Interview with Jean Grant Author of Will Rise From the Ashes
Give a warm welcome to Jean Grant author of Will Rise From the Ashes released April 17, 2019. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Jean and Will Rise From the Ashes.
Tell us where your writing journey began and why you write across genres?
I began my writing journey in the Scottish middle ages. My first love has always been medieval romance (and yes, later, Outlander, ahhh Jamie Fraser). Castles and crags, warring clans and cultures, sweeping landscapes of mystery and moor, lairds and ladies, gallantry and greed. So much fun! After spending a good deal of time hanging out with my medieval heroes and heroines, I jumped ahead in time and wrote a contemporary novella (Soul of the Storm). At the same time, I delved into a contemporary women’s fiction story. Now I’m back finishing up a trilogy in historical Scotland. Jumping around through time and space…
Why do I write across genres? Simply put, I have diverse interests. Maybe too many? By writing different genres I feed various passions. Maybe I am too faceted, a bit scattered, and just write what my heart tells me. Going back and forth in editing between my brogue Scottish men and my modern voices can be tricky, but it keeps my brain sharp (and exhausted!). I also write in both first and third person.
Will I delve into another genre? Never say never. I’ve found my niche in historical (with paranormal elements) and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction.
Finding a thread. There is a central thread weaved into all my stories: journeys of hope, spirituality, and of course happy-ever-after. Or as I like to say: stories of heartache, healing, and hope. My women’s fiction usually has a romantic element, too. Even though I write across genres and sub-genres, I find that I home in on a central theme with each story. Each character has an emotional wound and backstory they must heal (in some way or another), and I always end with hope.
Now for the Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh rubbing my hands together with glee>
Favorite movie: The Princess Bride
Favorite book: Outlander
Last book read: Spirited Quest
Favorite color: Pink
Stilettos or flipflops: Neither
Coffee or tea: Coffee
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: All
Pencil or pen: (red) pen
Favorite song: Sleepwalk (Santo and Johnny)
Streak or not: yes!
Favorite dessert: anything
Favorite junk food: cheese (any!)
Favorite thing to do to relax: flower-garden
Champagne or gin: champagne
Paranormal or Historical: historical
Wonder Woman or Top Model: Wonder Woman
Favorite TV show: TWD
Hot or cold: Hot
POV: First
I’d die if I don’t have: taxes
Review or Not: Yes
Click on the cover to read more or purchase.
A little about Will Rise From the Ashes.
Living is more than mere survival!
Young widow AJ Sinclair has persevered through much heartache. Has she met her match when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, leaving her separated from her youngest son and her brother? Tens of thousands are dead or missing in a swath of massive destruction. She and her nine-year-old autistic son, Will, embark on a risky road trip from Maine to the epicenter to find her family. She can’t lose another loved one.
Along the way, they meet Reid Gregory, who travels his own road to perdition looking for his sister. Drawn together by AJ’s fear of driving and Reid’s military and local expertise, their journey to Colorado is fraught with the chaotic aftermath of the eruption. AJ’s anxiety and faith in humanity are put to the test as she heals her past, accepts her family’s present, and embraces uncertainty as Will and Reid show her a world she had almost forgotten.
Buy links:
Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iTunes
A sneak peek between the pages of Will Rise From the Ashes.
A gray column of ash exploded on the screen. The plume darkened the sky.
“Mom, come look!” Will said, without turning from the TV.
She fidgeted with the mail on the kitchen counter. Then said a bad word. The metal trash lid clanged open, and she grumbled. He tapped a finger on his thigh as he listened to the newscaster.
A few minutes passed. “Mom…”
“One minute,” she called. He turned. She dragged the basket of dirty laundry from their vacation to Yellowstone down the basement steps. Thump, thump, thump.
“But it’s the volcano! On TV!” His pulse flickered. This was important. She needed to see.
“Hang on a sec, Will.”
The clock read 9:03 p.m. Eastern Time, but it still felt like Mountain Time and he wasn’t sleepy. He counted to one second. He knew she didn’t mean that. Her “a sec” or “a minute” could be way longer.
She returned from the basement and opened the window over the kitchen sink. The metallic, vibrating hum of the foghorn sounded in the distance. He rose and added a tally mark to the chart on his clipboard. Soon, he’d need to make his snow charts, too. But it was only August.
“Where are they?” Mom said.
She came through the doorway to the living room with her mug in one hand. It smelled like burnt stinky milk. He covered his nose.
“Mom, watch out!” She almost stepped on his eight red volcano cut-outs lined in a row in front of the TV. His heart kerthumped. He straightened one, so the bottom edge realigned with the rest. There, better.
“So, honey, what is it? Find an interesting documentary to watch?” she finally asked, drawing her gaze to the TV as she stumbled. “Will, the tape and scissors. I need you to pick them up, okay?” She yawned. “We need to go to bed soon.” She leaned over the coffee table and clicked her laptop shut with another curse. “I can’t even track their flight. Where are they?” she repeated to herself.
Her brown eyes were shiny, holding that sad look she got when she thought about Dad. Some expressions confused him, but Mom was easier to understand than others. She was sad a lot these days. Was she sad about his little brother Finn not returning home yet? He approached her and hugged her around the waist. He nudged the top of his head against her ribcage. “It’s okay, Mom. Finn and Uncle Brandon will be here. Maybe their flights were delayed again?”
She exhaled. Coffee breath. His stomach squeezed. Delays. Yuck, he didn’t like delays either.
She said in a whisper, a raspy grating sound, “They should’ve landed by now…the traffic north to Maine from Boston isn’t awful this time of day. Finn’s going to be so wired.”
But he’s not a robot, Will wanted to say, but he knew it was just one of Mom’s weird phrases. The commercials ended. He grabbed her hand. “Look, Mom. Yellowstone! Maybe Finn and Uncle Brandon saw it erupt since we were all just there! How lucky of them to see that, huh?” He pointed to the LIVE symbol in the bottom right corner.
Her mug slipped and fell in a crash, spilling all over his volcanoes.
About the Author:
Author of historical and contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Travel writer. Former Scientist. Daydreamer. Hiker girl. Loves sharks, lip-balm, Post-its, and Snoopy.
Social Media links:
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub ~ Amazon Author Page ~ The Wild Rose Press
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Will Rise From the Ashes!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary Fiction, Jean Grant, Will Rise From the Ashes, Women's Fiction by Tena Stetler with 16 comments.
