Friday, October 26, 2012

Coming Soon to a dream near you! - Christina McKnight


Please help me welcome Christina McKnight to the blog today! I'm so excited to have her and I hope you are too!

Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since.  

In college, Christina took many courses to help develop and enhance her writing skills. She completed a seventy-page dissertation on the need for community policing in American society. Now, she focuses on Historical Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance. Her debut Urban Fantasy novel, Only in Her Dreams, was released on September 1, 2012

Christina lives in Northern California with her husband, daughter, two boxers, two cats, and a Beta fish named Marmaduke.  If she’s not behind a computer screen or book, she’s busy leading her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. She is very active in several writing groups and a local book group.


Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose to write romance?
Growing up I was the student who wrote ten pages for a two page book report. In college my dissertation was twice the required page count. My mom hounded me from a very young age to write. We frequently read the same books and I’d guess the ending half way through…to both our surprise I was right most of the time. If I wasn’t right, my mom said my ending was better. I think I’ve always been a writer, but it’s only been in the last eight years that I’ve really applied myself to developing a complete story.

Tell us a little about your book. What inspired you to write it?
When Lucessa Sarcona awakes from a recurring dream, she has no idea her life is about to be turned upside down. A stranger, familiar to her dreams, shows up in the flesh, and Lucessa knows she’s either crazy or experiencing something not of this world.

A war ensues between three demigod brothers. One, trained to rule Erebos, is violently replaced. One forced to return to his homeland and lead the dream-gods of the Oneiroi. And one is charged with the impossible task of protecting Lucessa. How is she linked to the Oneiroi? Why do two brothers seek to keep her hidden and protected? And how does another plan to use her against the two demigods who love her?

Will Lucessa’s dream man have the courage to claim her as his own or will he bow to the command of another, forsaking the one he loves?

Only in Her Dreams is a modern spin on a Greek legend--the new direction of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, moving from angels, demons, vampires, and witches and toward the realm of demigods.

Only in Her Dreams actually came to me in a dream. Ironic, I know. Several times I dreamt of a man watching me. He never approached, moved, or spoke, but stayed silently in the background. I starting thinking: Who is this guy? What does he want? 

A fellow writer -and self-proclaimed dream expert- said the man may be someone I’ve come into contact with recently. My next question: What if this mystery man from my dream showed up in real life? 

Only In Her Dreams, The Oneiroi Book 1 took off from there.

Blurb- Only In Her Dreams, The Oneiroi Book 1
When Lucessa Sarcona awakes from a recurring dream, she has no idea her life is about to be turned upside down. A stranger, familiar to her dreams, shows up in the flesh, and Lucessa knows she’s either crazy or experiencing something not of this world.


A war ensues between three demigod brothers. One, trained to rule Erebos, is violently replaced. One forced to return to his homeland and lead the dream-gods of the Oneiroi. And one is charged with the impossible task of protecting Lucessa. How is she linked to the Oneiroi? Why do two brothers seek to keep her hidden and protected? And how does another plan to use her against the two demigods who love her?


Will Lucessa’s dream man have the courage to claim her as his own or will he bow to the command of another, forsaking the one he loves?

Only in Her Dreams is a modern spin on a Greek legend--the new direction of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, moving from angels, demons, vampires, and witches and toward the realm of demigods.




Excerpt:
Maxim watched her enter the room through the back door. She looked so different from when he observed her in her dreams. They were not his to control, only to observe--from a distance. Most of them took place before her father died, therefore she appeared as a child of about seven. Gone were the long, stringy brown pigtails, and in their place was a mane of rich mahogany hair that hung just past the middle of her back. The oversized pants and flowered t-shirt were replaced with a pair of skin-tight jeans and a blue polo that read ‘The Queen Bean.’
His first trip to Earth in twenty-two years, and all he could do was stare at the girl he’d watched over for more than two decades. Maybe his brother was right; the Oneiroi weren’t meant to interact with humans. It wasn’t safe--for humans or his kind. This must be why his father, Morpheus, forbade the Oneiroi to pass between the two worlds all those years ago. The temptation was just too great.
She looked up at the clock and then her eyes met his. In them he saw recognition, confusion, fear, and then panic. His thoughts of staying an invisible, silent observer were gone. Her eyes seemed to be drawn to him. It was time to go; he’d done enough damage. Guy expected him to stay hidden and unknown to the girl. He stood and walked out the front door of the coffee shop, determined to find a better way to protect her.


Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser?
I flew by the seat of my pants (pantser) for Dreams. I had a vague idea of a story, with zero concept of where the story would lead. I didn’t know my characters, their motivations or goals. 

Only in Her Dreams was my 2011 NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project. I completed to first draft in fewer than forty days. It was a whirlwind adventure for me. My characters took me way out of my comfort zone, challenging me to fit the pieces together.

I’m taking a different approach with my current work in progress, Shunned No More. It’s a historical romance that takes me back to my roots, a genre that’s nearest my heart. I’ve spent about twenty hours plotting and outlining everything, including the beginning, middle, dark moment, twists, and the ending resolution.  I know my characters’ motivations and goals. Although, I’m not completely convinced all this will help when it comes to actually writing the novel. Characters tend to have a mind of their own. Plotting allows me to see what direction the story may go, permitting me to explore all paths before I chose one.

What advice would you give new authors?  
Ask questions! Seek out other writers and learn as much as you can from their experiences. I have a wonderful support group of writers, some indie and a few traditional. Something I’ve learned is that writers are more than happy to share what they’ve learned. And if they don’t know the answer, they will point you to another writer who does. In addition, as a writer you must be willing to help others as well. Share what you learn with other new writers.

Do you have another book in the works?
OMG! I do…

A few months ago I read Wallflower by Catherine Gayle and she wrote a scene that involved a duel. The heroine wanted to take the place of her beta male counterpart. She was scared to lose him. Talk about true love!

I started thinking...what if a young girl of the ton was responsible for the death of a man because of a duel she egged on? The next logical question was...what if BOTH men died? Then I took it one step further...what if the men were brothers? Shunned No More, The Forsaken Lady Series (Book 1) progressed from there.

I have a heroine that the reader should despise during the prologue but hopefully I can redeem her by the end of the book.

Oh, and of course I’m working on Only In Her Nightmares, The Oneiroi Book 2, but you’ll have to wait a bit longer for deets on this project.


What do you like to do in your free time, besides read and write of course?
What free time? Just kidding! In my free time I lead a Girl Scout troop full of 6 to 8 year olds. They keep me very busy. I also enjoy watching tv, golfing, and spending time with my dogs.

Where do you dream of going on vacation?
Maui, Hawaii! I was married on Maui and honeymooned there for 14 days…I’ve wanted to go back ever since. 

Boxers or Briefs? Boxer Briefs!
Cookies or cake? CAKE! I love cake; wedding cake, birthday cake, baby shower cake…
Pizza or hamburger? Pizza, especially pepperoni, black olives, and extra sauce!
Beer, Wine, or mixed drink? Depends where I am…although a glass of red wine will never go to waste in my house.


Be sure to visit and stalk Christina @








2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for hosting Only In Her Dreams :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent post! Love the ideas of your newest WIP, Christina.

    ReplyDelete