An Interview with Erin Knightley

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Erin Knightley as our guest today. Before we meet Erin, let’s find out more about her.

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.

Let's begin our Interview with Erin.

Hi Erin and welcome to The Reading Café.  We would like to start with some background information.   Please tell us something about yourself?

Erin:  I tend to be that person who jumps off the ledge and just goes for things. Well, not literally – I’m terrified of heights! I’m a certified diver with a Bachelors of Science in Marine Science, I’m a certified diamontologist and work 1 day a week at a jewelry store to keep myself sane, I spent months perfecting cupcake recipes for a business I wanted to start (Cloudberry Cupcakes), only to discover I could never have a home-based food business because I have indoor pets. I’ve been a pizza maker, a lifeguard, a resident adviser, a day care worker, a clerk at a dry cleaner store (where I had to call 911 for the first time in my life thanks to a crazy customer), a lab worker at 3 different labs in college (one of which was in Irkutsk Russia), a real estate agent, a maid, a Geographic Information Systems analyst, an environmental specialist, and now a full-time writer. All that fodder for contemporary novels, and I only write historicals!

TRC: Have you always been interested in writing?

Erin:  On some level or another, yes. It wasn’t until I was almost thirty that I considered making a living at it, but I always loved and excelled at writing in school. I have some of the most dramatic 3^rd grade essays you’ll ever read, lol!

TRC: Is there anything (in general) you find particularly challenging about writing?

Erin:  Ugh – the internet. If ever there was a double-edge sword, that would be it. It is vital for my research and social networking, but it so often derails my progress when I am trying to write. I actually had to install Freedom on my computer, which locks me out of the internet for however long I specify. It was a $10 program, but worth its weigh in gold!

TRC: “More Than a Stranger” is your first book published. This is part of your Historical Romance series.. Sealed With a Kiss.  Would you please tell us how you came up with the idea of this series?

Erin:  This happened pretty organically. Once I started writing Evie’s story (More Than a Stranger), I knew that I wanted to stay with her family—I just loved them! For me, there is no better fodder for writing than a big, loving, all-up-in-each-other’s-business kind of family 😉

TRC: Last month you released a novella…Miss Mistletoe, would you care to tell us little about this novella?

Erin:  This is a fun little Christmas novella, which was born from knowing the very last line in the story, believe it or not. Basically it is about Cece, who embarrassed herself with an all too forward move on Finn when she was younger. They haven’t seen each other in five years until they both arrive at a wedding (Evie and Benedict’s from More Than a Stranger!) and are thrown together. Still mortified years later, Cece is determine to avoid Finn completely. Finn is none too happy to see Miss Mistletoe—the girl who made a spectacle of the two of them at a Christmas ball years earlier. But when she vows to ignore him, he can’t help but be intrigued. Before long, the tables are turned, and Finn finds himself perusing the same girl he sought to avoid.

TRC: A Taste of Scandal was just released, which has such a gorgeous cover. Would you please tell us the premise of this book.

Erin:  Didn’t they do the greatest job ever on the cover?! I swear, somehow or another, I must convince my husband to reenact the pose for our Christmas Card this year 😉   As for the story, Richard is the brother of the heroine in my first book, and I knew he would have his own book after he kept trying to steal the show in the first one! He’s handsome, charming, and a bit of a rake—not to mention the fact he is heir to the Granville Marquisate. He’s used to getting everything he wants…until he meets baker and proprietress Jane Bunting, who is wholly unimpressed with Richard and everything he stands for.

These two start off butting heads, but soon find themselves falling for one another against all odds. 

A fun little fact about this book: it grew from my love of baking. I was intrigued with the incredibly elaborate and beautiful desserts they had at that time, without a single mixer or electric oven to be had! And yes, I tried every recipe I wrote about. I swear, my arms are still sore from all that whisking!

Links to order A Taste for Scandal: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

TRC: What drew you to write Historical Romance? 

Erin:  I found romance novels through my job as a lifeguard—when it rained, I would go to the clubhouse and read from their library. I started off with contemporary, then found historical westerns, but it wasn’t until I discovered the likes of Connie Brockway, Lisa Kleypas, and Julia Quinn that I knew I was home. The gowns, the rules, the handsome rakes and glittering ballrooms—what’s not to love?

TRC: What are some of the Challenges (research) in bringing a historical romance to life?

Erin:   There is often conflicting information on the internet, and I must try to choose carefully what I believe to be true. For example, my use of the word ‘marquis’ instead of ‘marquess.’ There were those that were vehement that I was wrong because wikipedia said so. Yet, when I used Google Books to research tomes from that time period, I found plenty of uses of the ‘marquis’ spelling. Which reminds me of what one of my fellow authors said: “Even if you’re right, you can be wrong if readers don’t believe you.”

Also, there is always the challenge of not knowing what you don’t know until you try to write it (got that??). I’m writing a scene and suddenly realize I have no idea which servant would be attending to something, or how one goes about lighting a candle in a darkened room. It frequently stops me in the middle of scene and sends me scurrying to my research books/websites.

TRC: What are you working on now? 

Erin:  I recently submitted Book 3 in the Sealed With a Kiss Series—younger sister Beatrice’s story—called Flirting with Fortune 🙂 This one will be out in September of 2013. I’m also currently developing my next series, set in the same world with the characters I’m coming to know and love. More on that to come!

TRC:  Yayyyyyyyyy I guessed right….Beatrice is the next book  🙂

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information between each other and their family and spouses.  With whom do you bounce ideas?

Erin:  Definitely my sister Kara. She is a screen writer by trade, and had a great mind for plotting. I’ve helped her, and she’s definitely helped me—sometimes just by playing the ‘what if’ game. Sometimes we go off on tangents, but other times it leads to genius breakthroughs! The same can be said of my fellow authors, Heather Snow, Catherine Gayle, Tammy Falkner, and others. It’s amazing what you can do when you sit down with another author, turn off all electronics, and just plot.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Erin:  Since I mentioned my sister, I also wanted to mention my super talented brother, Andy McLeroy. He is a spare-time composer, and he wrote an original piano piece inspired by my first novel, More Than a Stranger. It’s available for a free download at my website here: Click here. I’m so in awe of his talent—I hope you enjoy the song as much as I do!

Also, I’m active on both Twitter (www.Twitter.com/ErinKnightley) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/ErinKnightley). I love hearing for fans and fellow romance lovers! I also frequently do pop giveaways (much better than pop quizzes!), so keep an eye out.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Popcorn (homemade oil-popped)

Favorite Dessert: Cupcakes 🙂
**Many of you asked about Erin’s cupcakes. Check this funny video by Erin:

Favorite TV show: Biggest Loser or Downton Abbey

Favorite Movie: Love Actually

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): Dirk Pitt (Clive Cussler’s perpetual hero) 

Dark or Milk Chocolate: DARK!

Erin, thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions.  We wish you good luck  on A Taste of Scandal.  We look forward to seeing you again at The Reading Café.

Erin & her publisher have graciously offered to give a member of The Reading Café a chance to win a copy of A Taste For Scandal.

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

 3.  Giveaway open to U.S. only.

 4.  Contest runs from December 3rd – December 6th

Erin also has a wonderful giveaway on her website to celebrate the release of A Taste For Scandal.  Click HERE to enter that giveaway.