The Scoop On: OFF THE GRID

Sometimes we all just want to escape. For me, I’m thinking that scenario was the driving force in my Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, THE AWAY PLACE, and also OFF THE GRID, my newest Romantic Suspense. This story involves the heroine, RJ Jones, changing her identity to Jean Walters to escape killers wanting her dead.

For Jean, instead of finding her remote “off the grid” location, she gets ensnared by the kindness of strangers wanting to help her. Here, in a small Missouri town, she feels a sense of community and family that she’d lacked before. However, there is still the matter of her mother’s murderer hot on her trail. How can she protect herself and these wonderful people she’s grown to love?

SHE’S GOT TO RUN

Up-and-coming New York fashion designer, Jean, discovers her mother has not only been murdered, but she had also been leading a life of crime. Whoever killed her mom is now after Jean. Changing her identity, Jean takes to the road, looking for a place to hide, a place she can be safe. Midway across the country, she stops to get gas, and instead gets a second chance. She’s taken under a kind stranger’s wing--Uncle Nick--and is offered sanctuary at an off the grid cabin. The hitch? Uncle Nick’s handsome nephew is the chief of police who’s interested in pursuing the intriguing newcomer.

HE’S GOT TO STOP HER

Chief of Police Lawrence Crenshaw is not only single, he’s sworn off women. With his family history, no good ever came from a marriage union. Then the mysterious Jean comes to town. She’s not only trouble, she’s in trouble, but she refuses to confide in him. Wooing her slowly, he tries to convince Jean that not only can he keep her safe, but that she belongs by his side. Does a small town cop stand a chance at love with a New York City gal?

Running from her mother’s killers, Jean goes into hiding.

A chance meeting with a small town’s chief of police upsets not only

her escape plans but also changes her life.

 

Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.

Universal Link: books2read.com/u/mdYdlw

 In print at Amazon.com.

OFF THE GRID is available at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com, in addition to other internet locations. Universal Link: books2read.com/u/mdYdlw

Here are some wonderful reviews:

Another winner from author Susanne Marie Knight! Jean Walters, a young woman in trouble, must hide from her mother’s killers. She plans to “go off the grid” to keep her whereabouts secret. Well, I can tell you, if going off the grid means bumping into police captain Lawrence Crenshaw, then sign me up! The chemistry between these two had me fanning my face!! This novel is a perfect escape from today’s busy world. OFF THE GRID is definitely a keeper!--Norwood Reviews

5 Stars! In today’s world, can anyone truly go “off the grid?” City girl, Jean, fearing for her life, changes her identity and looks for an out-of-the-way place where she can be safe. But Fate has something else in store for her. Her first day on the road and she runs into a police chief, Lawrence, who decides she’s the one for him. She’s as skittish as a colt, but he knows how to tame a wild filly. Who’s seducing whom here?! Be sure to scoop up this one!--Twists On Romance Reviews

5 Stars! Mystery and Romance. A girl full of dreams has her life turned upside down by events out of her control. She doesn't know who to trust, or where to go, but she must keep herself off the grid. Running for her life she finds refuge in an unlikely place. Losing everything, she finds love and happiness within her reach, but she can't put her friends at risk. What a dilemma! I love this book!--S. A. Santos Reviews

This book is part of the Romantic Contemporaries and Romantic Suspense lines.

For my real life tidbit, I thought I’d talk about OFF THE GRID’s dedication to my Great, Great Uncle Nick. Yes, Great, Great Uncle Nick is real, and I’m so very blessed to have met him and have memories of him. When my father said Uncle Nick was his great uncle, I didn’t really understand the relationship. I was young and frankly couldn’t put two and two together too much! If Uncle Nick was my father’s great uncle, then that meant he was my Grandmother’s uncle. Huh?!!

But that was true. There was a twelve years different between Uncle Nick and my Grandmother.

