Ms. Knightly found writing about her mother's mental illness cathartic.  Writing became a lifeline when the stigma of mental illness in her family was too overwhelming to share with others.  The page became the healer and talking about her mother's illness became easier as she wrote about it in her book.  Once the stigma was lifted, sharing the story of her mother's mental illness eased the suffering and pain, which promoted understanding. On a personal note, writing was not her best subject in her early years.  Often seeing, "student has great potential" in writing on her report cards, Ms. Knightly excelled in Math and in Science.  It was not until she studied writing in college that she felt her writing talents developed fully.    

Ms. Knightly obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a Special Field of Study in Sociology, as well as her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at California State University San Marcos.