Donna Grant

The winner to last week’s question is…Rachael! Congrats, Rachael! Send me an Email with your choice of a title from my backlist as your free download!

Its the last week before kids go back to school, and I’m being run ragged. Kids are excited to start school, and I’m excited to have them occupied during the day.

Because next week (August 26th) is the release of The Pleasure of His Bed, I’m going to make this week’s question easy.

What I want to know is who wants an autographed copy THE PLEASURE OF HIS BED?

By replying you could win your chance at a free book. You have until next Wednesday when I’ll do another question.

Last week was a roller coaster of a week. The final book in my Sisters of Magic trilogy, Dangerous Magic is coming along very well. I’ve been wanting to write this since the concept of the trilogy first popped into my head. So far Cade and his heroine, Francesca, have made things fairly easy for me. Let’s hope it continues, yes?

As for the other. Well, I’ve always said you have to roll with the punches life gives you, and that certainly happened to me last week. I’m blessed with an incredible family and the very best, loyal friends who were there for me. I don’t know what I’d do without all of them. Hubby knew what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it, and he knew when to sit there and listen to me and hand me a glass of wine. He’s amazing. Utterly.

Back to writing. While I’m writing Dangerous Magic, I’m also working on a second proposal to send to my Kensington editor. The first one is done and waiting, but I came up with another - and I think simply fabulous (we authors think all our ideas are fabulous ) idea. So, I decided it can’t hurt to send in two - or three - proposals when its time. After all, the point is to get more contracts. Better to give the editor a choice.

Just a little over a week (August 26th) before The Pleasure of His Bed will release. I’ve got my author copies in, and I plan on doing a couple of contests for readers to win a free, autographed book.

Also, I’ve got several guest blogs scheduled. It all begins on August 26th.

The winner to last week’s question is…Chris! Congrats, Chris! Send me an Email with your choice of a title from my backlist as your free download!

Fears. We all have them, we all deal with them every day of our lives. I have a couple, but my big one is that I’m terrified (and I mean terrified) of spiders. Any size, any shape, any color. They completely freak me out. I can’t read about them or watch them on TV. In any sense.

For example, just the other day I’m sitting here in my office writing on my latest when something catches my eye. I look down on the floor to see a rather large spider crawling from underneath my chair, off the rug and onto the floor. My Chihuahua is sleeping blissfully unaware, and all three cats are just staring at it.

Now, at the time, hubby was home as were the kids. The kids were watching a movie, and no matter how many times I yelled for them, they never heard me. Every time I tried to get up from my chair to get my husband, the spider would turn towards me. The thought of all those legs crawling on me sent me on top of my desk. I kid you not.

It wasn’t until one of the cats cornered the little beast that I was able to run and get hubby, who came in to slay the beast. Well, just in case he missed when he stepped on the spider, I got back on top of my desk. And it was a good thing too.

As soon as he stepped on the spider (after a couple of attempts because it was near a wall) babies came out. (shudder) Just thinking about it makes me itch all over. My hubby was very heroic. He promptly stepped on all the babies - or at least he told me he got them all. I figure a few escaped, and it took another ten minutes before I could get down off my desk.

My fear of spiders is dibilitating to say the least. It seems wherever I go, I find one. Be it in the car, in the house, at the beach. Whatever. They find me. My only thought when I see one is to Get. Out. Fast. I’ve even tried to jump out of a moving car because there was a spider inside.

Because fear plays such a large roll in everyday life, I like to have my characters have a fear as well. Sometimes, like in Highland Mist the heroine is afraid of spiders. Or like in A Kind of Magic when the heroine has this thing about touching raw chicken. Whether its a fear of water, being left alone or the fear of not being loved, fear is something we can all relate to.

What I want to know is what is your biggest fear?

By replying you could win your chance at a free book from my backlist. You have until next Wednesday when I’ll do another question.

I just got the new cover to Echoes of Magic the second book in my Sisters of Magic trilogy.

ECHOES OF MAGIC
Sisters of Magic, Book 2

Cobblestone Press
ISBN: TBA
Release Date: Coming Soon!

Never say never to love…

Hiding a secret so awful that his only hope for survival is to remain hidden, Grayson has lived most of his life pretending to be someone he isn’t. After years serving as a commander to his lord and friend, Grayson can no longer hold back the past.

With his weapons and battle knowledge, Grayson sets out to right the wrong he hadn’t been able to stop as well as finding the mother taken from him so long ago.

I can’t believe I’m already getting the kids ready to go back to school. Just two more weeks and the house will be quiet once more during the day.