Uncle Nick had a farm, which was an amazing place to a city girl like me. He had cows, and I had my first and only experience of sort-of-milking one. Ooh! The milk came out warm and in a spurt! I also found out about cow patties! He also had turkeys and chickens. I learned that when a person gave a whistle, the turkeys actually gobbled! Uncle Nick had huge pigs. I remember one particularly HUGE one lying in the mud. This pig was supposed to be seven hundred pounds. And yep, Hoggen Harry is modeled after this pig.

Here are Chief of Police Lawrence Crenshaw thoughts about Hoggen Harry:

That was all the excitement in the big city, except for the sudden return of the stolen pig, Hoggen Harry. Harry, weighing in one hundred pounds less than his usual fighting weight of seven hundred pounds, had been found back in his pen, getting reacquainted with some of his female oinkers.

Maybe Harry had escaped on his own and had a month long vacation, seeing the sights. Officer Hammond was in charge of interviewing the bystanders, and that turned out to be four-legged ones. No one at the station envied him!

 

For a glimpse into small town living and a slow-to-percolate romance between Jean and Lawrence, give OFF THE GRID a chance to win your heart!

Susanne Marie Knight

Http://www.susanneknight.com

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing with a Twist! 

The Scoop on: MY FAVORITE GHOST

Where do I begin? Well, I wanted to write something fun, something fluffy and cute. Somehow, the title MY FAVORITE GHOST came my way. Of course I was reminded of the sixties television show, “My Favorite Martian”, but that’s where the similarity ends!

So I was left with a dilemma: how can I have a love story with a billionaire and a ghost? Hmmn. I put my thinking cap on and came up with:

HIS DREAM COME TRUE

Billionaire Timothy Bolland Carter is having a very interesting day... and night. First he finds out that he has a previously unknown great grandmother, Emaline, who is not only turning one hundred years old, but who also practices Appalachian Granny Magic. Then, he receives a wake-up call--literally. A very friendly... and passionate ghost visits his bed in the dark of the night. He doesn’t know the woman and she doesn’t let herself be seen. When morning arrives, not only is she gone but there’s absolutely no way she could have entered or departed from his penthouse apartment. She says she’s a ghost, but is she really? How can Carter find her again?

HER WORST NIGHTMARE

Doctor Gabrielle (Gabby) Rossi has her life on track. So what if she’s twenty-nine, single, with no special man on the horizon? When billionaire Timothy Bolland Carter arrives at her medical office to handle a cyber attack, she ignores him as if he had the plague. This man was responsible for “knocking up” and abandoning her best friend. But even though she gives him the cold shoulder, she can’t help but fantasize about indulging in some late night aerobics... in the privacy of her mind, of course. A couple of intense dreams later, and then... Wait a minute! How did she get pregnant?

 Is it possible to make love to a ghost?

 Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/m0alVY

In print at Amazon.com.

MY FAVORITE GHOST is available at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com, and 

Universal Link: : https://books2read.com/u/m0alVY, addition to other internet locations.

Here are some wonderful reviews:

5 Stars!! A great way to start the New Year! Carter is a billionaire with a problem in bed. No, it doesn’t have to do with women... then again, maybe it does. After he visits with his long-lost great grandmother--who tells him she practices Appalachian Granny Magic--his sleep problems get worse... or better, depending on how you look at it. Carter is a wonderfully appealing character who treats everyone with respect. He is interested in his nighttime ghost, but also feels a connection with a Doctor Gabby, who won’t give him the time of day. Getting these two together was fun to read. Their delightful banter made me keep turning the pages. I had no idea how this unusual situation would resolve itself. Ms. Knight delivers once again!--Just Imagine Fanzine

5 Stars! Romantic and Sexy! My Favorite Ghost is a mix of contemporary romance and paranormal romance, showing that there are more mysteries in the universe than meets the eye. And when the desire is strong enough, even the impossible can happen. I recommend it!! S. A. Santos Reviews

This book is part of the Romantic Contemporaries and Magical Fantasies line.

