AUTHOR: SB Knight
BOOK TITLE: Born of
Blood
PUBLISHER: MuseItUp
Publishing
Please tell us about yourself?
I am a passionate, driven individual. I like making
goals and achieving them. My faith and family are top priorities in my life. I
can honestly say I have a hard time doing nothing but I do slow down every now
and then. I like to help others succeed just as much as I want to succeed. In
the end, I’m pretty much an open book, what you see is what you get. I can’t
tell you how many times I’ve been told “you really are like this, you’re not
pretending or anything.” I take that as a compliment. All of these aspects came into play when
I first started writing Born of Blood and still hold true now.
Tell us your latest news?
My latest
news…well, the sequel to Born of Blood is in editing right now and is scheduled
for release in October. I would love to be able to share that my third novel is
under contract but I’m waiting to hear on that. Born of Blood has been out for
just about two months and I’m very hopeful that it will soon be released in
paperback.
Born of
Blood is doing very well as a debut novel and I continue to promote that. I
have another week long blog event scheduled for July on the Vampire Book Realm
that I am looking forward to.
When and why did you begin writing?
I began
seriously writing about 5 or so years ago. I played around with writing for
about 3 to 4 years before that. When I first started writing it was little
sayings and short poems just for the sake of writing. I found it therapeutic at
a time when life was more than tough. My first novel was more venting with
words than actually writing to entertain. That was a tremendous help as it
flushed out all of those thoughts, memories, and possible distractions so my
true voice could come through and be heard.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
This is
an interesting question. I suppose some would say when my poetry was published
for the first time. That was quickly followed by a short story. Many considered
me a writer about six months into my blog, The New Author. To be completely
honest, you can disregard everything I just wrote for this question. I
considered myself a writer when I penned a poem about my dad and it was read by
the pastor at his funeral. That was the first time any of my work had ever been
shared with an audience of any kind. That poem is special is so many ways.
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Bible
would be first on this list. In regards to fictional work that influenced my
storytelling, that would be The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien,
The Shannara Series by Terry Brooks, and The Wheel of Time by the late Robert
Jordan.
What book are you reading now? What do you like, or not,
about it?
This is
an exciting time for me because I am a beta reader for J. Thorn’s current
novel. I consider it a privilege to be in a group that gets the opportunity to
read a novel first and provide helpful feedback. It is still a work in progress
but he has a really good story developing with this one.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
LOL,
there is a large number of up and coming authors in MuseItUp Publishing. As I
mentioned above, J. Thorn is another to watch for.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
A large
number of people told me a portion of my life would make for a great book. That
planted the seed but during that time I was writing in a journal and I noticed
that some of my entries had a rhythm to it. I played around with it until
poetry came forth. Regarding novels and short stories, that came about when my
son constantly asked me to tell him stories of when I was young while we went
on family walks. My wife suggested that I write those down. In a way I have,
they are incorporated in my novels.
What do you do when you’re
not writing/editing or thinking about writing/editing?
Oh I do the normal husband, handy man stuff around
the house. I play basketball and I’m a Cub Scout leader for my son’s pack. I
read and watch movies. I enjoy gardening (especially the eating part of it).
Did I mention that I have a full time job as a Civil Engineer? Yea, that keeps
me busy during the week.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was
it?
Absolutely!
I learned that I can, indeed, write a complete novel. That is an accomplishment
in itself. I also learned what I am strong at writing and what I need to work
on. I noticed my voice and where it can be heard the loudest and weakest. All
these things help me improve my craft while writing the next novel. I don’t
think I will ever stop learning about my writing.
Do
you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
First, thank you for reading Born of
Blood! Second, get ready because there is more from SB Knight just over the
horizon.
Any special appearances or
events coming up that you want to mention?
May 30th I will be on the Scifi/fantasy
writer blog talk radio show. From July 2 through July 6 I will be conducting a
week long blog event on The Vampire Book Realm website. I will have other dates
that you can find out about on my website.
Who is your publisher and
how did you connect with them?
My publisher is MuseItUp Publishing. I first
connected with Lea during her online writer’s conference a few years ago. I
admit to lurking in the shadows for the first 10 or so months she started the
publishing company to see what was going to happen. I saw really good things
and wanted to be a part of it.
How can we find you? Website,
Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc. - please share your public links.
Website - http://www.sb-knight.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FansofSBK
Twitter - @thenewauthor
EXCERPT:
Born
of Blood
Book
One of the Blood Chronicles
Chapter
One
~Year
1573~
The rider’s head
swiveled as she searched the hillside for any sign of pursuit. Wet mud flew
high in the air from her horse’s hoofs as they thundered down the rutted trail.
She shifted her eyes for a split second to look at the bundle snugly bound
against her midsection.
“Just a little
further now,” she whispered.
The cold night air
whistled past her ears, but sweat continued over her brow. The barren trees
reached out with their finger-like limbs, threatening to rip her off her mount.
At the last second, she swerved her horse down a side path. A glimmer of light
in the distance called to her, and a burst of speed brought the weary rider to
a ramshackle farmhouse with a single light glowing from a lone window.
The
smoke from the fire was a welcoming sign of warmth as she approached the door.
A soft knock, and it cracked opened. An old woman gazed beyond the traveler’s
shoulder for a moment until she stepped aside and waved her in.
“You sure you
weren’t followed girl?” a gray-haired man asked from a seat in the corner next
to the fire.
“Yes, I’m sure,” the
rider replied as she dropped her saddlebag on the table.
The old woman shut
and latched the door. “Now, Pa, leave her be. She’s been on a long ride.”
“Well, if’n she
was followed, it will be for naught.”
“I said I wasn’t
followed.”
Pa stared at the
girl for a moment and nodded before repacking his pipe with tobacco. “Then move
over here to the fire and warm your bones.” He indicated the hearth.
Elizabeth stood
close to it and absorbed the warmth into her stiff fingers. As she warmed, she
removed her hat, scarf, and cloak, but the bundled blanket remained against her
midsection. I hope I’m doing the right
thing. She turned to the old couple.
“I know this is a
burden on you. There are some supplies in the saddlebag. It’s not much, but it
will last a few days.”
“That witch has
done enough horror in these parts, so it’s the least we can do.” Pa spat.
“Well, let’s have
a look,” requested Ma.
Elizabeth detached
the bundle and handed it to her. With experienced hands, she pulled back a
portion of the blanket. The angelic face of a sleeping baby girl greeted her.
“Oh, isn’t she darlin’.”
Ma cooed at the babe. “Come look, Pa.”
Pa moved around
the table and stared at the baby.
“I’d say that’s a
baby, all right.” With that, he moved back to his seat.
“Never you mind
him. I know him like my own hand, and he loves this little bundle already.”
Elizabeth gave a
slight smile. “I knew she would do well here, but mind the countess will never
stop looking for her once she figures things out.”
“You think she
will?” Ma asked.
Elizabeth bundled
up for the journey back. “I’m positive,” she exclaimed as she walked out into
the night.
Very nice interview. You seem to be what I call a no nonsense author, Mr. Knight. You write because you love it. I am with you on the Lord of the Rings. I am interested to know your thoughts on Game of Thrones. Keep up the good work and I adore the cover.
ReplyDeleteViviane
http://www.vivianebrentanos.com/
Viviane - Thank you. The Game of Thrones series is an interesting one. I believe George R.R. Martin would have done even better if he had not waited so long between books. To be honest, my favorite character was Jon. I would put Martin in the same group as Jordan in that they both write with a great deal of detail. That can drag a story at times but they manage it well. What are your thoughts about Game of Thrones?
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