Jillian Chantal

Today, I have the ultra-cool Ciara Knight with me talking a little about herself and a little about her book  (Rise From Darkness) that sold to Turquoise Morning Press and is coming out in March, 2012. As a teaser for the novel, she also has a novella prequel coming out next month. Yes, next month. So, strap in, and read all about this new Young Adult romance writer and her awesome sounding debut novel. And, oh yea, she signed with an agent recently as well- we’ll all be able to say we got to hang out with her in the early years!!

Welcome Ciara.

JILLIAN:  Tell us a little about yourself: How did you get bitten by the writing bug?

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

JILLIAN: What’s the name of your hero in your book Rise From Darkness? How did you come to choose it?

CIARA:  Alexander Lorre. I wanted a strong name for the hero, one that represented a great burden. There are many strong men in history named Alexander.

JILLIAN: You’re right about that. I love a strong male name.  How about the same question about your heroine.

CIARA:  Gabriella Moore. This is not actually her real last name. Her father works in a top secret job and every time they move, they take a new identity. Gabriella means “heroine of God.” I thought it fit the story well.

JILLIAN:  I love that you chose such a great name with a wonderful meaning for your heroine.  Do you think names play an important role in the development of your characters? Why or why not?

CIARA:  I did look at meanings of names while working on this book. Many of the demon and angel names in Rise From Darkness have appropriate meanings for their characterizations. As a matter of fact, there is a character that his name means something that is a clue to his true identity.

JILLIAN:  Oooh, I love that. A clue to be looking for is gonna be such fun. How did the idea of a fallen angel take root in your mind to lead to this book?

CIARA:  I’ve had the idea for years but it took awhile to build the storyline over a three book series. I knew I wanted to know the ultimate end before I put the first book out there. There are a lot of hidden meanings, symbols, and clues in the books.

JILLIAN: I love mysteries, so I’m going to really enjoy this series.  By the way, my mamma always said to never talk about religion, but I have to ask: What’s your background?

CIARA:  I’m a Christian. This book is not a religious book, but I think like most stories there is an inspirational undertone.

JILLIAN:  Did you base any of your world you created for this story on the angel lore from the Bible or did you create it all from scratch?

CIARA:  I based some on biblical angels. I also took Greek mythology and twisted it and redefined it.

JILLIAN:  The more I hear, the more I can’t wait for this release. I love mythology.  I notice you have a prequel coming out before the actual novel. I’m very interested in how you write a prequel when the main characters don’t meet until the novel begins. Tell us about that process and how you dealt with that.

CIARA:  The prequel is written in a secondary character, Sammy Loree’s, POV. Sammy is Alex’s earthbound sister in the series and Gaby’s best friend. Both Alex and Gaby appear, or are mentioned, by the end of the short story. It gives a reader an in-depth look at the world and characters in a short amount of time.

JILLIAN:  Sounds great.  When does the novella come out?

CIARA:  July 2011

JILLIAN:  When will we see the novel?

CIARA:  March 2012

JILLIAN:  Who’s your publisher?

CIARA:  Turquoise Morning Press

JILLIAN:  How can we contact you?

www.ciaraknight.com

http://www.facebook.com/ciaratknight

http://www.facebook.com/ciaratknight#!/Ciaraknightwrites

http://twitter.com/#!/ciaratknight

JILLIAN:  Will you share the blurb with us?

 CIARA:  Of course!

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.

JILLIAN:  That sounds like such a good read.  Will you come back when the book is released to give us more details and an excerpt?

CIARA:  Absolutely!!! Thanks so much for having me. This has been such a blast!