On Tour with Prism Book Tours
One of the themes throughout the Slippery Rock series is home. I think what it holds in common for all of us is a feeling of safety. Of belonging. While Levi has always belonged in Slippery Rock, and has always had plans to improve his family’s dairy farm – and the town – Camden has never felt she belonged anywhere. She shows up looking for home, and Levi needs to stop and really see his home.
My family’s special project for this new series is continuing with the release of Christmas in a Small Town, too. We’re donating a portion of the proceeds from the Slippery Rock series toward providing Sweet Cases from TogetherWeRise to foster children. Most children going in to foster care have nothing but the clothes on their backs. Sweet Cases are duffel bags given to children coming in to care, and once given, the bags remain with that child, giving them a sense of home and, hopefully, a sense that they aren’t alone. Each duffel includes a warm blanket, a teddy bear, hygiene kit, and art supplies.
“Sure, Calvin and Bonita’s place. You’re gonna continue on this road till you hit the grocery store. At the light you’ll turn south for a couple of blocks before taking Double A Highway West out of town. You’ll turn back north a few miles out when you see the county road sign, then follow 251 until you get to their lane. Can’t miss it. Bonita bought Calvin one of them big mailboxes a few years ago, in the shape of a collie. I swear you could fit a small child in that thing.” He tapped the roof of her car. “Nope, we don’t see many cars like this one around town. You have a nice evening, ma’am.”
Camden’s mind swirled with the information the older man had offered up. Straight to the grocery store, follow that road to the highway, follow the highway to the county road that would lead to the farm. She could handle this. Camden put the Porsche in Drive and waved to the older man as she pulled back onto the road that led through Slippery Rock.
Can you tell us about your current work-in-progress?
– I’m finishing up a sports continuity with three writer friends – we’re writing about three brothers, all sports heroes, who are coming to terms with a Big Family Secret. It’s been really fun to write!
Every year around Thanksgiving, I get the bug. No, not the flu bug. The holiday movie bug. Thanks to bebe, we have a towering stack of just about every Christmas movie you could imagine – from the original Miracle on 34th Street to The Polar Express. During the holiday season, Friday and Saturday nights become movie nights, sometimes the three of us gather in the living room with the big Christmas tree lit up and binge on holiday cartoons, sometimes we’ll disperse to different rooms to watch the movies we want to see.
You’ve created quite an interesting life for Camden – being scorned in love and then, having another charm her as she’s returnt home – what surprised you the most about Camden’s character for finding strength to face her adversities in romance?
Knight responds: Her strength, in general, surprised me. She allowed herself to be dictated to for most of her life, and so when I started writing her, I thought she would need more reassurances that she was doing the right things. But once she was out of that situation – her domineering mother, specifically – she really stood on her own. She was really fun to write!
“This story was a good one but was quite repetitive, slightly dragged out, and well-written but not to the extend of captivating the readers attention. except in portions of the story. . .
The Characters were very well developed and felt very real. The scenes were described in a way easily visualized.” – LAWonder10
“I love small towns and I loved reading this story. It has a lot of fun things happening. I love the way all the friends ended up back in their small town, still as close knit as ever.” – Vickie
“You guys didn’t play with me when I went to defense. How would you know what I looked like?”
Collin blinked. “High-definition TV. Replay shows. And, you know, we did play with you all through junior high and high school. Doesn’t matter if you’re quarterbacking or playing the defensive line, like you did in college and the pros—the Levi Walters focus is the same.”
“Also, and I don’t think we can emphasize this enough, at least three of your throws pushed the dart through the board and into the wall. So what’s up?” Aiden rolled his bottle of beer through his hands, making it scrape against the table.
Traditions are my favorite thing, whether it’s sitting in a field, getting eaten by chiggers while waiting for the 4th of July fireworks or strolling along a lake front, watching a parade of boats, decorated for Christmas. Traditions, to me, make every holiday more special because, while you’re in the present, the act of repeating a stroll with the Christmas boats or a snowy picnic brings back memories. It makes the experience richer, somehow.
In Christmas in a Small Town, there is a town festival, complete with a street fair and holiday lights and even a regatta so the townspeople can see the lights from the lake. Those are all memories I have from my small town upbringing, but there are even more. Here are a few of my favorite holiday traditions.
“I absolutely adore this town and every time I visit I am blown away. I would love to live in this place. Kristina always brings it to such life. . . . This book is a friends to lovers romance. If you have not visited Slippery Rock you need to go grab the entire series from Harlequin or Amazon!!! You will not be disappointed.”
“It’s a nice-looking dress, though.”
“Not my style.”
