Something Wicked this Way Comes...

 

Big News! I'm so excited to announce that my novella, Ruined by a Rake, will be part of a fantastic box set featuring seven novellas for only 99 cents. I promise, you don't want to miss out on this limited edition set!

Available September 16th, but pre-order now at:  

amazon | amazon uk | iBooks | kobo | google

Seven bestselling historical romance authors offer seven sexy stories featuring dukes, lords, rakes, scoundrels…and the unforgettable heroines who bring them to their knees. These stories range in length from long novellas to delectable little bites.
This limited edition boxed set contains over 170,000 words, and the individual stories have over 200 5-star reviews in total.

• Unlocked, by New York Times bestselling author Courtney Milan
  Elaine Warren has resigned herself to life as a spinster and a wallflower, but when Evan Carlton, the Earl of Westfeld, returns after a long absence, she’s afraid that he plans to torment her as he did before. This time, though, she vows to show him that wallflowers can fight back…
   
• When I Met my Duchess, by USA Today bestselling author Caroline Linden
  Everyone expects the Duke of Wessex’s wedding to be the society event of the Season. But when the duke meets his future bride’s sister, he realizes he’s about to marry the wrong woman…and his wedding is about to become the scandal of the year.
   
• How to Catch a Wild Viscount, by New York Times bestselling author Tessa Dare (originally published as Legend of the Werestag)
  Luke Trenton, Viscount Merritt, returned from battle a changed man, but Cecily Hale won’t be pushed away. She has only a few moonlit nights to reach the real Luke…the wounded heart she knows still beats inside the war-ravaged body…or she could lose him to the darkness forever.
   
• One Starlit Night, by award-winning author Carolyn Jewel
  Ten years away from Doyle’s Grange isn’t long enough for Viscount Northword to forget Portia Temple or their passionate adolescent affair. Portia, however, is about to marry another man…and Northword cannot help but interfere, with his words, his body, and the truths of his heart.
   
• Claiming the Duchess, by two-time RITA® winner Sherry Thomas
  Clarissa, the widowed Duchess of Lexington, has two great loves: the reticent and reclusive Mr. James Kingston and her faithful correspondent Miss Julia Kirkland, whom Clarissa has never met. Now both Mr. Kingston and Miss Kirkland are due to arrive at Clarissa’s house—and Clarissa is about to find out that neither is as she has been led to believe…
   
• The Misbehaving Marquess, by award-winning author Leigh LaValle
  Having awaited the return of her husband for half a decade, Catherine Raybourne, the Marchioness of Foster, has no intention of reconciling with her misbehaving marquess. But when he insists he needs an heir—immediately—she must confront her own lingering desires. Can she protect her heart while attempting to win his once again?
   
• Ruined by a Rake, by award-winning author Erin Knightley
  Eleanor Abbington has always had a contentious and competitive relationship with Nicolas Norton. But when her uncle orders her to marry the man of his choosing, her old adversary becomes her only ally, and she may very well find herself…ruined by a rake.

It's Read-a-Romance Month!

-->First of all, let me say thank you to Bobbi Dumas, Lorraine Heath, and Katharine Ashe for including me in this wonderful event. It's a pleasure to join in the fun! 

My name is Erin Knightley, and I peddle happily ever afters :)

I’ll never forget the time back in seventh grade, when five fellow students and I were clustered around one of the round tables in the lunchroom shortly after we had turned in our book reports on The Outsiders. With elbows resting on the dingy white melamine tabletop, we discussed the book, which was the most grown-up novel we’d ever been compelled to read. Several liked the book, thinking it gritty and heart wrenching. Others couldn’t have cared less—they didn’t like reading or books, and never would. I was the only one at the table who vehemently disliked the book. Why?

Because I wanted a happy ending.

I argued with the other kids at length: Yes it was compelling, yes it was an interesting story, but if I walked away feeling worse than when I started it, why would I want to read it?  Even at that age, I knew what was important to me. There was enough bad stuff in the world. Why would I want to read about more bad stuff? I read to escape and experience different times and places, but most of all, I read for enjoyment. I read to feel better about life, and love, and all the possibilities for finding joy and excitement. A book could lead me on a merry chase, making me cry even, but at the end, I wanted a big, goofy smile that would stay in place for days. Was that too much to ask?

So, is it any wonder I turned to romance? Is it any wonder that I was willing to lose myself in an emotional book that might bring me to the highest highs and the lowest low, but that I could absolutely count on to leave me hopeful and happy? To me, there is no greater thing on earth than love. I choose to read books that celebrate that, that show the struggles and triumphs, the compromises, the passion, and all those emotions humans have experienced throughout history. I’m happy to lift up the most positive thing of all in a world full of negatives.