Real life tidbit: I dedicated this novel to my Great Grandmother Emaline. Emaline happens to be the sister of my Great Great Uncle Nick, and if you’ve read my OFF THE GRID, then you know I dedicated that book to him. Unlike with Uncle Nick, I never met my Great Grandmother Emaline. She was born in Paducah, Kentucky and she and my Great Grandfather William Joseph had a passel of kids including my Grandmother, Elva.

Anyway, William Joseph was born in Tennessee, however my Knight Great Grandfather, Newton, was born in Ten Mile, Meigs, Tennessee, the location for Carter’s great grandmother, Emaline Jones.

 

Emaline Jones practices Appalachian Granny Magic, and because of that, strange things begin to happen. I can’t say if my Great Grandmother Emaline also did Granny Magic, but I sure do love the idea, don’t you?

 

This except is about Carter’s mother, Tabitha, complaining about his great grandmother:

 

Two seconds later came his mother’s shrill voice. “Wait! Timothy, wait. I... I’ll tell you. It’s just that Emaline Jones, well, how can I say this? She practices mountain magic, superstitious nonsense. She’s a certifiable hillbilly, for goodness sake, Timothy. Honestly, she and the Carter family couldn’t be more different.”

Carter pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. Listening to his mother was giving him a headache.

Perhaps Tabitha didn’t like the silence between them because she continued, “That trip, Timothy, all those years ago, changed you. When you came back, I could hardly recognize my respectable little boy. I couldn’t have that hillbilly influence on you, Timothy. You belong here in Denver society, not out in the wilds of the mountains, doing rain dances and such.”

Hell. Rubbing his forehead, Carter blew out a troubled breath. Not only was his mother a narcissist, but a snobbish narcissist. An insufferable narcissist.

Maybe it was the memory of her cold damn hands that woke him up in the night. Woke him up those nights before... before yesterday’s passionate, friendly ghost.

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 One other tidbit: My granddaughter calls me Gabby! ;-)

 

I hope you enjoy Gabby and Carter’s story!

 

Susanne Marie Knight

Http://www.susanneknight.com

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing with a Twist! 

Revisiting: REGENCY SOCIETY REVISITED Review

I’m still in alt over this fantastic literary analysis for my Regency time-travel novel, REGENCY SOCIETY REVISITED. What a top-of-the-trees honor! My thanks and gratitude to Colin, Amazon Reviewer, for this delightful review.

Anthropologist Serenity Steele meets her heart’s desire in the form of a short-tempered Regency rake, Nicholas Wycliffe.

Amazon.com and Smashwords.com!

Universal Link

Duty or Love? In the year 2020, anthropologist Serenity Steele's research assignment is to travel back into the past--however, she doesn't count on the many attractions of a certain Regency rake. Should she ignore her obligations and stay in the past... or should she leave behind the man she loves?

An Enchanting Dilemma: In the year 1812, Nicholas Wycliffe, the toplofty Lord Brockton, has no desire to take a wife, especially a mysterious widow who doesn't live by society's rules. But what is he to make of the enchanting "Mrs." Steele, who not only refuses to discuss her past, she also has the audacity to turn him down when he proposes marriage?

*****

Destination: Regency England, February 4, year of our Lord 1812. Resort town of Bath, county of Avon.

“Are you ready, Dr Steele?” a technician asked from behind the glass-enclosed tomb.

“Yes, ready.” Serenity’s voice was lost in the vastness of the Time Displacement Wave chamber. In the center of the apparatus, her portmanteau waited.

Meet Anthropologist Serenity D Steele. She must be the unluckiest girl alive. Unlike her first name, her love life has been anything but serene. An ego battered and bruised from a bad romance with endogamous, upper-class, modern-day rake, Sir Clyde; she must now steel herself for a time travel trip to the Regency Ton of old, which in her view abounds with similar bounders like her ex. If that wasn’t bad enough, she has to embed herself for a whole year in a society which in her own words is where “women led narrow, restricted lives,” and where “men’s thoughts were of nothing more earthshaking than how to tie their cravats”!

