Mia Knight's Blog, page 6

Posting PT 1 of Bitter Secrets

I spent the month of June revising PT 1 of Bitter Secrets for my patrons on Patreon. I've never shown anyone raw drafts of my work before. Authors don't do this for good reason, but I decided to do it because:

I started a Patreon and it's a unique incentiveI wanted to see the readers reaction to PT 1

Roth and Jasmine's first month together was the same length as Bitter Heat at 88k words and I still had 11 more months to cover. If I wrote this book to the extent that my muse wanted me to, this thing was going to be another Harry Potter length book. I had no idea if anyone would be interested in something of that length. Most romances have a man and woman meet for the first time and married within 60k words so... what the hell am I doing?

I decided to do the unthinkable and show a raw draft to my patrons. Most authors write a "thin" first draft. This means they write as quickly as possible to get the story on the page before they lose hold of their vision/inspiration. It's a barebones draft with no frills. In their second draft, they'll breathe life into the story, and then they'll do a final polish. I used to write like this, but my process has changed. Now, I throw everything into the first draft. Every chapter builds upon the next, so a barebones draft won't do. The foundation has to be rock solid. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the first half, which is why I felt comfortable sharing it. It was more of a finished draft than what I usually have at this point in my process. In my second draft, I usually strip away and refine, and then I do a final polish.

I thought posting the raw draft would be a breeze. After all, I mentioned many times it was "raw and unedited," which meant it didn't have to be perfect. But, I forgot how messy first drafts are and how long it takes to do rewrites, especially on something this long. PT 1 has 13 chapters, while Bitter Heat has 21. The reason for this is, you're following the characters so closely that there are no breaks in scenes. That means everything needs to be seamless--tone, thought process of the character, and action. Moreover, in chapters this long, you want to make sure there's no lag. Everything has to be in sync. It was a bitch. I thought I would be able to rush ahead and pre-schedule chapters, but I was scrambling until the last day of the month.

Although this was a very nerve-racking experience, I’m glad I did it. Authors usually don't get to see people reacting chapter by chapter, they just hear the summary at the end. I really thought there would be a consensus, that the majority would lean in one direction, but I was wrong. Everyone interpreted the dialogue, actions, and circumstances differently. This experience only reinforced that I should always listen to my muse. She knows what she's doing even though I don't. LOL. I'm happy to say that I'm going to follow through with my original plan and just write the story as I intended, no matter how long it is. Those who enjoy a slow burn and want to know every facet of these characters will get their wish.

Onto PT 2!!

July 2, 2021

Bitter Secrets Snippet

“I’ve never left a meeting before,” he said as his lips cruised over her skin. “People panicked. The seller thought I was backing out of the deal. I told him my wife needed me. You need me, don’t you, Jasmine?”

“I’ve never needed you,” she spat and smacked his shoulder as he lapped up water on her collarbone. “Cut it out, Roth!”

“Five years ago, you flew here to surprise me.”

He caught her hand before it collided with his face. He raised his head and took in her flushed cheeks and mortified gaze.

“Do you know how many times over the years I wished I’d be called out of a meeting because my wife wanted to be with me?”

Her heart stuttered. “That was a long time ago.”

“Yet, here you are.” Dark eyes moved over her body. “I realized business can wait, and I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

Two guesses what that was. She bared her teeth. “Not without my permission.”

“No?”

Draft of Bitter Secrets © 2021 Mia Knight

Bitter Secrets Progress

I spent the month of June revising PT 1 of Bitter Secrets and posting the raw draft on Patreon. PT 1 is 88k words (Bitter Heat was 90k words). I would consider PT 1 the first third of the book. I still have 2/3 to go. For most, 88k words would be a full-length novel, but for me, it's just the foundation as they go through their first month of marriage.

This couple is one of the most fascinating I've ever written. They're incredibly complex, as is the world they inhabit. There's so many politics and unknowns and even while it frustrates, it also excites and makes me ponder things I never would have otherwise. I've always loved the arranged marriage/marriage of convenience trope, but I've never seen anyone explore the psychological side of what such an arrangement would do to you long-term, especially if that person you're tethered to is James Roth. This is such a unique set of circumstances. I don't want to nix any ideas until I've fully explored each one of them.

