Myself:
I'm a Brit living in America,
married to the love of my life with two little girls. We currently live in
Idaho. A singer, writer, reader, ex-model, guitarist, professional mermaid,
publisher, scuba-diver, gymnast, rodeo queen, horse rider, swimmer, actor,
poet, - you could say I've lived a few lives!
My writing:
My writing always tends to have a
touch of fantasy in it. I hope that my readers are able to escape their
daily lives & become involved with my characters. If I can wrap them up in
my world & they've enjoyed it, I have been successful!
How did your mermaiding come about & how has it
influenced your writing?
My first three books (Fins, Fathom, Forever) were a
trilogy about mer-folk. I've loved mermaids since I was five when I saw Splash! I wanted to encourage readers to
bring their children to my book signings and thought it might be a good idea to
have a mermaid there. After the first year of book signings I thought
"What better way to live out my dream of being a mermaid then to mermaid
on the side and promote my books at the same time?" It grew from there and
soon I was working with aquariums and water parks and opened a business as The
Mermaid Lady.
My latest published book is FALWYN, a contemporary fantasy fiction
tale:
When Dad decides to get in touch
with his inner hippy and move from the bustling city of LA to the sticks of
Northern Idaho, Lara Dupree resigns herself to a fate worse than death. But a
freak encounter introduces the mysterious Draven who is anything but normal and
Lara is thrust into a dangerous reality where legends are real, omens become
fact and nothing is ever what it seems. Pushed beyond anything she has ever
experienced, Lara discovers an inner strength far surpassing her expectations
and with it, grave consequences. With the balance of several worlds dangling
about them, the two are forced to make decisions that will change them forever.
Will everything Lara loves be sacrificed, or will her life become the fairytale
she so desperately desires?
What inspired you to become a writer, and what is one of the
things that surprised you most in the process?
My mother inspired me to write at a
very young age. It was her enthusiasm & support that helped me pursue my
passions.
My first book was quickly accepted
by the very first publishing company I contacted. I was surprised that anyone
thought my writing was good enough to be published! I honestly didn't believe
that I would become a published author. The fact that people still buy
those first few books is, of course, fantastic and such a compliment, but I'm
still surprised every day!
What is one of the most challenging or difficult lessons
you’ve learned as an author?
I welcome constructive criticism but
when it is blatantly obvious that someone has not read my book and still writes
a review, I take it personally. It is very difficult for me to separate myself
from that.
Name one of your novels and list five words that best
describe it.
Fins:
descriptive, beautiful, exciting, magical & fun!
What’s one novel that you’ve read and enjoyed, and has
stayed with you? Why do you believe it has?
London Macabre
by Steven Savile.
It is beautifully written -
sumptuous and dripping with the most descriptive scenes - it completely sucked
me in and every time I read it I find myself transported away. It is one of my
favorite books.
What can readers expect from you in the future?
I am also co-authoring a book with a
dear friend of mine. Five - a thriller about a soldier returning from
Afghanistan will be next & after that, there are children's books lined
up.
Checkmate Press will be accepting
submissions in the Spring.
Thank you for the taking the time to answer my questions, Ashley.
Thank you for a fun interview!
Below is a list of places you can find out more about Ashley
Knight and her works:
Links:
Haven't heard of these books, but they sound intriguing! And how cool that the author was a mermaid on the side to help promote her books. Very creative!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. Hope you have a great February!
Yes, working as a mermaid, pretty neat.
DeleteAnd I enjoy popping into your posts and see what's going on.
Hope you have a good month too!