I'd like to introduce my guest Ciara Knight. Ciara is a such a gifted writer. I enjoyed Love's Long Shadow, her YA novella, and have the Curse of Gremdon waiting on my reader. I'm taking a vacation this week, and it's the perfect read for getting lost in another world.  I can't wait to read Rise From Darkness. In addition to her talents as a writer, she happens to be one of the most giving bloggers out there. She's giving away a $5 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter, so make sure to enter!

Rise From Darkness
Book One: Battle of the Souls
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Young Adult Paranormal

 Blurb:

Alexander Lorre gives new meaning to the term “tormented teen”. He’s a newly fallen angel, which means he has the self-control of a three-year-old, the hormones of a teenager and the strength of an angel. When he rescues Gaby Moore from drowning, the chemistry between them is undeniable. With a local demon threatening Gaby’s life, he struggles to find a balance between remaining close enough to protect her but distant enough to control his desires.

As danger draws closer, Gaby uncovers shattering secrets that will lead to an ultimate choice. Will she fight alongside her father, an earthbound hunter killing fallen angels and demons, give into the demon blood coursing through her veins and join the demon world, or save the man she loves from both? The first two choices damn her, but the last one could destroy them all.

The question I am most asked by readers is, “Where did the idea come from?” In the Battle for Souls series it came to me in three phases. 

The storyline came to me a long time ago, way before angels and demons became popular. Rise from Darkness was actually written in late 2008 and early 2009. It happened while I was driving, a song came on the radio and it reminded me of a TV show I’d seen. I’ve always been a huge fan of paranormal and science fiction shows and books, so I wasn’t sure which one it was at first. After another twenty miles of crawling through traffic, a man jumped out of his car and started yelling at someone. He had such an evil expression on his face I imagined he was a demon. (Yes, my mind has always wondered, just ask my fifth grade teacher). The man eventually returned to his car without altercation, but by that point angels and demons were flooding my vision for a new story. The only problem was that I wanted to write young adult and I wasn’t sure how that would go over.  Yeah, I know, don’t fall out of your chair laughing. Remember vampires were all the rage and there were no angel and demon YA books at that time.

Fast forward to a night of watching Supernatural and I totally realized who my hero would be, a self-brooding form of Dean. Oh girls, admit it, he is adorable. 

Then the last part was the setting. Well, what better place to have demons on Earth than in Florida. I grew up there and I knew the setting of beaches, woods, and hellacious humidity. Done, I had a story. J

Of course, this is from a girl who came up with the concept for her adult fantasy, The Curse of Gremdon, after hearing a door squeak. So, it doesn’t take much.  The bigger problem is deciding which idea to write.

How about you? What inspires your creativity? What type of books engrosses you in an alternate reality? Do you have a favorite genre? 


About The Author:

Ciara Knight always had a passion for storytelling. At an early age, she wrote several short stories and poems, and in college she started work on her first novel. It wasn’t until late 2008 that she returned to her true passion of writing. Over the past few years she has penned five novels and joined several professional writing organizations to better her craft.

When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.

Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Dystopian.

Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She’s backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska. 

                                                                    Visit Ciara 

                              Website              Facebook Fan Page                 Twitter

Love's Long Shadow
by Ciara Knight

Sammy Lorre was cast from Heaven for conduct unbecoming an angel. Living in a demon-infested small town with no memory of her previous life, she faces never-ending purgatory until Boon saunters into her life with a promise of angelic love. But is he an angel from Heaven or a minion from the underworld preying on her human emotions? To discover his true identity, she must risk eternal damnation and her heart.
Length: 12,000 words, novella;  Price: $1.99

Love's Long Shadow can be found at these links: 
TMP bookstore  .  Amazon Kindle  .  Smashwords 
                                           Bookstrand  .  All Romance Ebooks/OmniLit

I met Ciara Knight online when I joined some online writing groups. Her enthusiasm and genuine friendliness have always stood out to me. She's truly a jewel in the writing community. Okay, I'll quit gushing over her.

Ciara, let's start by talking about your writing and then move on to the personal questions! What's happened in your "writer's life" in the past six months?
Ciara Knight (CK):  The last six months have been an exciting time in my writing life. On April 1st, I signed my first contract for my YA paranormal, Rise from Darkness, with Turquoise Morning Press, followed by the rest of the series a couple of months later. Then in July, I signed a contract with Crescent Moon Press for my adult fantasy, The Curse of Gremdon.

What is your favorite part about being a writer and your least favorite?
CK:  I love to create new stories, to get lost in other worlds. I think my least favorite is the submission process. I’m sure every writer can relate to that. J

When did you decide to become a writer?  Did any person or event influence your decision?
CK:  I’ve had a passion or storytelling since I was a young child. However, due to a language disorder it wasn’t an option. Back then, they believed everyone who had difficulty speaking was unable to learn. I was stuck in a portable behind the school for years. I didn’t mind, I had my imagination. Once I hit college I thrived, acing most of my classes. Still, I didn’t have the confidence to write a book. Sure, I’d written short stories and poems, but I thought it was a fluke. It wasn’t until one of my sons faced language difficulties himself, and I told him he could do anything that I realized there was no reason I couldn’t too, including writing my own stories. His strength and determination amaze and inspire me daily. That’s when my hubby gave me a laptop to start my first novel. I haven’t looked back since.

Tell me about your writing process. When and where do you write?
CK:  Before I face the dreaded blank screen, I let my imagination free. Once I have a clear idea, I’ll outline, then open a document, close my eyes, and type as it flows out. I don’t concern myself with the language issues, sentence structure, or punctuation. Don’t worry; no one ever sees that draft. J I tend to write at a coffee shop with earphones, or at home when the kids are at school. My favorite spot is my back deck during the fall.

If I were to award you with an all-expenses paid writing vacation, where would you like to go?  It's just you and your laptop....
CK:  Wow! I LOVE to travel. If it’s just me and my laptop, I’d love to go to the Canary Islands.

Please choose a favorite book from each of the following genres (feel free to say "none"): romance, science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal.
CK:
Romance: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Science Fiction: Ender’s Game
Fantasy:  Harry Potter
Paranormal: No way I can choose only one. J

Let's pretend (or hope) that a famous author reads and loves one of your novels.  He/She writes you a fan letter. Name the person who would thrill you the most.
CK:  J K Rowling

Are you a plotter, panster, or neither?
CK:  I used to be a panster. After two rewrites, I’m now a plotter. I go all the way to chapter goals, motivation, conflict, disaster. Not that I stick to the outline. ;)

Please tell us about "the call" or "the email" with a contract offer for your novel.
CK: I received an email on April fool’s day for my first contract. As you can imagine, I sat there for a moment wondering if it were a joke. J

What are your writing plans for the next year?
CK: I sold a couple of books on proposal. So first off, I’ll be finishing those books. J After that, I’m in the third draft of a YA dystopian I hope to finish and make shiny.

Now...let's find out more about you. 
Favorite song of all time-
Come What May from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack. It is my hubby and my song.

Favorite holiday-
Christmas!!

Best movie you saw this year-
Probably Harry Potter.

Tennis shoes or high heels-
Love high heels, but my back doesn’t. J

Chocolate or vanilla-
Dark Chocolate.