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 4th 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.
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.
