Christiane Knight's Blog, page 9

A Neil Gaiman Giveaway!

I am one of a handful of indie authors who are participating in the C.L. Cannon’s Neil Gaiman Giveaway!

Subscribe to today’s bestselling authors for a chance to win a paperback box set containing: Neverwhere, American Gods, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, Stardust, and Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, plus Crowley and Aziraphale Good Omens Funko Pops, Death spiral notebook, ”A Book Is A Dream” mug and a Coraline candle.

The giveaway is active through June 27, 2022, and the prizes will be awarded on June 30th. This is a great chance to win AND get connected with some awesome independent authors!
https://clcannon.net/giveaways/neailgaimanfan/

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March 2022 News Wrap-Up

I realized that I haven’t caught up with y’all lately about some of the things that happened since I released Cast a Shadow of Doubt, so what better time to do that than now? I’ve got a few things that will be coming up in the future as well that I’ll drop here. Make sure to put them on your calendar!

Subculture Talk Interview with Pat 626

In case you missed it when it originally happened, I wanted to link this here! I had a really great talk with Pat 626, the host of Subculture Shock and The Afterparty, both streaming shows that I rebroadcast on my streaming own radio station, Radio Xiane. Pat and I have a lot of history – they took over SubShock when I left Charlottesville, and have kept that show alive in various forms, from FM radio to now livestreaming on Twitch. If you love the music in my book soundtracks, you will adore their shows.

When Pat asked to interview me, I was immensely flattered and immediately agreed. Our chat was everything I expected and then some–we cover topics as diverse as building community, the power of music, and what it means to struggle with impostor syndrome and crushing fear by trying to create works that build hope. There is a TON of emotion in this interview, and we could easily have gone on for hours. Please give it a listen, especially if you are feeling the pressures of everything right now.

Liminal Fiction

I recently joined the wonderful folks at Liminal Fiction! They feature an ever-growing library and collection of spec fic [science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, horror] that is searchable by author, title, genre, and more. If you sign up for the mailing list, you get four free ebooks, plus a really informative newsletter — and the ability to save your Liminal Fiction finds to a TBR list as well as note your favorite authors. I really love the community, and they have a Facebook page as well!

You can find my author page here: https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/christiane-knight/

Upcoming Events

I’ll be appearing at the Baltimore Faerie Faire on April 9th! This will be super fun, because last year it was all virtual, and this year attendees will get to see all the lovely outfits and experience musicians, stilt walkers, storytellers, mermaids, the drum circle, and more. There’s a Faeries’ Ball the night before, as well. I’ll have a table with my books, and I’ll be doing some live reading from Cast a Shadow of Doubt as well as teaching branch weaving in the crafting area. It will be a great time and if you’re in the Baltimore MD area I’d love to see you! You can get all the details here: https://www.christianeknight.com/events/baltimore-faerie-faire-2022/

I’ll also be kicking around at Balticon 56 this year! It is happening May 27-30 2022. Last year I attended virtually and had a virtual table. This year it will be in person and I won’t be as lucky as to have real estate in the vendor’s room this year, but you’ll still be able to find me around the con. I’ll try to post some updates about where to find me during the event. I may have some opportunities to do live readings, and of course I’ll post about that as soon as anything is conformed. I recommend coming out to the con, it is a lovely event and has been going strong for longer than I have! More info here: https://www.balticon.org/wp56/

Other News

Things that have been pretty laid back since launch day for CASOD, let me tell you! And that’s a relief, because the days around the launch are always really busy and a little anxiety-inducing, if I can be honest. But I do have a few nice things to report, including that Cast a Shadow of Doubt is now available through Indie Bound and Bookshop.org — and that means that your local bookstore can order copies to stock, or put in special orders! And for folks who don’t want to spend their cash through A*m*z*n, or buy directly from me, this is a nice workaround. You can find all the links for places to order CASOD on the book’s page: Cast a Shadow of Doubt

I’ve been working on some cute jewelry with Fae-related motifs, like mushrooms and the like. Very simple, cute, and inexpensive adornment is my jam! I’ll have those up on my Ko-fi page soon, and if you’d like to know when they get listed, you can either subscribe to my newsletter or follow me over on Ko-fi. [or even better, support me there!]

