About Judah Knight:
Story telling has been a part of my life for as far back as I can remember. I told countless bedtime stories to my six children through the years making them an important part of each adventure. My first written story came at the age of six when I wrote about the experience of the death of my dog. Now, as an adult, I can lose myself in an adventure and take thousands of people along for the ride. I can also encourage, challenge, counsel, and give people hope with stories while providing wholesome entertainment. I chose to write romance novels partly in response to other books in this genre. I believe that a lot of people would like to read a good romance without all of the graphic details that move many books in this genre into a category that seems more like pornography than literature. I prefer to allow the readers’ imagination to fill in any details that my story might suggest, and I want my main characters to present the kind of relationship that every couple aspires to experience.
Growing up in a home surrounded by love and affirmation provided for me a solid foundation where I was encouraged to dream the impossible dream. I played sports, studied music, developed a love for the outdoors, enjoyed the strong spiritual influence of my parents, and became a scuba diver before I graduated from high school. I received an undergraduate degree in music from the University of Georgia and pursued additional degrees in Texas and Louisiana. One of my greatest joys came in meeting the love of my life at a conference. We eventually married and are blessed with six beautiful children who bring great delight to my life.
I am an avid scuba diver, and I enjoy backpacking and camping with my family. Living near Atlanta, Georgia offers me the opportunity of hiking in the north Georgia mountains or flying off to the Caribbean for another underwater adventure. I have hiked about half of the 2190 miles of the Appalachian Trail and anticipate climbing the final mountain in Maine within the next nine or ten years. I am a blessed man, and I find great pleasure in sharing stories with people that will put a smile on their faces and hope in their hearts.
What inspires you to write?
People. I’m inspired by the lives of people I meet. I’ve encountered a lot of people with broken dreams and dysfunctional families while others have lives filled with hope and relationships that bring joy. This inspires me to write about healthy relationships, real romance, hope, and healing. I’m also inspired by the beauty of the world. My favorite spot to write is in a cabin deep in the north Georgia mountains overlooking an amazing lake surrounded by such beauty that causes me to never want to return home.
Tell us about your writing process.
I not only write about adventure, but the process of writing is an adventure for me. I create character sketches initially, and I create a basic storyboard. The storyboard, however, is not a complete outline of my book but rather provides the highpoints of the story. I have a lot of blanks that are only filled in as I embark on the adventure of writing. I find a few pictures representing my characters and some of the scenes in my books and keep them as reference points on my computer. Sometimes, I’ll print out a picture and keep it nearby. I’ll also post pictures of what I’m writing about on the desktop of my computer.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
It seems odd to say it, but I sort of have a relationship with my characters. I try to get into their minds and imagine life from their point of view. I imagine how they would undertake a project. This helps me later on in my writing to create emotions, attitudes or actions of my characters.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write daily. I procrastinated in writing my first book because I felt like I didn’t have time. I eventually started writing on my lunch break. I completed my first book over a three-year period at lunch. Toward the end, I took more concentrated time devoted to writing the book, but by-in-large, it happened at lunch. Books are written in words and sentences. I also encourage writers to always work on their platforms. It’s never to early to start. I suggest you work on your platform before you complete your first book. My wife is doing this now. She has hundreds of readers (maybe thousands)checking out her blog, and she won’t have her first book completed for another year. Also, if you choose to self-publish, don’t publish alone. Build a team or editors, readers, graphic artists, marketers, etc. to help you be a success.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I’ve dealt with traditional publishing in another genre and decided to start my own publishing company. I found that with a traditional publisher, I was still doing a lot of the work. I had to do most of the marketing and would receive only a small percentage of the royalties. Also through my company, I’m able to help others fulfill their publishing dreams. I’m not against traditional publishing and may pursue it again in the future, but for now, I’m enjoying being in full control of my writing destiny.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Even though the digital book market is here to stay, people still like holding a book in their hands. I went through a period of thinking that publishing would eventually go to an all digital format, but I’m not sure I still believe this. Even young people tell me they want to hold a paperback book in their hands instead of reading from their iPad or Kindle. I think we’ll see digital publishing increase in the future, but authors would do well to also strengthen their strategy for printed books as well.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Romance/adventure/suspense
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Judah Knight Home Page Link
Link To Judah Knight Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