“I find that hard to believe. You wear it too well.”
Because she’d been trained to wear it well. Her mother had started her on the pageant circuit when she was nine, and after her father died, the pageants had become almost weekly occurrences. Still, having a stranger comment on her appearance was nice. Maybe a little stalkery, but nice. “Yeah, well, it’s not like it takes a special set of skills to wear designer clothing.”
“I don’t know about that.”
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It exhausts me, but in the best way! When I’m really into a book and all systems are go and the words are flowing it’s so energizing! Sometimes I can write like that for hours on end, I love it! It’s only after I stop for the day that the exhaustion comes in – my eyes get tired, sometimes my shoulders will ache (especially if I’ve forgotten to make a few trips to the kitchen or laundry room to work out those kinks!), and I’ll even have trouble holding conversations with people! A few weeks ago, I had one of those writing days, and that evening was a craft night at our church, and I had the hardest time talking to my friends – just because I couldn’t find my words!
“Christmas in a Small Town is a feel-good, Christmas time romance. . .
While their romance was all that is adorable, their relationship’s conflict felt a little lacking. . . . Still, overall this was a very cute story and a nice addition to the series.
It was fun to see the rest of the Slippery Rock gang again; don’t worry, though, this one would also work just fine as a standalone if you haven’t had a chance to read the rest of the series.”
This will come as a complete surprise to all of you, I’m sure, but I’m not completely organized at Christmas. I know! What? Kristina loves her planner and her lists and checking things off the lists! How can she not have an organized Christmas?
Okay, so maybe I do have an organized Christmas – we decorate at a certain time, and we bake at certain times, and I do try to have my shopping done by a certain time….but that is where the organization ends. I have friends that are organized right down to which bough of the tree which ornament goes on. And the ornaments are only certain colors and shapes and sizes.
The idea though, kept nagging at her. What if Granddad wanted to rejuvenate the school? For her time with the trainer in Kansas City, she knew competition dogs were sought after and could sell for high amounts of money. Training fees on top of that. . .
If she could get just one dog ready for competition, she could help her parents rejuvenate Harris Farms. Could have a real reason to stay here rather than return to Kansas City.
Maria: Do you have any special memories of living in a small town yourself, or did you grow up in a big city?
Kristina: I grew up in a very small town — fewer than 2,000 people, 47 people in my graduating class. It was great! There were summer festivals, parades, lots of down time. At the time (my high school years), I always felt like there should be something more, something bigger, but as an adult, I’m very thankful for my small town roots!
Christmas in a Small Town
(Slippery Rock #4)
– US residents only
On Tour with Prism Book Tours.you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:
Hi, everyone! I’m so excited to be back with you all for the next book in my Slippery Rock series! Breakup in a Small Town picks up about three months post-tornado. Adam is home from the hospital, but things aren’t right for him. . .and things are definitely not right for Jenny, either…
I am a sucker for a great movie couple – Joan Wilder and Jack T. Colton (Romancing the Stone), Vivien and Edward (Pretty Woman), and Jack and Rose (Titanic) are all on my list. I like couples that banter, couples that laugh together, couples that are hot for each other…even if they’d lost a little of that sparkle.
Here are a few of my favorite movie couples…
Do you have any personal heroes/heroines?
I do! I find Nora Roberts’ dedication to writing inspiring, and I’m awed at everything Lisa Kleypas does. I have a friend (Hi, Heather!!) who has started a handmade greeting card company – she writes amazing, inspirational, heartfelt cards that are simply beautiful.
Last but not least, my sister-in-law, who became a runner for the first time over the age of 30, has run in marathons and half-marathons, and helped me through my first 5K this summer (Hi, Janell!) is one of the most genuine people I know, and I admire her so much!
“It occurs to me that I’ve been too soft on you.” Jenny said the words carefully as she pulled to the stoplight outside Mallard’s Grocery. No inflection. No anger. Just words. Calm, cool, concise words. From the corner of her eye, she saw Adam’s head snap in her direction. Maybe this change in tactics was a good idea. “I don’t like this any more than you do, and I know you have it much worse than me because you’re living it. But I’m living it, too.”
Thoughts of a Blonde – Review“Turmoil and heartache snare our attention with this latest dip into Kristina Knight’s Slippery Rock series. If you’ve read the previous books, you will recognize Adam and Jenny and already be familiar with what happened to him. I was hooked on the story just from enjoying the series, but watching them fight for their relationship kept me even more enthralled. She was hard to like, but I enjoyed their story.”
He liked the prickliness even less than he liked that look he’d seen in Jenny’s beautiful eyes a moment before.
