Readers, please join me welcoming Deidre Knight, author of Butterfly Tattoo who’s guest blogging here today!
Who is Deidre Knight? She’s a lady who wears many caps – a literary agent, mom, wife, novelist and southern woman – and proud to answer to all of these titles. Before she founded The Knight Agency in 1996, Deidre worked behind the camera in movies and television. During the thirteen years since she launched her literary agency, she has grown The Knight Agency to national prominence, shepherding authors on to every major bestseller list. She has been writing in one form or another ever since, creatively stalking Spartans, aliens, werewolves, and other sexy Alpha males who strike her fancy. Strictly on the pages that she pens, of course. Butterfly Tattoo is Deidre’s seventh published book. You can follow her on Twitter and also at her Ning social networking group.
Today, Deirdre is here to answer some questions we’ve all been dying to get the answers for!
I was at a time in my life where I was processing my own grief over several different significant losses, and trying to put myself back together, much like these characters do over the course of the novel. I wound up channeling a lot of my journey into the book—it definitely wasn’t a “rush write.” For me, writing is often about reinterpreting things, looking at them through a prism, discovering a new understanding of the events of my own life. Writing Butterfly Tattoo was definitely one of those times.
2 – Why do you think readers and critics have responded with such powerful and impassioned support for this unconventional love story?
That’s a great question. I believe readers really respond to the message that love is universal, that it transcends barriers, that it can’t be limited or defined into something smaller than it is. And everyone can see part of themselves in these broken characters, people who are trying to start over, to heal. We’ve all had our down times, and especially right now, with the economy and world the way it is, I think the themes of hope and redemption probably resonate even stronger with people.
3 – What is the most important message you want people to walk away with after reading this book?
That love comes in many forms and that family does, too. There’s a line in the book, something like, “Family is wherever you find it.” I truly believe that. I’m the product of a big blended family, one that doesn’t necessarily look like you’d expect. I’ve also been blessed to find “family” among a variety of friends throughout my life, groups that come together and nurture and support each other.
I also want people to realize they can overcome whatever has happened in their life. That God does bring healing, even when you’ve suffered or are still suffering immense pain and grief. When I started writing this book, I was numb and lost, just like Michael Warner is in the beginning. But by the time I’d finished writing the novel, I’d also walked out my own healing journey. So I want people to read this book and feel hope and empowerment.
4 – How did your environment/upbringing inform and/or influence your writing?
As mentioned above, I’m from a big blended family. I was raised with a stepmother who I was very close to, and she passed away while I was writing this book. For thirty years, she was my other mother. And I’ve also had an amazing stepfather for the past twenty years—which means even more because my own father passed away more than ten years ago. My stepfamily (and I don’t usually use that term—we are *family*) is a loud, wonderful, boisterous crew. Think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, only with my stepdad wearing a kilt at big holidays. I think my love of family—and appreciation of its many faces and forms—is the bedrock of BUTTERFLY TATTOO.
5 – Whose point of view was more challenging to write, Michael or Rebecca’s, and why?
They were equally challenging. I never had the sense that one voice was easier than the other, although I was a little in love with Michael myself. So maybe I should say Rebecca’s was harder. I loved putting Michael on paper and getting to spend time in his head. He’s still real to me, even now.
6 – If you had it to do all over again, is there anything about BUTTERFLY TATTOO you would change?
Honestly? No. I’m very happy with how it turned out.
7 – After waiting almost six years to see this book released in print from, what is the best advice you can give other authors on how to handle the long journey to publication?
To realize that a big part of realizing your dreams can be timing. I never gave up on this book, never accepted that it was unpublishable. I didn’t keep sending it out there every month or anything; I shelved it for quite a while. But I really never did give up in my heart and I believed that one day, it would be published. Too many writers are daunted by rejection, either taking it personally or as a sign that they don’t have talent. You have to keep at it, don’t give up, and visualize what you want.
8 – If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
It’s funny, but a number of my clients are also literary mentors. For instance, Louisa Edwards was my first editor. We often talk about craft and ideas. Karen Marie Moning was my client for ten years and we’ve always had amazing discussions that inspire me. My own husband is definitely my first and greatest literary mentor (he mostly writes nonfiction). I learned a lot about writing from him, starting back when we were dating.
9 – Can we expect more contemporary romances from you in the future? Is there anything on the horizon you can share about upcoming projects?
I’m really excited about a digital novella I have coming out from NAL/Signet in May called RED BLOODED, about a blinded Iraq war vet who winds up hunting vampires. I’m also developing several more novels in the vein of BUTTERFLY TATTOO and look forward to sharing more about them very soon. For now, though, look for more of my Gods of Midnight novels with Signet, as well as a short story in DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS (July, St. Martins Press).
Thanks for those candid answers, Deirdre. It’s inspirational to see how you juggle so many things and yet find time to write. Something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time and somehow never seem to find time for. Hopefully that’ll change soon 🙂 It was great to have you here and hopefully we’ll do something again in the future!
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