Interview with Kristina Knight

 Hi and welcome! Today I'm interviewing debut author Kristina Knight. Kristina's book, What A Texas Girl Wants, is out now.  Along with the interview, I get to share an excerpt and I have a review for the book. Lots of fun today, so I hope you'll enjoy and even leave comments :) Thanks for  stopping over at Storm Goddess Book Reviews!

Hi Kristina! Congrats on the release of What A Texas Girl Wants. I'm so glad to have you here today, and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! :)

tell me about yourself, and your writing.

– Hi, everyone! I'm Kristina, a small town girl who likes a little city life now and then. My books, I think, reflect that. I think small towns – even if the 'town' is really a neighborhood – are fun to explore in fiction because they have the most character!

How long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and what genres?

– I've been writing as long as I can remember – literally! I wrote my first story when I was about six. What a Texas Girl Wants is my first published novel, but I have three more coming out over the next few months – all of them are contemporary romances.

Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever consider straying outside your genre?

– I have a deep love for romantic suspense. So far all of my efforts have been horrifically badhave needed serious work…but I do have aspirations!

Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?

Yes and Yes. I call myself a pant-lotter – I've found that if I create a loose outline of my book, I can write faster. I blame it on my years working in television news – outlines give me an idea of where I want to do. However, once I writing, the outline may or may not be followed…and more times than not, the outline only very loosely resembles the finished work.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

– Every day is different. I'm a freelance writer for a couple of business magazines so I work from home. I also have a 4-year-old who is into everything and my husband is also self-employed. So I might work early in the day one day and late at night another. One thing that remains the same is that I know what word count I want to hit going into a day – and I always hit my word count.

Who do you love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books?

– Anything and everything. I love Danielle Steel and Emilie Loring. Those books are so familiar to me! Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz are the authors I turn to when I want twists and turns. And when it's time for bed at night, nothing beats a 20 minute session with Winnie the Pooh. I'm going to have serious withdrawals when my daughter outgrows Pooh!

What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

– Um, sell a million books? Oh, you mean an approachable goal! I sold four books this year, so I'd like to meet all my deadlines and, past that, I'd like to keep selling books to my publisher, entertaining readers and writing the books I love to write (and read)!

If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?

– I'd like Perfect Comeback Ability. PCA is the ability to say the perfect, scathing retort to anyone and everyone – with absolutely no guilt! – at the perfect time. I usually come back with the perfect retort hours or days after the fact…or I come up with a retort, spew it and then have serious regrets because 'it was mean'.

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?

– Hello, Unicorns! All that magical unicorn-horn dust could be put to good use in my house!

Tell us a little about your latest release. 

– What a Texas Girl Wants is a contemporary romance with a marriage of convenience hook, set on a Texas horse ranch. Kathleen Witte is a down-to-earth girl. She has to be, with the family ranch on the verge of success. After seven months of keeping it all together by swearing off men, however, Kathleen needs a bit of fun in the sun. Waking up with a husband she can’t remember isn’t how she planned to blow off steam.

The last thing Jackson Taylor wants in his life is a down-to-earth girl. He has four weeks of freedom in which to find his birth mother. He’s done well avoiding commitment until now, so when he wakes up on a Mexican beach with Kathleen his first reaction is curiosity. When he spies the matching wedding rings on their left hands curiosity turns to concern.

Neither Jackson nor Kathleen want to stay married, but when her family shows up, they have no choice. Once back in Texas, however, can they keep this all-business marriage from turning into an all-consuming love?

What is something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than family members)

– Coca-cola classic. Ice-cold, please, with a cherry on top.

Could you ever co author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose, and what would you write?

– I'm a little bit of a control freak so the thought of co-authoring gives me the heebies. That said, should Nora or Jayne or Danielle or Janet need a co-writer, I'm available for duty. Just give me a couple of Prozac first, please.

If you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?

– I'd spend the day with my grandfather, who died when I was 13. He was always my Litmus test – if he liked something, I knew it, if he didn't, I knew it. No sugar-coating. We'd spend the day fishing and riding our horses and exploring, just like we did when I was a kid. And I'd ask him if I've done an okay job as a grown-up (so far).

What are some of your other hobbies outside of writing?

– I sew and quilt, which is kind of like writing to me. Fitting the right pieces of fabric together, creating a pleasing, colorful design…it's very much like getting the plot of my books right! Oh, and video games. I'm completely addicted mildly attached to video games.

If you were on the staff to have a book adapted to movie, what would you pick?

– Jennifer Crusie's Faking It. I love that book – and I think it would make a great movie with Kate Hudson as the female lead...

What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?

– Oh, there are so many. I would really like to be a great guitarist – not just to know how to play but to be able to come up with those riffs that Keith Urban or Jimi Hendrix…that would be amazing!

Favorite color?

– green!

Weather: Hot or cold?

– Hot – the better to enjoy the beach!

Favorite place to read?

– in my favorite chair, with a light rain falling, my favorite blankie over my legs and a cup of cocoa beside me.

Favorite meal

– anything Mexican. No, Japanese. How about a side of freshly made Japanese rice with Chicken Quesadillas!

Favorite non-alcoholic drink.

– Coke!

If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go?

– I would sail around the world. I love the water – beach, on a boat, whatever. I think it would be amazing to be on a boat in the middle of an ocean, to visit exotic places in the South Pacific and Mediterranean and see that clear horizon line.

 Author Bio:

Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from car crash to fire to meetings with local police—no, she wasn't a troublemaker, she was a journalist. When the opportunity to focus a bit of energy on the stories in her head, she jumped at it. And she’s never looked back. Now she writes magazine articles by day and romance novels with spice by night. She lives on Lake Erie with her husband and four-year-old daughter. Happily ever after. 

Connect with Kristina!

Website: http://www.kristinaknightauthor.com

FB: http://www.facebook.com/kristinaknightromanceauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorkristina

Blurb: 

Kathleen Witte is a down-to-earth girl. She has to be, with the family ranch on the verge of success. After seven months of keeping it all together by swearing off men, however, Kathleen needs a bit of fun in the sun. Waking up with a husband she can’t remember isn’t how she planned to blow off steam.The last thing Jackson Taylor wants in his life is a down-to-earth girl. He has four weeks of freedom in which to find his birth mother. He’s done well avoiding commitment until now, so when he wakes up on a Mexican beach with Kathleen his first reaction is curiosity. When he spies the matching wedding rings on their left hands curiosity turns to concern.

Neither Jackson nor Kathleen want to stay married, but when her family shows up, they have no choice. Once back in Texas, however, can they keep this all-business marriage from turning into an all-consuming love?

Sensuality Level: Sensual

Click HERE to read the review and excerpt!