I'm in the process of reading, FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER, and I have to tell you it's a great read. Sometimes you wonder about the second book in a new series but this one is good, lots of action, hot sex scenes, and a strong story. Donna has the knack of creating a world within a world that is fascinating. I liked Fallon in the first book, but in this one you see his growth and overcoming his fears to be who and what he really is--a strong warrior. You'll love him. Lady Larena is a delightful surprise and I won't spoil it for you. Suffice to say she'll surprise you with her deceptive beauty and the persona of a Lady which overlays steel and her fierce loyalty. She a tough lady in a time when many weren't but then she's a Scot and Highland women weren't usually weak and wimpy. The story grabs you, constantly builds tension and it's hard to put down.I had the chance to meet Donna and her husband at the RT Convention. A highlight of the convention. She's a lot of fun. I watched her with her fans and although I know she was tired, I think we all were, she never showed it or brushed off her readers. Donna greeted all with a warm smile. You could tell she really enjoyed interacting with them.
Donna's topic today is about how important readers are to an author.Thank you to Sia so much for inviting me. I had the pleasure of meeting her at RT. I had a fabulous time, and the lunch we shared is one I’ll treasure always. J
The reason I became an author is fairly easy. I had to get the stories out of my head! I’ve always had a very active imagination (ask my parents, I’d scare myself silly as a kid and couldn’t sleep alone), so it didn’t surprise anyone in my family when I tried writing my first novel. The fact it was a romance also didn’t shock anyone since that’s all I read.
There is so much about being an author I love. I love setting down to start a new book. The excitement and adventure and love that await me with new characters are as thrilling to me as jumping out of airplanes is to adrenaline junkies. I love diving deeper into a story, and I even like revisions. I might complain and think I might not be able to do them, but always, I take a deep breath and give it a go. It helps that I have the most awesome editor on the planet. J
The one thing I love above all else about being an author is you, the readers. The emails and letters and cards are simply the best. I keep everything, too! All the emails I print out and put together in a binder with the letters and cards I receive. It’s readers who connect with our characters as deeply – and sometimes even deeper – than an author does.
I get absolutely giddy when I get an email from a reader who found a secondary character that really connected with her, when she begs for his story and gets excited when I tell her he does get his own book. There is just nothing better than knowing someone has read one of my books and enjoyed it. It truly warms my heart!
Readers are very important to an author’s career. It’s reader who can help push a book or series in ways that a publisher never dreamed of. It’s readers who help to inspire an author. It’s readers who spend hard earned money on our books for an escape. And I feel particularly humbled when I know someone has bought my books.
A simple thank you never seems good enough, so I try to spend as much time with readers as I can. I love interacting with them and learning what they liked – and even what they didn’t enjoy – about my books. You can find me most days on Twitter and Facebook and even MySpace. I do have a blog that I try to post to at least twice a week.
Sometimes deadlines, revisions, copy edits, galleys, and promoting a book can really pull me away from readers, but I do try to give them a portion of each day. I endeavor to go to conferences and readers luncheons so I can meet up with readers and mayhap meet new ones. J
With the release of my newest, FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER, the second in my historical paranormal series, Dark Sword, I’ve met some really great readers through blog tours, conferences, and contests. I’ve had some great response to the series, which is so wonderful.
I get a lot of questions though. Like how did I come up with the idea? That’s a difficult one to answer really. I don’t remember the exact idea, but I do remember thinking I could have a lot of fun with it. At first it was going to be a trilogy about the three brothers, but the more I thought about the books, the more I began to plan for them, the more I realized that I could make the series as long or as short as I needed. As it is, I plan on 15 books. I hope I’m lucky enough to be able to write all of them, and as of right now, I’m contracted for 6 books.
But when I was deciding on the characters, I wanted the heroes to be larger than life. I wanted them to have gone through hell, literally, and managed to pull themselves - somewhat - out of it. But it wouldn’t be a romance if the hero didn’t need a heroine to help him. J I like strong heroines, and if my heroes were going to be immortal with primeval gods inside them, then my heroines had to be able to stand with them or they’d be run over.So, the answer came when I realized my heroines were going to be Druids. What better way to mix the legends and lore of Britain than with my Highlanders? Each hero, or Warrior, has a different god inside him giving him different powers than the others. (i.e. teleporting, controlling water, reading minds, etc…) However, my Druids would have simpler magic. They talk to trees, help plants grow, and heal the sick. Each Druid would also have something special that was just hers, and in some way it would help/effect each Warrior. I’ve had such a grand time pairing up the Druids with each Warrior.
- Do you like to meet or chat with the authors that write your favorite books?
Thanks for stopping by, and for those who comment you could win a signed copy of DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER.
Here’s the back cover for the FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER…
A DANGEROUS SECRET…
Fallon MacLeod has gifts any warrior would covet - fierce strength, unmatched skill, even immortality. But those gifts come at a price that puts everyone he loves at risk. Only when his brother, Quinn, is taken captive does Fallon leave the seclusion of his Highland home to seek the king's aid. And though every women at court would gladly be his for the asking, one alone causes desire to roar to life within him: beautiful, mysterious Larena Monroe.
A WILD DESIRE…
Rumors swirl around the castle about "The McLeod" but Larena knows the truth. Like Fallon, Larena is searching for a way to vanquish the evil Druid who wants to wreak havoc on earth. Drawn to Fallon in spite of her fear, she surrenders to a passion that shocks them both with its raw intensity. But Larena dares not hope for more - not when she holds a secret that could turn her fiery Highland love against her forever…
To find out more about me please visit my website at http://www.donnagrant.com/.
To read more about the Dark Sword series, see pics of the Warriors, take the quiz, download wallpaper, or search characters, please visit www.donnagrant.com/darksword.
Peace and love!
Hugs,
D
Donna Grant is bestselling author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance - Scottish Medieval, historical, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic.Donna lives in Texas with her husband and two kids.
