Today we are happy to invite bestselling author Donna Grant to sit down with us to chat around (virtual) cupcakes and lattes. Donna is the author of several historical, paranormal and fantasy romances featuring big, strong, handsome Highlander alpha heroes *yum*, and her latest release Midnight’s Warrior, the 4th book in her Dark Warriors series will be published on November 27th, so mark your calendars. Read on and leave a comment to be entered to win a book by Donna Grant!

Stella:  Hi Donna, welcome to BLI! 😀 Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Donna: Hi, Stella! Thanks so much for having me. I’m a Texas girl who’s been writing since 1999 while I worked as an accountant. I have two great kids and a hero of my own who loves to travel everywhere with me.

Stella: Oh, travelling is the best, especially if he goes with you 😉 Could you describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?

Donna: Pantser all the way. lol.

My typical day is waking up, getting the kids off to school then sitting down to check emails and play on FaceBook for a bit. Then, its getting a bit more promotion done and maybe a workout before I sit down to start writing. I write 20 pages a day, and I don’t stop until I get those 20 pages done. During all of that, I’m answering emails and trying to keep the cats off my laptop so I can type. I make sure I’m finished well before the kiddos get home, then if I don’t have more emails to answer or promotion to do, I try to get motivated to clean the house. 🙂

Stella: What do you think is the difference between a reader and a real Book Lover?

Donna: Hm. Good question.

To me, a book lover is one who loves the feel and smell and texture of a book. It’s about holding it in your hands whether its a hard cover, leather bound, mass market, or trade sized book. Size isn’t the point. It’s the book itself and turning the pages.

A reader is someone who has to read. Whether its print books or ebooks, it about getting to the story.

Stella: Your latest release Midnight’s Warrior will be released upon the world next week, on November 27th, congratulations! It is the 4th book in the Dark Warriors series, could you introduce this series to those of our readers who haven’t had the chance to read them and become fans of it yet?

Donna: Thank you! I’m so excited about MW because Ramsey, the hero, has been one of my favorites since the moment he popped up in the first Dark Sword book. Dark Sword you ask? Yep, the stories fo the Warriors began on December 29, 2009 with DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER, a historical paranormal. The Dark Sword series ran for six books before my Warriors were taken from medieval Scotland into modern-day Scotland. That’s when the Dark Warriors series was born. Its the same characters and continuing story line from the Dark Sword books, just with a new series name.

But, back to Ramsey and MW. The DS/DW series involves Highlanders who have primeval gods locked inside them. They battle the gods for control while fighting evil Druids known as droughs, and finding love with good Druids, or mies. Each Warrior has different powers that can be affected by a Druid’s magic. The Druids have all different kinds of magic like communicating with the trees, or the wind, or even rocks. You never know what kind of magic a Druid will have and what impact that will have on a story.

Stella: And could you tell your seasoned fans what they can expect of Midnight’s Warrior?

Donna: Ah, you’ll learn more about Ramsey’s secret and just how it has affected his life. Then there is the battle everyone has been waiting for between the Warriors/Druids and the baddie, Declan.

Stella: Could you introduce Ramsey and Tara, the hero and heroine of Midnight’s Warrior?

Donna:

Ramsey MacDonald
Born: September 1284
Turn: 1305
God: Ethexia, god of thieves
Warrior color: Bronze
Abilities: manipulates mass
hair: black
eyes: steel gray

Characteristics: Takes his time in forming opinions or judgements. He’s usually the last to talk, but people pay attention when he does. He’s always calm and rarely gets riled.

Tara Kincaid
Druid – mie
Controls what magic – no one knows, her magic is too volatile
Enhances her magic – the sun
Hair: wavy, light brown streaked with blonde
eyes: blue-green

Characteristics: Has been on the run from her family and Declan for 10 years because she doesn’t want to become drough. She doesn’t trust anyone, and rarely stays in one place for any length of time.

Stella: Can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read Midnight’s Warrior?

Donna:

1. Highlanders
2. Highlanders
3. Highlanders

Stella: Can you summarize Midnight’s Warrior for us Twitter-style (140 characters or less)?

Donna: Oh, now I feel like I’m taking an exam and I forgot to study. 🙂 Let’s see…

An immortal Highlander who is part Druid, part Warrior must convince a wary Druid he can help her, only neither expects to fall in love.

Stella: Lol, no worries, you did great Donna 😉 Can you share with us some little secret trivia connected to the writing of Midnight’s Warrior (a scene/character that did not end up in the final version, a real person inspiring a character, scene, etc.)?

Donna: I used my experience while touring castles in Scotland as the inspiration for Tara’s job at the castle. 🙂

Stella: How many books do you still plan to have in the Dark Warriors series and when can fans expect to read them?

