Cast A Shadow Of Doubt

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Story Order: How to Read Stories of the Eleriannan

A Third Kind of Madness Cast A Shadow Of Doubt In Sleep You Know Reading

“Dear Christiane, 

You have multiple books/stories in your Eleriannan series! It’s not clear to me how this works; can you help?”

You bet I can!

Let me break it down for you, with lots of details about what each story is and where it falls in the timeline.

First thing you need to know is that all the stories can be read independently from each other. There are no cliffhangers, but reading them out of order will reveal some plot points from previous stories, so be aware. I’ve tried very hard to make sure that you won’t feel lost if you read them out of publication or chronological order.

As of October 2025 are currently these titles:

  • Escaping the Dreamland [#.5]
    • Events happen well before ISYK
    • Tells the story of how Aisling came to be, 1st person
    • Short story
    • Available with subscription to my mailing list
  • In Sleep You Know, A Story of the Eleriannan [#1]
    • First in the series
    • Introduces you to many of the characters
    • Told mostly following Merrick, 3rd person
    • Draws inspiration from various Faerie mythologies and folklore as well as Child Ballads
    • Novel length, stands alone
    • Set in a, um, slightly different version of Baltimore
    • Soundtrack
  • Cast a Shadow of Doubt, Stories of the Eleriannan [#2]
    • Second in series
    • Tells the stories of Lucee’s rise to leadership and Camlin’s attempt at redemption
    • Introduces the Mealladhan and Emmaline
    • 3rd person, mostly following Lucee
    • Features more Baltimore culture, including big summer art festivals
    • Novel length, stands alone but is even better paired with ISYK
    • Soundtrack
  • A Third Kind of Madness, A Story of the Eleriannan [#3]
    • Third in series
    • Introduces Denny and Peri as well as Denny’s art collective, the Ants, and new Elementals
    • 1st person, told through Denny
    • If you’re a fan of Karsten, they are a prominent character
    • Art scene, farmers markets, and the Mount Vernon neighborhood are featured
    • Novel length, stands alone
    • Soundtrack

Coming in 2026:

  • Eleriannan #4 [as yet untitled]
    • Fourth in series
    • Centers on Emmaline and her struggle to integrate into The Grimshaw while discovering the depths of her powers
    • Introduces some new Grimshaw characters, especially some of the Arswyd and Ettir, an Eoten
    • 3rd person, mostly following Emmaline
    • Want to find out why the ArDonnath are so nasty? Here’s your chance!
    • Novel length
    • Soundtrack

If you have further questions about any of the Eleriannan books, you can always ask here! Also check out the Fae Directory and my series The Magic Between Us for more insight about the characters and how they interact with each other. 

I should probably mention that I have an unrelated book that is also set in Baltimore coming out in 2026. It’s a speculative fiction near-future story called A Small Light in the Darkness, and it focuses on two characters: 

  • Tryst, a lonely and longing poetic soul who can’t seem to make a “true” connection with someone who can satisfy her longing for something deeper
  • Fo, mysterious and thoughtful with a multitude of secrets and a deep need to connect even though they are scared of the emotions that brings

Together, they unravel the unknown aspects of Fo’s past, revealing a terrible accident with an experiment gone wrong, the drawbacks of mind enhancement, and a secret that goes much deeper and darker than either of them had imagined at the start. 

Recommended if you like stories about transhumanism, and/or with human-computer interaction, romantic subplots, connecting with strangers, poetic prose, science gone bad.

A Map of the Eleriannan

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A Third Kind of Madness Cast A Shadow Of Doubt Fun In Sleep You Know

Have you wondered where in Baltimore that one scene took place? You know, the fight scene at ArtPark or where Denny met Dorcha or that club where The Drawback played their first show?

Wonder no more! Here is a map that will show you all those locations and more! Please keep in mind that because the Baltimore where the Eleriannan and Gwyliannan live is laid over the one most of us live in, you may see something very different on this map than what is actually there for Merrick. Luccee, Denny and friends.