I’ve got THREE different WIPs going, y’all. Yes, they’re all set in the Stories of the Eleriannan version of Baltimore, and no, they’re not direct sequels. We’ll be meeting some new characters and exploring some different spaces in the city…but expect to see appearances by some familiar faces, as well. At least one has a queer romance too, my friends! I’m really enjoying writing these stories and taking my time because of that.

I’m sure there’s news that I’m missing, but if you follow me on Ko-fi… ahem. Anyway, where do you want to see me next? Any guesses about new characters? Comment below and throw all your theories out there!

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Ask the Cast: Vali and Sousa

Last time I posted, I mentioned that I would be featuring the characters of In Sleep You Know and Cast a Shadow of Doubt as they answer questions from me and reader-posed questions as well. Today, we have the first segment, featuring an interview by me with Vali and Sousa!

Please read on to hear about what’s been keeping this duo busy, some organizations that they support, and what you can expect to see in the future from them and the Baltimore Fae!

Today I’ve got Sousa and Vali for some questions and answers!

Me: You have both been busy lately! Want to tell the readers about some of your current projects?

Vali: My two pet projects right now are working on organizing garbage pick-up groups around the Jones Falls and doing some volunteering at the community garden and the free farm. Later this year I want to work on making some safer spaces for unhoused folks in Baltimore, especially women, so that they can camp or gather without repercussions.
Oh, and I’ve just about got Souz talked into letting me throw up a BIG piece on the side of The Maithe.

Me: Oh! Mural sized! What’s the art going to be like? Anything you can share?

Vali: Well… that’ll depend on what I can convince Sousa to let me do. Right, Souz?

Sousa: No pressure or anything, damn. [laughs]

Me: What about you, Sousa? What have you been into lately?

Sousa: Besides helping Vali over at the Jones Falls clean-up sites, I’ve been doing a lot of renovation work on the new building in Woodberry. It’s barely inhabitable right now, not that it’s stopping those folks from staying there. At least some Fae aren’t too choosy, unlike some of the people in this house… anyway. So anything I can do to hurry the process, that’s what I do. And somehow I tried Sheridan into teaching me some of his beer-brewing secrets, which means I’ve gotta test the fruits of our labor, you know…

Me: Of course, of course. You can’t share it until you know it’s worthy.
You are going to share, right?
[everyone laughs]
So you’re both doing lots to give back to the local community. For those who would like to contribute but aren’t local or who don’t have the ability to get hands on, what organizations would you recommend supporting?

Vali: What a great question! Here in Baltimore, I can tell you a few places that do great work. If you’re interested in water conservation, there’s the Chesapeake Bay Foundation [https://www.cbf.org/] which works to save the bay through education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration. You could also donate to Mr. Trash Wheel and the Trash Wheel family [https://www.mrtrashwheel.com/] — they are the trash eating heroes of our waterfront! Mr. Trash Wheel lives at the point where the Jones Falls empties into the harbor, and he catches so much trash before it gets into open water.
Sousa: If you want to help people directly, one of my favorite groups is Food Not Bombs, which has operations everywhere and strives to feed people who need it. [https://foodnotbombs.net/new_site/] The local chapter is connected with Baltimore Free Farm [https://www.baltimorefreefarm.org/] which does so much to feed hungry people and build community with their food rescue work! They also have a community garden and an event space.
In your area, I suggest looking up “free farms near me” and see what comes up. If not, food banks always need time, money, and donations and will welcome your help!

Me: Wow, I appreciate these links!
Someone wanted to know what else we can expect from you and the rest of the gang – any big plans for playing more festivals or other adventures?

