I'm Christiane [she/they] and I'm disabled, queer, and several flavors of neurospicy. I live right outside the city of Baltimore, MD, near the Chesapeake Bay. I'm an author and poet, concentrating on contemporary fantasy and speculative fiction that centers on stories about hope and community. That's my big WHY when it comes to everything in life: inspiring hope, building community.
Over on my Ko-fi, I’ve got a sale going through November 30th, 2021. Use this link – https://ko-fi.com/threeravenspress/link/BLKFRDY21 – to get 20% off everything in my shop, including signed paperbacks! You must use the link or enter BLKFRDY21 to get the discount!
Also, right now you can pick up the ebook version of In Sleep You Know through Amazon for $2.99 – I have never put this on sale, and I’m not sure how long it will remain discounted, so grab it while you can!
NOT Fae-related, but a fantastically fun and fast-paced read from one of the members of The Badasses, my writing group, so you know it’s great… Tyler Woodridge has some deals for ALL IN, his exciting heist thriller set in Columbus OH.
In the near future of year 2022… CHAOS IN COLUMBUS. Power vacuum in a broken heartland! Outlaw syndicates jockey for control of an aimless generation’s anxious spend. Moral compasses lose their bearing as wayward souls steer by the stars of sex, drugs, and infamy. Oh, and there’s Jimmy Glencroft. The disgraced pro football mascot has one foot in blissful ignorance and another in willing mediocrity. As losses mount in life and love, Jimmy discovers that unexpected new beginnings just might be a gamble away…
Jump on these offers now! I’ll be listing some other books from friends during the Holiday season as well, check back in to see what other recommendations I have for you!
One of the questions I get asked a lot, and I’m sure most writers do as well, is one that cuts to the bone of our motivations.
What made you want to become a writer?
It is a well-meaning question, asked by those who truly don’t understand that writing is less of a choice than a drive or a need, at least for me. I’ve been writing stories since I learned how to print my letters. Stories have been in my blood from the very beginning. I learned to read when I was two years old, and I was writing before I started school. I’ve mentioned before that in first and second grade I had a following of girls who would join me in the grassy field during recess while I told them tales that I created on the spot. We would make clover chains and discuss faeries and talking animals and creating magic potions. There’s a meme out there about how little girls instinctively form covens and I’m here to tell you that, at least for me, that was so true.
I wrote my first book at age six, and it was a total rip-off of E.B. White’s The Trumpet of the Swan – okay, okay, it was inspired by it. I even illustrated it, and made it into a stapled chapbook, foreshadowing of my ‘zine days to come. I loved every bit of doing this, and from that moment on, I was hooked on being a writer.
To me, it made sense. I was a voracious reader. I told myself stories all the time. Why wouldn’t I be writing books?
I had a lot of stops and starts on my path of sharing my words. I wrote poetry, music, short stories. I published them myself in my ‘zines, and had them published in other ‘zines and small press publications. I blogged online, fairly religiously. I wrote in my personal journal daily, and some of the things I crafted there became shared pieces.
And I started abortive attempts at novel writing. None were successful, at least not for a very long time.
I like to keep the magic alive outside of the book, too. This is what came in the original deluxe signed paperback packages.
It wasn’t until I revisited my notes for the world of the Eleriannan, as I looked for inspiration during the pandemic lockdown, that I started to see how the stories I’d begun and then abandoned could be fleshed out. They’d been waiting for me to get to the right place in my mind and in my life.
Everything is terrible! Let’s write a book!
Now that I’m into the editing portion of Cast A Shadow Of Doubt, I have time to read for pleasure. That’s a good thing, because I have a BIG stack of TBRs, and the one on the top of the stack is Never Say You Can’t Survive, by Charlie Jane Anders.
I’ve been dying to read this, and so far it has not disappointed. The subtitle is How To Get Through Hard Times By Making Up Stories, and if that isn’t directed straight to my heart, I don’t know what is. Chapter five in particular has hit home for me, because it talks about writing the things that comfort you when the world is burning. One sentence in particular jumped out at me and brought tears to my eyes.