If you click through to the page where the map is hosted you’ll see a clickable navigation list. You can also access it here through the icon at the top left. If there’s a location I haven’t added yet that you want to see, just let me know.

I hope you enjoy this exploration of both mundane and magical Baltimore!


Writing the [Mostly] Real World

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A Third Kind of Madness Cast A Shadow Of Doubt In Sleep You Know On Creating

One of the things I always mention about my stories is that they’re set in Baltimore, MD, USA. I was born, raised, and lived a chunk of my life in Baltimore. It’s a vibrant and delightfully weird city, oft-maligned; it definitely has problems but also has some great people and energy. It’s been struggling to find it’s footing for a while and has slowly been shifting in personality – yes, cities have personalities – and growth is rarely easy, which can make the more skeptical folks think everything’s a mess, when really, it’s change happening. All of these things make for a compelling backdrop and character to use in my stories!

Also, even though I know the city well, writing about it has allowed me to learn even more beyond what I’ve known and experienced about Charm City, especially since it has changed a lot in my lifetime. I can’t just count on memories to fill out a scene, I either have to double check myself against what’s the truth now, or make a conscious choice to warp reality a little to fit my vision.

So now that I’ve said that…

If you’re from these parts, you might have guessed or recognized some of the locations I haven’t outright mentioned in the books. I name the neighborhood of Hampden, where Lucee and Cullen have a lovely date and then get into some trouble, and that’s pretty much exactly as it is currently in the non-book world. The Round Falls area also is the same, and that bit is actually based on a true experience I had there. The community garden that Vali does a mural for doesn’t exist outside the books, but that neighborhood around Greenmount Cemetery is pretty accurate otherwise. The thoughts that Vali mentions about changes in the neighborhood, positive and negative, are valid. Wyman Park Dell is more or less the same in both versions of Baltimore. I describe the building known as The Belvedere as characters pass by it, and I talk about Mount Vernon Place in great detail as it’s a big part of the setting in A Third Kind of Madness.

Writing about the farmers market under the JFX was one of my favorite parts in ATKOM, by the way. I’ve had people ask me if that’s a real market, and how could it be held under an expressway? Folks, it’s real, it is awesome, and you should definitely visit it if you’re in town. I actually used to vend there, selling my handspun yarn and handmade products!

And then there are places I invented completely, like the Frisky Bean. The Bean gets it’s believable feel from my deep experience with that kind of coffee house, but sadly there isn’t a place I can point out in the Mount Vernon neighborhood that matches that vibe. House Mirabilis and Tiennan House don’t have specific inspirations, but Baltimore has plenty of old houses that could stand in. The Compound has an address [sort of, I don’t really obscure where it’s located] and if you look it up using online maps, you can get a visual for the outside, at least. The interior layout, I based on judging from the outside and using my experiences from being inside similar buildings, with my own whimsical additions of course.

Some spots what I’d call book-analogues to actual places that exist, but under different names. Club Marcada on Charles Street is an amalgam of a couple of different clubs I’ve known, but it’s absolutely set in the same block as Club Charles and The Depot. [And The Depot certainly gets some quiet references in the description of Marcada, IYKYK] The Maithe also could be put in this category, but I think it needs it’s own, for reasons I’ll explain below.

The Maithe is special [duh]

First off, let’s discuss the one very specific thing I changed about my version of Baltimore: Park Street.

There is no Park Street in Mount Vernon.

There is a Park Avenue, and yes, I know someone from here might read the books and think “Oh, Xi doesn’t know what they’re talking about, they messed that up.” Nope, sorry, that was a deliberate choice that will mean nothing to people not from Baltimore but to locals [and me] it signals that we are stepping outside of the “real” world and into a different version of the city. Basically that entire street, which happens to house the Frisky Bean, Denny’s studio, and The Maithe, is a magical corridor that lies just slightly off from the world we move in. So if you’re in Mount Vernon and you happen to be walking down Park Avenue, you’re just a sidestep away from where so much of the story takes place!

