Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.
Today: Christiane Knight [she/they] is an artist, musician, writer, and author of the contemporary fantasy series Stories of the Eleriannan.
A former club and FM radio DJ, Christiane’s love of dark subculture and music infuses her work. They write hopeful, magical stories set in the Fae infused version of their already quirky hometown, Baltimore MD.
She’s a lifelong enthusiast of faerie, folktales, forests and fauna, especially combined in copious amounts with all-black clothing and some Joy Division or Bauhaus playing in the headphones. You can learn more and follow their updates at https://www.christianeknight.com and too many social media platforms.
Thanks so much, Christiane, for joining me!
J. Scott Coatsworth: When did you know you wanted to write, and when did you discover that you were good at it?
Christiane Knight: I’ve been a writer since I was a kid! I wrote my very first book around age 5 or 6, an obvious tribute [rip-off, ahem] of E. B. White’s The Trumpet of the Swan, complete with illustrations. I made it into a booklet and gave it to my mom, who still has it around somewhere and will bring it up any chance she gets.
I was always a storyteller, although I turned to poetry for a while, and sent off both poems and short stories to be published in small press ‘zines in the 90s. Around then is when I started to realize that it wasn’t just “this thing” that I did, but that I had talent for it. I spent a lot of time trying to get up the guts and focus to write out a novel-length story, but it wasn’t until the pandemic and a long recovery from chronic illness that I finally got there and started really applying myself. Now I can’t stop!
JSC: How would you describe your writing style/genre?
CK: I tell people that I mainly write hopeful contemporary fantasy and speculative fiction. I used to use the term urban fantasy, but really my stories don’t fit the vibe that a lot of readers expect from modern urban fantasy. My stories are character focused, and I use magical characters and plotlines to echo and reinforce “real world” social issues. I set them in a version of the city where I live but with parts of it just off-kilter enough to show where the magical and mortal parts overlap.
My writing style is usually very comfortable and modern, like I’m telling you about something that happened to mutual friends. I feel it pulls a reader into the story in a different way than a more literary style, and it fits the kinds of stories that I write.
JSC: Do you use a pseudonym? If so, why? If not, why not?
CK: It’s not much of a secret that I have a nom de plume…except that actually, other than for legal purposes, I’ve been using the name Christiane Knight as my official name for a very long time. Knight was my actual surname until I got married, and when I divorced I kept the new last name. At first I was just being lazy! But since I’ve had stalkers in the past, I decided that keeping that separation between the most private parts of my life and the public persona made sense. And in all other respects, I am Christiane.
Having a public name is also helpful for maintaining a persona that I can draw on when it comes time to do public speaking and appearances, or when I need to make business connections. I might be tired or anxious, but Christiane loves the spotlight and is ready to get up in front of people! I hate talking on the phone and sending first contact emails, but Christiane? That’s her job! It’s the best kind of delegation!
JSC: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
CK: Don’t stop writing. Don’t let yourself or anyone else convince you that you’re wasting your time, or that you’ll never make something of yourself as a writer. It IS a valid career; you CAN achieve your dreams in this field. Be tenacious.
Also, don’t be afraid to talk to established writers and put yourself out there!
JSC: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
CK: I have been putting out a book a year since I decided that I was going to write a novel or die trying! Different books have taken varying lengths of time to write; my first book In Sleep You Know only took a few months to finish a first draft. Although I started from a couple of chapters I’d written years before, I rewrote that entire beginning and blasted through the rest of the story because it had been in my mind for such a long time.
The current work in progress has been in drafts for ten months, but I’ve been slower than usual. I started writing while I was in the middle of finishing up and publishing my third book, A Third Kind of Madness, so I was a little distracted!
JSC: What is the most heartfelt thing a reader has said to you?
CK: I think many writers want their readers to have the experience of seeing a character that they can relate to, or that makes them feel seen. In my case, it’s happened repeatedly with two of my main characters, and I can’t express how touching and important that is, to know that my writing makes a difference for them. The best response I ever received was about Denny, the awkward and self-effacing non-binary lead of A Third Kind of Madness. The reader said “As a non-binary person myself, reading a book with a protagonist who is like me on some very fundamental levels…practically brought me to tears. It’s the first time I’ve ever read a book where my true self is represented, in 50+ years of reading all kinds of books…and IT MATTERS.”
