The octagonal house on Amelia Island is called Katie’s light. It’s for rent if you’d like to go stay there…
Acknowledgments
Thank you to David Sutton for reading and advising on story threads. From looking out for Kaitlyn’s reputation to telling me “You know a taser would solve this whole Sean issue quick fast and in a hurry,” and mentioning that Magnus can maybe keep his eyes open in a car starting now — your suggestions and thoughts help make the stories better and better. I appreciate it so much.
Thank you to Heather Hawkes for beta reading, championing, being a long time friend and supporter, and for saying, “I struggle with the amount of stuff they are bringing! What if they leave stuff behind?? Someone in our time would look around and find a 300-year-old cliff bar wrapper?? Or flashlight?? I feel like the first time made sense, but they should be more cautious now. Keep stuff time period…” I agree and did my best to make their packing more thoughtful.
Thank you to Kristen Schoenmann De Haan for reading and loving the progression of the story and for saying, “The Thanksgiving with Grandma Barb was so poignant and true. Just thinking about it again makes me teary.” Thank you for saying so.
Thank you to Jessica Fox for reading and advising on the Doctor Who terminology and telling me that I ‘got you’ with my reveal. I count that as a win. I appreciate that you’ve been reading for me for so long.
And thank you to Cynthia Tyler for excitedly reading, and telling me this one was in much better shape than the last by the time it hit your desk. From your advice on scabbards, to your grasp of how Magnus should sound, to your long list of typos, I’m thinking of calling you ‘the Sweeper’ because you find so much that other eyes have missed. I’m so very glad I found you (or you found me)!
* * *
My Facebook page was kicking it for a while there. My friends and family weighed in on how to apprehend people on the top floor of a skyrise. The deciding tactic went to my husband, Kevin, though: a sonic wave exploding the glass was just what I needed.
I also asked about birth in the 1700s and received so many wonderful, helpful responses from mothers, doulas and midwives alike that it made me kind of weepy to read through them. Birth has always been a tough slog and I was looking forward to making Lizbeth and Kaitlyn heroic through it. Thank you to Sara Homan, Aimee Stephens, Amanda Gauthier-Parker, Carrie Benitez, Kari Carlin Aist, Amanda Kenworthy, Lynsey K McCarthy-Calvert, Lisa Parsons, Morgan Gallagher, Kristen Vaught Cavuto, Meegan McNelly, Rebekah Costello, Jill D’agnenica, Genevieve Thomas Colvin, Amie Rashe Conrad, Bianca Kamnitzer, and Jen Holland for your thoughts, help, research, and expertise. I’m so proud of Kaitlyn that she was able to save Lizbeth’s life.
* * *
The conversation continued over in the FB group, Kaitlyn and the Highlander. Where I asked, What do you think Magnus should notice, wonder, be amazed about, ask about in book 5? There were so many great ideas, but these were the ones I used:
Spray cheese - Cynthia Tyler
Solar Panels - My family
Razor - Tonya Morgan
Shaving cream - Debbie Hall
Zipper - Rachael Anne
YouTube - David Sutton
Becky Hendren Harbin - Adult toy store and sex toys - Shauna Willoghby (The opening scene was already written, but glad someone else wanted to know what Magnus would think about it.)
Infomercials - Lauren Nichols and Stephanie Stevens Tarr.
* * *
Speaking of Infomercials, these were the suggestions:
Drunk guy peddling knives (apparently this is true) - Joshua Waier and Isobel Dowdee. Also the upside down tomato plant thingy.
Flex Seal - Lauren Nichols
* * *
These are just a few of the suggestions for Emma’s bachelorette party:
Waffle breakfast - LiZa (Zach makes them for her on the morning of the wedding…)
Grandma takes Ben - Tonya Morgan
Spa and massages and going out on the town - Amanda Bodfield
Spa Day - Hilary Baran, Kayla Swallow, Barbara Anne, Natasha Howard, Kim Stevens, Beverly Leonard.
Night club to stretch her wings - Pam Furze
* * *
I asked for a name for the woman who Lizbeth is staying with in Scotland. From the hundreds of suggestions I chose Greer. Thank you Tori Bourne, Michelle Maroni, Shauna Conner Pelfrey, Wendy ElDin, and Karen Clark.
I chose McClelland for the surname, suggested by April Graham. (Her mother’s maiden name.)
And Ailbeart for the husband, suggested by Donna Blickenstaff.
* * *
And I also asked, in fun, if you could get rid of someone evil with a time machine where would you take them? I received some wonderful suggestions. They weren’t going to make it into the book, that’s not where the story is headed, but then they appeared in Kaitlyn’s imagination. Thank you.
Land of the Dinosaurs - Alison Howard
Titanic - Diana Toles
Plague - LiZa
Vesuvius - Patty Wayne and Heather Story
* * *
And I finally got around to describing Kaitlyn’s ring and it’s a beauty. Thank you to Isobel Dowdee, Joshua Waier, Gloria Michaels-Brown, Christy Baxter, Heather Hawkes, Kristen Schoenmann De Haan, Dayle Brunson, Leisha Gosling, Molly Lyons, Jennifer Babcock, and Heather Story for sharing ideas with me. This is Kaitlyn’s ring. The one below it is Magnus’s.
* * *
And thank you to the artist, Volodymyr Tverdokhlib, for the photos of this amazing model through shuttterstock.com. He is a perfect Magnus and I’m grateful for him…
* * *
Thank you to Kevin Dowdee for being my support, my guidance, and my inspiration for these stories. I appreciate you so much. And thank you for listening to me as I flesh out my theory of time travel. That was a big help.
Thank you to my kids, Ean, Gwynnie, Fiona, and Isobel, for listening to me go on and on about these characters, advising me whenever you can, and accepting them as real parts of our lives. I love you.
About me, Diana Knightley
I live in Los Angeles where we have a lot of apocalyptic tendencies that we overcome by wishful thinking. Also great beaches. I maintain a lot of people in a small house, too many pets, and a to-do list that is longer than it should be, because my main rule is: Art, play, fun, before housework. My kids say I am a cool mom because I try to be kind. I’m married to a guy who is like a water god: he surfs, he paddle boards, he built a boat. I’m a huge fan.
I write about heroes and tragedies and magical whisperings and always forever happily ever afters. I love that scene where the two are desperate to be together but can’t because of war or apocalyptic-stuff or (scientifically sound!) time-jumping and he is begging the universe with a plead in his heart and she is distraught (yet still strong) and somehow, through kisses and steamy more and hope and heaps and piles of true love, they manage to come out on the other side.
I like a man in a kilt, especially if he looks like a Hemsworth, doesn’t matter, Liam or Chris.
My couples so far include Beckett and Luna (from the trilogy, Luna’s Story) who battle their fear to find each other during an apocalypse of rising waters. And Magnus and Kaitlyn (from the series Kaitlyn and the Highlander). Who find themselves traveling through time to be together.
I write under two pen names, this one here, Diana Knightley, and another one, H. D. Knightley, where I write books for Young Adults (They are still romantic and fun and sometimes steamy though, because love is grand at any age.)
DianaKnightley.com
[email protected]
Also by H. D. Knightley (My YA pen name)
Bright (Book One of The Estelle Series)
Beyond (Book Two of The Estelle Series)
Belief (Book Three of The Estelle Series)
Fly; The Light Princess Retold
Violet’s Mountain
Sid and Teddy
y, Diana, Entangled With You
Entangled With You Page 23
