Grantham Journal Big Interview: Former KGGS girl and relationships expert Annabelle Knight writes her first steamy novel

Annabelle Knight is a relationships expert and former student at KGGS in Grantham. She can regularly be seen on TV talking about relationships. Now she has published her first novel called ‘The Endless Autumn’.

How long did you live in Grantham and what are your best memories of growing up here?

I went to school at KGGS from 11 years old until I was 18 so did most of my growing up in Grantham. I have fond memories of the town centre, especially the benches by the Sir Isaac Newton statue. Many lunchtimes my friends and I would sit there with our lunch, chat about school and watch the world go by. My best friend Kate and I would walk into town from school most lunchtimes and I always enjoyed the walk up Stonebridge Road, especially on sunny days. That walk always happened at the start of the one hour lunch break so for me went hand in hand with a certain sense of freedom. I always loved when the fair came to town as well, the excitement and buzz that it brought was always electric to me. There’s also a great mix of people in Grantham and you always got to experience that mix when the fair was on, the whole event really brought people together and I loved that.

How did you become a relationships expert and what do you love about your job?

I became a dating and relationship expert after years of study. I’m a certified couples counsellor and have qualifications in psychology as well. I love the feeling I get when I help a couple overcome a problem, it’s definitely the best part of my job. Ultimately giving a couple their happiness back and the tools to deal with future issues really gives me a sense of fulfilment. Because my job is so multifaceted it’s really hard to pick just one element. I loved typing ‘The End’ when I finished my novel, I really look forward to experiencing that feeling again when the next one’s done.

Why did you write the book? What kind of reception has the book had?

I’ve had the story of Autumn and her adventures bubbling in my head for a while now. The very initial idea came after a dream I had one night. I wrote it down thinking it’d make a fabulous story, then kind of sat on it for a very long time. It sat in a dark, abandoned folder on my laptop for longer that I’d like to admit. Then Fifty Shades of Grey came out and all of a sudden it seemed that not only was erotic fiction more acceptable, it was downright loved. So I began penning the rest of the story, all in all it took almost a year to write the whole thing. I was very busy with various TV and radio work and write for lots of magazines as well so barely had any free time. It was only when a publisher became involved that I really knuckled down. I took a month off work and wrote solidly from eight in the morning until eight at night every day, it’s the most committed I’ve ever been to any project and took every ounce of drive and ambition that I had to get it finished. But finish it I did and now it’s out to buy. It’s had great reviews, Katie Price read it, loved it and allowed me to put a quote on the back page of the book, for which I am hugely grateful. It’s got five star reviews on Amazon and in Waterstones and sold out completely in the first fortnight of it’s release. Thankfully it’s back in stock now though.

Will you write more books in the future?

Absolutely! I’m just finishing the planning stages on my second book. It’s not a sequel to The Endless Autumn, however at some point I will add more to Autumn’s story and write book number two. I loved the entire writing process and feel that, even though it was certainly a learning curve, it’s something I have passion and talent for. They say everyone has at least one book in them, well I’m hoping that I’ve got loads in me.

What aims or ambitions do you have for the future?

I’d love to get a best seller under my belt. The world of literature is a tough one, with the ability to self publish, e-books and online fiction there are millions of books out there, so making yours stand out is an almost impossible task. I have a TV appearance on Loose Women booked for May and am doing the radio rounds at the moment so hopefully if enough people feel like giving it a go it’ll do well. To be recognised as a storyteller and have people like my work is my ultimate goal.

If you want any background on Annabelle her website can be found at www.annabelleknight.com