I warned my patrons that I'm blocking off July and August to finish the last two thirds. I hope I don't go beyond that. I could finish sooner, but it's like I'm writing two more full-length novels. I have no idea what the final word count will be. I'm estimating it will be around 250k. We'll see.

I know that people are upset about the delay, but I don't believe in shortchanging a story just to put out something to pacify the crowd. In this wild, chaotic world that we live in, this is the one thing that is truly my own. These stories will live beyond me. Hopefully, a century after I'm gone, these books will still be circulating. I want them to resonate with people, not just be lost in the sea of books. I want to do my best, which means exploring these concepts and characters to the hilt. There are hundreds of thousands of authors who are much better than me who are on social media posting ads and doing everything they can to get your attention. I'm sure their books will make your heart sing. It's a waste of your time being upset that some author is taking forever with a book. Seriously.

For those who are sweet, supportive, patient, and understand that good work takes time, I love you from the bottom of my dark heart. LOL. I'm not sure if I'll post weekly since my very innocent updates seem to agitate people so much. We'll see. Also, as I go deep into PT 2, doing a blog may be super distracting, but we'll see.

Personal Update

For those who've asked, my dog is doing better (he slipped a disc and the vet thought he might become paralyzed). He isn't 100%. I would say 75%? He can walk, but he's still really wobbly and I can tell he tires easily. It's been about 7 weeks. I'm not sure if he'll ever go back to the way he used to be, but I'm happy he's mobile so thanks for all the well wishes!

This week it's been very hot, but almost every afternoon, it rains, which I love. I know there's been some crazy high temperatures across the US and even Canada. Stay cool and safe! My sister who is still in Vegas has been reporting on temps that they usually see in August happening in May and June. Everything is so out of whack.

I spent June editing, so I am so excited to get back into the book and go back to writing! I will keep you all posted, of course! Have a great week!

June 25, 2021

Bitter Secrets Update

I spent this month editing Roth and Jasmine's first month together and posting the raw chapters on Patreon. This is not where book 1 of 2 will end, but rather, the only chapters complete enough for me to show. The rest of what I have has major chunks missing because I wasn't sure which route I wanted to take. I think revisiting the beginning and nailing down some details I was undecided about has helped me figure out a way forward, so that's good. Also, the reaction of the patrons and their questions is helping me form the rest of the story. Some things still aren't settled in my head, but that's part of the process. Once I start writing again, I know I'll figure it out.

In July I'll be finishing up their story and, of course, post on here about my progress.

“Give him a kiss, love. He’s done good work here today.”

She stood beside Roth's chair, but couldn't bring herself to look higher than his chest. He wasn’t wearing a tie. Why that bothered her, she had no idea. He just sat there, waiting. He was always fucking waiting for her to make a move, so he could counter it. Everyone expected her to rush into his arms like the newlyweds they were supposed to be playing, but she couldn’t do it. Even if he married the same woman twice, what sane person would expect Roth to morph into an affectionate husband?

She turned away from him with a fixed smile on her face, ready to crack some joke, when a hand grasped the back of her coat and gave a firm yank. She yelped as she staggered back and fell across his lap. One hand went around her back to stop her fall while the other cupped her face. She had a split second of warning as his head descended. She braced for a peck to appease their audience. The last thing she expected was for his tongue to invade. She let out a distressed gasp, which he took full advantage of. She clutched handfuls of his suit to anchor herself as she was engulfed in prickling heat.

It was the cheers, clapping, and hollers from the normally staid businessmen that reminded her where they were and with whom. She was stretched across his lap like a fainting heroine and he, of course, looked like the conquering hero. That image gave her the strength to wrest her mouth from his. She sat up and buried her hot face against his shoulder.