“Write whatever you need to survive.” – Charlie Jane Anders
Her point is that we get a lot of messages about what we are “supposed” to be writing. Some of those are external, others internally designed to make us feel like we’re not good enough as writers. [yay for that, brains] However, our actual job as writers is to bring forth what we need in the world. And not what we think everyone needs – no, I should write what I specifically need or want. You should do the same. Write the thing that gives you heart to go on, that allows you to get up in the morning, that fills a space in your life that was lacking before you addressed it with your words.
YES PLEASE.
THAT is when writing brings joy, when it rings out clearly across the empty spaces that needed those words, those ideas, that specific story. Writers who embrace this philosophy are easy to spot, at least to me. Reading their stories is an authentic experience.
Conversation between me and Christopher, which is when it all became clear to me about why I write.
And that is why I was able to write In Sleep You Know, when before I’d never been able to finish writing a novel. It was something I needed, a moment where possibilities exist and magic is real but what really matters are the choices that one makes… Especially the choices that bring friends together and create family and community.
And Cast A Shadow Of Doubt embraces those values even more. I cannot wait to share it with you, because these stories are what I need to see in the world, and I am hoping that they are for you, as well.
As I continue to worn on Cast A Shadow Of Doubt, I have decided that now is the time to open up my street team, the Fae Council! What’s a street team? It’s a group of friends and fans who agree to help spread the word about me and my books, in exchange for special access, ARC opportunities, swag, giveaways, and more.
It’s a pretty casual affair that gives you lots of opportunities to get rewarded for telling other people how much you love my writing… aka a win-win! There’s a Facebook group and a private Discord channel, so sign up now! https://www.christianeknight.com/street-team/
Speaking of writing, I’m actually finished the first draft of CASOD and I’m well into the revision/editing stage! Things start to move faster once I’m in this part of the process, so expect to start seeing excerpt shares and teasers soon. Yay!
I can tell you that if you love Lucee and Vali, you will really love this story. There are new characters and creatures and of course lots of music, food… and bad guys. There are always new bad guys, right? I post mini-updates a lot on Twitter, for those who like chatty platforms. Link is at the top of the website 🔝
ps – I’m going to start planning my event schedule for 2022! As it stands now, Cast A Shadow Of Doubt is scheduled for launch in early 2022, and I’ll be looking to make appearances after that. Do you have suggestions? Anywhere you’d LOVE to hear me read, or get a chance to talk about my books or writing in general? Drop suggestions in the comments! 💜
Lucee Fearney legitimately inherited the leadership of the Eleriannan, but what happens when the Fae 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 Mealladhan?
Rejoin Lucee, Cullen, Merrick, Vali, Sousa, and all the other Mortal-born and Fae of Baltimore in another magical [and musical] adventure!
Now with 100% more outdoor summer festivals, uncanny graffiti, and mysterious forces.
Cast A Shadow Of Doubt will focus on fan-favorite characters Lucee and Vali! Look for a a more detailed synopsis, an official cover image, and more – coming soon! Newsletter subscribers and Ko-fi supporters will be the first to know when pre-orders go live. Book launch date is currently projected for February 1st 2022!
Hello Magic Seekers! I’m checking in with my current word count and State of the Novel update, as promised.
I’ve been writing away, and I am pleased to tell you that I am at 93,907 words, or at 78% complete on the first draft. My base goal is 120,000 words, give or take. Just for comparison, In Sleep You Know came in originally over 127,000 words and I trimmed it down to about 125,000.
The task of getting the word count under control happens during the editing and revision process, which is coming SOON for me! I’ve found that once I get close to the end of the story, things start speeding up and before I know it, I’ll be blasting through the action like I’m riding a speeding bobsled to reach the conclusion. It’s always a wild ride!
After that, I’ll take a small break to let the story rest and to give myself some space and fresh perspective. After I’m ready to dive back into the story, it’s time to re-read and start looking over the plot to see what should be tightened up, moved around, or deleted. Some things may be added, like extra scenes or observations, things that will stitch the subplots together with the main plot seamlessly – that is, if I do it right! In this time frame, I’ll also have some trusted beta readers look over the story and let me know what they think and if there’s anything I’m missing.