Sousa: Actually, we do! We’re getting ready to start hosting events–slowly, with restricted guest lists at first–at The Maithe. It’ll mostly be stuff with The Drawback to start, but we hope to book other things in the future, if this works out. I mean, I have all that space, might as well use it, right? And yes, this’ll include both Fae and Mortals on the list!

Vali: I’m even kicking around the idea of having an art space there. First step is throwing up some paint on that wall though…

Sousa: Yeah, yeah, I guess so.

Vali: You heard him, folks! No take-backsies!

[everyone laughs]

Me: That’s all the questions I’ve got for y’all–anything you want to add?

Vali: Um… don’t litter, be nice to the people doing the jobs you don’t want to do, and remember that everyone’s got a story that you know nothing about, so be kind.

Sousa: Do it yourself doesn’t mean doing it without your community. And, um, buy beers for your local bands so that they know you love them. Yeah.

Wise words! Much appreciation for the time that Vali and Sousa took out of their day to share with us!
If you want to hear more from the cast of In Sleep You Know and Cast a Shadow of Doubt, keep checking back here for more interviews!
And if you’d like to ask your own questions, you can fill this out here: https://freesuggestionbox.com/pub/gnxfwvl

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Ask the Cast a Question, an ongoing series

I’m up to something fun! 
I am going to make a reoccurring series where I “interview” the characters from ISYK/CASOD and see what they have to say. Questions will range from ridiculous to deadly serious.

And YOU will get to play a part in this, if you like!
You can leave suggestions for future questions to ask the entire cast or just one of the characters here – https://freesuggestionbox.com/pub/gnxfwvl

Our first question is already here and ready for you! Today, we have a question for Lucee Fearney, your favorite waffle-loving guitarist and once-mortal Fae leader!

Lucee, the readers want to know: how did you learn to play guitar?

Lucee: Wow, that’s a cool question! Actually, you can blame it on Merrick, just like most of the best things that’ve happened in my life. Back in ninth grade he decided that he wanted to learn how to play guitar. He kept telling me that he knew he was destined to be in a band and he wanted me to be in that band too. He also knew that my father would never go for any of that, so he used his “I have rich parents” connections and pulled some strings with the dean to get us a private guitar teacher. He managed to make it so that it was listed on our curriculum as required, so Da would have no reason to be pissed that I was taking a music class instead of an academic class.

Funny thing was that Merrick struggled with guitar, but I picked it up like I was born to play. It just made sense to me, you know? Our teacher Max (Mr. Max, we used to call him) is the one that suggested to Merrick that he should try switching to the bass, and pointed out that if he wanted to sing, that might make it easier. He was a great teacher! He made us both feel like we could do anything. He’s the one who taught me what makes an instrument sound good, and how to develop my own style and tone. Everything else I learned from trial and error, like you do!

Lucee, you’re the best! Guess I owe you a waffle now, right?

Enjoy this? Expect another Q&A next week! And don’t forget to submit your questions!

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Character Love Languages

A Valentine’s Day Post!

One of the things that gets mentioned in Cast a Shadow of Doubt is love languages. First, before I go any further: I am NOT referencing the book written by Gary Chapman. He certainly wasn’t the first one to come up with the concept of love languages, and I don’t support the way he frames the idea. [Or any of his other ideas.]

Firstly: people can speak or perform multiple love languages, and need different things at different times. They may even need different languages depending on the relationship to that person. Second: there are MANY more than five love languages. You’ll see that in my characters for sure.

Cullen demonstrates his love languages to Lucee regularly. He does his best to give her a safe place where she can express her thoughts and fears, and his quiet and unwavering belief in her is just what she needs. He also expresses his support through food, which is demonstrated several times in Cast a Shadow of Doubt!

Lucee, on the other hand, is a tireless cheerleader for her friends, and is quick with a compliment or a word of encouragement. She goes out of her way to be there for Merrick, and also her other friends when they need her. Oh, and Lucee’s a big ol’ hugger, so touch is important, too.

