On the 6th Day of Blogmas We Have Donna Grant

On the 6th Day of Blogmas We have Donna Grant Author of Mutual Desire! Woooo Hoooo Thank you for being here today Donna.
Lets Give a warm Welcome to Donna. I have recently Finished Mutual Desire, and let me tell you, you guys are sooooo going to love it !
Donna has a great Interview below, with a great giveaway to top it off. So head on down to the interview, and get to Know Donna!

JJBC~Do you read any reviews on your books?
DG~ If I'm sent a review or I stumble across it I'll read it, but I don't go looking for them

JJBC~Do you read your own books after they make it to final print?
DG~By the time the book goes into print I've read it so many times that I don't want to read it again. Not to mention, the need an author feels to keep revising doesn't go away once the book is on the shelves. I'll end up seeing something I wished I had changed, so its better for my sanity if I don't read it again. :)

JJBC~What do you like to Read? Your Favorite Genre?
DG~Romance, of course, is my favorite genre. Historical romance is my favorite sub-genre. I'll read just about any historical romance, but Scottish Medieval is my favorite. I also enjoy reading paranormal - historical or contemporary.

JJBC~Do you have a favorite book /series?
DG~Oh, I have too many favorites. :D Shana Abe's Drakkon series is to die for! I'm anxious awaiting the next installment. I also love Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark. Then there's Lisa Kleypas' Hathaway series, and Christina Dodd's Chosen Ones series. One of my all time favorites is Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series.

JJBC~ How did you get into writing?
DG~lol. The voices in my head wouldn't leave me alone. I finally sat down and tried to write.

JJBC~Did you always want to be a writer?
DG~I've always loved to read, but no, it wasn't my dream when I was little. I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer.

JJBC~How old were you when you began to write?
DG~To write seriously in pursuit of publication? I was 24

JJBC~Is writing your full time job?
DG~ Yes

JJBC~What’s a typical writing day for you like?
DG~I wake up, get the kids up, dressed, breakfast, and out into the day for school. Then I work out and read emails, facebook, and twitter. By 9 am I have my book open and ready to begin writing. I take small breaks here and there to chat with friends online and eat lunch. Other than that, I don't get up from my desk until my pages are done. I'm usually finished by the time I need to pick up the kids from school.

JJBC~Do you set a daily writing goal?
DG~Yes I do. I write 20 pages a day.

JJBC~When and where do you like to write?
DG~I write Monday-Friday in my office

JJBC~Are there any processes you use when writing? Do you keep journals, sticky notes, chicken scratch on the back of receipts?
DG~Besides my music I have on, I keep two spiral notebooks beside me at all times. One lists the chapters and my daily page count. The other lists characters, where and when the book is taking place, as well as important info about the h/h like hair and eye color, any quirks they have, etc... Since I tend to write my books in series, I also keep track of the series in another spiral as well as on my computer so I don't get anything mixed up.

JJBC~Do you prefer to write on a computer, typewriter, or paper and pen?
DG~ Oh, goodness. A computer hands down. :)

JJBC~What is the hardest / easiest part of writing for you?
DG~The easiest part is the beginning and ending of the book. Those always go the quickest for me. Its the middle that I trudge through every time.

JJBC~What’s the best thing about being an author?
DG~There are several things. I love finishing a book, to see the story come alive every day, and then to feel that contentment that the book is done. It doesn't matter how many books I complete, I always feel that way. Contracts, of course, are one of the best things, but its really connecting with readers. There's nothing more special than getting emails from readers who say how much they enjoyed a book or if a particular character touched them somehow. That's really special to me.

JJBC~How long did you write before you became a published author?
DG~Six years


MUTUAL DESIRE

JJBC~Can you tell you tell us a little bit about Mutual Desire? DG~MUTUAL DESIRE is a single author anthology. There are three different novellas in the book. You'll get a taste of the Highlands, then go to a fantasy world, then take a trek through the Amazon.

~How did you come up with the idea for Mutual Desire? From a dream, from watching tv, while reading another book?
DG~One of the novellas was already chosen by my editor and he wanted more. So, when I began writing the others, I wanted them connected somehow, and with the first having a jewel given to the heroine by the hero, I decided to link them that way. Each story has a jewel in it, and a special reason why the hero gives it to the heroine.

JJBC~Who’s your favorite character and why?
DG~It would have to be Falcor from the novella, ENTRHALLED. He was so much fun to write, and part of me wished I would have done a full book on him instead of just a novella.
JJBC~Did the overall book turn out like your original idea of the story?
DG~ I don't plot out a book before I write it, so I'm always surprised in how a book ends. There are always plot twists and turns that shock me in every book.

JJBC~Can you tell us a little bit about when and where the story takes place?
DG~Sure! The first novella takes place in the Highlands. It was my editors favorite story, and one I thoroughly enjoyed writing. Of course, I have a soft spot for Highlanders. The second novella takes place on a fantasy world in a dangerous jungle filled with deadly animals and even deadlier enemies. The third novella is set in the Amazon jungle. Which took a lot of research. :)

JJBC~Do you have a favorite scene?
DG~I think my favorite scene from the entire collection is from, SPELLBOUND, the first novella where the hero, Ewan, discovers he's been duped into marrying the wrong woman. For a man who wants his life ordered and just how he wants it, he's in for more turmoil than he can imagine. But its just what he needs.
JJBC~ I have to say that is my FAVORITE story!!!! I took can never seem to get enough of the Highlands



My Bonus Question:

JJBC~If you could be trapped in any series/book which would it be and why?
DG~Oh, trap me Karen Marie Moning's Highlanders any day and I'll be a happy girl. :)
 
 
You can also find Donna at:


Twitter
GoodReads
DonnaGrant.com
Donna's Blog
Donna's NewsLetter (towards bottom of page)
MySpace
FaceBook (you must be logged in to get here)
Donnas Books
Dangerous Women Yahoo Group

Thanks you so much Donna For this wonderful Interview!
***Don't go away, Donna is stopping by through out the day. to chat, and answer questions. She has also given me the opportunity to give away a signed copy of Mutual Desire to 1 lucky winner!!!


How to Enter the Giveaway: (This giveaway is open World Wide)
1~ Answer one or both of the following questions:
~Wheres your favorite place for a story to take place?
~Have you Read any of Donnas book, If so which is your Favorite?
2~Follow JoJosBookCorner Blog
3~Follow Donna on Twitter
4~Follow JoJo on Twitter
5~ Become a Fan of Donna on Facebook* (link above)
6~Become a Fan of Larissa Ione on Myspace* (link above)
7~Sign up for Donna's Newsletter
8~ Retweet this (MUST leave link, a point for each tweet)
9~ Follow Dangerous Women on yahoo
10~ Ask Donna a Question

*If you do not have a Facebook,Myspace account, please specify in your comment that you don't.*

** Please confirm you have completed at least 5 of the 6 things to enter.**

***All contests are open till Dec 23rd , you can find their individual interview links at the top under my header