Grant Mr
‘Grant Me’ is a love story, featuring two imperfect people brought together by a mysterious circumstances. There are so many twists and turns that if I say too much, I will ruin the story. One thing I can say about it, is that it has a happily ever after. I am a ‘happily ever after’ kind of girl. My stories will never have a sad ending; there’s enough sadness in everyday life. I will always write to make people happy. I write like I talk, which means there are enough sarcastic comments in the book to hopefully keep you laughing. There are also dark parts, but overall it has a positive outlook.
The story is set in Miami, Florida. The heroine, Neva Mathews, is a single mom working two jobs to support her and her son. What she thinks is an accidental introduction to Mr. Jason Grant, may not be as coincidental as she thought. Grant Me takes you on a wild ride while discovering why certain events unfold.
Please tell us about the character of Neva Matthews.
Oh Neva. I loved writing her. In appearance she couldn’t be more my opposite. Petite, tiny curves, and long pale hair. If I were to stand next to her I’d look like a giant, but in attitude, she is me to a tee. Slightly naïve, with enough sarcasm to keep everyone on their toes. She falls in love with a strong hero, and will protect those she loves over her own safety. The story starts many years after she lost her childhood love, who was murdered in a robbery. She lives with her best friend Shelly and her ten year-old son, who deals with a case of ADHD. Falling in love was not something she ever saw happening again in her young life, but love is what she finds in a man named Jason Grant. But before that can happen, they are given several bumps in the road. I absolutely love her character.
You are a mother to three boys, so how do you juggle your writing with your family?
There were times I could wait till my kids were in bed before I wrote the next chapter. But on a few occasions I had a scene stuck in my head and had to get it out. On more than one occasion, it was when the boys wanted to go out and play. I have to admit that those times I bribed them with video games to help me get my thoughts onto my computer. It only happened a few times, I swear. I’m blessed with some pretty sweet boys. They are the reason for most of my creativity.
You discovered the world of books many years ago so who are your favourite authors and why?
OH! The list of favorite authors. I could probably write a book with just their names. I have that many. I only read romance novels. And that’s not to say there aren’t some fantastic authors outside that genre, but I prefer a great love story. If I had to pick some of my favs I’d have to start with Stephanie Meyer. She was the reason I started my love of reading. I was pregnant with my twins, too sick to get off the couch, when I watched the first Twilight movie. As the movie finished, I rolled myself off the couch and went to Target and bought all of her books. I just had to see what happened next. I think I re-read her books a million times over before I moved on to something new. Since then I have gone through my paranormal faze, my historical faze, and the dark and edgy faze. Naming a few would have to be Cherise Sinclair, Chloe Neill, Tiffany Reisz, LL Collins, Tiffany A Snow, Tara Sivec, Penny Reid, Susan Mallery, Kristen Ashley, Amy Harmon, K. Bromberg and EL James. That list doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface, but those authors are my go-to books, always.
When did you interest in storm chasing begin?!
I have always loved the phenomenon of Mother Nature. From a small age I loved to hear the crack of thunder after the lighting of the sky. I can remember when Hurricane Andrew came through our town in 1992. I borrowed my dad’s huge video recorder to film the trees fly sideways. It was before the nice compact recorders we have today. This video recorder was almost as big as I was, and I had to balance it on my shoulder with my skinny arms. But it was worth it. I owned every National Geographic tape there was, from Hurricanes to Earthquakes. But tornados were my favorite. Mother Nature can be devastating and breathtaking all at once. I can’t remember when I made a promise to myself that storm chasing was something I wanted to do. It feels like I always wanted to do that. In fact, at the beginning of this past summer, I had paid for my first ever trip to storm chase with my favorite chaser, Reed Timmer, but because I was the only one to sign up I was told this year was not my year. I think it was two weeks after that disappointment that I started my book. But it’s on my agenda for next year.
You have been praised for your character development so how long did it take you to fine tune this skill?
The characters in my book seemed to write themselves. That may seem silly, but they grew with their circumstances.
The book makes the reader go through all sorts of emotions, so how difficult is it to navigate through all of these as a writer?
I went through every emotion with them. I found myself crying with them, laughing with them, and most of all getting mad at their situation with them. Even though I knew where they were headed, it didn’t make it easier.
What s next for you?
The next book in the series is so far unnamed, but is about Neva’s best friend Shelly. I am currently halfway through her story. And boy, what a ride she takes us on. I am also simultaneously writing a story that is close to my heart. This story will have some personal aspects but remain fiction. I’ve always loved a story revolving around second chances, and this story will be exactly that.