Draft of Bitter Secrets © 2021 Mia Knight

Personal Life

A reader noticed I stopped posting personal tidbits, so I'll include one here. I need a haircut. LOL. My hair is to my waist. This is probably the longest it's been since I was seven-years-old. I dread booking appointments and with COVID and now the influx of people who have moved here, it's a 2-3 week wait to get in with the very few hair places in town so I've been putting it off. Doing my hair is an all day affair. Every hair dresser who touches it never fails to say, "You have a lot of hair." Eye roll. I know. I've been trying to take care of it my whole life. SMH. It's not that I like long hair, it's more like I don't like going to the salon and sitting there all day. I don't even do anything that fancy--just dye and cut, yet with the amount of hair I have, it's a 4 hour process. I can't stand sitting there twiddling my thumbs. I know. I have a problem. I try to read on my phone while I wait, but I've never been able to lose myself in a book when everyone's chattering around me. I'm going to be 33 in a few months and I have more gray hair than I'd like at this age. It's hereditary. My brother's, 31 and 38, are already salt and pepper. But it looks good on them, so whatever. I'm super low maintenance, so I just want my hair dyed as close as possible to my natural color--a very dark brown. I wish my hair was more like Moana's. We're both Polynesian, but my hair is wild and more like Merida's. LMAO. The humidity in Hawaii does me no favors.

You can tell its summer in Hawaii because of the sweltering heat and the amount of tourists everywhere. My family planted this massive garden so we have tomatoes, cucumbers, and lemons galore. It's been nice seeing things grow. We've been buying more plants than usual. I think everyone is since we're all still nesting in our homes so much. Me, by choice, because I'm a hermit and try to avoid people at all costs. (Yes, I know I have a problem and I'm ok with it).

I need to get to the beach more. I tried editing at the beach the other day, but it didn't work out too well. It was a little too hot for my iPad (which I edit on) and my dogs and there was a ton of people there. I was drawing quite a bit of attention for trying to work at the beach. LOL. I'm going to try to go this week and just chill.

Anyway, that's all for me. I may post every other week in July. I think me posting so often is giving the impression that I'm close to publishing, but I'm just giving weekly progress reports and still in the first draft stage. As soon as I have a release date, I'll update everything on my website and send out an email. Until then, the blog will be me giving micro updates.

June 18, 2021

Bitter Secrets Snippet

“You don’t know when to stop, do you?” he chided, but he didn’t sound upset. His voice was warm with approval. “You shouldn’t challenge me. It rouses my fighting instincts and we both know I’ll do whatever it takes to win.” 

“You—” She stopped abruptly when his teeth clamped on her ear. 

When he was certain he had her compliance, he released her and nuzzled her cheek as he husked, “You know I don’t fight fair. Provoke me and I won’t be responsible for what happens.”

“I’m not going to bow down to you,” she hissed. 

“I would be disappointed if you did.”

Draft of Bitter Secrets © 2021 Mia Knight

Bitter Secrets Book Update

This month I've been editing/revising the first half of Bitter Secrets and posting the raw chapters on Patreon for my Bigger Baddie and Super Baddie tiers. This is just a draft and may change from what is published. In July I'll be finishing up part 2. I kind of lost my way in part 2, trying to decide what events I wanted to explore and balancing their volatile relationship and their individual arcs so I decided to revisit part 1 and share what I have so far. I am humbled by the enthusiasm for this series and these characters. :)

I want to release these two books detailing their year together either at the same time or within the same month, so I won't release part 1 until both are complete. I will announce a release date as soon as I have one. Thank you!

Paperback giveaways & last announcements for 2018

Hey everyone!

This is going to be a holiday post and last announcements for 2018. First of all, I hope you’re having a great holiday season! Mine has been hectic and crazy, (as usual). My family reassures me that that’s just how my life is.

Okay, onward.

There are two ways that you can win paperbacks of the Crime Lord Series. The first is from Goodreads. I’m giving away two copies of Crime Lord’s Captive. The giveaway ends January 1, so make sure you enter here. Unfortunately, this is open only to US and Canadian residents.

The second way you can win paperbacks is in my Facebook group, Mia Knight’s Captives, and it is open to everyone. There are five games that you must participate in to be eligible to win the full series. All 5 paperbacks are signed by me and the cover model who plays Gavin. The winner will be announced the second week of January.

I want to thank you all for being part of my support group this year. I wouldn’t be able to live my dream without people like you who not only understand my work, but love it and recommend it to others. I can’t thank you all enough!

I have some exciting things in store for 2019 that I can’t wait to share with you! My next release will be a standalone and book 5 in the Crime Lord Series will follow soon after. I hope to have multiple releases this year, so if I am slow to respond, know I’m trying to stay offline and translate what’s swimming in my head onto the page.

Thank you for all your well wishes and support. You mean the world to me! Stay safe and happy!

