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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Guest Post with Cassiel Knight, author of Relic Defender: Key of Solomon


Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in Cassiel Knight's Relic Defender: Key of Solomon Virtual Book Tour hosted by Nurture Virtual Book Tourz.

About Cassiel:

In the job that pays the mortgage and allows her to indulge in her real passion, writing, Kim Wollenburg, writing as Cassiel Knight, works for Clackamas County in the beautiful state of Oregon. Crazily passionate about the writing industry, Kim published a paranormal romance with Samhain Publishing and has a post-apocalypse novella coming in early 2012 from Lyrical Press. She writes paranormal romances with kick-assitude that blend archeology and mythology -- just a few of her favorite things. Kim is the proud current president of Rose City Romance Writers, a feisty bunch of talented writers who are just as passionate about writing as they are about helping each other succeed.

When she's not writing or doing writing-related things, Kim enjoys spending time with her patient and loving husband of 20 years and thrives with the adorable companionship of her three Shih Tzus: Ginger, Abby and Chloe.


Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Cassiel!
Cassiel has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her.

Guest Post by Cassiel Knight:


For years, writers were told to “write what you know.”  And this was something I heard when I began this path over ten years ago.  I did some research on who said this and while this is most frequently attributed to Mark Twain, there is a general consensus that no one really knows who said it but more than that, it’s something that should be banned.

So, what does it mean, really? Well, some believe it should be taken literally – to mean writers should not write about things we have not personally experienced. This is actually the definition I heard many years ago. Now, I find it very amusing and my reaction to it can be summed up by a quote from Robert Duncan (writer for Rolling Stone, Circus, Hit Parade and Life among a few), “If I write what you know, I bore you; if I write what I know, I bore myself, therefore I write what I don’t know.”

Isn’t that great? Here’s another by Howard Nemerov (an American poet who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry) that made me laugh - “Write what you know. That should leave you with a lot of free time.”

So true. Now, I don’t consider myself uninformed. I’m smart. I know stuff. But I don’t know enough about places and things to infuse my stories with the atmosphere readers are looking for. Because while we read about characters, we also read for places and things. If I were to write only about what I know, I’d be writing short, flat stories.

I write paranormal stories. I have yet to meet a fallen angel, demon or a shape-shifting rock. I have yet to travel to another planet. I have to visit Egypt and see the pyramids at Giza. I have yet to explore the Mayan ruins in South America. Yet, these are all places I have visited in my research.

I’d like to leave you with another great quote on author’s writing what they know. This is from Valerie Sherwood (romance novelist): “Don’t write what you know – what you know may bore you, and thus bore your readers. Write about what interests you – and interests you deeply – and your readers will catch fire at your words.”

Would my writing be any better if I experienced some of these things? Maybe. I don’t know. I think what makes it great is that I haven’t been there so I can infuse my stories with the passion of discovering something new. And that’s what I try to do.

I hope you agree.


 Thanks so much for joining us today, Cassiel!

If you would like to learn more about Cassiel and her books, you can find her at the social media links below:

Author’s Website: http://www.cassielknight.com 
Author’s Blog: http://www.relicdefender.wordpress.com 
Author’s Twitter Account: http://twitter.com/#!/CassielKnight 


Giveaway:

One lucky winner will win an e-book copy of Relic Defender: Key of Solomon!
This giveaway is open internationally!

Title: Relic Defender: Key of Solomon
Author: Cassiel Knight
Genre: Fiction: Paranormal Romance
Published by: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Age Restriction: None
Content Warning: Mild Sex Scene
Recommended Age: 18+
Format(s): eBook
ISBN 13: 978-1-60928-372-8

Synopsis: Anthropology PhD candidate Lexi Harrison never bares it all when she belly dances for a strip club crowd. She doesn't have to--she's that good. Every performance earns money towards her degree, and restores the sense of power that her painful childhood ripped away.

Something is different about tonight. A man whose silver gaze seems to touch her skin beneath her veils. When a rowdy customer crosses the line, he comes to her rescue with the speed of a hawk--complete with wings.

Mikos Tyomni has never seen anyone dance the raqs sharqi like Lexi. Trust his tormentor, Archangel Michael, to put him in close contact with the cause of his downfall: a mortal woman. Particularly this mortal woman. The Defender. He has only thirty days to win her trust before Hell's deadliest demon attempts the mother of all prison breaks.

No matter how sexy the messenger is, Lexi's career plans don't include the crazy idea that she's the last line of defense against the forces of evil. Until her university mentor's murder leaves her holding the key to Hell. And fighting a losing battle against a passion forbidden by Heaven.

 To enter the giveaway, please fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below.

This giveaway is open to all with a valid email address until 12:01 AM EST on November 2, 2011.




Tour Participants:

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4 comments:

  1. Laurie-JOctober 26, 2011 at 6:46 AM

    I really enjoyed the guest post, Cassiel!! It made me chuckle and think....that's hard to do at 6:30 in the morning!! LOL Thanks so much Darlene for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. roroOctober 26, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    on my wishlist quite a while now/tnx 4 the giveway

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownOctober 27, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    Love the cover art! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 27, 2011 at 9:40 PM

    Hi Darlene! Thanks so much for having me at your blog and for hosting the giveaway. Good luck to everyone who entered!
    Cassiel

    ReplyDelete

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