Aloha to Erin Knightley and MORE THAN A STRANGER

During the RT Booklovers' Convention, Heather Snow introduced me to two debut authors, Erin Knightley and Britt Bury.  Erin joins us today for a cozy chat (Britt joins us in July).  From Erin's 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. Find her at:


www.ErinKnightley.com

Twitter.com/ErinKnightley

Facebook.com/ErinKnightley 

Heather Snow, Erin Knightley, and Britt Bury.

Kim:   You offer an inspiring bucket list on your website:

Travel to the 7 continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America (still have 21 states left to visit!), and South America

Learn either French or Italian

Learn to fly

Write a novel

Learn to ski

Overcome deathly fear of skiing (perhaps this one should be before the 'learn to ski' one...)

Be on The Price Is Right wearing a t-shirt that says "If I win, I'll name my next hero Drew!"

Marry a wonderful man

Complete a Triathlon

Meet a president or Royal (that means you, Wills and Kate!)

Meet Colin Firth

Meet Gerard Butler

Meet Hugh Jackman

Win a major award

Be recognized by a fan :)

Can you share a favorite sight, sound, and smell from Asia? 


Erin:  I was only 19 when I spent a summer working in a paleoclimatology lab in Irkutsk Russia, which is north of Mongolia. I have many cherished memories (and some not so cherished—cow’s head, anyone?), but my favorite sight was actually on the plane ride there. It was an overnight flight, and I watched the sun dip down, down, down, touch the horizon around 2 AM, then start to climb again. It was so surreal!

My favorite sound was a lone flute player in the otherwise quiet corridor of the Metro in Moscow (which is technically Europe, but who’s counting). It was haunting and lovely, and something that I remember so keenly, I recently included it in a blog.

And the best smell ever was the sweet, fresh baked bread that we would stop to buy every morning on the way to work as we walked through the market. My mouth waters just thinking about it! 

Kim:  How did you meet Colin Firth?  Gerard Butler?

Erin:  Ah, Colin Firth. I have yet to wash the shirt I was wearing on that fateful day when he wrapped his arm around me, gave a swoon-worthy hug (he smelled so good!), and posed for a picture with me. He was filming a movie in Raleigh for one day only, and on a whim I decided to go down and do a little Firth-watching (don’t judge—you totally would have too!). It was just good timing that he happened to take a break and come over to the crowd at the exact moment I showed up :)

I met Gerard Butler at a Grammy after party in the Hollywood hills. I was invited by my actress friend, and I swear I was the lone unknown in a party full of gorgeous somebodies. Taylor Lautner, Britney Spears, James Marsden, Ryan Phillippe, and more crowded the posh home, but one Scottish accented word from Gerard, and I was lost. The good news is I was so star-struck when I met him, I couldn’t even speak. Therefore, I couldn’t embarrass myself by saying something stupid!

Let me tell you, the silver screen in no way exaggerates either of these men’s gorgeousness! 

Kim:  I enjoyed your blog, From Whence We Came (April 24, 2012).  The pictures are heartwarming ... and I am certainly intrigued by Grandma Mary. Can you tell us about her military service?

Erin:  My Grandma Mary was a remarkable woman, but soft and cuddly she was not, lol. I can clearly remember her answering the phone with a single word: Speak. I swear, no matter how prepared you were when you called, the moment she said it the words abruptly left your mouth and you were left gaping like a fish.

When I learned she had served in the Coast Guard during WWII, it all sort of clicked. I imagine that she was an absolute paragon of no-nonsense efficiency. I never did learn all the things that she did during her service, but I do know she worked as a radioman 2nd class at one point—I have a newspaper clipping to prove it! 

Kim:  I am excited about your debut historical romance, MORE THAN A STRANGER. What inspired it? 


Erin:  MORE THAN A STRANGER was actually the very first novel I ever wrote. I had no plan whatsoever – just a computer, a bit of spare time, and some very insistent voices in my head, lol. The story evolved as I wrote it, but I always knew who my characters were. Evie was so fun to write—she somehow managed to surprise me at every turn. And, I must confess: I have a brother who is two years older than me, so I had plenty of inspiration for the older brother’s hot friend! To this day I can remember sitting in the stands of his soccer games, mooning at all his athletic buddies—for that reason alone I had to make sure my hero, Benedict, would be seen shirtless and sweating! 

Kim:  What's next for Erin Knightley?

Erin:  It’s hard to believe that after waiting what felt like ages for the first book to debut, the second and third will both be out in fairly quick succession! A TASTE FOR SCANDAL will hit the shelves in December 2012, and the third will be available in the fall of 2013. I recently got a sneak peek at the cover for book 2, and I have to say, it is gorgeous!

I’m so incredibly lucky to be doing what I absolutely love. Here’s hoping I’ll still be doing it when I’m 90!

MORE THAN A STRANGER debuts June 5^th!

AN UNCOVERED BETRAYAL

When his family abandoned him at Eton, Benedict Hastings found an unexpected ally in his best friend’s sister. Her letters kept him going—until the day he had to leave everything behind.  Years later, Benedict has seen his share of betrayal, but when treachery hits close to home, he turns to his old friend for safe haven….

AN UNWANTED ATTRACTION

After five torturous years on the marriage circuit, Lady Evelyn Moore is finally free to live her life as she wishes. So when her brother shows up with a dashing stranger, she finds herself torn between her dreams...and newfound desires.

AN UNSTOPPABLE INTRIGUE

Despite his determination to keep Evie at a distance, Benedict cannot deny the attraction that began with a secret correspondence. Yet as they begin to discover one another, the dangers of Benedict’s world find them, threatening their lives, their love, and everything they thought they could never have…

Erin is offering TWO chances to win!

1.      Everyone who comments will be entered in my Sealed with a Kiss blog tour giveaway! Prizes include signed books, lots of fun swag, stationery, a custom iPhone case, and gift cards from Starbucks and Amazon! For details, click HERE. Drawings will be made June 15^th!

2.      You’re already a winner! If you’d like a signed bookmark (or more – let me know how many!), simply say so in the comments section, and I’ll send post haste! Offer good for the first 40 requests per blog.

*Be sure to leave your e-mail address so I can contact winners, or email me at erin@erinknightley.com if you don’t wish to list publicly.* 

I’ll ship anywhere in the US, Canada, or Mexico

Let's get the comments going ... name something from your bucket list.    I would like to "live" in England, Scotland, or Wales, even for a summer.  Maybe then I would meet a Royal - I've already met a President!

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

I am hugging President Bush's left.
My friend Rose is on his right.
My friend Julie is at the end in the blue polka dot dress.
Everyone else invited themselves into our picture!