Thursday's Interview Allison Knight

1. What's your genre or do you write in more than one?

I write historical romance, dabble in traditional gothics and have one contemporary to my credit. I've also decided to try another contemporary before I travel back to the 13th century for the fourth 'song' book, a series of medieval romances about a Welsh family. I do love the traditional gothics so I feel another one of those coming as well.

2. Did you choose your genre or did it choose you?


I grew up with lovers of history. My grandfather sat all forty or so of his grandkids down late one afternoon and told us all how he was born in a log cabin with the wind whistling through the cracks and how his grandmother was captured by the Sioux Indians at Ruggells Stations. I guess you could say it chose me. I got a taste when I was a youngen.

3. Is there any genre you'd like to try? Or is there one you wouldn't?

Some day I'd like to take a stab at a futuristic romance, but I would never, under any circumstances want to write horror or dance with a vampire. Okay, I know peranormals are all the rage, along with characters that take on animal shapes, but I'm a kinda traditional type person. Others can do does novels.

4. What fiction do you read for pleasure?

I'm a great fan to futuristic romance in the style of Jayne Castle. I like the fact the characters are all humans but the story is set in the future. I also read contemporaries romances when I'm writing historical romance and historical romance when I tackle contemporaries.

5. Tell me a bit about yourself and how long you've been writing,

I didn't start writing fiction until I was in my forties. I was teaching high school at the time in a very conservative district, so It was all hush-hush. I'm probably one of the luckiest authors out there, because my first reader, editor and critique partner is my husband who also does all my promo stuff. Of course, we been married for a long time. Maybe he feels he has to help me out.
Oh, he'll love that.

6. Which of your characters is your favorite?

The character I'm writing about at the time of the WIP is usually my favorite. Often it's the heroine, but occasionally, I fall in love with the hero. I absolutely loved 'Bear' in A Teasure for Sara, and Simon, in Simon's Brides pleased me. And neither one of them are anything like the love of my life, my guy.

7. Are there villains in your books and how were they created?

I always have to have a villain or two. Usually two and I often make one of them a woman. Why should men have all the fun? I do have a favorite villain, though. He was Harold Bottomsworth in Simon's Brides. I never created a more difficult and inept villain in my life. He was just plain fun to write. He didn't do anything right. He'd just screw up everything he tried.

8. What are you working on now?

I just finished the third 'song' book and am now starting on a contemporary romance. We'll see how it goes.

9. What's your latest release and how did the idea arrive?

My latest release is a Valentine novella which came out in February of this year, "Roses for My Lady". The idea for the story came about when I was researching for a blog about valentine's day. When I found out about roses, their colors and meanings and what twining them with ivy meant the story kinda grew from there. Sometimes the story arrives in one fell swoop and at other times it arrives in bits and pieces. This one arrived in bits and pieces, first the red and white roses and ivy, and a couple eloping but what 'if' the valentine with the information about the ceremony got into the wrong hands? This one was fun!

10. Tell me about your latest book and how it came about. Enclose the opening of the book around 400 words.

The latest book is the third 'song' book. This is about one of the brothers of the Welsh family. He's a humble guy, a knight for Edward the first and bent on revenge. The heroine is a shy little thing who doesn't know a thing about men. This was one of the books that came in bit and pieces. As I said it's with the publisher now and I have great hopes it will be published at the end of next year. I can't give you much more than the beginning because the book hasn't been contracted or edited yet.
Windsong begins with a poem.

The gray dawn of winter’s wind carried a wail of pain
that tore through the hills of Wales.

A roar of revenge rose through the rough stone holding
as he lay her battered, lifeless body on a bed of rushes.

A bitter blizzard brought guilt and grief that forced him to his knees.
'Twas his fault she died.

And the Norman would pay!

But a gentler wind brought a softening to the Prince.
A warm breeze blew some of the bitterness from his heart and melted the malice in his soul.

Waves of hope flowed forth in the arms of another woman,
and revenge died a dreary death.

Wicked squalls brought storms of hurt and for a time all seemed lost.
But with forgiveness sought, a softer wind blew, bringing peace and promise.

It sang of love, a future and forever.

High above their home it became their Windsong for all eternity.

The first line of the book is:

They were going to kill her.







Martha
Aka Allison Knight
www.AllisonKnight.com
www.AllisonKnight.blogpost.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch.