A short romance story I penned years back, The Red Roomis also 99 cents to download on Amazon. Please leave a review if you dive into this one. Check out Amazon here: https://bit.ly/TheRedRoomRomance
Love and work does not mix, or does it?
Rita Lane lives a double life in her day job she’s a receptionist at the prestigious Park Hotel, in London. By night her adventures begin. As a woman in her thirties she is content with her single status.
Richard Clarkson a New York based guest at the Park Hotel has firmly closed the door to romance, after a rocky marriage. As soon as Rita checks Richard into the hotel as a guest the sparks and electricity between the two begin. After hours, the day before Valentine’s Day, their paths cross in an unexpected way.
Rita and Richard’s desire for each other is on maximum. Will they cross the line to become more than just friends? Does love and work mix?
The Red Room is a steamy stand-alone short story, set in London with diverse characters that will leave you wanting more. Each story in the Romance in The City series can be read in any order, as stand-alone stories.
This little romantic suspense novella Havana Heat I penned years back is just 99 cents to download on Amazon. Please leave a review if you dive into this one. Check out Amazon here http://bit.ly/HavanaHeatRomanticSuspense
Overcoming the past is not easy, when the future seems just as scary…
Havana Heat is book one of the Romance Set in Paradise series of steamy, suspenseful, romantic stand-alone novella length stories, set in exotic locations around the world. Each story can be read in any order, as a stand-alone. Readers are transported to the paradise of Cuba’s capital Havana, following the romance and heat build between Spanish Detective Sebastian Garcia, and London born and bred wedding planner Melinda Jones.
Melinda’s path crosses with the handsome and charming Detective at Casa De Amour Hotel as a guest at her client’s exotic location wedding. Both characters are in search of a slice of paradise, away from their own troubled love life back home. Originally with different agendas, once their paths cross the romance and sizzle begins. After all hell breaks out at Casa De Amour Hotel, conflict builds over Sebastian’s past, both characters are faced with a decision to take a risk and see out their romance, or walk away. Forever asking themselves what could have been with their chances of love. Sebastian and Melinda both grow as individuals from their encounter in Havana, following a few bumps along the way they find the real meaning of love. Romance, thrills and excitement await in book one of this romance series set in paradise.
Just 99 cents still on Amazon, book one of the Unsolved Mysteries series, The Note. Please leave a review, if you dive into this one. Check it out here on Amazon: https://bit.ly/TheNoteUnsolvedMystery
Everyone has a motive for murder when there’s money on the table. But whose story is more plausible?
In seventy-two hours, Detectives Idris Dunne and Josh McDonald close in on an unsolved murder case with the help of mysterious notes.
One of London’s wealthy entrepreneurs was diagnosed with cancer, and became estranged from his wife of thirty years Manisha. Unknown to her, his mistress Chelsea Jackson was slowly sinking her claws into her husband. But that’s not all his mistress was up to. Unexpectedly Tony’s mutilated body is found dumped in a park. Everyone has a motive especially when money is on the table, and his wife Manisha, and their adult children were cut out of his will and replaced by his mistress Chelsea.
Was this an act of kindness from Tony, toward his carer and mistress? Or was there foul play and pressure to change his will by Chelsea? What about his murderer? The case was left unsolved, with lack of evidence.
Mystery notes are sent by an anonymous tip off, Detective Dunne and McDonald re-investigate and piece together the mystery surrounding the entrepreneur’s death, and what led him to change his Last Will in Testament. The question is, from all suspects whose story is more plausible?
Thunder erupted violently in a loud roar off in the distance. The sound was so ferocious that it shook the earth miles below. Surely, the Gods were beyond angry with man and they chose tonight to act out their vengeance. Nickel-sized raindrops pelted every surface, assaulting everything in its path, having no consideration for anything or anyone. He stood still, buried deep within his own thoughts as the raindrops pummeled against his body. His eyes transfixed on a sight only he could see. A vision, a place and time, only he remembered. Dirt Bag’s body was nearly frozen due to the cold, rain, and wind. Yet, he was oblivious to his present perils. He was lost in a self-made time capsule from hell. The gruesome acts that took place inside the house he watched would forever haunt his young mind. The images that would fester and give birth to a predator. Unresolved pain would breed and groom the predator into something that even the predators of the night feared. An Apex Predator!
After staring for a long time, Dirt Bag blinked, and his vision focused on the present. The image of the outside of the house in front of him replaced the horrors being chained like a rabid animal and tortured like a prisoner of war. For the first time, Dirt Bag noticed the rain drops as they hit his goose-bumped riddled body. The wild wind bit his exposed flesh and only now did it register in his mind. Slowly, a smile formed and spread across his face. A sinister look formed in his eyes. Had someone walked by at that exact moment, that look would put the fear of God into them. They were the malevolent eyes of someone with a bloodlust. They were the eyes of the Devil. They were the eyes of Dirt Bag.
This tale of forbidden love begins when Askari is released from the California’s Youth Authority after six long gruesome years. No day on earth has been better than today…. His eighteenth birthday. Not only is he free but he is off all paperwork which means no probation. Not only this, but he has the finest cougar in California on his team. Her name is Anastasia. Life isn’t all lovey-dovey for all though. San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Dickerson, Anastasia’s ex-husband gives new meaning to stalking. High tech spying and harassment is only the beginning. When his stalking leads to the attempted murder of Anastasia after Deputy Dickerson violently, physically, and sexually assaults her. Revenge lands young Askari in jail fighting for his life and his freedom when he nearly kills Deputy Dickerson in public. The couples love will constantly be tested as Anastasia fights for her life in a hospital while Askari fights for his. All the while Deputy Dickerson who eluded custody is a fugitive running free. No longer is he out to win his wife back, he’s out for blood as he continues to stalk Anastasia. The young couple learns firsthand that Love Is Not Supposed To Hurt…..If It’s Meant To Be
The word of the day I got randomly from the dictionary is ‘Amethyst’ I was excited to stop on this word today. According to the dictionary: a violet or purple precious stone.
How and Why Did I Start to Love and Collect Crystals?
Well, I liked the way that they looked first of all, there are so many different types. This is what drew me into the world of crystals. I think I got my first one which was a Rose Quartz, as a teenager. I was recommended it by a tarot reader I saw at the time. Looking back, I valued her input as what she ‘read on the cards’ did actually come to fruition in my life, she was not wrong. I maybe was in my teens around this time, and since then I have not looked back. I like to also collect books on them too. I also joined about maybe a year ago a subscription club for crystal lovers, you’re sent a bunch of random crystals and information on them each month. And it’s so inexpensive. This has really helped me to grow my collection, I just adore them!
Second, not only that I like that these natural things from the earth hold ‘energy’ that can be very beneficially to a person, their body, their life, or even help with healing. Amethyst is one of my favourites because it’s my birthstone being February born. Also, the energy that Amethyst stones hold really resonates with me. They are protective stones that transmute negative energy and dissolve it, they enhance the ability to connect with the ‘higher self’, enhance meditation, they are classed as a natural ‘high vibration’ crystal. Meaning they are powerful!
How Do I Use Amethyst Stones?
I have them all over my house, placed in certain areas based on Feng Shui to offer protection, I also sleep with one under my pillow. I find that the energy of this stone really resonates with me personally, it helps me to feel calm and clear headed. I also have one on a neckless that I wear also.
I do have a few ‘strange’ experiences that I have had with crystals though. I have had a few over the years just go missing, as in disappear into thin air. I could not work out what happened, why it happened, or where they were. To this day I have still not found them. When I researched this, I found that in the metaphysical and spiritual world, they say crystals ‘go missing’ when their work with you is done. Or you no longer need that crystal’s energy, or even if the crystal itself needs a break from you LOL. I found the latter reason so funny, like a crystal has had enough of me? What did I do?
I did relace the ones that disappeared with new ones of the same kind, and they didn’t disappear. So, I can only imagine that the ones that did, had indeed ‘had enough of me.’
Overall, the word Amethyst for this ‘just me and my thoughts’ blog challenge,means a lot to me, it is astrologically a representation of me, it is a stone that I find pretty, and I love the healing properties that it is said to have for the mind, body, and soul. To me it is a very precious stone as per the definition, and it’s one that I will always be in possession of, and have around the home, or wear on me.
Do you like crystals? Do you like Amethyst? What do you think when you hear this word?
It feels really good to be back on my blog. Maybe you’ve noticed that it’s been a while since I’ve made a ‘personal’ appearance, and blogged about anything random-ish that’s not book related. Well, it’s the turn of a new season, some say, ‘fall’, if you’re British like me you’ll refer to it as ‘autumn.’ Over the last two seasons of spring and summer for me, it’s been hell-ish! LOL. Both in good and not so good ways. This is what has led to the slow down on personal blogs, and just random thoughts being shared in this space I started over five years ago.
Clearly, the pandemic is still with us and I am still home-schooling, which is going really well. So, this has taken up a lot of my time. Not only that I had some deadlines to meet for turning around manuscripts to my publisher, I really had to focus. Which was hard, as my mum also passed away in the spring.
But with the new turn of a season, such as fall they say that this is the season that we look back, and harvest for the coming winter. I love this season, and one thing I love about it is walking in the park, with the leaves crunching under my feet, and the change of colours in nature. I also love the change in fashion, make-up, and ‘winter sunshine’ those beautiful days when it’s not hot, or cold, it’s ‘fresh’ with bright sun.
So, this morning when I woke up with the urge to write, but not write fictional work or even creatively, my urge was to blog and ‘just write.’ I asked myself, ‘what can I blog about?’ if was almost as if I had forgotten the how to blog, I needed some serious inspiration.
 I have a mounting of writing prompt books, which I’ve used before, and they have all been a great source of inspiration. Hell, I have even included writing prompts in my own book 365 Days of Writing Prompts For Romance Writers.  Today, these books I have turned to where not so much of a source of inspiration though. As I was scrubbing my kitchen tiles and cleaning the kitchen it came to me, grab the dictionary! Flick through starting from the letter A the word I stop on, write about that. Random or what, right? So I did, I stopped on the word Amethyst. Which funny enough is my birth stone, and one of my favourite crystals! (I collect them). Also, the word Adversity. Which is pretty relevant to us all, with all that’s going on right now. I had the urge today to just write, not creatively but naturally and reflectively. These two words were my writing prompts to ‘just write about’ for the day. I will try as we move through the last two seasons of 2021, get back into my habit of random writing and reflecting using the dictionary for inspiration. I’m not even sure what I can call this challenge I set myself? Maybe something like, ‘word of the week’ I don’t know, it will work itself out randomly LOL.
So back to the change of season, this is another reason why I’ve decided to try and go back to blogging. When I started this blog way back in around 2015/2016 I had no idea how to blog, or what I wanted to use it for. All I knew back them was ‘that’s what authors do’ so I started. And since we’re in the season of looking back and reflecting at what has been achieved or not achieved yet, here’s my list of reflection as we enter autumn:
This blog has been going since 2015/16 and I have had a lot of fun along the way. I have found some fantastic bloggers too. I really feel like I enjoy just writing, whatever comes to mind, promoting other authors and great reads, and doing book reviews. This I have been pretty consistent with and don’t plan to change that. So looking back, in order to look forward I wish to keep going with that.
I really do miss the WordPress writing prompts that they used to publish years back! I would do them each day, and that’s what really pushed me to do ‘random writing.’ But, since they are no longer here, I plan to try this new challenge with the dictionary, moving forward.
This year 2021 has been just as testing for me personally as 2020 was, mainly due to the pandemic. But even under all this stress, change, upset, loss, grief, sadness, and worry at times great things have come to light. Looking back firstly over the nine months of 2021 I have written and had published three full unsolved mystery novels: The Note, The Red Light Girls, and ‘Till Death Do Us Part. I loved every moment of the writing, research, and editing of these books. For me, in the space of about nine-ten months that’s a lot to have done, given that life has been so up and down. I am working on a Christmas themed mystery if I can get it penned in time for the season! I imagine this will be more of a short story, so stay tuned for that.
During this first nine months of this year, I’ve also managed to pen a short memoir, following the death of my mum. My Mum and Me, Messages From Beyond The Grave, felt like something I just had to write, and it flowed so naturally it took me no time to write it.
I’ve learned that acceptance is something I need to work with more. And by this I have learned that, sometimes you can only work with the situation you’re in, or ‘play the hand of cards you have’ as my mum would have said. We can make plans, have ideas, or even feel like things are set in stone when really nothing is! Things can change, which I am sure you’ve also experienced, over the pandemic and maybe even before this. I have learned to accept this, and embrace change as sometimes it really is for the better, even if at the time it seems stressful.
This year I have for sure become a lot more in touch with things like nature, the outdoors, going within, and doing inner reflections. Largely as for many months access to the outdoors was cut off during long ‘lock-downs’ and social distancing rules in place here in Europe. I’ve always really liked the outdoors and being there, but over the past nine months I have come to value it to the point where, I feel like I need to live by water, always and forever! At the moment I do, and I am fortunate, but I feel like I would like to live nearer to the beach—the ocean. I have found that, on those days when we were allowed out the house for an hour or so for fresh air, and restricted to only moving within something crazy like 10kms (which is about say 6 miles) from your home, during lockdowns that the water or local natural lake near me became a real source of happiness for me and my family. Just to be out there, sitting by it, dipping our feet in it, and even swimming in it. I now value nature so much more. Which is a big realisation for me as I was born and bred in London, I’m a ‘big city girl’, I’m used to seeing nothing but a ton of concreate surrounding me, and had been perfectly happy with that! Until I moved, around four years ago, then the pandemic happened, and outdoors was closed LOL, then I really valued nature more than I ever have in my life even as a ‘big city girl.’
I managed to complete a yoga teacher’s training course and pass with a distinction this year! And that has been mainly due to lockdowns and being at home. LOL, I found myself on my Yoga mat more and thought, hey why not do this for fun and see what I learn. I loved it, so much so that I’m doing the next level now. While I am not as flexible as I would love to be ( yet), it has been the process of going through the training, from my own living room, and connecting with others around the world that has really been a source of joy. For years, I have loved yoga. My first class I did when I was around nineteen years old. That was almost twenty years ago, now I do the maths … yikes! For me it’s the balance that I feel it brings to life, me, and how much better I feel once I have done a session that keeps me going back to it. Even if I stop for well over a year, I always have returned. I love Vinyasa style yoga so the more dynamic, powerful yoga that focuses on flowing from one pose to the other, rather than slow breathing and holding poses that’s gentler.
I think generally on reflection during the first nine months of the year, looking back at this turning point of seasons and getting ready to ‘harvest’ for winter. I have generally become a much more rounded person with a lot more discernment. I didn’t think that was possible, I thought I had a lot of discernment already. But I think spending so much time at home, observing the world from my sofa via the BBC World News service, documentaries, and even conspiracy theories (yes I do watch those documentaries also, I like to be in the know), this has allowed me to really be able to develop discernment. I now no longer believe everything I am told, I will go out and look for myself, even more than I did before. I’ve also become more empathetic as a person, which I didn’t think was possible as I had a lot of empathy before this pandemic! But seeing what other nations are experiencing really does that to you.
My major learning point over the last nine months about life is, as I’ve been reading some incredible nonfiction books the one thing that has struck me is: life really is for living. We all have dreams, goals, and desires and these are for a reason. As long as these dreams and goals are things that bring us joy, they are ‘divinely given’ as they say, and it’s really down to us to act on them. If we don’t we can never truly be happy or our authentic self. And not worry how we will achieve them, instead just take small steps towards them, and enjoy the process. With so much death, sadness, and upset surrounding our lives ‘limiting beliefs’ to quote the author Mike Dooley from his book I read Infinite possibilities, we really need to remove them, as these are what hold us back from being the best version of ourselves, or even achieving what’s in our heart. It’s a really deep book and I enjoyed it very much in audio and paperback. It’s something that I recommend that everyone reads along with The Alchemist which I read during the pandemic, to keep my spirits up!
I’ve also learned to let go! Of what no longer serves you and stresses you. I really thought I had this down and this was how I was as a person. But looking back at this turning point of seasons, boy have I learned this, this year and last year. There have been a few things I have had to let go of, not because they were bad for me it was just time to move on. One was a friendship and connection. It was just too one-sided, one was a toxic family member that I really can’t seem to reason with. People, places, situations, things, old chapters of our lives that we hold onto for whatever reason, sometimes really need to be let go of. Only then when we do and look back, and see progress in our mind-set, direction, or even how much more lighter we feel can we realised that ‘ that really needed to be let go of’ only once it’s done!
So, what are you looking back on as your achievement? As we move into this new turn of season, and get ready to harvest for the winter. Now is a time to go within, the autumn equinox from what I read is a very significant in many religious, spiritual belief systems, astrologically, and just timing wise due to the point of year it marks. In autumn, things die and fall away, so it’s a time to let go of that no longer serves you also! For me I am letting go of limiting beliefs that I didn’t even realise that I had, that’s for sure. What about you? Leave a comment let me know.
From enemies to lovers two lonely hearts become one with a heart warming twist…Not Just For Christmas is book #2 of the Romance in The City series of stand-alone, novella length, romantic, steamy stories set in fast paced cities all around the world.
