Mia Knight's Blog, page 7

After I published Awakened by Sin I took off. After a hard year and an equally difficult book, I was emotionally and mentally drained. I needed to get away from my desk, away from my house, the ping of emails, the slew of reviews, and endless list of things to do. I needed the open road, a new scene, and quiet.

I’ve done several road trips, never by myself. My sister lives in Oregon and I hadn’t seen her for a year, so I decided to pack up my doggies and visit. I had no idea how long I was going to be gone and vague ideas of where I would stay. I tried to stay open and just do what felt right in the moment.

My first stop was Lake Tahoe. I felt like I had to stay here because the drive from Las Vegas was so damn far- 7 hours just to reach Reno and that’s without stopping for gas, potty breaks, and getting stuck behind big rigs or RV’s. So, let’s say 8 hours of driving. That’s a lot and I was still in Nevada and only halfway to my sister’s place.

I decided to spend a few days in Tahoe before I continued on my trek to Oregon. I was scrolling through Airbnb and came across a view that made my heart skip. This house on the lake made my imagination pulse with ideas and the view made my writer’s heart sing. I had to stay there! When I arrived, it was snowing, which I didn’t anticipate. Also, I failed to see how difficult it would be for the dogs since the house is built into a hill and there was no grass. I was amazed at how quickly the dogs adapted. They learned to go on the slopes and by the third day were hopping like agile billy goats up the hill, thank God. Here are some pictures of the coveted view:

I didn’t know that Lake Tahoe has a noise ordinance. This has to be the quietest place I’ve ever been and it had a therapeutic effect on me. I lounged, slept, ate, and started to relax. I watched 3 out of 4 sunrises and propped my feet on the railing and let myself mentally drift. Life seems simple when it’s quiet, there’s bad internet and phone service, and the water is so still that it reflects the sky.

Here’s a cute pic of my puppy, Koi, enjoying the moment:

[image error]

I’m so glad I visited. I would love to come back in winter. I can imagine being holed up in a cabin, watching the snow fall on the lake as I write. This was definitely a highlight of my trip and a great way to start off my road trip!

The post Road trip – Lake Tahoe appeared first on Mia Knight.

After I published Awakened by Sin I took off. After a hard year and an equally difficult book, I was emotionally and mentally drained. I needed to get away from my desk, away from my house, the ping of emails, the slew of reviews, and endless list of things of things to do. I needed the open road, a new scene, and quiet.

I’ve done several road trips, never by myself. My sister lives in Oregon and I hadn’t seen her for a year, so I decided to pack up my doggies and visit. I had no idea how long I was going to be gone and vague ideas of where I would stay. I tried to stay open and just do what felt right in the moment.

My first stop was Lake Tahoe. I felt like I had to stay here because the drive from Las Vegas was so damn far- 7 hours just to reach Reno and that’s without stopping for gas, potty breaks, and getting stuck behind big rigs or RV’s. So, let’s say 8 hours of driving. That’s a lot and I was still in Nevada and only halfway to my sister’s place.

I decided to spend a few days in Tahoe before I continued on my trek to Oregon. I was scrolling through Airbnb and came across a view that made my heart skip. This house on the lake made my imagination pulse with ideas and the view made my writer’s heart sing. I had to stay there! When I arrived, it was snowing, which I didn’t anticipate. Also, I failed to see how difficult it would be for the dogs since the house is built into a hill and there was no grass. I was amazed at how quickly the dogs adapted. They learned to go on the slopes and by the third day were hopping like agile billy goats up the hill, thank God. Here are some pictures of the coveted view:

[image error] [image error]

[image error] [image error]

I didn’t know that Lake Tahoe has a noise ordinance. This has to be the quietest place I’ve ever been and it had a therapeutic effect on me. I lounged, slept, ate, and started to relax. I watched 3 out of 4 sunrises and propped my feet on the railing and let myself mentally drift. Life seems simple when it’s quiet, there’s bad internet and phone service, and the water is so still that it reflects the sky.

[image error] [image error]

Here’s a cute pic of my puppy, Koi, enjoying the moment:

[image error]

I’m so glad I visited. I would love to come back in winter. I can imagine being holed up in a cabin, watching the snow fall on the lake as I write. This was definitely a highlight of my trip and a great way to start off my road trip!

I wanted to make a formal announcement that I will be offline traveling and writing. I have been overwhelmed with the positive response to Awakened by Sin! I couldn’t be happier! Before I start writing book 5 I need to take some time off to fill my well by wandering and visiting family. I will be spending several months on the road and stopping in remote locations to get some much needed rest. Don’t be alarmed if I don’t respond to your messages! I haven’t died. I am probably sleeping, writing, or on the road. LOL.

I know you all are anxiously awaiting news on book 5. The more time I spend offline, the quicker I will be able to produce a book. It takes time for me to write, so please be patient. I will report any news as soon as I have any.

Thank you for your support and understanding!

The post Offline Traveling and Writing appeared first on Mia Knight.

