Reading by Deb: INTERVIEW with JORDAN GRANT

I want to thank Jordan Grant for taking the time for this interview!

BIO:

Jordan Grant is a lost soul, who changed majors three times in college before deciding on English. Because she has about as much patience as her beautiful, wonderful (did she mention ah-mazing!) younglings, she graduated a year early and then went to law school because...

Well, she mentioned she’s a lost soul, right?

A special place in her heart is devoted to edgy alpha males and bad boys with naughty mouths. She loves to get lost in the blur between love and hate and is especially fond of prince charmings with dents in their crowns and strife in their souls.

She is an avid fan of all things sweet including red wine and cupcakes (red velvet, please!). When she’s not daydreaming about the characters in her head, she enjoys (attempting to) garden, petting furry animals, and wrangling her family into day-trip adventures.

When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Thank you so much for having me, Deborah! It means the world to a little indie author like me.

As to your question, I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but fear is a hurdle that can feel like a mountain for a lot of writers, including me. I wrote my first romance story when I was in high school for a friend who, at the time, was very sick because I couldn’t imagine a world where she didn’t get her own love story. My first book followed shortly after. It was awful, but the rest is history.

Did you have any influencing writers growing up?

Absolutely! Daphne DuMaurier, Steven King, Anne Rice, Charlotte Brontë, and so many more, just to name a few.

I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, but my favorite has always been gothic romance.

Are any of your characters based on people in real life?

I sprinkle bits and pieces here and there. Harlow’s struggles with anxiety in the Voclain Academy series, for example, is based on my own struggles with mental health. Most, however, come straight out of my own personal book boyfriend land.

Where do you draw your book inspirations from?

Anything and everything gothic romance! There’s a poeticism in gothic romance, especially the classics, that I absolutely adore with every fiber of my being. I do my very best to give every one of my stories a little bit of poetry along the way.

Do you use have a basic outline when starting a new story or do you let the characters lead the way?

I am normally a plotter, but occasionally, characters take the reins, and I just watch as they lead the way.

When you are picturing the characters in your book, do you have a cheater photo for inspiration?

It depends. Most of the time, I’d say no, but sometimes, I’ll see a particularly gorgeous TikTok or Instagram post and will base a character off of that.

Many people read as a form of escape and relaxation. What is your favorite way to sit back and relax?

Reading, for sure! Give me a cup of hot chocolate, with marshmallows, of course, and a good book while the kids are napping, and I am happy!

Who are your favorite current authors to read?

There are so many! Definitely Becca Steele, Ashley Jade, Saffron Kent, and Rina Kent to name a few.

What are your favorite books by others?

My favorite book of all time, forever and ever, is Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. It was the first book I fell in love with.

Do the locations in the stories have any meaning to you?

Yes, for sure. The Voclain Academy series takes place in the Adirondacks of upstate New York, a beautiful place my husband and I visited with our first child. There’s something about the land that feels magical, like anything could happen there.

Do you write in single or multiple POV?

Multiple POV!

What do you find to be your best research tool?

Can I say all of Google? Because it feels like the entire Internet is one big research tool.

Do you write under a pen name? Also, do you write under more than one name?

I do. Jordan is my middle name, which, if you were to ask my mother, should have been my first name. Grant is a family name. My given name is ubiquitous, and when I was a little girl, I used to pretend my name was Jordan Grant.

I currently only write under one pen name right now.

What genre do you write and why is this your preference?

I write contemporary romance, particularly of the enemies to lovers and bully romance variety. I absolutely love a good redemption arc, and those genres allow me to turn the bad boy into boyfriend material.

Tell me something about yourself outside of writing. Jobs, accomplishments, family, quirky trait...what led to you being you?

I’m a squishy French fry and soggy cereal connoisseur. The squishy-er and soggier, the better! My husband says I am unnatural. *laughs*

If you are a duo writing team, how do you share the writing process?

It’s just me!

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Just do it! Your first book isn’t going to be perfect. Neither will your second.

I let fear of failure keep me from writing for years, and I’ll never forgive myself for it.

How do you deal and process negative book reviews?

Oof! Literally, I just made that sound. I have a love-hate relationship with negative reviews. I love when they are useful, but I hate when they are vitriolic.
Personally, absent a work being plagiarized, I don’t believe any book deserves a zero or one star, depending on the rating mechanism. However, I understand reviews are for the readers, not the writers.
Currently, my husband sorts through my reviews, both good and bad, and tells me if there are any common trends, but I do not read them.

What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

Second guessing my choices is the most difficult part for me. I’ll get 80% through a book and then think, what if instead, I…

What do you need in your writer’s space to keep you focused?

Quiet! I’ll add with two kids and three pets, I do a lot of writing very early in the morning and very late at night.

What is your naughty indulgence as you are writing?

Cherry coke! It’s my treat when things are going well and my consolation when they aren’t.

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose? And why?

Probably Saffron Kent. She has such an amazing, beautiful way with words.

What is your schedule like when you are writing? Do you have a favorite writing snack or drink?

I currently schedule by word count, so I can’t finish my day until I complete at least 2,500 words. Some days, that’s a struggle. Others, I’ll go well beyond that. I’ve recently become obsessed with Spindrift drinks, and I go through them while working.

Do you listen to music when you write – what kind of music is your favorite?

I listen to my Spotify playlists! Every playlist is started before I begin writing and added to while I write. I cultivate them myself, and they are an important part of my process.

I love nearly all genres of music, but you’ll find a lot of alternative, rock, and pop musicians on my playlists.

Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?

Yes! I have three dogs and one cat.

Charlie, the cat, will lay on my laptop at his convenience, which means when it’s most inconvenient for me.

My dogs, though gentle souls, play loudly, and I’ve had to learn to tune them out.

What is your kryptonite as a writer? What totally puts you off your game?

Oh! This is a hard one! I’d have to say bad days when everything goes spectacularly wrong. I’m talking about when I stub my toe, lose my keys, trip over my feet, spill my coffee, and realize I messed up my calendar all before eight in the morning.

Have you ever killed off a character that your readers loved?