Last week I took a few days off to get ready to take the family to the beach to celebrate my youngest’s birthday. Then we had that surprise hurricane that slammed into us last Tuesday. Fortunately, it had only just turned from a tropical storm to a hurricane, so there wasn’t much damage.

I did get to write a few pages on the third book in the Sisters of Magic series - Cade’s book. Now at all the summer trips are over, life should get back to some semi-normaliness (if that’s possible), and I can get writing on Cade’s book. Cade is one of those dark, tortured characters. And he hasn’t always been a good guy.

The winner to last week’s question is…Cindi! Congrats, Cindi! Send me an Email with your choice of a title from my backlist as your free download!

I always smile when people roll their eyes when they discover I’m a romance writer. Usually I get the “oh, you write that smut”. Though occassionally I get the “porn” comment. My response is that yes, I do write about sex, because sex is a part of life. Then I tell them that I don’t write smut or porn, I write about a man and a woman who find life and love and deal with the struggles that life throws at them all the while holding on to the love that they’ve found. I write about relationships and family. I write about love.

Normally, that’s enough to make the person pause and think over what I’ve said. Before they can respond, I then ask them if they’ve read a romance lately. Of course, their response is no, so I will give them a list of authors that they should take a look out. Who knows if they do or not, but I’m always amazed at how people are ready to judge you without hearing - or reading - what they’re accusing me of.

However, I had something interesting happen to a friend who also writes erotic romance. A “friend” of this author proceeded to tell her that she must do all the acts that she puts in her books because she writes about them. Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. My poor friend was so taken aback she didn’t respond. But I have to wonder. Do readers think that authors of thrillers/suspense go around murdering people? Do readers think that authors that write about adultury go about cheating on their spouses simply because they write about it?

The answer is no. Yet, somehow, because we romance authors write about relationships and family and love - and sex, we must do what we’re writing about.

What I want to know is has someone ever had an opinion of you or what you do that was completely wrong?

By replying you could win your chance at a free book from my backlist. You have until next Wednesday when I’ll do another question.

Wow. What a week last week. I always look forward to the RWA conference. So many women who all understand what it is to have characters talking to you - and that you talk to your characters.

I could spend all day listing the authors I got to catch up with, so I’ll only list a few. I got to say a quick hello to Bonnie Edwards and Kate Douglas at the Literacy Signing before the readers came in.

At the Kensington Party I finally got to meet my girl, Shelli Stevens! We hit it off well. I’d really been looking forward to meeting her, so imagine our suprise when our rooms were across the hall from each other. I also got to meet my editor, officially. With so many authors, I didn’t get to talk to him long. I also got to meet, Kate Pearce, Lacy Danes, Crystal Jordan and sooooo many other Kensington authors.

I caught up with Lisa Klypas, Linda Winstead-Jones, and Shana Abe’. AND…I got to meet Madeline Hunter, Stephanie Laurens, and Suzanne Enoch.

As I said in my newsletter, I had such a full schedule the entire time I was there I kept forgetting to take pictures. A great time was had by all, and I appreciate all the readers that came to the signing.

Since I’m in San Fran, I’ll make this quick.

The winner to last week’s question is…Deidre! Congrats, Deidre! Send me an Email with your choice of a title from my backlist as your free download!

I’m in the middle of setting up some signings in the Houston, Texas area. I’ve had a few emails from booksellers in Louisiana as well, so I might be heading over there as well. The good thing, is I won’t be alone. I’ve got some incredible authors that will be signing with me. (more later once we have all the details ironed out)

Its always a hit or miss when an author does a signing. Will any readers show up? No one wants to sit at the table alone and direct people to the bathrooms. lol. Which is why several of us are banding together to do these signings.

What I want to know is when you have authors do a signing near you, do you go? Are is the prospect of meeting an author to daunting?

By replying you could win your chance at a free book from my backlist. You have until next Wednesday when I’ll do another question.

I’m in San Francisco gearing up for RWA’s yearly conference. I’ve got a very busy schedule, but I will try to post on here as often as I can.

I have some GREAT news!

Not only did I finish Aimery’s story early last week, but its titled - Dragonfyre.

And…The second book in my Sisters of Magic trilogy, Echoes of Magic has sold to Cobblestone Press! Look for Grayson’s story sometime next year!

I also got a terrific treat before I left on Friday - my author copies of The Pleasure of His Bed! I’ve got a special contest coming up in September, when the book releases, so watch for it!

And please, if you’re going to be in SF for the conference, let me know!

I’ve finally gotten new excerpts up for:

Stop by and read them!

I’m on my way to Houston for a wedding, then off to San Fran tomorrow. I’ll be checking emails/blog as often as I can, but please be patient.

If you’re coming to San Fran, look for me!!!