[image error]

I wanted to make a formal announcement that I will be offline traveling and writing. I have been overwhelmed with the positive response to Awakened by Sin! I couldn’t be happier! Before I start writing book 5 I need to take some time off to fill my well by wandering and visiting family. I will be spending several months on the road and stopping in remote locations to get some much needed rest. Don’t be alarmed if I don’t respond to your messages! I haven’t died. I am probably sleeping, writing, or on the road. LOL.

I know you all are anxiously awaiting news on book 5. The more time I spend offline, the quicker I will be able to produce a book. It takes time for me to write, so please be patient. I will report any news as soon as I have any.

Thank you for your support and understanding!

Hey everyone!

Awakened by Sin is nearly here! I am having an epic party in my Facebook group, Mia Knight’s Captives. The party will run from 3 – 9 PM EST. There will be games, giveaways, and fun!

I am honored to have this line up joining me: Amelia Hutchins, K. Webster, Lylah James, Amo Jones, Isabella Starling, JL Drake, Charmaine Pauls, Jennifer Bene, Michelle Brown, Bethany-Kris, Nikki Belaire, Mary Catherine Gebhard, Willow Winters, Lili Saint Germain, Michelle Hardin, A. Zavarelli, Addison Cain and Anita Gray.

Hope to see you there!

The post Release party for Awakened by Sin, March 29 appeared first on Mia Knight.

[image error]Hey everyone!

Awakened by Sin is nearly here! I am having an epic party in my Facebook group, Mia Knight’s Captives. The party will run from 3 – 9 PM EST. There will be games, giveaways, and fun!

I am honored to have this line up joining me: Amelia Hutchins, K. Webster, Lylah James, Amo Jones, Isabella Starling, JL Drake, Charmaine Pauls, Jennifer Bene, Michelle Brown, Bethany-Kris, Nikki Belaire, Mary Catherine Gebhard, Willow Winters, Lili Saint Germain, Michelle Hardin, A. Zavarelli, Addison Cain and Anita Gray.

Hope to see you there!

[image error]

Ah, so we come to the dreaded love triangle! Many people don’t care for love triangles, myself included. I was Team Jacob and stopped reading when Edward came back so I understand as a reader. LOL.

I never intended for this story to be a love triangle, but in my Facebook group, the “Captives” kept bringing up the pros and cons for each guy and why both of them would be perfect for her… and they were right. This made me want to give both Marcus and Angel a shot. What I didn’t anticipate is what a huge headache it would be to write a love triangle. It sucks! If you give each guy a real shot, it’s like writing two romances in one. It made everything SO much more complicated. Many, MANY drafts later, I think I struck a good balance.

Marcus and Angel are perfect for Carmen in different ways. It all comes down to what type of life she wants. The deeper I got into the story and each man, the more I flip-flopped and panicked, because at times I wasn’t sure… This happened to me with Crime Lord’s Captive as well. Lyla wasn’t supposed to stay with Gavin, but mid-way through I decided to scrap my original idea and go with the anti-hero. I HATE when I’m unsure of who she ends up with  because that makes all my previous work moot.

Carmen is the exact opposite of Lyla. She’s wild, crazy, and lets it all hang out. She is definitely gonna cause a ruckus- and I fucking love it! She does what she wants, when she wants. She is gonna ruffle some feathers and turn some people off with her antics, but others will relate and cheer her on. She is a female alpha, a daughter of the underworld, and she takes no prisoners… and she is gonna lead whoever wants her on a merry chase.

Enjoy the ride, y’all! We have less than a week left. It’s gonna be epic! Don’t forget, I’m having an amazing line up of authors at my release party on March 29, 3-9PM EST. Games, giveaways, fun with authors and readers. What more could you want? Join HERE! 

[image error]

[image error]

With the release of Awakened by Sin approaching, I thought I’d offer the background of this novel, which is very different from the others. Originally, I intended the Crime Lord Series to be two books. At the end of Recaptured by the Crime Lord, I revealed the villain without much fanfare. I had a nice epilogue of Gavin and Lyla and that was that. A beta reader questioned me further. “What’s next?” she asked. “That’s it,” I said. She wouldn’t let it go. She asked me about the fate of the underworld and a bunch of other things I didn’t allow myself to consider since I was so focused on closing the “series.” It took me a week to decide to change the ending and sketch out another book, which became Once A Crime Lord. I sewed more characters into the fabric of the world and gave Sadist a proper, bloody send off. It was glorious!

I always loved Carmen so I didn’t think writing her story would be difficult. I was dead wrong. Carmen and I are opposites so falling into her mindset and emotional state was like teaching someone to swim in rough water, which means that I fucking floundered and thrashed about. I wrote Carmen’s book over the span of one year, dipping in and out of it at least three times before dropping it for one reason or another. It was so difficult to get a pulse on this book and no matter what I did, the story felt flat and one dimensional. I have countless drafts. The extra scenes are ridiculous- over 40k words, which could be considered a novel in itself. If I hadn’t already announced Carmen would be next, I would have given up on her. Instead, I was forced to push through and wrote a lot of crap. The biggest problem was that I had never lost anyone close to me so I couldn’t relate to an essential part of her. When Vinny was murdered in book 1, I didn’t know that one day I would have to deal with her grief. I worried that I didn’t have the experience and skill to write her story convincingly.