Next up is all the line editing and proofreading, first by myself, then by a professional. This is really when my hands start to come off the reins, and the pros take over to make sure that the finished product will be the best that it can be. My job changes at this point, and I will start concentrating on things like writing my back cover blurb and elevator pitch and all those good things that will help my book get into the hands of readers.
But enough about that! Want to see some fun character avatars I threw together via Picrew? They aren’t perfect, because I had to work with the limitations of what Picrew offers, but they are adorable.
The Fae as Comic Style Avatars
Aisling
Tully
Morgance of The Ladies
Camlin
Karsten
Merrick
Lucee
Vali
Sousa
Cullen
Like I said, not quite perfect – for one, I couldn’t do green hair for The Ladies! But hopefully you can see the spirit of the Eleriannan, Gwyliannan, and Mortals in these cute comical avatars!
Check back in next month for the next update, Magic Seekers!
“Why did you decide to self publish In Sleep You Know?”
I get asked about my choice to self publish all the time! Usually, it’s people who preface the question with a variation of “But your book is so good,” as if only shitty books get self published.
There are some interesting notions about self publishing. Some of the biggest ones I’ve noticed? The idea that all self published books:
are poorly written
are poorly edited, if at all
have cheesy covers
cost more to publish
are lower quality
are drowning out Trad and Indie published [implied, “good”] novels
The prevailing thought here is, that without the gatekeepers of agents, editors, and publishers, the market just fills up with bad books. Well, I am here to tell you that while these things can all be true, there are MANY great books out there that prove the stereotypes wrong. And here’s a truth that a lot of people don’t want to talk about: not every book that is published through those other routes is a good book! *gasp*
Seriously though – each route to publishing has its pluses and minuses, and plenty of great and awful examples of what’s out there via those methods. Yes, the lack of gatekeeping in self publishing means that if you’ve got the money and wherewithal, you can put a real stinker out there. But guess what? It’s probably not going to sell, especially once a few reviews get out there and talk about poor editing, lack of clarity, or multiple typos. The market will take care of itself in that regard.
By now, I think it’s clear that I think the claims of “flooding the market with poor quality writing and taking attention away from quality product” is overblown hokum.
***HOWEVER***
I want to stress that it is extremely important to not go at self publishing alone. What do I mean when I say that? Simply put, get some professional help on your side. Hire the editors you need, pay for proofreading, find a competent cover artist and don’t go cheap. This is how you avoid adding your novel to that “flood” of poorly done books.
About now, you’re probably thinking, “Okay, I get it. You are pro-self-publishing, blah blah. So tell me why you went that route already!” Sure, you’re not wrong, or at least you’ve got part of it right. I am for whatever road to publishing makes the most sense to you. But let me explain why I decided to do it myself – or more accurately, me with a team to help me.
Trust me when I tell you that my manuscripts look nothing like this. Image by Nile from Pixabay
First and foremost: time.
What does that mean? In my case, I had a wake up call two years ago, when I almost died from an unexpected illness that turned out to be the calling card of Crohn’s Disease. I’d been sitting on these stories for my whole life, outside of some fumbling attempts to serialize them in the late 90s. I knew I had the skills to publish myself, as I’d already done some homegrown small press publications. And now, I felt like time might be in short supply, so I had the motivation to Get It Done.
I didn’t want to go through the endless struggle of trying to find an agent, trying to get through slush piles as a complete unknown, trying to somehow catch the right eye at the right time. I’ve always been the type to look around and say “fuck it, I’m doing this myself,” with a pretty good success rate. I’ve also worked in publishing and owned small businesses, so I had a decent background in skills I’d need to put things together and then market them.
Obviously, not everyone has these things in their back pocket. That’s something to consider when you think about who you’ll need on your team if you go the self publishing route.
Other things in my favor
I had the money to invest at the time. Self publishing isn’t cheap if you do it right, although you can do things to make it more affordable. * I had the time to pour into getting it done pretty quickly, as I’m still chronically ill and fairly housebound. And I already have a pretty big community behind me, as I’ve been gathering people online for at least twenty years. That definitely helps!
That doesn’t mean that you can’t do it without that setup already in place. But in the interest of being transparent, I wanted to mention all of these things. They offset my feeling of being afraid to wait for things to happen organically, aka trying to get picked up by a traditional publisher or even an indie publisher.