Readers are taken on a romantic journey set in London, during the festive season following two characters originally opposed to each other fall in love. There’s enough warmth and sensuality to keep readers warm at any time of year.As Christmas draws near thirty five year old social worker Ava Green, finds herself desperate to not be alone at her favourite time of year. Following the break up of her engagement earlier in the year, Ava has spent ten months on a mission to get over her ex. With the support of her two closest girlfriends Tasha and Marie, Ava makes a bold move that surprises her girlfriends in order to find a companion for the festive season. Ava’s path crosses with tall dark and handsome Detective Jerome Samuels, an older man and a divorcee in search of love, the sad thing is Ava can’t stand him. Once their paths cross after a few bumps along the way there’s no turning back, these two characters are caught up in a whirlwind of sensual and heart warming romance, once they settle their differences. A love affair that Detective Jerome Samuels hopes is not just for Christmas, he’s on a mission to claim his lady Ava.
Would you risk a second chance, 4,000 miles away in paradise?
Note: Characters in this book speak broken English, this is reflected. Ebonic language use is intentional, the author has not ‘corrected’ or ‘adjusted’ this to suit ‘perfect English’ language, when this does not reflect the true character.
Chances, A Puerto Rican Love Affair is book three of the Romance Set In Paradise Series. Of romantic, steamy and suspenseful stand-alone novella length stories, all set in exotic locations around the world. Each one can be read as a stand-alone book.
Thirty-one year old Gabby from Barcelona, Spain has a love for the finer things in life including successful men. She finds herself in need of a change of scene. Opportunity knocks when the European company she works for as a successful estate agent, selling properties to elite clientele expand. Giving her the chance to take a one month work sabbatical, in the beautiful vibrant Caribbean island Puerto Rico. She snaps up the chance to leave Europe behind. Here her path crosses with thirty-five year old Puerto Rican born Mateo Sanchez. A former ‘bad boy’ turned entrepreneur. They touch each other on a physical and soul level, the two become connected. Thing is, while the passion, heat and romance builds between the two, the pair’s love affair becomes caught up in a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal from the past.
Mateo and Gabby fight hard for their blossoming relationship, and against the drama that keeps following them. But there are decisions and sacrifices to make if they are really going to make it work. There’s nothing that Mateo won’t do to show his growing admiration for Gabby, even when the police get involved and he’s in the hot seat. His hand is forced he’s pushed to make moves he promised he would never do again, due to past events and to move forward with Gabby. Gabby is faced with the decision over what sacrifices she’ll make, and where she really sees her future. Back in Spain, London or 4,000 miles away in Puerto Rico. Romance, soul mate connection, heat, lies, betrayal and brushes with the law await readers in this exciting multicultural ‘second chance’ romance.
Yep, I am as serious as a heart attack about this one, I recently went over some of my old work, if you remember I said I found a short story on an old USB from around 2019. Love Lost and Found, which is currently on pre-order for an October release for just 99 cents.
As I’ve added it to the ‘Romance in the City’ series I was writing way back in probably between 2015-2017, I went over The Red Room, the first short story in this series. I pondered re-writing it as I read it, as I could see how six years after I wrote this short story how the style of storytelling I naturally have has adapted, given I wrote it around 2015.  It was part of a romance anthology originally back in about 2016. And when the publisher asked us if we want to take back our rights to our work,  once the project was over, I said, ‘yes please’ and self-published it back in the day just in an e-book. So, nope I’ve not changed the story plot as I love it, I always will, I had so much fun with it, it’s a rather steamy romance. But I did adapt my style of writing. I also placed it in the past tense and changed some of the character’s points of views. The big excitement is this short story it’s being narrated as you read this, so It will be in audio also, I have a fantastic narrator, and it’s also now ( six years later finally) in paperback with a brand new cover.
If you’ve not read it, or even if you have and fancy seeing the changes, for the next two days you can directly download it here on this link: https://storyoriginapp.com/directdownloads/3443a608-74da-4c4d-9881-f34d9b241f94 for FREE. Check out the new paperback and e-book cover below, I really am in love with it.
I think todate as a writer, going back over probably one of the oldest things I have ever written really has shown me that yes, ‘growth’ and the ability as a writer to see how and where you have changed, reallly is your best friend! And it’s no lie when I have heard others say to me when I first started writing, that the more you write, and the longer you do it for naturally you really do just adapt,, grow, see how you would or would not write something, and of course get better. It really is an amazing feeling looking back more than five years.
The Red Room is now out on Amazon, in paperback and e-book and it’s only 99 cents as it’s a short romance, a really quick, steamy but enjoyable read!
Author, Kim Knight 