In May 2017 I made the decision to move back to the mainland from Hawaii. I was making a big change in my life and was unsure about my future, but felt it was the right thing to do. This was a good reason to put Carmen to the side. I busied myself with arrangements and mentally braced to be completely on my own again. Two weeks before I moved, disaster struck. I lost my dog, Maile, in a freak accident. She was here today and gone the next. I’m a gypsy and never stay anywhere for long. My 2 dogs have been the only constants in my life for 9 years. My girl, the one who stuck to me like glue, passed. I was totally blindsided by this. Not only was I facing a new chapter in my life, I was suddenly facing it without my best friend. I finally understood Carmen’s pain.

It took me months to adjust to being in the city again and I did it with a heavy heart. Writing is linked to my emotional state. I can’t write when my head is all cloudy. I was terrified to write this book because I knew the floodgates would open and I wasn’t sure what would come out of me. When I felt strong enough to face the blank screen again, I put my hands on the keys and my heart bled. It’s crazy how Carmen and my life suddenly became parallel- starting over, functioning through the pain and guilt, and trying to find what makes you happy. Through my own struggles, I understood hers and we grew together.

Carmen made me laugh, cry, and cheer. She was a breath of fresh air in my dark world. Through her, I fell in love with writing all over again. I weaved Marcus and Angel into her story and finally, the book began to take shape and it felt right. Her story broke me and mended me at the same time. This book is the most emotionally complex thing I’ve ever written. It absorbed everything I had and demanded more. Awakened by Sin drained me.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous for people to read a book. Not only was it written in my own blood, it was also a different character and the pacing and rhythm was so different from the previous 3. I didn’t know if people would understand or if I was revealing too much about myself… I figure it’s never wrong to show that you’re human. I told myself if one person understands and relates to this story, I win… and so does Carmen.

I hope you enjoy Awakened by Sin and all the laughs, cries, and chaos imbedded in it’s pages. It’s going to be an amazing ride!

[image error]

Right now your social media feeds are being filled with new year’s resolutions, sum up’s of 2017, hopes and dreams for the future, and words of wisdom for 2018. This is my own personal reflection of 2017. This post may sound cliche AF, but I lived this, and it’s what I found myself jotting in my journal this morning on the last day of 2017.

2017 was a crazy bitch. She pushed me to the brink mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. When I thought I couldn’t take anymore, she happily shoved me over the cliff into the abyss with an evil cackle. It was exhilarating, crippling, soul-crushing, and empowering. 2017 opened my eyes to so many things- the elusive taste of success, my poor self-esteem, how fear and uncertainty can keep you from living life, the generosity of strangers, and how to listen to your heart.

I quit my corporate job in August 2016. I had 3 months savings to give myself time to write. During that time I published 2 books I wrote at the beginning of the year, a project I called the Crime Lord Series. I published book 1 in September and book 2 in November. My little series made a little hit and I was stunned, ecstatic, and terrified it was a fluke and would flatline at any moment. A year later, I’m still here.

I found my tribe, my girls, my “Captive’s.” I didn’t know there were people out there who would see the beauty in darkness and not only revel in it, but crave more like me. For the first time in my life, I’ve found a group of people who understand the dark parts I can’t share with friends and family. My girls selflessly offer support, encouragement, and love and I couldn’t be more humbled. I’m continually surprised every day when I hear a kind word or someone offers to help me. If you could see me, you’d know I continuously adopt Taylor Swift’s disbelieving expression, the one she wears every time she wins an award. I think my girls understand me more than my own family. I’ve always been the weirdo, the loner, the one all in my head. Now, I’ve found my people and I can’t believe I’m that fucking lucky to talk to people who are as invested in my world and characters as I am. They’ve given the characters more depth and color and I couldn’t be more overjoyed to have people share my obsessions.

Professionally, I’ve done better than I ever have at any job. It’s unbelievable. I was able to take an epic train ride from West to East Coast- Washington to New York. I got to visit places I’ve written about and never seen with my own eyes. All I kept thinking was, “Little writer, big world.”

[image error]

We’re starting 2018 right with a mafia queen takeover! DD Prince, Natasha Knight, Nikita Slater, Nancy Haviland and Sam Mariano will join my private Facebook group, Mia Knight’s Captives on January 7, 2018 to talk about their mafia romance series and answer questions! The event will run from 6:30 – 9:30 PM EST. Each author will be on for 20-30 minutes. There’s going to be giveaways and loads of fun so make sure you join the group to make sure you’re in the loop and don’t miss updates for this event and those to come!

Right now, I’m doing a giveaway every week of December so make sure you don’t miss out! Also, in coming weeks, I will be doing a cover reveal for book 4 in the Crime Lord Series and I will be announcing a release date soon. Don’t miss out on the steamy extras and sneak peeks I’ve already dropped in the group!

Happy Holidays everyone!