Please help me welcome Jean M. Grant to my blog. We're starting with a a speed round of This or That, followed by Jean's Top 10 Things to See in Scotland, and the details along with an excerpt from her latest book Seeker, which is part of a series that releases this month.
So without further ado, let's get to know a little about Jean!
Speed round: This or That
Good guys or bad guys? Good guys
Morning or night? Morning
Coffee or tea? Coffee in any shape, size, or form
eBook, paperback, or audiobook? Audiobook – on walks, in car, all the time
Favorite season? Summer because of my gardens
Paranormal or Historical? Both!
Favorite TV show? BritBox cozy/detective mysteries
Favorite vacation? New Zealand & Ecuador and the Galápagos
Beach or mountains? Mountains – always
I visited the land of my daydreams, Scotland, over a decade ago. It stirred the muse within to write about medieval Scotland. From that inspiration sprung my trilogy. Here is my list of must-sees for the history and nature buff.
Scotland—be prepared for rain, be prepared for beauty of nature and people.
10. The abbeys—Abbeys are poetic and serene and back in the middle ages served as monasteries to different Christian orders. We walked among ancient gray and rose stone ruins at Dryburgh and Melrose Abbeys.
9. The isles—It is hard to not visit an isle while in Scotland. There are many: Lewis and Harris, Shetlands, or my beloved Uist. We visited Isle of Sky on a dreary day and could not even see the Black Cuillin mountains in the torrential rain.
8. Lochs—Like isles, lochs, many glacial, are a must-see and hard to miss whether it is the deep blue Loch Ness, expansive Loch Lomond, or the inspiring Loch Awe.
7. Crags & Glens—High and low crags abound…the Trossachs, Cairngorms, or the five sisters of Kintail are impressive mountains. With crags, come glens (valleys). Glencoe is not one to skip.
6. Standing Stones—Standing stones are one of the few places we couldn’t visit on our trip as most are on the isles. Note to self for next time!
5. Scottish Folk & Pubs—Scots are pleasant people and we had a great time chatting with the locals. And yup, there are plenty of the other kind of locals: sheep!
4. The Lowlands—The lowlands often get overlooked, but they are green and lush with undulating hills.
3. The Highlands—Rich in clan history and natural beauty and oh so many hikes, the Highlands are the epitome of Scotland. Tramp (hike) through glens, up stony crags, visit Culloden Battlefield, and just get lost on the winding one-lane roads.
2. Highland Games— Up for putting the stone, caber tossing, tug-o-war, music, and dancing…oh yes, and lots of kilts? Get thee to a Highland Game. We visited one in Pitlochry.
1. Castles—Castles, last but not least! I visited over a dozen on my trip. My favorites: Eilean Donan (seat to Clan MacCoinneach in my books), Kilchurn (we kayaked to it), Threave (we took a rowboat across a river to it), and Borthwick (we stayed overnight in this 14th century tower house that is haunted).
Seeker
Author: Jean M. Grant
Genre: historical/medieval Scottish romance
Heat level (if over PG13): PG/PG13
Tagline: Nock, draw, release. If her arrow hits its mark, will it prevent war…and secure her destined soulmate?
Blurb: 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?
Peek between the pages...
The mixture of herb fragrances mingled in her nose. Nutty, sharp, awakening.
She inhaled. Brodie inhaled.
As he released his hand from the pestle, a dark violet waft of smoke rose from the mortar.
An image appeared in her head, though her eyes were wide open:
A vast and lush meadow. Her bow in her hand. She stared at a target, runes carved into its center. The butt was made from a large mound of dirt, the kind used in the yearly tournament.
What in all the stars was happening?
And Brodie stood beside her in the image. Vision? Nonsense! Had she knocked her head? Fallen asleep? She held no gift of prophecy. What was this?
The ground rumbled. She heard Brodie’s heart racing as he whispered words of love in her ear.
Her neck tingled with gooseflesh, the way the wheat fields rippled on a windy day. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, and her belly warmed.
In your presence, the answer is shown, a voice said. Stay close to him, for your heart’s desire is known. What you seek, you will reap. Follow the golden prize. Let it be your sun.
She blinked as the image faded, her face aflame and the residual heat of his lips upon her skin still palpable. “Did you see that?”
“See what?”
He was staring at her, his body so close. She broke their shared gaze. “The mortar.”
He blew out a full, healthy breath as the lavender mist dissipated.
“Smoke?” she coaxed. Oh, please, Brodie. Say you see it, too!
He stared at the mortar. The purple smoke was now a pale haze fading to gray. The flecks in the black granite shimmered as bright as the stars.
“Aye, I do. A flame, but the color of a thistle. Though now it is gray.”
She gulped, feeling relieved but confused. Her mother’s treatments were as natural as the earth. She didn’t cast spells or evoke flares from simple herbs!
“Has this ever happened before?” he asked.
She wet her lips, searching his face. Her chest tingled.
“Never.”
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 post-it notes.
Social media links:
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Instagram
What a lovely blog. Thanks for sharing about my book and this wonderful new series!! :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
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