DONNA GRANT GIVES US THE 411 ON: IMMORTAL HIGHLANDERS & DRAGON KINGS

I remember the day I first learned about today's guest, Donna Grant.

I was talking to a friend of mine, who was a bookseller, about how broad the scope of paranormal could be but seemed to be stuck in vampire stories.  I didn't want bloodsuckers I wanted dangerous kick ass warriors, with flaws, battling their darkness within while battling against evil with a sense of honor.   “Snap! I know an author you would love. She writes Celtic themes and recently sold to a major publisher. Wait, I have the book here…” the phone clunked on the counter. “Donna Grant and Dangerous Highlander!”  She read me the blurb…I was sold then and still am. I had Donna on my blog (Dark Swords and Druids) a few weeks later.    

Thank you to Sia for hosting me today in celebration of my newest book – MIDNIGHT’S PROMISE!

For those unfamiliar with my Dark Warriors series, let me tell you a bit about it. 

The Warriors are a group of Highlanders who are the greatest warriors of their family.  By being so, they carry within their blood primeval gods that once unbound, not only make them immortal, but give the Highlanders enhanced abilities and special powers.  They also transform by way of claws and fangs, but also each god has a color, so the Highlanders turn the color of their god when that god is released.  IOW, when those Warriors are ready for battle. J

There are so many legends and myths of Scotland that it’s hard to know what was real and what wasn't   So, when I began the series, I developed a legend of my own: What if Rome was driven out of Britain by magic? 

Druid Sonya

And by magic I mean Druids.  Two sects actually (good and bad).  It’s the evil Druids who call up the primeval gods from Hell, but it takes both sects to bind the gods inside the men.  Until my first villain, centuries later, sets the gods free once more in her bid to take over the world.

Deirdre is the perfect villain in my Dark Sword series, but when the series time traveled to modern day Scotland, I knew I had to add another twist.  Welcome Declan Wallace, a new kind of villain that takes my Warriors by surprise. Declan, however, wasn’t enough. There’s a new villain in town – Jason Wallace - and he is going to come at the Warriors and Druids sideways.

           

Wait, your saying.  Time travel?  Yep.  The series began in 2009 with DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER, a historical paranormal set in medieval Scotland.  After six book in the DS series, my guys decided to throw me a twist and time travel. My love was historicals.  I’d dipped my toes in contemporaries with a novella and one time travel, but not an entire book.

My publisher asked me to keep the Warriors in modern time, so there would be no going back for me. L  Yet, when I sat down to write MIDNIGHT’S MASTER (the first Dark Warrior book), I found the idea of taking these alpha, immortal Highlanders into contemporary Scotland thrilling.

All is not fun and games, however, because the storyline that began in the Dark Sword series continues in the Dark Warriors.  There are still villains to fight, evil to battle, and love to find.

It’s been a lot of fun taking each Warrior’s power and using it for - or against - him.  To add to the conflict, their heroines are Druids who each hold a special type of magic.  With the Warriors being such strong, rugged men, their heroines have to be just as stalwart to be able to stand beside them. 

It’s bitter sweet that I’m now promoting MIDNIGHT’S PROMISE, the last full length book in the Dark Warrior series.  I know many have been anxiously and not so patiently waiting for Malcolm’s book.  Malcolm first showed up in FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER (Dark Sword book 2) and his story took one drastic turn after another.

I’m not having to say good-bye to my Warriors and Druids, however. There’s one more Dark Warrior story, a holiday novella featuring a Warrior I had thought died – Dale.  Read his story in MIDNIGHT’S SURRENDER (Nov 5, 2013).

Even then the Warriors and Druids will still be around, playing large roles in the upcoming spin off series the Dark Kings featuring my shape-shifting hunks, the Dragon Kings starting with the novella bind-up titled DARK HEAT (Dec 31, 2013) before moving on to DARKEST FLAME (April 29, 2014) and FIRE RISING (June 3, 2014).

Donna, I was glad to feature the first of these warriors in Dangerous Highlander and I'm glad to be featuring the last of these warrior's stories today with Midnight's Promise. I've enjoyed the adventure! I'm looking forward to Dark Kings series and another aspect of the magic of old--dragons!

• Have you read Donna Grants stories?

• Do you have a favorite warrior?

                                                                                                                                                    

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND  

MIDNIGHT'S PROMISE

HEART OF STONE

For centuries, Malcolm has struggled against the forces of darkness – and bears the scars to prove it.  Hardened by a lifetime of fighting, he is more warrior than man, incapable of feeling love or compassion. But one stormy night, he pulls a beautiful woman from a car wreck – and experiences a rush of fiery emotion that could melt even the hardest of hearts.