Here’s another thing to think about: as a self published author, you are responsible for everything. That is both extremely freeing and also a burden. You can market yourself however you want! Yay! You have to come up with all the marketing schemes, boo. You can hire someone to do marketing for you, huzzah! You have to pay that person, aw dang. You have to pay for everything yourself. But all the money you make, less fees taken by printer/distributor, is yours.
* I have a LOT more to say about choosing Self Publishing as an option, and it isn’t all going to fit in this blog post! Lucky for you, if you are interested in this line of thought, I cover this topic and more over at my Ko-fi. If you choose the membership tier “A Writer’s Life and Craft” then you will get all my posts on these subjects, plus a lot more. You’ll also have the option to ask me questions directly and have detailed conversations!
I know I write a bit about the importance of the soundtracks for my books, but there’s a reason for that. Poetry – the lyrics that shape the direction of the feelings being evoked by the instruments and tune that they ride on – makes or breaks a song for me. And when used well in an accompanying soundtrack, those lyrics can develop undercurrents of meaning and energy, and even deliver secrets about the characters or plot.
I’ve spoken about how I carefully match each song to the chapter it heads, and I’ve even mentioned that certain songs remind me of specific characters – basically, their theme songs. But I also pick songs for lyrical content that reflects what’s happening in that chapter, or in some cases, what’s happening concurrently in the plot but isn’t the main focus at the time. It’s one of my favorite ways to add layers to to the tale.
But the reason I wanted to talk about music, specifically lyrics, is because I was listening to one of the songs I’ve included on the soundtrack to the upcoming sequel to In Sleep You Know [title announcement coming SOON], and the poetic imagery of a few lines in Queen Of My Heart, by New Model Army, was so evocative that it brought tears to my eyes.
When Justin begins describing the sky, and how he can feel the dark and how cities and deserts are the same, I always find myself holding my breath, tears building behind my eyes. It’s such a strong, meaningful bit of imagery, a scene painted out in an economy of words that somehow never fails to put me right in that moment.
My personal understanding and meanings behind the song changed recently when it became a song that represents how one of my characters, Sousa, relates to Vali and his relationship with her. That deepened the resonance of the lyrics, which were already heavy with personal feelings for me.
Before I was writing novels, I was a poet. To build a series of emotional responses from a carefully crafted stack of words and concepts, each creating a connection of thoughts that paint a picture or represent a feeling or concept is a heart-skill. Poems look easy to those who do not write them, and poetry crafted into meaningful lyrics even more so. Lyrics require a deft hand and the ability to transmit a sentiment or trigger a response with less words, carefully entwined with the music in a way that increases the emotional punch. Lyrics removed from music often look simple or trite, because removing them from their scaffolding weakens their effect.
As someone who uses lyrics in my novels, that presents an interesting challenge. I write my own lyrics. They do have music that goes with them, but not transcribed or recorded, and at this juncture I’m not interested on taking that task on. So when I write about The Drawback performing and I include lyrics, I risk them coming off as overly simple – bad poetry. But they are missing that aforementioned scaffolding, so my job as a writer is to describe what sounds and sentiments are supposed to be there as support, so that the reader can imagine them in their mind. If I’ve done my job well, the reader should get an immersive mental experience bolstered by their imagination and the imagery I’ve conjured up.
My old band, The Violet Dawning, proof that I do actually know what I’m talking about when I write about music 😉
It’s always a risk that it won’t work. But when it does, you – the reader – will feel that music, even though there’s none to be heard, and the emotional content of the lyrics will have the proper punch.
When you put on your favorite music that has lyrics, how does it make you feel? What effects you the most in the track, and why do you come back to that track time and again? What song would you insist must be on your personal soundtrack, and why?
Now take those questions and apply them to your favorite stories and characters, and see what you come up with. It is such a fun exercise, and it can give you interesting insight into characters and parts of the storyline you might have never paid attention to before! I’d love if you shared some of those pairings in the comments, here or on Facebook. Go forth and listen with a new focus!
I’m pleased to announce that there are two different ways to support my work – and get lots of extras!