How do you shift over to Park Street instead? Well that is a good question… isn’t it? 😉

Trivia point: my very first apartment, of which I have no end of ridiculous tales, was on Park Ave. in Mount Vernon. Living there and observing a lot of the odd, amusing things that happened regularly was part of the inspiration for setting the story in that area.

That “slightly off” mirror world, the Baltimore that could be if we sidestepped through the veil unexpectedly? That’s where you can walk from the Bean and spy magical graffiti in an alleyway before you come to the end of the street and the great building that dominates it: The Maithe. Yes, The Maithe is inspired by a building I know, The Brexton, now known as a hotel. No, it’s not the same in this world…as far as I know. It doesn’t house a great, seemingly unending forest in its center courtyard. Indeed, there’s no courtyard at all, though in my opinion there should be! But the staircase? That’s there, and the triangular shape, and the towers on each end. I think The Maithe probably deserves its own post, because I have personal anecdotes I could share as well as a lot of background about how I envisioned the layout inside, which is quite different than the building it’s based on. And as time’s gone on, The Maithe has revealed secrets about itself and those are fun to talk about, too.

I keep promising a video tour of the Eleriannan’s version of Baltimore, and I promise it’s coming soon! The weather’s been too hot and unsettled for your pal Christiane, but as soon as I’m feeling up to it, you’ll have it. Part of the joy of writing these stories is sharing my city with you through my eyes and imagination, and can’t wait for you to see the places that inspire me.

More to come, including in-depth details about The Maithe!

Three book covers against a graffiti backdrop

Seven Things About What I Write

A Third Kind of Madness Cast A Shadow Of Doubt In Sleep You Know Writing

For no reason except that I like to talk about my characters, settings, and themes, I’ve put together this [hardly exhaustive] list of things you can find in my stories.

Look, it’s a list!

