with my family at the New Hampshire Highland Games (check out https://nhscot.org/ )  I have been doing this for over 15 years, so in 2009, while working in the information tent, surrounded by kilts, bagpipes, and athletes turning the caber, I thought “I should write about this.” My job as a 9-1-1 Dispatcher, EMT, and volunteer firefighter, filled my head with several other story lines. My Scottish time travel romances and my romantic suspense novels were born.

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? My characters scream at me, but the loudest usually start out as ‘secondary characters’. These are men, women, villains, horses, etc. who are a minor part of the story, but become an integral part, or turn up as the lead character in another book. In My Hunted Highlander, my last Scottish time travel novel, a little boy became a focal point, even though I did not plan any of it. My heroine was a pirate, and I wanted to show her softer feminine side. Where other characters screamed, Keegan whispered to me. I love that kid.

You’ve written 16 novels, SMOKE will be released October 7th, and are working on SMOLDER, the 18th novel. What’s your favorite time management tip? I wake up early, and instead of rolling over, I get up and go to work. I’ll check emails quickly, make sure any friends on Facebook who are having a birthday are remembered, then open my manuscript and write. I don’t edit or spell-check as I go. I don’t separate into chapters, either. After the first draft is finished, then I go back and clean it up. You cannot fix an empty page!

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer? Well, I used to be a panster, writing whatever came into my head. I usually had the beginning and the end in mind, but I find that I cannot write fast enough. I now write a 3-4 page outline, and find that the story flows much faster. It might take a road less traveled at certain points, but what used to take 7-9 months now takes 3-5 months.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? Read lots of books, then write the best story you can, making sure you put your heart and soul on the page.

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? Even though I am a mature woman (i.e. older than most writers) the song that moved me to start writing is Love Story by Taylor Swift. She released the song in 2008, soon after I started writing a romance novel. I found her music video, and play it when I need inspiration. I was so impressed with the romance, setting, and costumes that I have started a series that is fitting for the Regency historical genre. I hope to bring that series out next year.

 

Nancy Lee Badger brings you another story filled with Scottish dragons and shape-shifters. Set on the Scottish Island of Skye, she again fills her paranormal fantasy with romance and danger, and with characters you will remember. Some will tug at your heart. Others will make you wish for their demise. SPARK is the first book in a brand new series, Clan of Dragons.

What can a young dragon do to prove to his older brothers that he is their clan’s best chance to save their species? In the Black Cuillin Hills, Evan heads to the village of Morhban to find a way to interact with humans. To learn their language and customs, and to get close enough to a red-haired beauty to mate with her, the brown-winged purple dragon shifts into a copper-colored horse. When his new hooves protect her from Lord Toal MacMorgan’s inappropriate demands with a well-placed kick, she thanks Evan by brushing his silky coat. Things are looking up.

When an unfamiliar horse kicks Toal into the creek, releasing Vika from his roaming hands, her appreciation turns to horror. A sputtering Toal demands that the animal die. Anger makes Vika agree to a wager. A three day hunt will determine the fate of the horse she names Spark. Failure will mean his death, and the loss of her freedom. Pirates, wolves, a wild boar, and a handsome stranger lead her on a wild ride. She discovers her heart is in as much danger as her life.

Amazon      Amazon Canada      Amazon UK    Amazon Aus 

Excerpt           

Evan broke the kiss, and moved away, enough to make Vika’s hands fall away. He walked unsteadily to the bush, and stomped it until he had extinguished the fire. As he cooled his feet in the stream, he took a deep breath. He steeled his features, so as not to show her how bewildering her touch had felt. His chest hurt, which confused him. He wished to save his clan, so he would not allow his expression to show he was at war with himself.

Turning to face her, his shoulders stiffened. She had stopped crying, but her cheeks were damp with tears. Her skin was pale from fright, and she was shaking uncontrollably. His first concern was to let her know she was safe. The second was to keep his distance until he could discuss his new feelings with his brothers.

“Do you believe in dragons now?”

She nodded. “I thank you for saving us from that horrible demon!”

He laughed. “That was no demon. ‘Tis a dragon, one of a few that be said to live among the black rock peaks of the Cuillin Hills. Aye, they be large and dangerous, but when was the last time you heard of someone disappearing from your village? Wolves be much more dangerous.”

“Oh! I forgot about Orin and Spark!”

“Who?”

“Me brother Orin dealt with a wolf, today. Our horse, Spark, killed it by stomping on it.”

Evan grinned, and tightened the cloth around his waist. The air had grown chilly, and blew his hair across his face. Brushing it back, he watched her eyes widen.

“Your hair. ‘Tis the same shade as me horse.”

His laugh echoed through the trees, and he turned away in order to catch his breath.

Nancy Lee Badger loves chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander, the clang of broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. After growing up in Huntington, New York, and raising two handsome sons in New Hampshire, Nancy moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time.

Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Triangle Association of Freelancers, and the Celtic Heart Romance Writers. Nancy and her family volunteer each fall at the New Hampshire Highland Games surrounded by…kilts!

Blog  http://www.nancyleebadger.blogspot.com
Website http://www.nancyleebadger.com
Twitter  https://twitter.com/NLBadger
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/NancyLeeBadgerAuthor/    
Goodreads     https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4101274.Nancy_Lee_Badger
Amazon Page  http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Lee-Badger/e/B003UWZJME/

Tour giveaway

1 Winner will receive a Scottish Flag Blanket
(brand new, cat not included) as well as Shortbread Scotties,
Purple Jelly beans, a Pirate Pencil, and a Visit Scotland brochure 

*international winner will instead receive ebooks from Nancy's backlist

Giveaway Ends August 21st

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