Heroine Questionnaire: Erin Knightly

I made the acquaintance of the lovely Erin Knightly at Lady Jane’s Salon in Raleigh/Durham North Carolina (If you can, I implore you to go! It’s a delightful experience!). She has a DEBUT novel hot off the presses–More Than a Stranger–and I for one am super excited for it. But first, her plucky answers to the Heroine Questionnaire:

What’s an essential quality in a heroine?

I think I’d have to say pluck. I want her to be able to get hit by everything life (or an evil author) can throw at her, and still get back up and come back for more. She can shed a tear or two, have moments of self-doubt, or even have her heart broken, but in the end she’ll prevail and always find her own happiness—not to mention a happily ever after with her swoon-worthy hero!

What’s a heroine-eque quality you wish you possessed?

Well, let’s see: I’m headstrong, have the innate ability to find trouble without trying, and somehow managed to land my perfect hero. All in all, I’d say I’m doing pretty well!

LOL, okay, so that aside, I’d love to be able to find the words to stand up to someone who has caused me problems. I have the tendency to not want to rock the boat, and the idea of putting someone in their place is almost unthinkable. Every time I read a book where the heroine finally gathers the courage to stand up to someone who has disrespected her, I’m always cheering her on from the sidelines, so to speak. If you ever pass by me when my nose is in a book and I’m murmuring, “You go girl!”—you’ll know why

Who’s a heroine you admire (either real or fictional)?

Through the magic of Ancestry.com, I recently learned about my maternal grandmother’s paternal grandmother (got that. lol?). Her name was Cecelia McCrea Kelly, and together with her husband, she founded an entire town. What’s more, her obituary said that she was known as Mother Kelly, and she was universally loved and respected by the whole town. She was “sought for advice in practically all births and illness. These services was (sic) from her kindness and benevolence to her fellowmen, and not for any material gain, which she never accepted.”

How lovely is that? In honor of her, I am naming my heroine in the novella I’m working on after her. Its my way of making sure that this remarkable woman will live on

What’s an important life lesson you’ve learned from romance novels?

Love conquers all! But that’s not all. They have taught me that love has to be fought for, and that it’s worth it! More than anything, a woman should love fully, fiercely, and honestly, and she should expect the same in return.

Tell us about the heroine of your new book!

Oh my goodness, did Evie make me laugh. Even though I’m the one who was supposedly writing the story, I can remember several times being surprised by something she did or said, which made the writing process very interesting! She’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind—or put a man in his place. She’s smart, capable, and hardworking, but with a vulnerable side to her, too. Here’s a bit about her and Benedict’s story:

When Lady Evie Moore’s older brother went off to Eton, she was less than thrilled when he wrote back about his new best friend, Benedict Hastings. She immediately sends off a letter to the interloper, demanding that he leave her brother alone—after all, she had always been her brother’s best friend. That single letter starts an unlikely correspondence, which over the course of five years turns to love, despite the fact they have never met. When she turns sixteen, her heart is broken when Benedict unexpectedly and cruelly ends their friendship. Eight years later, Evie is thrilled when she’s given the opportunity to quit the marriage mart and pursue her dreams instead. When a strange man shows up at her family’s estate, she’s shocked by the attraction between them. Yet as they begin to discover one another, the dangers of his world find them, threatening their lives, their love, and everything they thought they could never have as she learns he’s More Than a Stranger.

Want to read more? Click Here for an excerpt! Also, for a free music download of the piano piece inspired by a scene from MORE THAN A STRANGER, click here!