I’ll openly admit that this response made me cry.
JSC: What inspired you to write A Third Kind of Madness? What were the challenges in bringing it to life?
CK: I think a lot about where inspiration comes from, and what makes something “valid” or legitimate art, and how the need for that validity can shape people’s actions and personalities. With all that in mind, one day I stumbled upon a quote from Plato’s Phaedrus, where he talks about four types of divine madness – specifically in this case, I was intrigued by the part where he refers to the third kind of madness, that of possession by the Muses. He states also that those who have no inspiration or touch of madness won’t be able to access the temple and their art will have no comparison. That sparked an idea in my head: what happens when someone tries to force admittance to the temple, so to speak? And how would that not only affect the muse that’s being used, or the artist she’s already attached to, but the art made through her influence?
There are already modern stories about various muses, and variations on the theme I’d devised, so the biggest challenge was telling my version in the most original way possible. One of those ways was having the artwork created under the muse’s influence not only connected to her energetically, but with a desire to reunite with her in unexpected and creepy ways. In the end, the story became a vehicle for me to talk about mental health and how the pursuit and practice of creativity can take a toll on it. As one of my characters Xan might say, “Art is a vehicle for change and no one walks away unscathed.”
JSC: Who has been your favorite character to write and why?
CK: Hands down, Denny from A Third Kind of Madness is closest to my heart. They’re the kind of character you just want to embrace in a hug and protect from every threat. Denny is struggling to find their own self-worth and has a bad habit of deferring to everyone else around them, to their own detriment. Putting Denny into an environment where they can find love, true friends, and personal growth—despite the trials that come along with that—was a joy to write.
JSC: What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.
CK: Honestly, my parade of weird and varied day jobs I’ve held lends itself to being writing fodder. My characters have ended up the recipients of some of them: barista, musician, DJ, manager of an occult bookstore. I was a line cook and kitchen manager for a long time and that shows up in my writing as scenes where food is lovingly described. One of my reoccurring characters, Cullen, expresses his love and care for his friends through cooking for them. My main characters in the Eleriannan series are musicians and I draw extensively from my own experiences and from managing other bands’ gigs when I write about their performances.
JSC: What are you working on now, and what’s coming out next? Tell us about it!
CK: I’m currently writing my next novel, A Small Light in the Darkness. At the core, it’s a story about loneliness and the search to find someone who sees and loves you for who and what you truly are. It also explores what it is that defines us, both as individuals and as humans. There’s an unscrupulous scientist, technology that’s designed to enhance brain capacity, an otherworldly virtual world app, and stargazing as a form of bonding. I’m hoping to get that out in 2025 and continue my streak of a book a year!
And now for Christiane’s new book: A Third Kind of Madness:
When Denny isn’t working as a photographer, they spend their time at the local coffee shop mooning over one of the regulars, the mysterious and beautiful Peri. No one’s more surprised than Denny when she asks them out on a date.
What happens that night throws the couple into a world where nothing is as it appears and everyone wants to get their hands on Peri and her powers to inspire artists – especially Joolie, the controlling and egotistical leader of Denny’s art collective.
If that wasn’t enough, the powerful, capricious water elementals known as Nyxen have inexplicably taken an interest in Denny. They warn that Peri’s gifts bring nothing but trouble to those around her. It’s hard to argue with them when the magic starts to go wrong; paintings greedily come alive with grasping tentacles, an obsessed ex-lover returns to threaten the couple, and Denny begins to wonder if their grip on reality is beginning to slip…
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Excerpt
“You look lost, yet I know you are not.” The voice is soft and deep, with a spoken rhythm reminiscent of waves lapping against the shore.
Aw, seriously?
I turn to my left and seated on the stone wall under a scraggly-looking tree is a Nyxen. It strikes me immediately that this is not one of my Nyxen, as much as any Elemental could be called mine. I’m not even sure how I know it because they are such amorphous beings, and even this one can’t seem to settle on an appearance. It keeps shifting between long and short hair or whatever the watery substance is on its head. Otherwise, it’s surprisingly stout in build, quite different from the Nyxen I know, and almost squat. It still has that blue-green-purplish hue to it, though, as much as I can through the meager shadow the tree provides.
