I am thrilled to be hosting my good friend and all-round fabulous lady, Alison Knight on my blog today! Alison and I met through the Romantic Novelist Association around seven years ago and have spent a lot of time together at writerly and non-writerly events ever since. Her career is going from strength to strength and I am so damn proud of her. Let's kick off with my questions. Welcome, lovely lady!
1. What did you want to be when you grew up?
First, I wanted to be a teacher. But then ‘O’ levels arrived and I went right
off school! I was also keen to become an
actress – in my teens I was involved in a couple of drama groups and even a
light operatic society! My biggest roles
included Alice in Wonderland, a caveman called Yog (it was an all-girls
school), and the Wife of Bath from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. I was never star material though, so I left
school at 16 and did a business course at college, and ended up training to be
a Legal Executive. Decades later, I’m
finally a teacher. I run courses in
Creative Writing at Wiltshire College, and love every minute of it.
2. Tea, coffee or hot chocolate?
I’m unable to drink coffee without being ill – which was
rather awkward a few years ago, when I had to go on a trip to Honduras to meet
coffee farmers. They were very sweet
about it, but I felt really bad, having to refuse their homegrown brews. I
enjoy the occasional cup of builder’s tea, but usually stick to mint or rooibos
teas. For a treat, it’s a soya hot
chocolate every time! Goodness, that
makes me sound really fussy, but I’m not – honest!
3. What genre do you typically read? Why?
I used to read only romantic fiction, but in recent years
I’ve broadened my horizons and read all sorts of fiction. For example, on holiday recently I read
thrillers, contemporary romances, crime, YA and historicals, as well as some
non-fiction as research for books I plan to write. I look for interesting stories that engage
me, whatever the genre. That’s one of
the best things that came out of studying creative writing at university – I
was encouraged to read lots of genres, and found that I like a wide range of
fiction. It’s also helped me to write in
more than genre – I write romance as Alison Rose, and YA time-slip adventures
as Alison Knight.
4. Share a favourite childhood memory.
I grew up in South-east London, on the edge of
Blackheath. I have wonderful memories of
sunny days on the common – sailing a toy boat on one of the ponds; flying a
kite with my Dad; and having a ride on one of the donkeys that could be found
by the entrance to Greenwich Park.
Happy, carefree days!
5. Do you have any shameless addictions?
Several! The
strongest are books and chocolate. Nuff
said.
6. What do you think is the biggest challenge of writing a
new book?
Getting the first chapter right. Until I’m happy with the beginning of the
book, I can’t go further. Once I’m
satisfied that the start is right, I’m off and running.
7. Do you aim for a
set amount of words/pages a day?
I would love to, but I have a day-job that involves irregular
hours and quite a bit of travel; plus I teaching evening classes; and I also
have a husband who likes to have some of my attention occasionally. I write when I can, for as long as I can. Some days that produces several thousand
words, but on other days I write nothing.
It’s not ideal, and I dream of the time when I can focus on writing
full-time.
8. What are your thoughts on writing a book series?
I love the idea! In
fact, I have created plots for at least two books following the stories of
characters from my second novel, Rescue
Me, and intend to write those soon. I’m
also in the middle of writing the next book in the series of my YA time-slip
adventures (the first being Rosie Goes to
War) featuring Rosie and her eccentric family. I’m planning several more books in that
series.
Bio:
Born in London in 1959, Alison lives in Wiltshire with her
husband. She has two grown up children and two grandchildren. She has worked as a legal executive, a
registered child-minder and a fundraiser, and is currently a regional legacy
officer for an overseas development charity.
She also teaches Creative Writing at Wiltshire College.
In 2011 she was awarded a first class honours degree in
Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, and followed this with a master’s
degree at Oxford Brookes University in 2014.
She has travelled extensively, including treks in China, Spain, Egypt,
and Israel; and charity work in Thailand and Honduras. She writes romance novels as Alison Rose, and
YA time-slip adventures as Alison Knight.
My website: www.alisonroseknight.com
Link to Amazon to buy Rosie Goes to War: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosie-Goes-War-Alison-Knight/dp/1783752513/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1464718212&sr=1-1
Blurb:
Stuck at her gran's house all summer with nothing to do,
fifteen-year-old Rosie goes searching through some old junk and comes across a
mysterious suitcase. It's full of vintage-style clothes, but when Rosie tries
them on she finds herself suddenly flung back into the same house in war-torn
London. With no idea of how she got there or how she can get back, she is soon
caught up in a whirl of rationing, factory work, and dances, but comes crashing
back to reality when she realises that if she can't find her way home, she may
never be born at all ...
Link to Amazon to buy Rescue Me: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rescue-Me-Alison-Rose-ebook/dp/B00X7LE4F6/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464718446&sr=1-2&keywords=rescue+me
Blurb:
Saving a life can break your heart...
Being found under a laurel bush in the local park isn’t the best start in life. Neither is being given the name ‘Laurel Parks’ as a memento, but the girl who began like that is determined not to let it hold her back.
When a runaway lorry crashes into the restaurant where she works, Laurel is the heroine of the hour, saving the life of her favourite elderly customer. It just so happens that her favourite customer’s godson is the gorgeous and rich Daniel French.
Injured and unable to work, Daniel offers her a place to stay. Used to women throwing themselves at him, he expects Laurel to make the most of the opportunity. But Laurel remains cool and calm, resisting their growing attraction, until Daniel asks her to pose as his fiancée. It’s all just pretend, right?
Being found under a laurel bush in the local park isn’t the best start in life. Neither is being given the name ‘Laurel Parks’ as a memento, but the girl who began like that is determined not to let it hold her back.
When a runaway lorry crashes into the restaurant where she works, Laurel is the heroine of the hour, saving the life of her favourite elderly customer. It just so happens that her favourite customer’s godson is the gorgeous and rich Daniel French.
Injured and unable to work, Daniel offers her a place to stay. Used to women throwing themselves at him, he expects Laurel to make the most of the opportunity. But Laurel remains cool and calm, resisting their growing attraction, until Daniel asks her to pose as his fiancée. It’s all just pretend, right?
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