Donna Grant

Welcome, Donna
I had the pleasure of reviewing your novels, HIGHLAND MAGIC and PRINCE OF PASSION, available now from Total E-Bound. Thank you for granting Enchanting Reviews this interview and the opportunity for us to get to know more about you and your work.

1. Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?
Hi, Rowena! Thanks so much for interviewing me. I was born and raised in Texas, right on the Texas/Louisiana border. With half my family Cajun, I spent a lot of time in Louisiana growing up. I love to travel, so we get away as often as we can.

2. Your stories are all set in the past. If you were granted the opportunity to travel back in time, where would you go and why?
Hmm…so many possibilities.  I would go to Medieval Scotland, Ancient Rome, Britain when the Celts ruled the land and maybe even ancient Egypt.

3. If you could meet a famous person from the past, who would it be?
William Shakespeare would be interesting to meet as well as Chaucer. I’d love to have a conversation with either of those two men. Oh, and Cleopatra!

4. Which one of your characters do you feel is most like you?
Oh, they all have a little of me. Glenna from HIGHLAND MIST has my fear of spiders. Elle from A KIND OF MAGIC has my revulsion to touching raw chicken. Though all my characters are much more adventurous than I will ever be.

5. Your novels incorporate the theme of the Fae interacting with mortals. Could you elaborate on the nature of the Fae world and its inhabitants?
If you do any kind of research, you will find that everyone has an opinion of what the Fae are. Some think of them as tiny winged creatures, much like a Sprite. Others think of them as tall, lanky beings more monster than anything.
So, when I came up with my Druid’s Glen series and I wanted to have the Fae involved, I created my own Fae. These creatures are beautiful, sexual creatures who are connected to our world because they once lived on Earth. Whatever happens to Earth, happens to their realm. It’s important to the Fae to keep a balance, which is why they are always around.
As for their realm, the Realm of the Fae, it is a land that pulses with magic where dragons fly in the sky and scenery so beautiful it hurts to look at it. The Fae’s magic comes from their realm and the dragons that inhabit their world.

6. If you had to pick one book to take with you to a deserted island, which one would you choose? Has this author influenced your style?
Just one?! What a hard choice. I have so many authors I love, and books that have touched my heart. I don’t know if I could choose just one. I adore MAN OF MY DREAMS by Johanna Lindsey, so I would definitely take it.

7. Are you reclusive or do you like interacting with other writers?
I love interacting with other writers. Its so much fun to be able to talk to others who understand what its like to be a writer and suffer rejections, bad reviews, great sales, the “big” offer on a book, and so on. This business is like a roller coaster with its highs and lows. It’s imperative for me to be able to share that with people who understand.

8. The genre you write requires extensive research. Do you enjoy the research process?
I love the research. I don’t spend of all of my time researching, though. Still, I love the thrill of finding a small gem in a mountain of research that sparks an idea for a new book or series. Those are the best moments.

9. Tell us more about your obsession with Scotland. Would you like to live there indefinitely or do you think a visit might suffice?
Well, my husband assures me my aversion to the cold would send me packing back to Texas, but I’m not so sure. I’d like to give it a try and find out.

10. What do you do when you are not writing?
Read. I try to clean the house, but with two kids (three if you count hubby), three cats and one dog it gets tiring. I keep asking for a maid for Christmas, but Santa has yet to bring her. 

11. Has your journey to becoming a published author been a smooth or bumpy road?
Bumpy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Those bumps keep things in perspective, and make me appreciate what I’ve gained so far in this rocky business.

12. You are working on two sequels now. Can you please give us a sneak peek at any of your upcoming books?
I’ve got a new historical/paranormal witch series coming from Cobblestone Press in a few months. I’ve very excited about this trilogy. I also have an anthology I wrote with two of my best friends (Mary O’Connor and Georgia Tribell) about a magical stone and its travel through time. My story begins the anthology in Medieval Scotland, Mary then takes us to Victorian England/Scotland, and Georgia ends the anthology in present day California. The novellas will be released separately before being released in print from Cobblestone.
In September, I have my first release from Kensington and their erotic romance line, Aphrodisia. My novella, Ties that Bind, will be in the historical anthology, THE PLEASURE OF HIS BED, available for preorder now. In May 2009 I have my second release from Kensington with a collection of three novellas of mine titled MUTUAL DESIRE.
In October I have a novella, TEMPTED, coming from Total-E-Bound that is connected to my September Kensington release.

13. What would be the best way for readers to contact you?
I love hearing from readers. You can email me at donna@donnagrant.com anytime. I’m also always at my blog (www.donnagrant.com/blog), so drop by and say hello!

Donna, Enchanting Reviews would like to thank you for submitting your work for review and we hope to continue to provide this service for you in the future.


Interviewed by Rowena
June 2008