  1. My stories center around Baltimore.
    Why? Because I’m from here. The city and its surroundings are a place filled with beauty and quirkiness that are often ignored in favor of focusing on the darker aspects, ones that get a disproportionate amount of screen time on TV shows and in movies. Those things are there, but it’s not all there is to Baltimore by far, and part of my goal is to rebalance things by telling hopeful stories set in a place that deserves them. Also, B’more has so many hidden treasures and interesting people. It’s the perfect place for a community of Fae to live without much notice.
    Most of the places I mention in my books are real places, or based on real ones. I’m planning a video tour of Fae Baltimore at some point soon!
  2. My stories are hopeful. As I mentioned above, I write books where the characters – no matter what they’ve been through – tend to work toward positive change and helping each other. There’s room for forgiveness and transformation here, something that reflects my own stance on life but also serves as an option for folks who are tired of the preponderance of grim, heavy stories out there and want something that encourages them to look at the world with fresh eyes. I don’t shy away from tough and painful topics, but I address them with small, positive steps that anyone – not just magic wielders – can take.
    It’s important for me to allow room for things like the possibility of redemption and the importance of community in these stories.
  3. My Fae characters are not inexplicable or confounding. In a lot of Faerie lore, the Fae are unpredictable, impossible to understand, without rhyme or reason to us mere mortals. In my stories, that’s not the case, or at least, not exactly the case,
    The closer that the Eleriannan and Gwyliannan live to mortals, the more they seem to be like us, with concerns and motivations that mortals can comprehend. The ones that are more difficult to parse are the older ones who have begun to separate themselves from the mortal world. And of course, there are beings like the Elementals, which not even the Fae can claim to understand.
    But one of the parts I love the most about writing my Fae is that despite being magical creatures who have lived well beyond the life span of the mortals they associate with now, they still struggle with emotions and relationships and maneuvering through the world around them. The magic they have solves some problems and creates others. They make plenty of mistakes, and also beneficial decisions. They are knowable – and loveable – because despite not being like us, they really are like us in all the ways that count.
  4. My characters care about taking care of the people and environment around them. There are plenty of social and environmental issues that are important to Baltimore that the characters address on a regular basis. Homelessness, racism, gentrification, pollution, poverty, environmental responsibility, justice, healthcare, class, and inequality are just some of the topics that characters touch on.
    They model helpful actions, too – especially Vali, an activist who puts her energy into using her magic to protect community projects and organizing cleanup sessions at the local waterways. The Gwyliannan contribute to their area by magically protecting the neighborhood from crime and other intrusions.
    I want to leave readers feeling like they can do more if they want and there’s a place for them out there with others who work towards positive goals.
  5. I like to refer to Faerie tropes and give quiet shout-outs to stories that came before mine. I bury references to all the lore, ballads, poems, and classic literature about the Fae that I grew up with, as well as nods to works by more contemporary authors that I’ve loved, throughout my stories. Sometimes it’s very subtle, other times quite overt if you’re familiar. It’s both a tribute and a way of connecting my tales to the bigger collection of lore out there. Also, it’s fun!
  6. I make up my own creatures and lore. Eleriannan, Gwyliannan, and Grimshaw. The Lady of the City. The Nyxen, Ffyn, Arswyd, ArDonnath. Those all came from my own head, though of course with plenty of precedent from the classics mentioned previously. I feel like a thread of truth runs through every interpretation of various magical beings and creatures, and mine are just one version of things that can feel both unique and familiar all at once.
  7. My characters are a little too real! I’ve been told time and again that they feel like people that my readers know and love like old friends. And to be truthful, they feel like that to me, too, even the new ones that show up unbidden to take over my stories. [I’m looking at you, Denny.]
    I’m often asked if they’re modeled after people I know and the answer is both yes and no. Certain people definitely had some influence over the beginnings of some of the folks in my stories, but once I started writing them they began to get minds and wills of their own and often will surprise me with some of the choices and directions they take.
    It’s quite delightful.
    Because of that, they get deeper and more complicated as the books progress, and that makes them much more interesting to work with. They show up in my dreams as often as they do on the page, and I’m fully expecting to round a corner one day and run headfirst into Lucee or Merrick or Denny.

There’s actually a lot more I could say about what I write – and why – but I’ll leave it at seven for now. What’s most important is that these books are intensely personal to me, and filled with details that I feel good about. I hope you enjoy them too.

Representation isn’t a bunch of boxes to check

A Third Kind of Madness Cast A Shadow Of Doubt Characters In Sleep You Know On Creating

When people ask me about my books and characters, they* sometimes talk about representation. “Why did you choose Merrick [my first book’s MC] to be a white guy from an obviously well-off family, but Lucee [second book’s MC] is a Black woman? You’re not either of these things.”
[*this is usually other white people asking me this, right]

Well, yeah. I don’t have to be represented by any of my characters in order to write about them and their lived experiences.

Being a writer requires a lot of skills. Some of the most important, in my opinion, have to do with empathy and understanding how people and society works. You can have an amazingly tight and engaging plot, but if you don’t write your characters well, the story will fall flat.

No one would blink if I wrote all my protagonists as white straight women. Even if they were substantially younger or older than me, more or less attractive, smarter or duller, or came from a very different socio-economic background – people wouldn’t comment or question it.

But the thing is, the world doesn’t just look like me. [despite some people constantly defaulting to white as the standard]

Representation isn’t a bunch of boxes to check off. Diversity isn’t something you add because you’re “supposed to.” It should be the standard, because that’s what the world looks like – especially if you’re someone who looks like me, a “standard” that came from an unbalanced worldview built on privilege and racism. The default isn’t white. Nor is it able-bodied, neurotypical, cisgendered, or heterosexual.