 

Love,

Mia

 

 

 

 

 

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Release Party for Crime Lord’s Paradise

Hey everyone! We’re doing a release party for Crime Lord’s Paradise in my Facebook group, Mia Knight’s Captives on October 14. I’m being joined by an amazing group of authors! Jane Henry, Soraya Naomi, Cora Reilly, JC Grant, & Lana Sky. There will be games, giveaways, and fun so make sure you tune in! I will also be answering some questions, so make sure you submit yours by filling out this form.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has sent me sweet and encouraging messages and emails for Crime Lord’s Paradise. They brighten my day!

 

 

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Crime Lord’s Paradise & Winter Writing Updates

After Gavin Pyre steps down from his position as crime lord, he and Lyla focus on picking up the pieces of their lives and creating the paradise they deserve.

Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Barnes&Noble, Playster

FINALLY it’s on all retailers. I thought it would be fun to do a surprise release. Uh, no, not fun. More like nightmare. More like HELL. Having the book go live within 3 hours on some retailers and 24 on others was a bitch. Therefore, you better believe the next book is getting a damn preorder. My sincere apologies to the poor souls who had to wait hours or a day longer than everyone else!

Releasing a book is always nerve-wracking for any author and particularly me since I don’t release that often. I don’t even like bothering people to tell them I have a book coming out. LOL. For those who reached out to me as soon as I announced there would be a new release, you guys are a special breed. I got emails saying, “Hooray! Thanks for letting me know. Keep me informed, okay?” And then there’s the flip side: “Where the hell is book 5?” (I’m going to go hide now). Every time I release, my readers humble the fuck out of me. The emails, posts, tags, and reviews you guys leave or send to me just blow me away. Having people empathize and be so invested with the characters I spend so much time with is a miracle! I still can’t believe I’m so fortunate. I have the best job in the world!

I’ve been in Sin City for over a year, but I think I need more quiet. Too much drama in the city (ironic, I know). SO, I wasn’t sure where I want to move. Thank God, I have an amazing friend who is letting me stay in her Utah home. (The pic isn’t her actual house, but this will probably be me in the future. Hermit-writer.) I’ll be in Utah for the winter, writing book 5 and 6 and who knows what else. (I’ve been bombarded with so many stories lately, I don’t know how my brain is retaining all this insane info.) But my main objective is to complete Carmen’s book. I’ve said before that the timelines in 5 and 6 intersect so I need to write them at the same time, which is why I need more time. Because I feel terrible for being a slow mo fo here’s a sneak peek of book 5. This is a draft and some things may change so take what you read with a grain of salt.

I figure I’ll bunker down in Utah and if I get itchy feet I’ll go see my siblings or friends who live in the Pacific Northwest. Anyone need a house sitter?? Bwhaha. Nora Roberts wrote about a writer who was a house sitter. Mind. Blown. I can’t believe people do that for a living. If I wasn’t a writer, that’s what I’d be trying to get into. I still might… LOL. I haven’t found my place yet. Therefore, I wander. I’m hoping on my travels this summer I’ll find a place that feels right. I’m trying to learn to just go with the flow. We’ll see how that goes.

I’m gonna wrap this up by telling you again, thank you so much for your patience and support. I love the emails and messages and tags on social media. You guys are the best and I couldn’t do it without you! Your enthusiasm and support urge me onward and I can’t wait to show you what else I’ve got in store.

Crime Lord’s Paradise

Crime Lord Series, Book 4.5

After Gavin Pyre steps down from his position as crime lord, he and Lyla focus on picking up the pieces of their lives and creating the paradise they deserve.

AHHH I am in love with this cover! I feel it fits the story and this point in Gavin & Lyla’s relationship. My designer did a stellar job. I told her “tropical with edge” and she delivered! There will be no preorder. I will release within the next 2 weeks and report immediately once its live!

I wasn’t planning to write this novella. I was thinking of a bonus clip to put at the back of book 5 and thought it would be fun to write about Gavin and Lyla in Bora Bora (mentioned in Awakened by Sin). So, I began a scene with Lyla on the beach. One clip turned into two and all of a sudden, I realized that I could expand it into a short story. A catch up, if you will. Gavin and Lyla will get one more full novel within the series, so I knew we’d revisit them, but definitely not so soon! You’d think after 3 novels, they’d be talked out. Guess not.

