Around the Fire is following the M&P to the Highlands with author Jean M. Grant.

Hi, Jean. Welcome to Around the Fire. Congratulations on your book birthday! While I muster up some coffee for us, why don’t you introduce yourself? Who is Jean M. Grant? 
I’m Jean – travel and nature lover, avid gardener, baker, former scientist, champion for my kids, oh, and an author. I write romance and women’s fiction, as well as freelance work on experiencing the outdoors with kids. If I was stranded on a deserted island, I would need (beside the usual must-haves) chapstick, coffee, and Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Hey, you asked.

So you’re not busy at all, then, lol. And The Rock, huh? I can see the appeal. So tell us a bit more about your gardening. I used to be a big gardener. Nothing like digging into rich soil and getting your hands dirty. I usually did it to classical music. 
I am obsessed with flower and veggie gardens. I already bought my veggie and flower seeds for this spring. It’s a great physical activity (all those garden beds and flower beds!), gets me outside, is beautiful (ahh, lilies and phlox!), and rewarding to nurture something from seed or bulb to a plant. Oh, and you get to eat all those veggies. I have gigantic raspberry bushes and a few apple trees, too. I also love to bake sweets. And walking is my jam – I get out a few times a week (and hike, too) – while listening to audiobooks. 

Who is your network or support system? This would be any groups/authors/friends/family who contributes to your writing career. 
I have a few writer’s groups on Zoom that started via Twitter (#5amwritersclub is one) through WFWA, locally, and publisher.

Ugh! Five A.M. not my favorite hour of the day. Who or what books or authors are your inspiration?
I’ve always loved and admired Diana Gabaldon. Some of my newer favorites include: Amy Harmon, Kristin Higgins, Susan Wiggs, Christina Lauren, and a few others.

What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them special? 
I live in an area with farms and the suburbs of central Ma. I love to visit my small-town coffee shop, walk through the historical cemetery, and walk on the rail trail. The icicles are especially cool in winter! We have a ski mountain nearby and my kids frequent it regularly! (I write in the lodge…my writing is always with me)
 
Your latest release is Seeker. It’s part of the Mortar & Pestle Series. Have you written in cooperation with other authors before?
This was my first time! And it was a great experience. Nothing like the horrible group assignments my son is dealing with in high school…

What drew you to this project? 
I loved the idea of a central theme (the mortar and pestle), a bit of magic, the novella-length (they are always fun to write!), and that we have a great group of talented authors.

What’s the best thing about writing with other authors?
Support and communication.

Yep, I'm going there. What’s the worst thing about it?
Imposter syndrome and perhaps agreeing on a few decisions, but really, it was not a bad experience at all. Unlike group projects in high school (shiver…!)

Was there a particular inspiration for your book in this series?
The series idea came about from chatting with some fellow authors. We came up with this idea of a magical mortar and pestle that transcends time, and it works as a matchmaker of sorts. I happened to have a mortar and pestle in one of my historical books. And as it usually goes as an author, we fall in love with our secondary characters. So…Seeker came about from two minor characters in another one of my books in my historical trilogy (A Hundred Lies). I wondered: Wouldn’t Aileana (the spunky sister of the hero; she is adventurous and a very non-typical noblewoman of a magical family) and Brodie (a reserved, beta-hero who has a medical condition that prevents him from being war chieftain) make a great story of their own? I loved weaving the two stories together so if readers have read the trilogy (each are standalone), they will be pleased to see the overlap in Seeker! Seeker, of course, can also be read as a standalone. A lovely bonus is that the book before mine in the series, Selkie, is about the Norse and my Scottish clan has Norse roots (see the first book in my trilogy – A Hundred Breaths), so that connection is also awesome!

So, Selkie was the first book in the series. Seeker is second. Can you tell us a bit about the next book in the series?
The Scottish Highlands are quiet with the union of the Montgomeries and MacDougalls…for now… So the Mortar & Pestle sails the high seas in search of a couple in need of their heart’s desire until it lands on the island of Trinidad in 1725. Catalina Pintarro is a little lady with a big secret and even bigger enemies. It will take a pirate to heal the wounds inflicted by a gentleman…and the Mortar & Pestle knows just the Quartermaster…

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Seeker: A Scottish Medieval Enemies to Lovers Romance ​
​by
Jean M. Grant

Nock, draw, release. Her bow is always ready, and if her arrow hits its mark, she will secure her destined soulmate. 
 
Aileana Montgomerie’s bloodline holds valuable gifts of foresight and healing, but with each honor comes a curse. Even though she is descended from the mystical isles’ folk, she lacks the ability of the Scottish Ancients and wonders if she belongs in a magical family. Aileana just wants a purpose. What good is her bow and arrow if she is denied the right to fight for her clan?
Brodie MacDougall is ordained to be the next war chieftain of his clan. The title is a privilege as long as his brother, the future laird, doesn’t expect him to lift a sword and charge into battle. Chronic pain and nervous vapors force him to spend his days alone. Can his strategic skills keep him one step ahead of his conspiring brother?
Through a magical Mortar & Pestle, Brodie finds his heart’s desire. But there’s a catch. The seat on his brother’s council is no longer dependent upon his health…but on Aileana’s strength. With rumblings of unrest among their clans, will their love foster an alliance or be a step toward war?
www.amazon.com/Seeker-Scottish-Medieval-Enemies-Romance-ebook/dp/B0BRYS2JXY
Link to series                             https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS42PKHZ
Link to Free Sample of series  https://dl.bookfunnel.com/b1ytv2r7nq
Link to Trailer                            https://youtu.be/juQwaRm4aEw 

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About the Author
Jean has a penchant for misunderstood creatures, be it sharks, microbes, or wounded characters. A scientist by training, she now spends her days as an author and champion for her children. She writes historical and contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Two of her books won InD’tale RONE awards.
A nature enthusiast, Jean also writes for family-oriented travel magazines and websites. When not writing, she enjoys gardening, tackling the biggest mountains in New England, and going on adventures near and far with her family. If she were stuck on a desert island, her three essentials (besides family, food, water, and shelter) would be coffee, lip balm, and the Rock Dwayne Johnson.
Grab your copy today

https://www.jeanmgrant.com/
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