One of Sousa’s love languages is thoughtful gifts, given with careful consideration to how he knows the future recipient, and what he thinks will bring them the most happiness. He doesn’t do it often, so his gifts make an impact.

Vali expresses her love through service – to The Maithe, the community around her, and The Lady of the City. She is also quick with a kind and supportive word, and slow to judge, which makes her a nurturing sort of person to be around. Vali spends a lot of time volunteering and when people she loves join her, she feels the most complete.

Merrick is another acts of service person. He finds his true calling through joining something bigger than himself, and he is eager to support his Fae family by taking on his role as the Blackbird, champion of House Mirabilis. He also affirms Aisling’s importance in his world and is ready to defend her whenever she needs it.

Aisling’s is dedication. She is fiercely loyal and supportive of those she loves, and goes out of her way to show it. When Merrick runs away from the Eleriannan, she doggedly tracks him down and won’t leave him to suffer alone until he is able to rejoin the Fae.

Want to hear about some of the other characters? What about you – what are yours? Mine are touch and supportive words with a minor in service. And I love touch and gifts!

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So. Much. Talking.

I’m still enjoying a post-launch high! On Sunday I had my official Launch Party live on my Facebook page, which–despite some technical difficulties, thanks FB– went well and was a LOT of fun. The technical difficulties included Facebook glitching and deciding that I was spamming my own broadcast, which led to me being kicked off and having to restart it… so there will be a delay before I have the video stitched together to repost elsewhere.

In the meantime, you can check out the two parts via Facebook: here’s part one and here’s part two.

I am SO excited about this!

The next interview that I’ve got coming up is one that I’m really looking forward to — I’ll be on Subculture Talk, the live interview show hosted by DJ Pat 626 of Subculture Shock. Pat and I go waaaayyyy back! Before they were the host of SubShock, back on FM radio in Charlottesville VA, I hosted that show. So we know each other very well and we are both extremely silly with a similar sense of humor. It should prove to be a great time!

From their event page:

“On February 17th, PAT 626 sits Christiane Knight down in the virtual studio to talk about her previous book, In Sleep You Know, her new book, Cast a Shadow of Doubt, Radio Xiane, and the past, present, and future of the goth scene. There will probably also be a lot of sickening moments where they compliment each other. They do that.Subculture Talk airs Thursday nights on twitch.tv/djpat626 at 9pm EST, followed by The Afterparty, a 2-hour mixshow, at 10pm! The chat is open for you questions and comments!”

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1098977697570944/

After Subculture Talk, I don’t have anything on the schedule until Baltimore Faerie Faire in April. [details are in the sidebar ]
I’ll make sure to keep you updated as things change, however! Or you can sign up for the mailing list, and you’ll always be the first to know where I’ll be and when.

I’ll leave this blog post with a pic of the official proof copy of Cast a Shadow of Doubt! I will have the copies in my hands for signed copy orders in just a few days — yours will look like this without that ugly ribbon across the design. I can’t wait to get them into your hands!

LOOK at that cover!

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AMA: Character Favorite Songs

Cast a Shadow of Doubt is LIVE to order now, and as part of the Launch Day celebrations, I’ve been doing fun meme collections and AMAs about the characters and story! I’ve been having a great time with it so far.

Someone asked me what songs I’d say are the favorites of each of the major characters. Well obviously this is one of the best questions ever! So with no further ado, here are your favorite song choices!

Just like anyone’s favorite tracks, most of these songs will give you real insight into the character it represents.

Lucee Fearney

Curve – Coming Up Roses

Cullen

Nick Drake – Cello Song

Merrick Moore

Joy Division – The Sound of Music

Aisling

Mors Syphilitica – A Lullaby of Sorts

Vali Dawe

Skeletal Family – Promised Land

Sousa

New Model Army – The Hunt

If you find this fun, I’ve got more I can lay on you! Let me know if you listened and if you are enjoying my AMAs!

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Mixtapes as a Love Language

Why should a story need a playlist, anyway?

