Sweet v. Steamy #Romance #Giveaway! #Books #amreading #FridayReads

A few of my favorite quotes on Haunted Souls
from review sites!

Romance readers, do you prefer sweet, steamy, or both?  We've got a giveaway with titles across the spectrum!  Up for grabs are two Grand Prize Baskets of e-books of all the titles - over 15 stories!  Plus, over 15 additional winners will win randomly selected individual titles, and there are some bonus paperbacks in the drawing as well (including a signed print copy of Haunted Souls, my steamy romance + ghost mystery).  Entering will also allow you to access the Book Fair, with links to 99c and free books!

Personally, I'll read both sweet and steamy - for me, it's all about the story.  I write both, as well.  Three of my novels, Haunted Souls, Gull Harbor, and Dangerous Currents are pretty steamy...Silver Lake is a "new adult" reunion romance + ghost mystery that's somewhere in the middle of the heat charts.  My Young Adult Paranormal Romance, Divine Fall, keeps things on the cleaner side while exploring forbidden first love, and my latest spooky novella, The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, is a closed-door romance that still delivers passion...out only a few short months, it's already been named Best Romantic Suspense on one review site, and one of the 40 Best Paranormal Romances out there on another!

So don't miss this giveaway!  Entering will add you to my mailing list, which comes out twice a month with book news and giveaways.  

Head over to the Giveaway Page to check out the titles and enter the giveaway!

Literacy Night in Dennis-Yarmouth! #CapeCod #Author Event #Books #Barnstable

Forbidden First Love and Supernatural
Secrets in DIVINE FALL

I'm excited to be a part of the upcoming celebration of reading at the Dennis-Yarmouth High School this weekend!  Discover New Worlds at the Library will take place on Friday evening, March 29th, from 5 - 7 pm.  This is a free event open to all ages and communities, and the theme of the night is Sci-Fi and Outer Space (costumes optional!).

I will be part of the Author Panel, answering questions and signing books.  While my books aren't considered Science Fiction, I do home my stories take readers to new worlds...including some supernatural worlds, as most of my novels have paranormal elements.  Since this is a school-sponsored event, I'll be highlighting my Young Adult novel, DIVINE FALL, which is an award-winning Paranormal Romance featuring revenge, romance, and a rogue fallen angel.  If you've never heard of the half-human, half angel Nephilim, check out the book's blurb below!  

Some of the other exhibits and guests!

I'm excited to see some of my Cape author friends at this event - at the table with me will be K.R. Conway, author of the Urban Fantasy series UNDERTOW, Mick Carlon, author of GIRL SINGER and other books featuring history and music, and Jim Hill, author of an upcoming graphic novel.  So there will be plenty of new worlds to visit, both fictional and real!

Join us from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the Dennis Yarmouth High School, 210 Station Ave., South Yarmouth.

If you're nowhere near Cape Cod, you can still check out the titles by following the links!  DIVINE FALL is available on Kindle, Nook, and iTunes for only 99 cents!  Check out the blurb below, and hope to see Cape Codders on Friday night!

After tragedy tears Jamie Brandt’s life apart, her only goal is to finish high school so she can leave her small hometown behind.  In the meantime, riding her horse is her main source of solace, until a mysterious stable hand shows up at the barn.  There’s something not quite right about the handsome new employee, and the more Jamie sees of him, the more determined she becomes to figure out what he’s hiding.

Dothan Reed came to historic Huntsville, Maryland, for one reason—revenge.  But his plan can’t move forward until he finds the missing piece he needs to enhance his powers.  As the only surviving Nephilim, Dothan is not only weaker than full-blooded angels; his forbidden lineage makes him an outcast in both worlds.  When he discovers Jamie is the key to locating an ancient weapon, he’s forced to interact with a vulnerable human girl—a task that becomes more appealing with each encounter.

Jamie soon learns Dothan isn’t the only one with a dark secret.  Each new revelation further threatens her safety, and Dothan’s betrayal shatters her heart.  Forgiving him seems impossible, but the thought of turning her back on him is equally painful.

As their connection deepens, Dothan will have to make his own difficult choice: continue on his path of vengeance, or protect the girl he loves.  And when Dothan’s actions thrust Jamie into an unforeseen danger, he must seek the help of his enemy…or risk losing her forever.   

I'm on the List! Top 40 #Paranormal #Romance #Books! #FridayReads #amreading #PNR

The Haunting of Hillwood Farm has had an exciting few months since its release!  This title is my latest romantic suspense/ghost mystery, and it first released in November as part of a Romantic Thrillers Box Set (Love Under Fire), and the set hit the USA TODAY Bestseller list at #44!  My story was then reviewed at N.N. Light's Book Heaven, and it ended up winning Best Romantic Suspense of 2018 on their site.  Since the box set was a limited edition, this title was re-released as a stand-alone a few months ago, in January.  Because it's part of the Kindle Unlimited Program, it was free on Kindle for a few days in early March, and it hit #1 in three categories on Amazon!

I managed to screen cap the exciting moment!

This week, I received an email letting me know The Haunting of Hillwood Farm was chosen as one of Reedsy's 40+ Paranormal Romances with Bite, which is their compilation of "40 of the best paranormal books out there."  What a thrill to see my name on the same list as hugely popular authors such as Nora Roberts, Karen Marie Moning, J.R. Ward, Nalini Singh, Laurell K. Hamilton, Ilona Andrews...just to name a few.  The list is full of well-known and well-loved authors, and I'm humbled to be on it.  

If you're a fan of Paranormal Romance and/or Romantic Suspense, check out the list here and see if there are some titles you've missed that catch your interest!  You can find The Haunting of Hillwood Farm on Kindle or in print on Amazon, and the audio book is currently in production!  I also have some steamier romance + ghost mysteries available, including Gull Harbor, Haunted Souls, and Silver Lake.  

Now, I'm off to dive into the titles on the list that I haven't read yet!  Happy Reading!

The History of St. Patricks Day ~ #StPatricksDay #StPatricksDay2019

Look at this adorable cup of clover my girlfriend gave
me for St. Patrick's Day!  So cute.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  These past few years, St. Patrick's Day has taken on a little more meaning for me, after I got my DNA results back and discovered I have a lot more Irish blood in me than I thought!  I did know I had a Sullivan on my father's side of the family a few generations back, but the results say I'm 61% British and Irish.  I've always enjoyed taking part in the holiday fun--wearing green, drinking beer, and serving a traditional Irish meal. You'll notice I said "serving", not "cooking"...cooking is not one of my strengths; however, writing is.  So rather than offering a recipe, I'm dedicating this blog post to some facts about St. Patrick and his holiday.

As a teenager, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates and taken from his home country of Great Britain to Ireland as a slave.  A rough start, for sure, but although he escaped after six years and returned home, eventually he went back to Ireland as a cleric.  The exact dates of his life are uncertain, but it is generally agreed that Patrick was an active missionary in Ireland during the second half of the 5th century.  He was also an ordained Bishop and eventually became the primary patron saint of Ireland.  St. Patrick's Day became an official Christian Feast Day in the early 17th century, observed on March 17th, the date of Patrick's death.

The day not only commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, it also celebrates Irish culture and heritage. There are parades and festivals to mark the occasion, as well as religious services.  Because the church lifts Lenten restrictions for the day, drinking alcohol has become a custom associated with St. Patrick's Day.

The shamrock as a symbol comes from legends involving St. Patrick using the three-leafed plant to describe the Holy Trinity--the concept of three persons in one God. Obviously, shamrocks are green, but the phrase "The Wearing of the Green" comes from an Irish ballad of the same name.  The song refers to the persecution of those who supported the 1798 rebellion against British rule. The lyrics state, "They are hanging men and women for the wearing of the green" - the color adopted by the revolutionary United Irishmen.

Some stories credit St. Patrick with driving all the snakes from Ireland; however, all scientific evidence suggests no snakes ever existed on the Emerald Isle to begin with.  Another legend related to a serpent involves St. Patrick killing a large serpent in a lake, thus turning the water red with blood and creating the name "Red Lake" or Lough Derg.  It is said that God showed St. Patrick a cave or pit on an island in the lake, revealing the spot as an entrance to Purgatory.  St. Patrick's Purgatory is now an ancient pilgrimage site which still draws pilgrims annually.

Upon his death, the struggle over possession of the saintly corpse gave rise to the Battle for the Body of St. Patrick (according to the Annals of the Four Masters - chronicles of medieval Irish history).  He is said to be buried along with St. Brigid and St. Columbia at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, but this has never been proven.

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day, and thanks for stopping by!

P.S. This year, I get to wear *this* green for the first time!  Woo hoo! --------->

The Haunting of Hillwood Farm hit #1! #Ghosts #Paranormal #Romance #Kindle #books

#1 in Paranormal Ghost Romance and Psychic Romance,
and The Haunting of Hillwood Farm also hit #1 in that
third category Paranormal Suspense that weekend!

A big thank you to everyone who took advantage of the Kindle Free Days for my latest release, The Haunting of Hillwood Farm!  The amount of downloads drove the title to #1 in two categories on Amazon in the free store, and with so many books out there, that's a big deal, even in the Free Store!  I hope everyone grabbed a copy enjoys the story...and if you missed the free days, no worries--there will be another opportunity in the next few months.  And next month, Dangerous Currents will be available for free (along with about 40 other Romantic Suspense titles!), so if you want to make sure you get the details, you can sign up for my newsletter here.  I only send out a newsletter twice per month, and I would never share emails from my list.  Be the first to get book news, giveaway offers, and sales and new releases from myself and other authors I feature.

This is my first experience with Kindle Free Days since 2013, when my publisher decided to partner with the new (at the time) program on Amazon called Kindle Select.  Basically, to take advantage of "free days" within the Kindle Select program, a title has to be available exclusively (at that time) on Amazon.  Gull Harbor had free days in 2013, and hit #1 as well.  It's gone on since to hit #1 in the paid store on many occasions, which is a *really* exciting event, so I'm hopeful this new book will have similar good fortune.

Why give a book away for free, anyway?  It certainly seems counter-intuitive, based on the amount of work that goes into writing a novel.  But it's a way to gain exposure in an extremely crowded marketplace, and the hope is that readers who enjoy the free story will become fans of other titles by the same author.  

It was certainly an exciting weekend and I'm grateful to all the readers who made it happen!  Happy Reading :)  

#FridayReads Feature ~ Missing Out on Life #RomanticSuspense #Romance #Books

I'm pleased to be featuring one of my author friends, Valerie J. Clarizio, on my blog today...we were part of the USA TODAY Bestselling Romantic Suspense Thrillers Box Set Love Under Fire, and I'm highlighting her steamy Romantic Suspense novel Missing Out on Life today.  Check out the blurb and links if you're looking for a great new read!

Jaded by the Past. Closed to a Future. Shocked by Unveiled Secrets. They Were Meant to be Together

Meredith Wellington receives a call that her sister has been murdered. Her two young nieces land on her doorstep. An instant family is the last thing she needs as she reaches for the top rung of the corporate ladder.

An Unexpected Visitor from His Past Shakes Up His Simple Ranch Life

Jeremiah Crown, aka Coach, lives a simple life managing his family’s Kentucky horse ranch. When a damsel in distress decked out in a suit and spiked heels needs assistance, he’s more than happy to help, and happier still to realize this corporate powerhouse doesn’t recognize him as the man she'd deemed an enemy in high school twenty years earlier.

Overcoming Old Enmity

Once she realizes Coach’s identity, any chance of a romantic relationship disappears. When Meredith places her nieces low on her priority list, Jeremiah reconsiders his attraction to her. When danger comes calling, Meredith realizes this kindhearted veteran has the skill set to help her, if only she could set aside her pride to ask.

Can two people overcome past misunderstandings in time to thwart approaching danger?

BUY on Amazon ~ Free with Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author:

Valerie Clarizio lives in romantic Door County Wisconsin with her husband and two extremely spoiled cats. She loves to read, write, and spend time at her cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or sweet contemporary romance novel.

The Haunting of Hillwood Farm is #FREE on #Kindle! #FridayReads #Books #amreading #paranormal

The Haunting of Hillwood Farm originally
released Nov. 2018 in Love Under Fire,
a USA TODAY Bestselling box set of
Romantic Suspense Thrillers

3/4/2019 Edit:  Thank you for visiting!  If you're here after Sunday evening, please note that the Kindle Free Days for The Haunting of Hillwood Farm are over.  If you are a Kindle Unlimited Member, you can still get your copy free.  If you'd like to be informed about the next free days, sign up for my newsletter!  I email it out twice a month and I keep all email addresses private.  The sign up form is here or along the right side bar.


My latest release, The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, is free on Kindle for a limited time!  You can download your free copy from Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3...then enjoy this ghost mystery + romance named Best Romantic Suspense of 2018 out of hundreds of books read over the past year at N.N. Light's Book Heaven Reviews.

Blurb, link, and a few review quotes below!  If you give it a read, I hope you enjoy Callie and Luke's story.  All my other titles combine romance and suspense as well...some steamier than others, some spookier than others, most with paranormal elements, and I even have one Young Adult novel...but in every book, I aim to pull readers into the story from page one and then keep the pages turning!  What I love most about finding a good book is getting caught up to the point that I can't put it down, so that's always my goal as a writer.

After tragedy strikes, Callie Sinclair is left with a gift she never wanted—the ability to communicate with ghosts.  But when a desperate widow begs for her help, she reluctantly agrees to investigate the strange occurrences at Hillwood Farm.  She quickly realizes she’s dealing with a dangerous presence beyond anything she’s ever experienced, and something else becomes equally clear—the only other living person in the house, Mrs. Turner’s handsome grandson, thinks she’s a scam artist.  While she’d prefer to just ignore him, her heart beats a little faster every time he’s nearby.

Luke Turner doesn’t believe in spirits.  He’s moved back to restore the family farm, but living on the property serves a dual purpose—he can watch out for his grandmother.  He’s not happy about the sudden appearance of a self-described psychic, or his inexplicable attraction to her.  His initial suspicions crumble as evidence points to an actual haunting, but he’s still determined not to fall for Callie—the past has taught him it’s best to avoid relationships.

As Callie is drawn deeper into the mystery, she becomes the target of a vengeful spirit, and Luke can no longer fight his feelings for her.  Unable to resist their desire, passion ignites…even as the paranormal activity escalates to a final deadly confrontation.   

"I clung to my tablet and couldn't look away.  The paranormal descriptions were so realistic and lifelike, my significant other had to keep telling me to breathe.  If you're looking for spooky romantic suspense, you'll love The Haunting of Hillwood Farm.  Kathryn Knight has mastered the art of Paranormal Romantic Suspense, and it's a must-read!"

~ N.N. Light's Book Heaven ~ 5*s

"I LOVED THIS BOOK!  Seriously, this was brilliant.  Not a very long story (3 1/2 hours reading time), but just perfect.  A classic paranormal story like we love them."

Full Review at Ateana Reads ~ 5*s

A fast-paced paranormal romance with a strong sense of suspense!  Very well-written...the characters are all well-rounded, and Alice is going to be a readers' favorite.  A thoroughly enjoyable story with suspense, romance, and plenty of paranormal activity." ~ The Romance Reviews

"A fantastic paranormal journey with intense suspense and undeniable romance." ~ Page Princess

"The kind of story that once you start reading it, you will not want to put it down." ~ The Genre Minx

Hurry and grab your copy while it's free - regular price is $3.99 so take advantage of the deal and tell a friend!  Thanks for stopping by & Happy Reading

THE HAUNTING OF HILLWOOD FARM on Kindle