Self-Care with Ciara Knight

 When you’re writing and editing a suspenseful book like Christmas Harbor Secrets, how do you look after yourself?

I’ll be honest, living on a boat changes how you approach everything—including self-care! My husband and I live aboard a Kadey-Krogen 48 trawler, so my routine depends a lot on the tides, the weather, and whether or not a contractor is showing up that day. I take my coffee out on deck most mornings, breathe in the salt air, and let the water settle my mind before diving into edits. I also try to step away from my laptop and take a walk along the marina every afternoon. It’s amazing how many plot twists work themselves out while you’re watching pelicans fish.


Self-care? Makeup and hair?

Ha! Boat life doesn’t really leave room for glam. I keep things simple—sunscreen, lip balm, and a messy bun that can survive a good wind gust. I do love skincare though, especially anything gentle and fragrance-free, since salt air can dry out your skin fast.


Do you dress up every day?

Not unless you count clean sundress as “dressing up.” Most days it’s shorts and a T-shirt, barefoot unless I’m heading to shore. I do keep a “Zoom top” handy, though—just in case I have to hop on a call.


Share something funny about being caught off guard while living on a boat.

Oh, that’s easy. The first time a fellow boater knocked on our hull instead of our door, I about jumped out of my skin. I thought we’d hit something! Now it’s normal, but that first knock nearly gave me a heart attack.


About Christmas Harbor Secrets

Living aboard inspired this story—a suspense set in a foggy harbor town where love and danger collide. The sound of creaking docks, the hum of engines, the mystery that always seems to linger over the water—it all found its way into Rone Archer’s world.



About the Author



Ciara Knight is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author who writes heart-tugging, faith-filled romance with a dash of hope and a whole lot of love. When she's not wrangling swoon-worthy cowboys or crafting small-town drama, she's navigating life as a proud mom of three spirited (and now grown!) boys.

In a major plot twist no one saw coming, Ciara and her tech-savvy husband recently traded in their empty nest for open waters—purchasing a boat to live aboard full-time. Together, they’re setting sail on the greatest adventure yet: the next chapter of life, love, and a few waves of inspiration. Anchors aweigh!

Ciara Knight on the web:

Website            Facebook            X

TikTok               Instagram          Threads

Bluesky            YouTube             Pinterest



Christmas Harbor Secrets



The past never truly sinks…it just waits for the tide to rise.

Isobel Lane plans to sell her estranged father’s old trawler after her ex leaves her penniless—until she uncovers evidence pointing to his murder.

Haunted by the partner he couldn’t save, Rone Archer has spent years trying to outrun his guilt. Protecting Isobel from a danger that mirrors his past feels like his one chance at redemption.

But when a criminal organization tries to silence them, will they survive through Christmas, or will the tide claim more than her father’s secrets?



And get this book absolutely free:

Tides Before Christmas

This short story prequel offers a glimpse into

Rone Archer’s pastthe man at the heart of

Christmas Harbor Secrets, the first book in the

Harbor Secrets series. 


He faced down the stormand hisenemies and walked away alive. But not whole. Some wounds don’t bleed. They linger in the silence…waiting for the next tide to rise.


Click here...

Get this book FREE.

And view this video for Nas Dean's book review.

5 comments:

  1. Looks like an interesting book.

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  2. Welcome to Authors with Advice, Ciara! I loved this story. And awesome reading through your answers!

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  3. Living on a boat sounds like a lot of fun. I'm sure there are challenges. It's a whole different lifestyle.

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  4. Gracias por las reseñas. te mando un beso.

    ReplyDelete