He didn’t want to talk about whoever she’d met for lunch or what that meant. He didn’t want to talk at all. He just wanted to feel her mouth on his. Adam reached across the space between them and pulled her closer. Her mouth opened slightly, and her hazel eyes went dark.
“This book had me on the edge of my seat. I was not sure what was going to happen between Jenny and Adam. Stay together or stay apart? It was nice reading about a couple that was married already and facing a life event that changed so much in both Jenny and Adam’s life.”
It took her asking me to leave to see how much I wanted to stay. How much I wanted her, and I had no idea how to get her back. I needed a plan, and I’ve never been much of a planner. Things just kind of happened for me: I played football and happened to be good at it, I took a job with my dad because I enjoyed it, and I married Jenny because she took my breath away. I never had to work hard at anything.
I had to work hard to win her back, though. Here’s how I did it…
“This is all about you.”
“No, it’s not. It’s about you. You haven’t done one thing for me.”
“I sent you flowers to apologize.”
“I hate cut flowers. I’ve never once asked for cut flowers. I didn’t carry them when we eloped. I don’t keep them in vases around the house.”
“You work in the garden all the time.”
“Because I like plants,” she exclaimed, unable to keep the annoyance from her voice.
“This book was hard to read, but rewarding at the same time, because Adam and Jenny do (eventually–talk about waiting until the last minute; argh!) figure it out. And watching two people who have been together forever but are just finally figuring out how to really be together at last makes for one heck of a story.”
Her gaze met his, and it didn’t matter that she’d asked him to move out. That their marriage might be over. What mattered was the look in his eyes. The green darkened to nearly emerald, and seemed to cut right through the confusion she felt at what she wanted, professionally and personally. All that mattered was that, for this moment, the two of them were together. He’d come out of the shell she had begged him to exit.
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Excerpt“I should have been paying more attention,” she admitted.
“I should have ducked. My reflexes are a little slower than I remember.” But he didn’t seem upset by that fact. A few weeks ago, slower reflexes might have sent him into a days-long funk. He put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m okay, Jenny.”
“I know.”
“If a tornado can’t break me by collapsing a building on my head, you’re not going to do it with an umbrella.”
“I just adored this book and this series is fast becoming one of all time favorites. The characters are vivid, emotional, funny, realistic and it’s always fun to go back and see where the other characters are in the town. And I can’t wait for Aiden’s story; whenever that may be. Again, I just loved how Ms. Knight made the story so realistic, emotional, at times raw and I truly felt sympathetic to both characters. I was cheering for them to the very end. And what an ending it was. *sigh, swoon, sniffles*”
Falling in love is the easy part. I didn’t know that until my life fell apart a couple of months ago, but what I’ve realized is that falling in love? It’s easy. A romantic gesture, candlelight, focused attention . . . those things make it so easy to fall in love with another person.
Staying in love? That is a whole different battle. So, if you were in love but now you think love might have left you behind? Here’s what you do…
She had to figure out what she wanted, without Adam’s hands in her hair, making her wish for things that just weren’t true. She had been frustrated before the accident. She wanted more than to take the kids to school and pick them up. To cook the meals and clean the house. She wanted to go on dates with her husband. There had to be more to life than being a mom and a housekeeper.
“Breakup in a Small Town is the third book in the Slipper Rock series by Kristina Knight. I can’t help it I absolutely love every single visit I make to this town. I don’t know what it is but Kristina always blows me away. Jenny and Adam’s story is no different. This couple has been through so much and this has caused a rocky marriage. . . . You will adore this series. I recommend all three books!”
Breakup in a Small TownKristina Knight
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
September 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance
Famous in a Small TownKristina Knight
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
Rebel in a Small TownKristina Knight
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
July 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance
He’s not giving up his family without a fight
James Calhoun has never been able to resist Mara Tyler, or her knack for mischief. Her reputation as a reckless teenager drove Mara from their hometown. So Slippery Rock is the last place James ever expected to see her, and Mara’s timing couldn’t be worse. With the upcoming election for sheriff, she threatens the squeaky-clean image James needs to win. Because Mara has brought with her the result of their steamy affair: his two-year-old son, Zeke. After the initial shock, James is determined to have both his family and career. He just needs to convince Mara that her home is where it’s always been. With him.
Christmas in a Small Town
– US residents only
We are taking 10% of the proceeds from the Slippery Rock series to provide Sweet Cases from TogetherWeRise to foster children in our area. In ‘Famous’, Savannah was a foster child who was adopted at the age of 7 by the Walters family; she was dirty, had ill-fitting clothes and nothing else. The trauma in her early life causes her to act out, even into her adult years…right up until the moment she decides to come home. The trauma she faced in the book is so similar to the trauma that foster children face every day, all over the United States.
