#Fashion Inspired by My Passions - #amwriting & #Fitness

I'm the first one to admit I'm no trendsetter, although I do enjoy attempting to be fashionable.  It gets a little challenging, though, since my work attire does not usually include a sharp business suit and killer heels.  In the morning, I go teach classes at the gym.  I do try to look put together, since I'm representing my place of business, not to mention standing in front of a large crowd of women.  Still, I don't bother showering before teaching a fitness class, so the hair usually leaves a lot to be desired.

After I do get a shower in, it's time to get to the computer to write until the kids get home...and since my workstation is located on my kitchen island, there's really no one to impress except the pets.  But autumn brings soccer season, back-to-school events, author presentations clustered around Halloween, and a class in Fiction I'm teaching at the local community college.  I'm going to have to look varying degrees of presentable for these engagements.  And when I can, I like to add some personality to my wardrobe with a little hint of my passions - writing and fitness.

Me modeling my favorite hoodie!
Lots of great workout clothes at
Strong Girl Clothing

This one's my favorite because it actually brings both those passions together - I found this "And though she be but little, she is fierce" hoodie on etsy.  If it's chilly and I want to wear a cover up to class, it has to be something with a front zip, because I wear a mic on my head and I can't pull anything over it once I'm warm.  Usually I only require a few in nice colors at reasonable prices, but this one is so original because it has a Shakespeare quote!  Specifically, it's said by Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Not only is the quote fitting for me, since I'm a little under 5'2", but obviously the author of the quote is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.  He's well known for his tragic romantic couples, and coined the phrase "star-crossed lovers".  For me, this was a bargain at $27.99.  You can find this hoodie at Strong Girl Clothing on Etsy.

This shirt is available for only
$19.95...see the link

My teenage son loves American Eagle, and we go to the mall once every few months (he's growing fast!) and stock up.  On our last trip a few weeks ago, I saw this shirt, with "ROMANCE" written across the front.  How could I not buy that?  Perfect for the soccer field with a jean jacket or open sweater.  I bought an AE gray cotton open pullover to go with it.




Since I only have boys, I'm not very attuned to what teenage girls like...but I needed a gift idea for my character Dothan to give Jamie in my Young Adult Paranormal Romance DIVINE FALL.  I put out a call for suggestions on my FaceBook page, and the overwhelming response at that time was Alex and Ani bracelets.  I wasn't entirely sure what those were, but I looked it up and they seemed perfect.  Dothan gave Jamie on with the initial "J", a horse charm, and of course an angel charm.

I love this bracelet set
created from Alex & Ani and Silpada

The white feathers
falling reflect Dothan's
Fallen angel lineage

My best friend then gave me my first one for my birthday - an antique gold one with the initial "K".  I combined it with some of my Silpada beaded bracelets so I could achieve the sort of look I saw online.  When DIVINE FALL released, I decided I deserved to treat myself to another Alex and Ani bangle.  I chose a feather, in honor of Dothan's Nephilim lineage, and to echo the feathers on the beautiful cover of the book.



I look for other fashion ideas on Pinterest, and that really helps me pull outfits together, especially for author events.  I even found a fantastic pair of shoes created by someone with a love for Romance novels...you can see them on my Pinterest Fashion Board.  I'd buy them in a heartbeat, if only they were for sale!  Maybe I can channel my crafty side (it makes brief appearances occasionally) and try my hand at making my own?  I know which three covers I'd start the collage with!  If you need some great paranormal reads to get in the Halloween mood--steamy romance mixed with spooky suspense--try my ghost story/romances GULL HARBOR or SILVER LAKE.  And my latest release is a Young Adult novel, DIVINE FALL, involving a Fallen angel, filled with forbidden love and supernatural secrets, and appropriate for ages 13 and up. 

Enjoy the fall!

#StarCrossed Lovers - New Show, Timeless Theme

A new Paranormal Romance show always gets my attention...and I am eagerly awaiting the premier of Star-Crossed on the CW.  The title itself is a fantastic play on the two themes...aliens arriving from the mysterious realms of space, and an unlikely couple whose relationship will be challenged by external forces.  The term "star-crossed" actually dates back to the belief that people's fates were ruled by the stars; "star-crossed lovers" were essentially doomed, as the stars appeared to be working against these couples.  Romeo and Juliet are a prime example; in fact, the phrase was coined in the prologue of Shakespeare's tragic play.

All romantic fiction forces the hero and heroine to face difficult obstacles...and my characters are no exception (although they also have to face a desperate ghost with a sinister message).  But within the writing world, romance always eventually involves a "happy ending" for the couple, and I'm hoping that despite the show's title, the characters from Star-Crossed will find theirs.  Of course, I'm also hoping they'll really have to work for it, and that their struggle will leave viewers anxious for more each week.

The premise sounds promising: when a spacecraft crashes in a small town, a battle ensues between the humans and the stranded Atrians.  Two six-year-olds find themselves in an unlikely alliance after an Atrian boy, Roman, is hidden from harm by a human girl.  Roman is captured, and his young protector, Emery, believes he's been killed.  But ten years later, a group of Atrian teens are allowed to enroll in a human high school, and the former friends are reunited. 

Aimee Teegarden stars as Emery, with Matt Lanter as Roman; a number of other recognizable actors complete the cast.  Let's hope the stars are kind as the Atrians and the humans come together, and as destiny unfolds for Roman and Emery.

 

 

 

For more star-crossed lovers and paranormal romance, try SILVER LAKE and GULL HARBOR.  My new YA Paranormal Romance, DIVINE FALL, will hopefully be released next year...you can follow my FB author page to stay informed: 

 

An outcast in both worlds, the only surviving Nephilim will gladly risk his life to seek his revenge…but is he willing to destroy hers?

DIVINE FALL - Pinterest Story Board

Charlie Hunnam vs. Travis Fimmel - Kathryn Knight books

Charlie Hunnam as Jax Teller

Welcome!  This post from 2013 continues to get dozens of daily views even 10 years later, so I made a few updates on these two 🔥 devastatingly hot 🔥 doppelgängers!  If you have a fav or a comment, please drop it at the bottom of the post! 🠋  

I began watching Sons of Anarchy after hearing a lot of buzz about the show on social media platforms.  Loosely inspired by Hamlet, the plot seemed guaranteed to provide plenty of conflict and tension--the stuff authors live on.  As a romance novelist, the complicated relationship between former high school sweethearts Jax Teller, the VP of an outlaw motorcycle gang, and Tara Knowles, the upstanding pediatric doctor, drew me in and kept me hooked.  Many of my books involve a hero and heroine with a painful history who are drawn together again by fate--I love second chances for couples that are "meant to be."  But if I'm honest, a big reason I continued to watch SOA is due to Charlie Hunnam, the amazingly hot actor cast in the role of Jax Teller.

Travis Fimmel 
plays Ragnar Lothbrok

A few weeks decade ago I decided to try Vikings, a show on the history channel, as historical fiction is a favorite genre of mine.  As we were introduced to the main character, my jaw dropped--I thought Charlie Hunnam had moved over to a new series.  I studied the actor playing Ragnar Lothbrok (no great hardship there), and the only difference I could find at first was a scar and the eye and hair color--things that could easily be changed for television.  I did a quick google search to discover this was actually a completely different actor by the name of Travis Fimmel.

side-by-side screen shots

To me, they look like they could be twins.  But they are not related.  Plenty of people see the resemblance though, according to questions on the internet.  So I did a little comparison of these two beautiful men, and it seems they have more in common than just amazing genes and acting talent.






Charlie Hunnam:

• Born April 10, 1980 (33 -- now 43) in England
• 6'1" tall
• discovered clowning around in a shoe shop by a production manager
• starred in the lead role on Sons of Anarchy

Travis Fimmel:

• Born July 15, 1979 (34 almost 44) in Australia
• 6' tall
• discovered working out in a gym by a talent scout for a modeling agency
• starred in the lead role on Vikings

While the two shows are separated by vast differences in time (Sons of Anarchy: present-day California; Vikings: medieval Scandinavia), they involve very similar themes: family, brotherhood, and a strong protagonist who challenges a stubborn leader with new ideas.  Both characters struggle to protect their loved ones while fighting to change the direction of their club/community.  Both characters become brutal killers when necessary.  They are "Bad Boys with Good Hearts"...a mix I personally find hard to resist.  In fact, I made a list of my top 5 fictional characters with these qualities, and it's been my most popular post to date (not anymore!  This one has it beat by miles -- thank you all!).  Vikings hadn't aired when I wrote that one, but Ragnar would be on the list today.  Click the yellow link to see where I ranked Jax Teller!

Thankfully, despite the title of the blog, we don't have to choose one or the other...we viewers can have both.  And if anyone is faced with the real-life dilemma of choosing between these two, all I can say is that would truly be a tough (but enviable) choice!

P.S. More pics on my Pinterest board!  And if you enjoy heroes with a bad-boy streak who'll do anything to protect the women they love, try one of my novels: GULL HARBOR, SILVER LAKE, or DIVINE FALL.  Or all three seven now!  Latest releases are GHOST MOON, THE HAUNTING OF HILLWOOD FARM, DANGEROUS CURRENTS, and HAUNTED SOULS.  You can find the hot men I used as inspiration on the Pinterest storyboards for each title, as well 💕  Thank you for stopping by!