My characters, magical or not, represent the reality around them: people from different backgrounds, economic statuses, communities, and cultures, all living their everyday lives. Entangled, at odds or in love, working together or on opposite sides, Fae or mortal or something else – they all have a place in my stories, just as they do in the world outside of them.

What kind of writer would I be if I only focused on characters that looked like me, or had my lived experiences? Not a very interesting or realistic one, in my opinion.

Merrick is a white guy from an upper middle class family, smart enough but a bit spoiled, and able to live a directionless life because of that. It shapes why he makes the decisions that he does when he’s given the choice to be a part of something bigger, and gives us the opportunity to see him grow as a person.
Lucee is a Black woman who has leaned on her friendship with Merrick in the past as a kind of buffer between her overly controlling father and her own wishes for her life. She comes into her own power and ends up taking on a leadership role despite believing that she’s not good enough to do so. Her battle to overcome her low self-esteem is one I think a lot of people can relate to.
Denny struggles with deep self-worth issues and feeling comfortable in their own skin as a non-binary person. Because of this, they’ve allowed themself to be controlled by someone who wants to use them for their own benefit, and a good deal of their struggle is learning how to break free from that situation and mindset.

I think all these characters are relatable and bring different things to the table. That’s not even touching on Vali, who went through the foster system and was unhoused before coming to The Maithe, or Emmaline, a disabled woman with a debilitating chronic illness, or Aisling and Camlin, both Fae who faced rejection by their people for not being “pure” enough. Or Peri, who only wants to be valued for who she is, not what her powers can do for others.

I’ve known all these people. I want their stories in my world to be amplified. That’s why I write what I do.

[images are from Picrew and just for fun visualizations of the various characters]

What is the Stories of the Eleriannan series about, anyway?

Cast A Shadow Of Doubt In Sleep You Know Writing

Even with blurbs on the back of novels that aim to get you interested in a book in a couple of short sentences, there’s still so much an author can say about their stories to entice a reader without giving too much away. Since I get asked the question “What is your series about?” all the time, I figured I’d give y’all a little more!

In Sleep You Know

In Sleep You Know is a twist on the classic tale of what happens to a hero who stumbles into Faerie and ends up sworn to them for seven years. Except in this story, our hero Merrick drags the members of his post-punk band along with him and they all find themselves aligned with fae – The Eleriannan – in a fight against forces invested in keeping the city of Baltimore entangled in negativity.

The book addresses ideas like:

  • how stagnant thinking can be seductive
  • motives can be easily misunderstood
  • community is everything, especially found family
  • we are more powerful together than apart

Cast a Shadow of Doubt

Cast a Shadow of Doubt starts a few months after the end of ISYK, and is very much a summer book, where ISYK is an autumn/winter book. Where ISYK focused on Merrick, CASOD is all about Lucee and also Vali, and how they fit into the new connections that the Fae are building. There’s an old adversary and a new one, plus more magical graffiti, friendly tree beings, a big summer arts festival, and encore appearances from fan favorites: the grandmotherly personification of the City and the creepy Ladies, who have more pointy teeth than they probably should.

This book touches on:

  • family trauma that comes from expectations and control
  • impostor syndrome
  • the search to belong and find one’s place
  • a deep debate on forgiveness of those who have hurt you.
Photo: Thomas Willmot on Unsplash

Writing Hope

I’ve said it before, but I’ll put it here too: I write magical books for people with trauma who need to see good in the world. Also: my stories are hopeful stories, filled with magic and people who you care about. My characters are vibrant and relatable, and the thing I hear most often from readers is that they feel like they know them so well, they are like old friends by the end of my books. [What a compliment, let me tell you!]

I also touch on some of my personal interests in my stories. There’s the obvious things like music and performing, street art, coffee and food – but also topics like the unhoused and how they are treated, urban gardens/food deserts and gentrification, and care of waterways and nature spaces in city environments. These are part and parcel of living in an urban space in my mind and I don’t think I could set a story with powerful characters in a city and not address them in some way.