I hope you enjoy this novella. We’re just tapping lightly on the surface of these characters and seeing what they divulge. I fell into Gavin and Lyla as if I never left them. I enjoyed writing this and hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I love writing Gavin’s POV and watching to see how he’ll react to things. I can’t wait to write Crime Lord’s Captive from his POV. This is a future project along with the prequel: their first meet until he gets her back. That’s going to be a long one. I still need more info from the other novels, so I’ll wait for the characters to fill in the blanks for me.

I’m holing up in a cabin in Utah for the winter so I will be writing books 5 and 6 and releasing in early 2019. Thank you all for being so patient and encouraging. I couldn’t do this without you! I will be posting everywhere as soon as Crime Lord’s Paradise is live! Here is an excerpt of chapter one!

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Road Trip – Oregon

(Ok,  so this post is month’s overdue, but better late than never, right?)

After my visit to Lake Tahoe, I was supposed to spend a day or two in Klamath Falls, but I ended up passing through because of an upcoming snow storm. I did a straight shot from Lake Tahoe to Eugene, a nine hour drive through terrible rain and winding roads. My windshield wipers couldn’t go fast enough, my windows were fogging up, and I could barely see. I thought I was going to die. Anyway, long story short, I made it. I was beyond exhausted by the time I made it to my sister’s place. My sister was watching for me from her window. She spotted me and came running down the stairs and hugged me. I burst into tears of relief and also happiness since I hadn’t seen her in a year. It was a Hallmark moment.

I spent about a week and a half in Oregon. I was scoping out the place to see if I wanted to move there. I love the vibe, the landscapes, and being closer to family. I drove around and decided to rent a cliff house with an amazing view.

  

This location was so remote that I didn’t have cell service, which freaked me out. Thankfully, my brother came down from Seattle (a 6 hour drive) to stay with me. He arrived at 1:30am with groceries galore and cooked up a storm (he’s an executive chef and was appalled by the fact I only brought food to make sandwiches). We didn’t go to sleep until 3am. It’s been a year since I saw him as well. We spent the next day talking, eating, watching TV, and enjoying the view. The location and sound of the ocean worked wonders on us. We all lead hectic lives so time outs like this are necessary to help us regroup. Here’s a pic of him enjoying the sunset:

The next day we drove to Eugene to surprise my sister who hadn’t seen him in almost 2 years. We caught her right before she left for work. My brother  stood out of  sight  as  I  knocked and gave some BS excuse to get them to  open the door. My sister  didn’t have  pants on and was horrified when my brother  walked in. LMAO.

My brother and I cruised around  Eugene on the best dirty chai I’ve ever tasted before we went back to the cliff house and he headed back to Seattle, hyped on caffeine. My sister and her husband joined me for a couple days. I spent one more night with them before I left for Las Vegas. I stopped in Medford (which I would like to visit again in future). I stayed in a hotel, which is hell when you have dogs. Ahh! I also stopped in Mount Shasta, a tiny town filled with friendly people, a breathtaking view, and a front desk clerk who told me to “calm down” when I wrote 2013 as the date when checking in. By that point, my brain was fried to a crisp and I barely knew which state I was in. My last stop was Reno where I stayed for 2 days before I did the 7+ hour drive back to Las Vegas.

My trip was about 4 weeks long. I added over 2500 miles to my Honda CR-V and I got an education about driving long distances solo. My dogs were fucking troopers. My older boy was beyond over it on the last leg. Strangely, my puppy who was car sick in the beginning (don’t even get me started on this) was fine by the end. I left Las Vegas like a bat out of hell and drove back in, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, desperate for a glimpse of my city. On the drive back, you don’t know how happy I was to see evergreens and mountains fade to sand and endless desert.

When I set out on the road trip, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. All I knew was I needed to disconnect and take a break. There were many ups and downs on this trip, but it all worked out in the end. I don’t think wandering is a waste of time. Everything I do and experience somehow works it’s way into my writing so I’m glad for that. Also, it makes me appreciate the simple joy of coming home to your own place and that’s awesome.

During this trip I’ve watched way too many episodes of Ink Master and am now ready to tap those keys, baby. Stay tuned.

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Release party for Awakened by Sin, March 29

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!

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