I’ve talked about the soundtracks [aka mixtapes] to my books a couple of times here, and how the music is part and parcel of the atmosphere and story — integral, if you ask me. You could read the stories and never listen to the tracks I chose to go with each chapter, but you’d be missing out on some of the nuance and thematic references. I mean…it’s up to you, I guess…

Seriously though, the concept of a soundtrack for my stories comes in part from the longstanding tradition in visual media, sure, but even more so from my longstanding tradition to make mixtapes for people I care about, or who I want to care about. I’ve been making mixtapes since I was about ten years old; at first, I used one of those old cassette recorders with a condenser mic and buttons that would make a loud CLUNK every time I would stop the player. My very first foray into learning how to make a proper mix was figuring out how to eradicate that CLUNK from the recording.

[The secret sauce was using a pencil to roll back the tape just enough to start the next recording over the bit of tape where the terrible noise had been. That trick served me well for years of making mix tapes without a fancy mixer!]Oooooh, when the minutes drag…
Photo by Idin Ebrahimi on Unsplash

Mixtapes are my love language. Even though I make them these days using CDs or Spotify, the general aesthetic and motivation is still the same. I make them for people I care about, or that I’m really into. Often they’ll have a theme or mood, and I choose every song carefully to match that. The songs build and ebb and flow, creating a journey that needs to be followed from beginning to end in order to get the overall effect properly. It’s funny, because I approach DJing in the same way, and it’s served me well. There’s a real art to building the energy of a dancefloor, and the same with a weekly show, though the energies are generally different between them.

The same applies to my book soundtracks, and it makes sense, because the plot of a book has that same sort of organization: rise and fall, ebb and flow, with an overall theme and direction. And the best mixtapes I’ve made, like my favorite novels, have covers that I can’t forget. I am a firm believer in making cool covers for my mixes. That’s part of the aesthetic, too.

Fun fact: I used to be the person that people brought their cassettes to for repairing.
Photo by Dan-Cristian Pădureț on Unsplash

When I started dating my partner, I gave him a mix CD on our very first date. [We’re coming up on six years together, and I would put money on the mix being part of that.] One of my friends digitized a mixtape that I made for him back in 1986, and it’s just as good now. The music isn’t new but it feels fresh. It’s a testimony to the power of mix tapes that he’s kept it for 36 years and cared enough to rip it to newer formats.

Want to win me over? Make me a mixtape. Bare a little of your soul with it. Create a cover that says something about the mix — it can be a drawing, a collage, something digitally manipulated. Whatever feels most honest.

That’s what I did for all of you with my books. I put together a couple of mixtapes and gave you stories to go with them, and pretty covers that reflect what’s inside. The mixes are as important as the novels. The stories are as important as the music. It’s all full of love.

BTW, if you want to read more about the philosophy of making mixtapes, you can’t do much better than going to one of the masters of talking about music and its importance, Nick Hornby. High Fidelity, of course, but Songbook not only goes into great detail but has its own mixtape to listen to.

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Cast a Shadow of Doubt Cover Reveal

I’m so pleased to reveal the official cover for Cast a Shadow of Doubt, the sequel to In Sleep You Know! The novel will be available in ebook and paperback for purchase through my website and Amazon, and of course all the other important places.

Pre-orders for the Kindle are available NOW, through this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PSKZ2V6

Here’s the blurb, to whet your appetite:

Lucee Fearney legitimately inherited the leadership of the Fae faction known as Eleriannan, but what will happen when they find out that she still only has the magical skills of a Mortal? 

When unexpected, dangerous visitors show up at the door of Maithe House, they bring word of an enemy that none of the Fae know how to fight. Even if Lucee can learn to trust herself and lean on her friends for help, will it be enough to take down the powerful and mysterious foe  known as the Mealladhan? 

Rejoin Lucee, Cullen, Merrick, Vali, Sousa, and all the other Mortal-born and Fae of Baltimore in another magical, musical adventure!

Now with 100% more outdoor summer music festivals, uncanny graffiti, and shadowy forces.