A third-person multi-character POV story, it is clear from the outset Serenity is a true heroine in the classical Homeric sense of Grecian antiquity. We open with a typical day in university; a meeting with her mentor, Dr Axel Rhinehart, whose surname means “wise counsel” in German and excellently mirrors the Hanoverian dynasty on the throne at the time of Jane Austen’s iconic work ‘Pride and Prejudice’. The setting is the present day where temporal displacement technology is in its infancy. The Homeric action call is to go back in time and study periods in history as part of an academic research project. Axel reveals in a later discussion how Serentiy’s colleague, who was to go back to 1812 England, has aserendipitously broken his leg. This means Serenity, as one of the best anthropological researchers in the university, must go in his place.

With a preference for studying pre-industrial and hunter gatherer societies, as well as her less-than-sympathetic views of the Regency Ton, Serenity is initially and quite understandably reluctant to go. However, she soon changes her mind and makes her necessary preparation for (what is to her at least) a journey into the Homeric ‘underworld’ that is high society Georgian England. I won’t reveal any spoilers on how the story unfolds but Susanne Knight’s sense of metaphor and wordplay in the prose was both a delight and privilege to behold. I particularly loved, for example, her description of how the overhead, sparkling chandeliers swayed with the abundance of energy flowing throughout the room in the Lydon Ballroom–the artistic carte blanche mirroring its modern meaning was, I thought, pure literary genius! Oh, one other thing, too. It is a Regency Romance and of course, any book in this genre would not be complete without its own Darcey-esque handsome hero. He comes in the delightfully dapper figure of Nicholas Wycliffe, the aloof and eminent Lord Brockton. No spoilers as to what happens, though!

What I really enjoyed about reading 'Regency Society Revisited', nevertheless, was how Serenity’s character mirrored in so many methods and mannerisms that of Austen’s classical character Elizabeth Bennet. Just like Liz, she is clever and well-spoken with a sharp rapier sense of wit and repartee which carries her above the prejudices pervading her class-restricted subjects of study. Nowhere is this more well placed than her research notes and hilarious comments dotted at different points across her study year which not only help cement the story but also give the book its own extraordinarily powerful and unique voice. Juxtaposed on this is her own hurt vanity and preconceptions of the historical Ton influenced by her own ill-fated present-day dalliance with dastardly dapper rascal Sir Clyde. The contrast makes for a positively potent pride and prejudice mixture and dynamically drives the story line through countless plot twists and turns to a very unexpected but for me at least, extremely satisfying conclusion.

Some other positive points about the story. Like every good science fiction novel on time travel, the laws of temporal displacement are spelled out clearly and concisely from the outset. However, with the technology being in its infancy that does not mean to say there might (or might not) be surprises on the way! What really makes the story stand out however, is the sheer volume of research Susanne has put into the book. References to Lord Castlereagh, Almack’s Assembly Rooms, John Gay’s ‘The Beggar’s Opera’ and Anne Radcliffe’s gothic classic ‘The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne’ all add a sense of autenticità senza compromessi to the story and make it a real stand out, cross-genre Regency Romcom.

In conclusion, Susanne Knight has delivered a ding-dong debonaire delight of a novel that both entertains and educates the reader and will leave you crying out for more. It is no exaggeration when I say Susanne Knight is one of those writers who really puts the ‘awe’ into author and the “right” stuff into her writing – so go out there and buy this book because you will be doing yourself a colossal disservice not to. Enjoy!--Colin, Amazon Reviews

Hope you enjoy this time-travel Regency romance!

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Susanne Marie Knight

http://www.susanneknight.com

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing with a Twist!