“Such a good read!
It takes a while to figure out what exactly Savannah’s deal is–which is a bit frustrating at first, but once we have the whole story? It finally makes sense, and from that point on–all the feels.”
Home is where the heart is. I’ve seen about a million samplers, pillows, cross-stitch pieces, coffee mugs, mousepads…you name it, I’ve probably seen that phrase on it. I’ve always loved that phrase, but not because it brings up memories of the house where I grew up.
Because it brings up memories of my best friend and I cruising around our small town on Friday nights, just looking for something to do.
Before she could talk herself out of it, Savannah marched back into the barn and knocked on the door. No answer. Just like a man to not be around when a woman wanted him to see how not-hung-up-on-him she was.
Probably for the best, anyway. Chances were she’d say something she would regret later. Or find it impossible to not kiss him again.
The thing is, I don’t think there is anything wrong with enjoying a little taste of the glamorous life – I mean, when do we as normal people have the chance to wear designer gowns or vacation in a private villa on a private island? That’s what these magazines bring to the table, along with a juicy scandal – because, let’s face it, knowing that Bob in Accounting bites his nails isn’t that big a secret. . .but knowing that our favorite celebrity does the same thing? It makes them a little more human. A little more like us – warts and all!
“And watching apple trees grow is hard work?” Savannah knew there was more to Collin’s family orchard than watching trees grow, but she couldn’t just stand there while he insulted her car. She might know it was decrepit, but allowing someone to disparage it just felt wrong. They’d been down a lot of roads together.
“If you love a good small town romance, then this one’s for you. Even though there are some adult situations in the book, I would recommend reading it with a box of tissues. You won’t be disappointed.”
(From Collin’s POV) Dating a country singer is work, guys. Not as hard as, say, picking an orchard full of apples on a 90-degree day, but work all the same. These women are self-centered, high maintenance. . . and worth every second. So, if you’ve got the chance to date a Nashville beauty? Take it – but keep in mind, the road is going to be bumpy.
Collin drew his hand away from Savannah’s. “That isn’t a good idea.”
She tilted her head to the left and widened her eyes a little, but he knew she wasn’t confused. “Why not?”
Because the last thing he wanted to do with Savannah Walters was dance. An image of their bodies moving in time to some beat he couldn’t place formed in his mind. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the last thing he wanted.
(from Savannah’s POV) I’m not sure when y’all last did something. . .well, bad. The last time I did – last week. And we won’t go into the gory details (you’ll read all about them in my book, anyway). I’ll just say this: scandal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Scandal hurts, not just me, but it could hurt my family. It could even hurt a person I don’t like all that much (my former tour-mate, Genevieve). How do I deal?
Savannah chuckled. “Sounds like some of the stuff you guys did back in high school.” Pranks and raids she’d never been invited into, not that she was bitter. Even if Levi had asked, she would never have gone.
“Totally different.”
“Because you were boys and she’s a girl?”
“Utterly romantic, swoon-worthy and lovely with amazing characters, intriguing and captivating plot and a knack for engaging the reader. I loved it and would recommend it to everyone.”
Savannah Walters can’t remember a time when she didn’t love Collin Tyler – of course, she doesn’t think of it as love in the beginning. She first ‘met’ Collin when her brother, Levi, brought Collin home after school. She was nine years old, and had been living with the Walters family for two years. To that point, Levi had been ‘hers’ – her friend, her confidant (although she didn’t share any of her past with him), her brother. Once Collin came to Walters Ranch, though, Levi was no longer Savannah’s.
“Good read. Liked the characters and story flow. Entertaining and fun to read.”
“A sweet story of finding a sense of belonging even when life doesn’t go the way you want. The characters are enjoyable and carry the story to a happy fruition. A little slow in places, but overall a deep and meaningful read!”
Famous in a Small TownKristina Knight
Paperback & ebook, 306 pages
May 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance
Lifestyles of the small-town famous
Forced to leave Nashville after a scandal, Savannah Walters has come home to Slippery Rock, Missouri, with a bruised ego and her singing career in jeopardy. As if that isn’t humiliating enough, on her way into town she’s rescued by her swoon-worthy childhood crush, Collin Tyler.
His hands are full running the family orchard and dealing with his delinquent teen sister, so Collin doesn’t need to get involved with someone as fiery and unpredictable as Savannah. But the intense attraction between them can’t be denied. And when disaster strikes, they’ll both be surprised by who’s still standing when the dust settles.
– Prize pack for US residents only, if international winner is pulled then they will receive a $25 gift card instead