From time to time, I do branch out and read literature and mainstream fiction, and yes, I do enjoy them. But I always find my way back home to romance. And it is my promise to you, dear readers, that when you read my books, you can always rely on that wonderful, elusive thing: a happily ever after :)

 Now - onto the 3 Questions past of the blog!

1 - Describe the most daring, adventurous or inspiring thing you ever did. 

            When I was 19, I went to live in Russia for the summer, working on an international drilling project in Siberia. I was with 2 other American students, but other than that, we were completely on our own.  Talk about a culture shock! It was a life changing experience for me to see how another culture literally halfway across the world lived, loved, worked, and played. Remarkably, I came away with the realization that no matter how different we may look or sound, deep down we are all the same  :-)

2 - Tell us about your journey to becoming a writer. (How did you decide to get started? Did you always know or was there a specific moment when you knew?)

Me when I got The Call :)

I’ve always loved to write—won the Young Authors competition in 4^th grade, in fact!—but it was something I had set aside when I graduated college and entered Real Life. For the next six years, I worked diligently during the day and read voraciously every night. At one point, my work started to get overwhelmingly stressful, and I decided to escape with writing again. I was rusty at first, but before long, I found myself with a completed novel! Believe it or not, I actually sold that book. MORE THAN A STRANGER came out in June 2012, and it’s been a wild, wonderful ride ever since.

I am currently writing my sixth book (tenth book if you include novellas!), which is the third in my Prelude to a Kiss series set at a music festival in Bath.

3 - Tell us about The (or A) Book That Changed Your Life. (Why?)

This may sound corny, but it was actually the Serendipity children’s book series that was mailed to my house once a month when I was around four or five. I was the youngest of three kids, and one-on-one time with my parents was highly coveted. Every month when the newest book arrived, my mom would cuddle up with me in my parents’ big bed and read the newest adventure. The pictures were vivid, the stories compelling, and my mom’s attempts at voices predictably laughable. It was a precious escape for me, and led me to cherish those books and the special time they afforded with my mother.

Thanks so much for joining me today! If you’d like to try one of my books for free, you’re in luck! For a limited time, I’m offering RUINED BY A RAKE, the first in the All’s Fair in Love novella series, free! To download, simply follow the link for you format of choice:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | iTunes

Recommendation: Looking for someone new to love?  I’d love to recommend Heather Snow, who has Regency smarty-pants heroines down to an art, and Catherine Gayle, who writes hockey romance that require a minimum of a handful of tissues to read J I hope you’ll enjoy these ladies’ books as much as I do!

Bio:

Despite being an avid reader and closet writer her whole life, Erin Knightley decided to pursue a sensible career in science.  It was only after earning her B.S. and working in the field for years that she realized doing the sensible thing wasn't any fun at all.  Following her dreams, Erin left her practical side behind and now spends her days writing. Together with her tall, dark, and handsome husband and their three spoiled mutts, she is living her own Happily Ever After in North Carolina.

Webpage   |   Facebook   |   Twitter

Long Time, No Blog!

Soooooo...I've been a bit remiss in blogging lately. Okay - I've been a LOT remiss. But I have good reason! Lots of things have been happening in my world :)  So, here's the catchup since the last one:

Not one, but TWO new releases!

The Baron Next Door

This book is the first in the new Prelude to a Kiss series, set at a summer music festival in Bath. Not only does it feature the unlikely love story of talented pianoforte-player Charity and her curmudgeony next door neighbor, the handsome but scarred Hugh Danby, Baron Cadgwith, but you'll also meet Charity's fellow trio musicians, her wise and wonderful grandmother, Hugh's irrepressible brother-in-law, and a whole cast of characters who are all gathered for the festival (and for the other two books!). 

This book is my favorite yet, and I hope you love it as much as I do. For a look at the first chapter, click HERE.

Available Now Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Books-A-Million | iTunes

 ***

 Deceived by a Duke:  

An All's Fair in Love Novella

Set in the gorgeous Spanish city of Seville, the 3rd All's Fair in Love novella features a duke in disguise and the milt-lingual English miss who comes to his rescue.

This is the perfect read for a day at the beach or pool, or even just curled up on the deck with a drink in hand :)


Available Now - only $0.99!
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords  |  iTunes 







What else is new? Well, I signed a contract for 2 more books with Penguin (that will be Book 6, THE DUKE CAN GO TO THE DEVIL, and an untitled Book 7). I also revealed the cover for THE EARL I ADORE, the second book in the Prelude to a Kiss series that will come out in Jan 2015

 

And then there are my international covers! These two are for the UK versions from Piatkus books:

And here is the cover for MORE THAN A STRANGER from Japan!

 

OOOOOOkaaay. I think that's everything for now! Thanks so much for stopping by, and stay tuned for more fun news in the future (in a more timely manner - I promise!)