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New Review for: Science Fiction Romance--THE XENON ADVANTAGE

 

THE XENON ADVANTAGE is now available electronically at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com. And in print at Amazon.com.

Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/mv9Nll

A dangerous interstellar assignment to colonize a nonterrestrial world forces Naressa to butt heads with a powerful alien leader and a stubborn Terran crewmember.

OUT OF HER ELEMENT

Naressa, a native of the Earth colony on Alpheratz 3, is chosen at the last minute be the communications officer on an exploratory mission to a planet in the Southern Cross sector. Her hidden ability to receive and translate alien thoughts is the reason for this decision. Now aboard the Nautilus, she’s met with hostility... and something else... by Kurt Stone, the starship’s CO who is annoyed that she replaced his on-again-off-again lover. She also receives messages from a powerful... and amorous alien leader, Mavolian, telling her to “come to him.” Naressa has no interest in forming a love connection with anyone, however Mavolian is determined and Kurt is smitten by her. Will she be able to give up her freedom for the boundaries of love?

OUT OF HIS ELEMENT

Years ago, Kurt Stone left the endless routine of his homestead in the Greater Dakotas for the excitement and danger of interstellar space. He excels at his job and pursues his goal of obtaining a captaincy. On a treacherous mission to explore a uninhabited planet, Acrux 4--a twin of Earth--he meets an unusual female, Naressa, native to an Earth colony that has an excessive amount of the element Xenon in its atmosphere. As it turns out, Acrux 4 also is abundant in Xenon. As Kurt fights his attraction to her, he has to endure watching as the powerful alien leader, Mavolian, makes a play for Naressa. Can Kurt set his jealously aside and convince her to be with him for always?

PRAISE FOR THE  XENON ADVANTAGE:

* Ms. Knight poses an interesting dilemma in THE XENON ADVANTAGE, her latest science fiction romance novel. A prosperous Earth is determined to expand to other planets. A near-duplicate, uninhabited world is discovered, and SolSpace sends an exploratory ship, the Nautilus, to pave the way for future colonization. But wait, is the planet truly without intelligent lifeforms? Is SolSpace secretly aware that the planet is inhabited, and sends a starship anyway? What about the ship’s crew, do they know what awaits them on Acrux 4? The intrepid Nautilus crew must deal with gut-wrenching wormholes and powerful, hostile aliens, in addition to circumventing the differences between Earth natives and Earth colonies around the solar system, as well as a telepathic native from an Earth colony on the distant planet Alpheratz 3--Naressa. Far from her distant home for the first time, Naressa has her hands full dealing with an amorous alien leader and a jealous Earth commander, along with the trials and tribulations of life aboard a tin can ship. Definitely a 5 star read!--Twist On Romance Reviews

* 5 Stars! What in the world is a Xenon Advantage and how can I get it? The easiest way is to read THE XENON ADVANTAGE and enjoy your journey into the vast expanse of interstellar space. Be sure to wear your “blocking cap” to ensure complete privacy! I loved watching our heroine, Naressa, learn how to not only handle her crewmates’ inappropriate thoughts when she doesn’t have her blocking cap on, but also how she grows into the mature woman she’s destined to become. A thoroughly enjoyable read!--Decatur Reviews.

THE XENON ADVANTAGE is now available for purchase electronically at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com and in Print at Amazon.com.

Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/mv9Nll

Science Fiction romance novels by Susanne Marie Knight include:

The Xenon Advantage--SF

The Entitled--Alien Abduction

Stopping The Enemy--Dystopian SF

Alien Heat--Dystopian SF

Janus Is A Two-Headed God

Janus Is A Two-Faced Moon

ForEvver

An Alien Paradise

Hope you enjoy this science fiction romance!

New! Sign up to learn about my new book releases!

https://books2read.com/author/susanne-marie-knight/subscribe/1/519481/

Susanne Marie Knight

http://www.susanneknight.com

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing with a Twist!

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