Stay tuned for more release info, including giveaways and other fun activities, and make sure that you’re signed up for my mailing list so that you’re among the first to know when the book goes live on February 1st, 2022!

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Getting Closer to Everything

Things are happening, even though the year is almost over!

You’d think that December should be a downtime sort of month, what with the holidays and the end of the year quickly approaching. But you’d be wrong! I have been diligently working away in the background on a bunch of different things: events and appearances for 2022, new upcoming projects, goals for the new year, and oh yeah… all of the details surrounding putting together Cast a Shadow of Doubt!

Let me start with CASOD updates first, because they’re exciting! I’ve moved through the editing process and have the finished text. Formatting is almost done, and the next steps are cover, blurb, and technical background details.

All cover images you’ve seen so far have been placeholders, created by me. The central image is a reference to a plot point that is integral to the storyline, and that’s all I’ll say about that. Will the official cover look similar? You will have to wait and see! There will be a cover reveal when I’m ready and I’ll make sure you know all about it.

I feel good about the blurb as it stands, and you’ll see that SOON. And technical background details are things like setting up preorders, ISBNs, registering with the Library of Congress, etc. If you’d like to learn more about what is entailed with these tasks as a self-published author, you can join my Ko-fi as a member of the “A Writer’s Life and Craft” level.

Let’s talk events!

I have started setting up events for 2022, and although it isn’t confirmed yet, I can whisper in your ear that I’ll definitely be at Baltimore Faerie Faire again — and this time, IN PERSON! Yay!

Other places I’ll be, although I’m not sure if it’ll be in an official capacity or just as an attendee, include the 2022 Nebula Conference, Balticon and the Summer Solstice Faerie Festival. I’ll have a section up soon with all of these events listed, and I hope to meet some of you there!

Are there other events where you’d like to see me? Please leave a comment here with suggestions!

New projects in the works

Once CASOD launches on Imbolc [which is February 1st] 2022, I will be turning my hand to some related projects. I am currently working on story #3 set in the world of the Eleriannan. It remains to be seen if it will be a novel or something shorter, but it will be my first published story that features an LGBTQ+ main character. Considering how quickly–at least for a newbie author– I put out two novels, I’m taking a little more time with this story. It has characters really close to my heart, and I think you will love it.

Another thing that I have been discussing is starting a podcast that features theatrical readings from my stories. I can’t afford to make audiobooks [yet] so this might be a fun way to create something folks can listen to in the car or at home. I can’t guarantee that this will happen yet! It’ll take some money for equipment upgrades, for one thing. But if this interests you, and you want to help, supporting me on Ko-fi is the best way to do that.

Oh! One last thing!In Sleep You Know, right next to a T. Kingfisher book! That’s some nice company it’s keeping!

I went the other day to my local library to see one of my books, one that I wrote, with my own two eyes. And there it was, on the shelf with all the new releases, and I may have done a little dance in the aisle when I saw it.

I’ve had a lot of amazing achievements this year as a newly published author, but this one might mean the most to me. Libraries have an important place in my heart. As a young person with a voracious reading appetite and very few friends, libraries were a lifeline for me. They are hallowed ground, in my mind. And now I have a book in one. Actually, more than one, because In Sleep You Know is in three library systems that I’m aware of – maybe more that I’m not!

And that brings up a Big Ask from me.

Folks, did you know that you can request your library to carry specific books? For free! Some library systems require you to log into a library account, but many do not. You’ll have to fill out a form, but that’s easy and the info you’ll need is easy to get from Amazon or Goodreads. And if they approve it, other people will get a chance to read my book. Or other indie authors’ books, because you can do this for any indie or self-published author who has taken the time to make their books available for library systems to purchase!

So if you want to give me or another author a present for the holidays, please take the time to request our books through your library systems. It only takes a moment and will help us so much!

Your support is the best thing in the world, my magic seekers. Expect another blog post before the end of the year, and I appreciate that you took the time to read this one!

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