Q&A with Mia about Grayson’s Vow

Hi there! Because I’ve been receiving many messages about Grayson’s Vow from readers, I thought I’d answer some of the most commonly asked questions (plus a few extra) right here! (Grayson’s Vow, A Sign of Love, Libra is now available on all platforms).

Q) “Mia, the setting in Grayson’s Vow is so beautiful and was almost another character in your story. Have you ever been to Napa? I want to book a trip there now. Katy M.”

A) Thanks, Katy! Yes, actually, I have been to Napa and it’s a special location for me as it was the first trip I ever took with my then-boyfriend/now-husband. We actually stayed at the Bed & Breakfast I mentioned in the book, The Beazley House (highly recommended if you do end up going there!). And yes, I felt the same way—Napa Valley has such a dream-like, romantic quality to it with its misty-morning vineyards, castle-like wineries, fall fields of vibrant yellow mustard seed flowers, mountain backdrops, and hot air balloons floating in the skies above. It’s truly a fairytale location (not to mention the best part of all: the wine!) and I absolutely fell in love with it all over again while writing Grayson’s Vow.

Q) “I absolutely adored Kira and she’s my new favorite heroine of yours! Probably my favorite heroine of all time! She was hilarious and slightly crazy but also so compassionate and so full of heart. Do you have a favorite heroine? Dorothea V.”

A) Hi, Dorothea! Thank you! I’m so glad you loved Kira. I usually say my favorite characters are the ones I’m currently writing, as I’m spending so much time in “their” heads at the moment. But, Kira absolutely has a very special place in my heart and although Grayson’s character came to me first, I knew I had to create a very special (and different) type of

heroine

for him. With that in mind, Kira came to me immediately and very strongly—someone who was brave, and also so filled with fun and vibrancy that she was a) not afraid to poke at Grayson and b) slightly crazy enough that she kept Grayson completely unbalanced and he forgot to be the cold, detached man he had become. I knew she had to be a girl who kept him half out of his head most of the time (in a myriad of ways) because that was the only way he’d let his guard down enough to allow himself to love someone.

Q) “Grayson’s Vow was wonderful! My heart was so full of love and hope at the end – that’s what your books always do for me. This book had a little bit of a lighter feel than some of your others and I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did. That was awesome and you do it really well! Will you write more books like this? Jamie B.”

A) What a great compliment! Thank you, Jamie! I absolutely set out to write Grayson’s Vow with a lighter, less tragic feel than some of my others. And after writing five heavy books in a row, I needed Grayson and Kira, and especially Kira’s crazy antics! And although

hopefully

the story causes the reader’s heart to race in spots, and many emotions are felt, this is not a book where you should expect an “ugly cry.” It’s a book where, hopefully, you are immersed in a journey, flip the pages quickly to find out what will happen next, feel for the characters, laugh, tear up here and there, and close the book with a smile on your face, feeling full and complete. There have been very difficult, emotional times in my life where I needed an escape, but I needed to know that what I was escaping into wasn’t going to destroy my emotions any further than they already were with something I would dwell on or couldn’t recover from fictionally (am I the only one this happens to?).  Creating something to fit that bill was my intent with Grayson’s Vow.

Q) “Hi Mia, I loved Grayson’s Vow! It’s my top read of 2015 so far! I love that it’s almost an upside down fairy tale. Did you do that on purpose or did it just happen naturally? Thanks! Lisa M.”

A) Thanks, Lisa! I love how you put that – an “upside-down fairy tale!” That’s a great description and although I didn’t work that into the plotting of the story initially, once Kira first described Grayson as a dragon (instead of the prince she had first thought him to be based on his looks), the theme kept rolling from there, and I had some fun with it. But yes, this is not a story of the prince and the princess, but rather a sassy little witch and a judgmental dragon. And in this story, the heroine is the one who saves the day.