I’ve been using Ko-fi for a while now as a place where readers, fans, and friends can pick up a signed copy of In Sleep You Know & related merch, as well as support me and my writing through donations, AKA “buying me a coffee.” It’s a great platform, where I actually receive all of the funds donated outside of Paypal’s cut. But until recently, I couldn’t differentiate between updates for fans and knowledge that other writers might have an interest in following.
Ko-fi has changed this, and I’m happy to announce that I’ve created membership tiers for my regular supporters, including one for current and/or aspiring writers!
What does this mean? Well, if you are only interested in getting those current work snippets, exclusive poems/short stories/preview pages, and other behind the scenes updates, then the first membership tier – YOU are the Magic – is for you. Basically, if you’re a fan, you’ll get access to all kinds of exclusive content, all for five bucks a month. And if you’d like to contribute more [thank you] then I’ll create tiers for that as well. Just let me know.
If you are a writer or aspiring writer who is looking for tips about writing, as well as backstage access to the process of what the self-publishing process is like and how I manage being a publishing author, A Writer’s Life and Craft is your membership tier! Some of the topics I’ll cover include finding your voice and style, being authentic as a writer, refining your craft… and also things like how I decided to self-publish instead of going the Trad route, what kind of help I’ve enlisted along the way, what tools I recommend, the struggle to get seen, and much more.
Along with access to all the posts in the first tier, you’ll get an extremely honest glimpse into my life and processes as an author. I’ll be open to questions as well, which is pretty great access for only seven bucks a month.
Supporting my work in this way is just one way to ensure that I keep your bookshelf or e-reader filled with stories about the Eleriannan and their friends Merrick and Lucee. It also allows me to plan for future events like book signings and convention appearances.
To learn more and sign up for membership, click the cute button below!
I am participating in not one but two different events happening throughout August! I’m inviting you to sign up and not only discover an amazing amount of talented writers across multiple genres, but also get many opportunities to win some great prizes.
C.L. Cannon’s Urban & Paranormal Fantasy Giveaway
Follow some amazing authors across the web and enter to win Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews, Zodiac Academy: Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti, and Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison, and Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore – plus a Lucifer candle, Buffy spiral notebook, Dean and Castiel Supernatural plushies, a fated mates magnet, a Harry Dresden pin, and a wolfy bookmark. Go here to enter: https://clcannon.net/2021/08/05/urbanparanormal/
C.L. Cannon’s Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Fair
Discover over 100+ free, discounted, and Kindle Unlimited Fantasy and Sci-fi books and enter for your chance to win a Kindle Fire, a one-month gift subscription to Owlcrate, and a $10 Starbucks gift card! Check it out here:https://clcannon.net/bookfair/
I definitely recommend checking out all the authors that are participating in these events, signing up for their newsletters, and following them on all their social media – and of course, filling up your device with all their books!
Hello, dear magic seekers! I’ve started a new feature, the monthly update post. This is where you can read about the progress and word count on my current novel, plus any other interesting updates about my work and life as an author.
I’ve noticed that people really enjoy seeing my incremental progress with my writing! I post regular word count updates, but if you want to see the current word output, I’ve made it very easy to check in at any time. If you look at the sidebar, you’ll see a widget that shows my last reported word count, including percentage complete. As of this post, I’m almost halfway! [58,230 words!]
Obviously, this has me extremely excited – especially because I’m exactly where I want to be, in terms of plot lining up with word count and story beats. Outlining is to thank for that, as well as my copious notes and near-obsessive word count tracking.
What does tracking word count have to do with maintaining proper pace? Basically, it helps me keep track of where I know certain events should be happening as I write. If I hit the midpoint and there isn’t a big event happening, I know that my pacing is off, and people will lose interest in the story, no matter how great I think the characters are. [If you’d like to learn more about the mechanics of plot pacing, I suggest looking up the “three act structure” or wait until later this year, when I’ll be offering deep discussions about the craft of writing on my ko-fi.]
A few other things to mention: keep your eyes peeled for some new events that will be added in a few days!
I should have a title to announce SOON.
Once there’s a title, you’ll get a link to the working SOUNDTRACK! Or…. you can support me on my ko-fi and you’ll get early access to that link!
Did you catch the last excerpt I included from the manuscript?
What else are you dying to know? Hit me up in the comments here or on Facebook!