Donna: There will be four more books all coming out in 2013

Midnight’s Kiss (Arran’s) – June 4, 2013
Midnight’s Captive (Charon’s) June 25, 2013
Midnight’s Temptation (Phelan) – Nov 2013
Midnight’s Promise (Ramsey) – Dec 2013

Stella: You write contemporary romances, steamy romances, paranormal and fantasy romances, historical romances, do you have one of these subgenres that is a bit closer to your heart? Which one was your “first love”?

Donna: My first love was historical, but I found when I began writing that I kept wanting to throw paranormal/fantasy elements in them and agents kept saying now. Then, I said, yes, and wrote them anyway. So, I guess my first love would be historical/paranormals. 🙂

Stella: I have read on your website that you love to travel. What was your favourite place to visit? And any dream destination of yours that you’d like to see/return to?

Donna: Scotland, hands down was my favorite, though Maui runs a very close second. 🙂

I want to go to Italy, France, England, and really let’s just say Europe. 🙂 I’m also dying to see Greece and the Mediterranean

Stella: I haven’t been to Maui (yet!), but Scotland is also one of my favourite places in the world! It is just so rich in history and romantic, gothic vibe! Any fun/weird story about your globetrotting travels you’d like to share with us?

Donna: Well, it’s not fun or weird, but when we landed from our 2 week trip to Scotland and met my brother for dinner, someone broke into our vehicle and stole all our luggage, souvenirs, and even our jackets. They tried to steal the car, but didn’t quite get that done. I had the camera stolen, so all the pictures I’d taken of the locations set in the books was gone. 🙁 It’s one of the reasons I want to go back to Scotland so bad.

Stella: Oh, so sorry to hear that 🙁 What is next on your schedule? Any future plans you’d like to share with us?

Donna: I’m finishing up Malcolm’s story now (Dec 2013) and getting ready to get back to the Dark Kings. This series is *heavily* connected to the DS/DW books and I love these guys. The DK books are about the Dragon Kings who have been around since the beginning of time and now hide who they are in the running of a scotch distillery – Dreagan. 🙂

Stella: Can you share with us some little secret trivia, something that not many people know about you?

Donna: I have an irrational fear of falling through things – floors, bridges, elevators – you name it. I’m not scared of heights, just the weight on anything that’s not already on the ground. 🙂

Lord Gray’s List by Maggie Robinson

Book #4 in the Dark Warriors series

Defenders against evil. Bound by the gods. The Dark Warriors are taking their battle from ancient Scotland to the modern world—where a woman’s love can set them free…

A HEART IN HIDING

For ten long years, Tara has been a woman on the run, hiding from the magic-wielding Warriors and Druids of modern-day Scotland. Now, as a tour guide at a remote Highland castle, she hopes to finally escape her past—until one impossibly gorgeous man enters her life…and exposes her wildest secrets.

A WARRIOR IN LOVE

For centuries, Ramsey MacDonald has concealed his strength and skill as part Warrior, part Druid, for fear of unleashing the full force of his power. But when he takes Tara into his arms—and seals their fate with a kiss—Ramsey will have to fight for her love…though it may mean losing control of the magic inside him.

Buy at Amazon – Kindle – Barnes & Noble – Book Depository US – Book Depository UK

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels and novellas spanning multiple genres of romance.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Her childhood dream was to become a professional ballet dancer and study under the amazing Mikhail Baryshnikov. Though she never got to meet Baryshnikov, she did make it to New York City and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, Donna’s love of the romance genre and the constant stories running through her head prompted her to sit down and write her first book. Once that book was completed, there was no turning back.

Donna sold her first book in November 2005 while displaced from Hurricane Rita, a storm that destroyed portions of the Texas Gulf Coast. Since then, Donna has sold novels and novellas to both electronic and print publishers. Her books include several complete series such as Druids Glen, The Shields, Royal Chronicles, Sisters of Magic, Dark Sword, Dark Warriors, and her new series, Dark Kings.

Despite the deadlines and her voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two young children, four cats, three fish, and one long haired Chihuahua. She’s blessed with a proud, supportive husband who loves to read and travel as much as she does.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaway*~*~

Donna has generously offered a signed copy of Wicked Highlander to one lucky commenter!

All you have to do is leave a comment answering Donna’s question and tell us:

What’s your favorite type of hero?

(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, 8 December 2012; we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

About Stella

Stella is a proud bookaholic and a self-taught multilinguist in training. Besides reading, her other great passions are travelling and baking. When she is not globetrotting she lives in sunny Budapest, where she loves to spend her free time preparing (and feasting on) delicious cookies or devouring equally yummy books. Her favourite genres are urban fantasy and romance and she couldn't live without her daily dose of sunshine. Besides being the Latin Lover on BLI Stella also blogs about books and a bookish life on Ex Libris.

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