TOUCH OF MAGIC

Since childhood, Evangeline Walker has felt the magic growing inside. Descended from Druids, she is the perfect vessel for ancient magic – and evil. Evie knows she should trust no one, not even Malcolm, whose strong touch and tender kiss she craves. But after she makes a devil’s bargain to save her half-brother, this fearsome warrior may be the only man who can protect her – with his heart, his body, and his soul…EXCERPT




                                                                                                                                                                                    

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant 
has been praised for her "totally addictive" and "unique and sensual" stories. She's the author of more than thirty novels spanning multiple genres of romance. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Warriors, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas. Visit Donna at www.DonnaGrant.com, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter.

MONDAY MUSINGS: REACTIVE VS PROACTIVE

By Moniqe

The leaves may be falling all around us but anti-trust suits seem to be blooming. Perhaps it’s because of the economic environment with more companies looking to consolidate and protect their profit platforms. Computer technology has changed the way companies do business. Of course, for last twenty plus years, cyber market and digital content have become an increasing chunk of the profit pie—especially with digital technology. There has been a lot of modernization in the publishing field as a result. 

I've been watching, with interest, the whole debacle over e-book price fixing. The publishing giants were slow to move on this new technology, but less narrow-minded entrepreneurs saw the possibilities almost from the inception and set about developing and adapting the technology for their own profit. That’s not to say the giants didn't move toward it, they did, but more as an afterthought than with the focus of utilizing it proficiently for future profits.

Reactive versus proactive.

wikimedia commons

The problem with reactive is you’re already behind by the time you realize what’s going on. You’re playing catch up while those who watch the trends in technology were already reaping the profits of their hard work and long vision. If you’re accustomed to being a leader of the pack, your short sighted decisions have left you with bits of fur and stringy meat on left over bones and envious of those who have the juicy fat haunch of the profits to feast on. You’re used to being in the alpha position and to carry the analogy further, you resort to cunning to get the choice bits. Chancy decision because the new alphas might not be as experienced in this particular hunting ground but they didn't get the position by being stupid. They’re lean and mean and intend to keep their juicy bits. Being reactive can get you hamstrung or dead.     

It looks like Hachette, Harper Collins, and Simon & Schuster have settled an antitrust lawsuit about e-book prices. A U.S. court approved the settlement on Sept. 6, which has allowed Amazon to start discounting some of those companies' titles. Amazon has already sent out letters of notification of funds for a credit, pending court approval of the settlement in February 2013. The Attorney General estimates a credit of between 30¢ to $1.32 on eligible e-books purchased between April 2010 and May 2012—unless you are a Minnesota resident. The Attorney General of Minnesota chose not to participate in the settlements. 

The above mentioned companies have agreed to pay $69 million in restitution to e-book consumers to settle U.S. litigation. 

That's a lot of dollars, ladies and gents.

I'm curious what Apple will be offering here in the United States. The last I heard, Apple and Macmillan refused to talk settlement with the Justice Department, opting for their day in court. Penguin is still trying to sit on the sidelines while polishing the dents and mud off their halos and look innocent of any wrongdoing. The trial is scheduled to begin in New York Federal court June 2013. So, they have offered to settle with the European Union but are gearing up to fight a court battle here in the United States. A lot can happen in eight months, including a similar settlement, now that the precedent has been set in Europe.

Apple and Macmillan have formally have offered to settle with the European Union. The offer under consideration, according to the European Union, for the four publishers--CBS Corp's Simon & Schuster, News Corp unit Harper Collins  French group Lagardere SCA's Hachette Livre, and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, which owns Macmillan in Germany, is as follows:

"For a period of two years, the four publishers will not restrict, limit or impede e-book retailers' ability to set, alter or reduce retail prices for e-books and/or to offer discounts or promotions."

They also will suspend, for five years, contracts that effectively barred publishers from selling e-books at prices lower than Apple's. A side note to this—the discounts allowed by Macmillan is only for European retailers and not for the US vendors.

Some grievous wounds indeed in the battle for the proprietorial alpha positions.

The anti-trust suits have caused others to cast a speculative look around for a target. There are several contenders out there. Google is one of them. So far, nothing has come of it, but you can bet Google isn't being shortsighted but taking a real close look at eliminating any vulnerability in their proprietorial alpha position.

Yet another side to proactive vs. reactive.