Baltimore is the canvas for my stories and I subtly put a lot of local flavor in, but not so much that it reads like a travel ad! I like the idea that you might recognize the areas I write about if you visited, but also that these stories could happen in your closest city, too. Baltimore’s a complicated place, and I’ll admit that my version of it is maybe a little kinder than reality, but that’s hope too. I love my city and I want the people who live here to succeed, especially the ones who struggle the most and have had the hardest starts. My characters talk about using the power one has to try and make a difference, and that’s my philosophy too.

I’m currently working on the third book in the Eleriannan “universe” – if you’re interested in following along with my progress on that, I suggest giving me a follow on Mastodon or supporting me on Ko-fi. I share updates, behind the scenes snippets, and current soundtracks. I’d love to hear what you think, too!

The book cover for Cast a Shadow of Doubt next to a small white birthday cake with a candle and the text "Happy First Kook Birthday!"

A Book Birthday for CASOD!

Cast A Shadow Of Doubt

A year ago my second book in the Stories of the Eleriannan, Cast a Shadow of Doubt [aka CASOD], was released to the world. It centers on Lucee Fearney, a character who surprised me while I was writing In Sleep You Know with just how important and loveable she is – and I knew the second book needed to center on her.

The thing about Lucee is that she cares deeply. She’s a good friend, willing to put herself out to help the people she cares about, even to risk her life if she has to. She wants to do good in the world, and she’s willing to give people a second chance, no matter how large their mistakes are. She struggles with impostor syndrome, though everyone respects her and thinks she does an amazing job – especially as a once-mortal leading a complicated group of Fae. Her experiences as a young Black woman who grew up in a difficult home situation with only her best friend Merrick for support are why she loves and protects her found family so fiercely.

In CASOD I also tease out some of the connections that surround Lucee, especially her friendship with Sousa and her relationship dynamics with Cullen. I always think about how difficult it must be for the long-lived Fae, with their perspective over extended timelines, to watch their mortal beloveds struggle through growth and change. Especially for Cullen, who had kept away from love for a very long time – his coping mechanisms definitely involve pampering those he cares for. [I’d love a Cullen in my life; he’d definitely fill the house with flowers and my belly with delicious food!]
Sousa’s story to Cullen about how he and Lucee met is one of my favorite parts of the book. I actually wrote that very early on while working on CASOD, but the story’s been in my head since the beginning.

Trufax – I wasn’t sure how that guitar was going to show up later. Just like so many things with The Drawback, it all resolved seamlessly when the time came.

You know, there’s so many things I’d love to talk about when it comes to the books, but I am a firm believer in not spoilering, so I hold myself back. Maybe I need a secondary mailing list to discuss these things? 🤷🏻‍♀️

What a cast, eh? I love all of them so much.

If you haven’t read Cast a Shadow of Doubt yet, it’s available from me directly via my Ko-fi, or if you’re short on cash and like paperbacks, right now Amazon has it and In Sleep You Know selling for under $10 each. There’s no knowing how long that’ll last, so I’d jump on it now if you’re interested. [I still make my full royalty, no worries!]

Thanks for coming along on this Fae-tastic ride with me. I will be posting later this week about some of the themes I write about and why, and what’s coming next. Make sure to follow along to get all the background info!

[Some of these links are affiliate links. What that means is that I am referring you because I like and use this item, and I’ll get a little bit of cash for recommending it, which supports me and my work. Everyone wins!]

March 2022 News Wrap-Up

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Cast A Shadow Of Doubt Events

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!

Ask the Cast: Vali and Sousa

Ask the Cast a Question Cast A Shadow Of Doubt Characters In Sleep You Know

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

Ask the Cast a Question, an ongoing series

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Ask the Cast a Question Cast A Shadow Of Doubt Characters In Sleep You Know

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!