Guest Author: Ciara Knight

A woman in a Man’s world

Hi, I’m Ciara Knight, the author of The Curse of Gremdon. I’d love to tell you a little about the heroine from my story, Arianna.

Arianna is the only female warrior of her class. Forced to train with all men in the Pit, she faces various challenges. It wasn’t until she bested the great Elite Warrior, Tardon, that she began to win some respect from her fellow warriors. Being a woman myself, who has worked in an all male office, I thought I’d give her a chance to share her story.

Ciara: Arianna, what is one of the biggest challenges during day to day training exercises?

Arianna: At first, I was treated as an outsider. Many days I arrived at the Pit and men lined up to smack my backside as I walked through the training area. It was humiliating, but I refused to respond. Until one day I snapped. For some reason, Tardon can stir my temper.

Ciara: I love that story. Will you share it with us?

Arianna: Yes. Many moons ago I challenged Tardon to a match. Warriors stood in shock and taunted me as I took my place in the Pit. The trainer allowed the fight, and I used all of my skills to distract him. Going into the Pit I knew Tardon had two weaknesses, his pride and women. I used both of these to distract him, and knock him on his high and mighty backside. I will never forget that day, the cheers and laughter. From that moment on I knew I was as good as the male warriors.

Ciara: You mentioned this was a turning point. How so?

Arianna: I bested an Elite warrior. The man no warrior challenged. After that day, I became one of the men. They no longer even noticed that I am a woman. They feel free to dress and behave as men do.

Ciara: I’d ask in what way, but I’m sure we can all guess. Why do you want to be a warrior? It seems like a strange choice for a woman. Does your family approve?

Arianna: My family all fell to the curse except my younger brother, which I have sworn to protect. Mardel is the reason I fight for Elite status. Most orphans fall to the inner courts. I possessed no desire to work in a shop, so I began training at a young age. I have fought my way up the ranks in hopes of giving my brother a better life.

Ciara: Have there been many women Elite Warriors?

Arianna: No, I will be the first.

Ciara: Do you think you’ll get this status? If so, when will you test?

Arianna: Yes, if I am granted the chance, I will succeed. I have bested every warrior in the Pit, even the mighty Tardon. Although, I am confident he will not fall for my distractions again. He would be the only opponent that could keep me from winning Elite Status. It is tradition that the Elders pair two warriors, both who seek Elite Status, so I am not concerned.

Ciara: Thank you Arianna for taking time out of your training schedule to chat with us. We wish you the best of luck in your Elite Warrior match.

Arianna: Thank you.

I hope you’ve gotten a little behind the scenes look at a female warrior’s life in Gremdon. Have you ever worked in a predominantly male office? If so, do you have any suggestions for Arianna?

The Curse of Gremdon
By Ciara Knight

Blurb:
In a world where marriage is forbidden, sex is only granted to male warriors, and the outer realm is full of murderous creatures, Arianna fights to protect the life of her only living relative, her brother.
Tardon, an elite warrior, is granted anything he desires by the Elders, but finds little joy in the voluptuous women presented to him. Born for the bloodlust found only in battle, complicated emotions emerge when he discovers his equal in the alluring warrior, Arianna.
Charged by the Elders with saving the castle from attack, Tardon and Arianna risk the curse when they traverse the vast outer realm to retrieve serum from the Tree of Life. If successful, the Elders have promised Tardon the right to marry and Arianna the cure for her brother’s death fever. Will their love carry them through or will the discovery of a great deception be their ultimate demise?

About The Author:
Ciara Knight always had a passion for storytelling. At an early age, she wrote several short stories and poems, and in college she started work on her first novel. It wasn’t until late 2008 that she returned to her true passion of writing. Over the past few years she has penned five novels and joined several professional writing organizations to better her craft.
When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.
Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Dystopian.
Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She’s backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.

2 thoughts on “Guest Author: Ciara Knight

  1. Yes, I was a helicopter flight engineer in the AF. I was the only female in my job at that assignment. It can be really ruff. I like the sound of your heroine and your book. I’m following along on the hop =)

  2. Tanyaw1224,
    Wow, a helicopter flight engineer. That sounds exciting! I think Arianna and you would become fast friends.
    Thanks for following along on the tour!
    Ciara

Comments are closed.