Author Interview with Kristina Knight

I’m hosting an interview with author Kristina Knight today. Kristina Knight writes contemporary romance stories, and her latest book is The Saint’s Devilish Deal.

Author Interview

1) When did you know you wanted to become a writer?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer, to be honest. I’ve always told stories, even as a really little kid. But I always thought writers had to ‘experience life’ and being from a small town in the Midwest, I didn’t think I’d lived enough. So I went into journalism because I could still write stories (true stories), but I was bored. So I picked up an empty notebook (I always have two or three laying around) and started scribbling a story that was in my head…and I was hooked again. I still haven’t lived through adventures or traveled a lot, but I love writing my stories.

2) What inspired you to write ‘The Saint’s Devilish Deal’?
The characters! Saint and Esme showed up in my brain one day and wouldn’t leave me alone! I’d wanted to write a reunion story for a while and I knew they had a lot to share. And it didn’t hurt that, in my imagination, Saint was shirtless. A lot.

3) Why did you choose the romance genre to write in?
I love happy endings. The real world has a ton of sadness, enough I think that it’s nice to escape for a while into a world where things turn out well – love conquers all, dreams come true..I think that the happily ever after of romance novels can inspire us in our own lives to take a few risks, to love unconditionally and reach for those goals.

4) What character in ‘The Saint’s Devilish Deal’ did you enjoy to write about the most, and why?
I love, love, love my Saint. He’s broken and beautiful and yet he’s still absolutely loyal to the people he values most.

5) Which was your least favorite character in ‘The Saint’s Devilish Deal’?
Saint’s father. He’s a piece of work and no matter how I tried to soften him, he refused. He’s a pickle!

6) Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Don’t ever stop. Keep writing, keep improving upon your craft and keep reaching for your dreams. I know, it sounds cheesy, but if you can’t believe in yourself, put in the work and keep moving forward you won’t succeed. You have to believe in your abilities first, the rest will come.

7) How was the road from idea to publication for you?
It’s been a lifetime of writing, in some ways. I took a detour into journalism for about 10 years, my husband and I adopted a child. I’ve had starts and stops, life getting in the way. But I believe all of the twists and turns helped prepare me for this time in my life – I have a lot of emotional history that I can lean on with my characters when it’s necessary and I think that makes my writing a lot stronger than it would have been otherwise. I turned my focus back to fiction in 2010, got The Call in 2012…so that seems short, but I’ve been writing a long time.

8) If you could do one thing differently about writing ‘The Saint’s Devilish Deal’, what would it be?
I don’t think I’d do anything differently. The characters had a story to tell and I told it to the best of my abilities..

9) Pick three authors you’d like to have coffee with someday. They can be dead or alive.
Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux and Mark Twain.

10) Are you currently working on something? If so, can you tell us more about it?
I’m working on a series for my publisher, actually. My first book, What a Texas Girl Wants, was published in June 2012. The heroine was Kathleen and she had two sisters – Vanessa and Monica. I’m working on the sisters’ books right now. Hopefully I’ll have some concrete release dates very soon!

Thank you so much for hosting me today! I’ve had a ball!

About The Saint’s Devilish Deal

The Saint’s Devilish Deal is a contemporary, reunion romance. Esmerelda Quinn has been looking for a place to belong since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was young. The closest thing to home has always been Aunt Constance’s villa in Puerto Vallarta, so after a string of dead-end hotellier jobs, she’s coming home to run the villa.

Santiago Cruz has called the villa home for as long as he can remember. In between surfing events, Constance has always had a room for him. Color him surprised when Constance decides to retire – and leaves a joint interest in the villa to both Santiago and Esme.

Esme isn’t thrilled to share ownership of the villa with the the youngest Cruz brother – especially when she learns Santiago’s brother has been after the villa for years. But Santiago has grown up while she’s been away at school and soon she finds herself falling for the rich boy down the hall.

Buy Links: Amazon | iTunes | B&N

Giveaway

We’re hosting a giveaway for this tour as well. One lucky winner gets to win a $5 Amazon/B&N Gift Card, an eBook copy of What A Texas Girl Wants, Kristina’s debut novel, and some author swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway