Joining me today in The Loft is erotic romance author Dee S. Knight. Dee has lived an adventurous life. A couple of years after marrying her husband, she and Jack sold all of their possessions and hit the road as a husband/wife truck driver team, traveling around the United States and into Canada. Eventually, they gave up the open road and settled into teaching and computer work. When Jack became a consultant, which required a lot of traveling, Dee began writing. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, cross stitch, and reading. Married 48 years, Dee and Jack now live in Idaho.
S: Good morning, Dee. Thanks for joining me today.
Tell me, why romance?
D: The simplest answer is that I believe in love and happily-ever-afters. Romance, in all its sub-genres, demonstrates both the pain and the sheer joy that comes in finding that happily ever after (HEA). Even if a relationship has rough patches, if the love is there--and here I would have to say love and not just romance, which is a manifestation of love--with patience and persistence, the HEA will follow.
S: Do you write in other genres? Why or why not?
D: As Dee, I mostly write contemporary erotic romance. But I write under two other pen names. Anne Krist writes sweeter romance without being too explicit. Jenna Stewart writes historical ménage romance. I like to mix things up now and then!
S: What's your preference--Brains or brawn?
D: Brains. First of all, I want to be with someone who can carry on a decent conversation. Not that beautiful people can't, but if I have to choose all of one or all of the other, brains is it. Plus, when we're old and gray, brains will probably outlast beauty. However, I do want my special person to be beautiful on the inside if not on the out.
S: I agree with you. The brain is what attracts me and ultimately, seduces me. A six-pack may catch my eye, but it won't hold my attention.
What attracted you to your current partner?
D: I guess first, he seemed attracted to me. Is there anything more flattering than having someone show that they like you? And I have to admit, I liked Jack, but I didn't fall for him right away. I was 13 when we met, and then he went away to school and I didn't see him for two years. He came home at Christmas, and we met accidentally. He asked me to go to the movies. And then he asked me to his house for dinner with his parents and friends. I was not allowed to date—not at 15. Gosh, I'd never even kissed anyone yet. But then he went back to school and I knew we wouldn't see each other for a long time. It was then I realized how very much I liked him and how much he made me laugh and how much we enjoyed talking to each other. The night after our first date I wrote in my diary that I'd gone out with someone I'd like to marry some day. After he left for his school, he wrote and said he loved me and that we would marry some day. But he also said he didn't think we should go steady—since he went to school hours away, he thought I should have the freedom to date other people. But he asked me not to forget that we were meant for each other. We dated for almost seven years and have been married for just short of 50, so I guess whatever we did, we did right. That's a long answer to a short question. I fell in love with Jack because he's sweet, very kind, makes me laugh, listens as well as talks, makes everything about life better.
S: That is such an amazing story. You are truly blessed.
What do people get wrong about romance?
D: I assume you mean the genre of romance? I think a lot of people think it's unimportant fluff. I couldn't disagree more. Okay, I mean romance isn't earth-shattering, world-changing literature. But it does make people happy. And if the reader knows the book will end on a happy note, who cares? There's enough sadness and despair in the world—especially after this COVID madness—that reading something light that leaves you smiling is a good thing, and necessary. Romance? I'm for it!
S: Writing romance is also a lot of work. I always hear what an easy job it is and really, it isn't.
What do you want inscribed on your tombstone? How do you want to be remembered?
D: "She could talk to anyone and laughed often." I'd like to be remembered as a nice person, someone who tried to do the right thing always, and who let those I loved know it.
S: What inspired "The Cinderella Curse?"
D: Nothing particularly important. I'd just written a short fairy tale for an anthology called Ain't Your Mama's Bedtime Stories and had such fun doing it that I thought I'd try a novel-length fairy tale. I'd read years before about a sociological theory called the Cinderella Curse—the idea that women after the women's movement in the '70s thought they could do it all, have it all. Then reality crashed in, and they discovered that it was all a fairy tale. No one could have it all. In my book, Charlotte wants to be made into someone she's not so that she can "have it all." She finds a fairy godfather to effect a total makeover, only to find that she's had the wrong man playing the mental role of the Prince. I loved writing it, so much so that I wrote a second, Baer and the Three Goldilocks.
S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "The Cinderella Curse?"
D: Cooper, the hero--and fairy godfather--is one of my favorite heroes. He's a beta hero and he's sweet and kind. I just love him! When he finally goes to claim his Cinderella, he proves that every man is a Prince—to the woman who loves him. But I think readers will think Cooper's a prince, too.
Here's the blurb--
One evening, in a land far away, a wife spins a fairy tale
for the amusement of her husband. It's not your typical child's tale, of
course, but an adult, erotic version of the classic, Cinderella.
All of the principals are present. Charlotte Gambrell
immediately recognizes Prince Charming when she meets her boss, James Clarkson.
Unfortunately, the worldly Clarkson barely knows she's alive. Charlotte's two
hateful supervisors make her professional life miserable by piling on the work
and never letting her forget that she has employment only at their pleasure.
Everything changes when Charlotte becomes part of a magazine
shoot. The photographer, Cooper Hunt, agrees to perform duties as her fairy
godfather. By day, he transforms her life by revealing to the world what he
already knows, that Charlotte is an exquisite beauty. By night, he transforms
her universe by teaching her about passion so she can attract her dream man,
James. The “real” Cinderella never had it so good!
By the time Charlotte arrives at the ball, she has James on
her mind and Cooper in her heart. Which man will prove to be her real Prince
Charming?
S: What a delightful tale. I can't wait to read it. Where can readers purchase your book?
D: It's available at Kindle Unlimited.
S: Dee, thanks so much for joining me today. If you'd like to learn more about Dee and her books, please visit--
Website: https://nomadauthors.com
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight
Amazon Author
Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749
Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K
