How’d You Like to Have an Arcane New Year?
Thanks so much for the opportunity to speak to your readers, Cameron! And thanks to you all for stopping by to read my blog post.
I’m Angela Knight, and I’ve been writing deliciously romantic smut since 1997. In the years since, I’ve written 60 novels and novellas about sexy Sidhe warriors, kinky vampire knights, werewolves who get their furry freak on, and the occasional horny time-traveling cyborg.
My motto is, “Why be normal when paranormal is so much more fun?”
When I’m not writing kink in all its many forms, I’m usually creating artwork, either for covers, ads, or the sheer hell of it.
My art medium of choice is Computer Generated Imagery (or CGI, which isn’t the same thing as AI generators like Midjourney.) I use a program called Daz Studio, which lets me spend many happy hours putting CGI people in compromising positions. The great thing about CGI, as opposed to, say, photography of actual people, is that you can give your characters fur, horns, mermaid tails – or just dress them in lots and lots of leather.
And who doesn’t like leather?
Here’s a few images…
My newest obsession is creating CGI videos for YouTube and TikTok, like this one for my latest book:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAxzsFuPweE
Speaking of Arcane Betrayal… (And yes, I did the cover. I’ve been a cover artist for Changeling Press for about 20 years. I spend hours posing the characters, arranging their hair and clothes, then setting up the camera and lighting to create each image. I don’t want to even think about how much $$$$$ I’ve spent on hair, characters, costumes, and props for my CGI people. It’s like that saying: “When I grow up, I want to be Barbie. That bitch has everything.”)
When I’m not rendering something, I’ve been twisting the world of shifters and magic into origami for my Arcane Talents series. In this alternate universe, magic really is a mystic art: you work it by singing, dancing, or drawing your spells.
Even the U.S. military uses magic, fielding soldiers called Ferals who have mystical links with tigers, lions, or bears. Ferals can manifest powerful magical shells around themselves that gives them the strength, claws and fangs of their animal partners.
But what happens when you finally go home, only to find the war – and its magical terrorists – have followed you? That’s the idea behind Arcane Betrayal.
Arcane Corps veteran Margay Whitfield has survived a terrorist bombing and years of combat in three different war zones. Now she’s back home working in her mom’s restaurant and trying to avoid the man she loves.
Grant Sawyer is the town’s handsome police chief, and he wants to take up where they left off. But the war has left Margay with shaky control of her inner big cat, Razia, and Grant has no magical abilities. What if her tiger kills him?
When terrorists set off a magical boobytrap in the restaurant, she manifests the cat to save her mother. Unfortunately, the device’s drugged smoke makes her lose control of Raz in the middle of the lunch rush.
Then Grant answers the call of duty…
***
“Margay,” Grant said softly, lifting both hands as he stepped closer to the cat. She snarled louder, and he went still. “Hey, Margay, it’s me — Grant.” He took another slow step.
Raz tensed.
A bead of sweat rolled down his spine. His mouth went dry, and he licked his lips. “I’m not going to hurt you, baby. You know me. Remember we used to play Arcane Corps out in the woods? I was always the Arcanist and you were the big cat Feral.”
Raz stopped snarling to stare intently at him. Her flattened ears began to lift.
If he concentrated, he could just make out Margay within the manifestation’s glow. She seemed to be floating inside the shell of her tiger like something out of a science fiction movie. Her face looked strained through the magical shimmer, as if struggling to hear something just beyond audible range. “Remember when we went to prom? You wore that long gold silk dress with a slit. You were so…” Everything I could never have because you’re magic and I’m not. “…Beautiful.”
Raz straightened out of her crouch and her ears pricked. Her muzzle began to relax out of that terrifying snarl.
“Why don’t you come out, Margay?” he suggested, keeping his voice deep and low. “You don’t need your manifestation. Everything’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. None of this is your fault.”
“Grant?” Margay’s voice sounded far away and a little ragged, as if she spoke from a dream. Or a nightmare. ” Grant, I… I died. The bomb went off and we died. He killed us.”
Bomb? “Who’s ‘he?’”
“It wasn’t a bomb, sweetheart,” Jocelyn broke in. “It was just fireworks. Somebody’s idea of a prank.”
Grant frowned. Every Fourth of July, public service announcements warned people that fireworks could trigger veterans with PTSD. Everybody in town knew Margay was a combat vet. What fucking idiot would play a prank like this on a vet with a tiger? I’m going to find out who did this and charge their ass. After I kick it first. Hard.
“Mama?” Margay peered at her through the manifestation. “There was a bomb. He killed me. It would’ve killed everybody, but it just killed me.”
Wait, what?
“That wasn’t a bomb, baby,” Jocelyn told her, her voice warm and soothing. “That was just some kid’s prank. You’re home now, and you’re safe. Why don’t you let your manifestation go? You don’t need it – we’re all fine. It was just a prank.”
“Mom?” She sounded confused.
“Yes, baby, it’s me.”
“Oh, hell,” Margay said in a completely different voice that sounded like someone who’d woken from a nightmare. The glowing tiger vanished, and she slumped to the floor, shaking. “God, oh God, shit! I’m so sorry! I heard you scream, and I thought… And I smelled RDX and I thought we were trying to contain that bomb again…”
Contain the bomb ‘again?’ What the hell is she talking about? Grant shot a questioning glance at Joceyln, who shrugged, just as confused as he was.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one Margay had kept in the dark.
Grant was just beginning to relax when he heard the high-pitched shriek of approaching sirens. Horror iced his blood as he imagined SWAT charging into the restaurant…
***
Buy links: Changeling Press Amazon Barnes and Noble Apple Vivlio Smashwords
Thanks so much for giving me some of your valuable time! I hope you have an incredible 2024!
Angela Knight
For a chance to win an ebook copy of Arcane Betrayal comment on the post. Is Angela Knight a new to you author?