“I don’t believe we’ve met before?” I keep my voice light and noncommittal.
“We have not. But you have the blessings of my cousins on you, mortal, and that is rare indeed. And you look troubled.” It chuckles in a low voice. “More than looking troubled, you are broadcasting it loudly. And luck is on your side, as I believe I may have insight for you.”
“It’s true that I don’t know what to do. But I can’t afford to be in the debt of someone as powerful as an Elemental, especially not now.” Oh, I can’t afford to disrespect it either, crap. “Your offer is much appreciated, though.” I add a little bow at the end. Can’t hurt.
The bow earns me delighted laughter from the strange Nyxen.
“Ah, you’ve been well tutored! Not that one such as myself stands much on ceremony. As you can see, I’m hardly fastidious.” It gestures to the dark, polluted water below us. “No worries, mortal. Your bond with my cousins speaks well of you. No need to return favors for me.”
It gestures me closer, then seems just as quickly to change its mind.
“I am used to staying in the shadows, but let me step to you. The reputation of my kind is not a good one, and deservedly so. But I will not harm you. I will come away from the water to prove that.”
As it emerges from under the shelter of the tree’s branches and few remaining leaves, the streetlight’s yellow-toned glow illuminates the Nyxen’s stout body, revealing all the details that were hidden before.
It’s not a Nyxen at all.
It looks similar in face and colors, and how it shifts, but the resemblance ends there. Its sturdy frame is not as streamlined as the Nyxen I know, but rather bumpy and textured. It takes me a minute to realize that the bumps are actually barnacles. They cover its ankles and wrists heavily and less so across the rest of its body. Its hair is mixed with long strands of seaweed, and there are clumps of it wrapped around the creature’s body as well. I catch the dark shine of a mussel shell in its hair as the not-Nyxen throws its head back and laughs heartily.
“Ah, I see that I have surprised you! You thought I was the same as my cousins, yes?”
I nod, speechless.
“So, is there a name I can call you? Or would you prefer I didn’t? I would give you my name in exchange…” Maybe that’s not the wisest offer, but I’ve made it this far through being polite, and I don’t see any reason to change that.
It looks me up and down as if judging my worthiness, which is fair enough. For my part, I stand there trying to muster all the confidence I can, which, as we know, isn’t much. After a moment, it nods thoughtfully.
“You’re a trusting child, aren’t you? Luckily for you, it’s a charming attribute. You may call me Dorcha, which is a name I have never offered to any but my own kind before today. Perhaps that makes me a trusting child as well, now.” When it smiles, its whole face creases up with the expression. It’s surprisingly endearing. I probably shouldn’t let down my guard, but it’s making that difficult.
“I’m Denny. I’m also known as the Photographer, at least by the Nyxen I know.” This gets me another full-faced smile. “I’m still new to this whole interacting with beings that are much more powerful than I am, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I make mistakes.”
“Points for your honesty, Denny the photographer. You are respectful and thoughtful and that counts for a lot, especially when dealing with water in any of its forms. But perhaps I should tell you what you need to know.” Again, it winks at me, and all I can think of is sunlight flashing on ocean waves.
I’m not sure how to answer, so I nod encouragingly like the fool I am.
“You can see that everything that you mortals discard eventually finds its way to me and my kin. It travels through the waters of the city to come to rest in the harbor. They’ve put a device now at the end of this channel to collect debris, but the emotions, secrets, and everyday concerns that travel with the trash escape those sorts of traps. And my kind? We hold it all. Those are our treasures.”
It moves a little closer to me and holds my gaze with an unnerving stare that makes the hair on my arms and the back of my neck raise.
“Water never forgets, Denny. And we Elementals know all the secrets the world wants to wash away.”
“There’s always water,” I mutter, remembering the Nyxen’s words, and Dorcha’s face lights up.
“Yes! You understand! We are everywhere. We see it all. And there is a thing I have seen that I know will matter to you. Let me show you.”
Before I can react, Dorcha reaches out a cold, damp hand and grabs my wrist. A squeal escapes my lips as it pulls me close, pressing its clammy body against mine. Darkness rushes up to surround me, and the scent of brackish water and sea-foam fills my senses.