What is your name, where were you born
and where do you live now?
My name is Cinsearae,
and I was born and still live in east coast of the States. I’ve been fortunate
to travel to a few places, including, Jamaica, England and Mexico. I hope it
doesn’t stop there. *grin* I love anything and everything paranormal, Halloween
and horror-related; anything mundane just bores me to tears, lol.
Did you always want to be a writer? If
not what did you want to be?
I’ve had a knack for
writing starting in the 3rd grade. When I started reading Steven
King in junior-high school, it was then that I had dreams of becoming a writer.
What is the name of your latest book,
and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
My latest book is “Diary
of a Vampire Stripper”, a bit of a misadventurous romance, with chick-lit
snark, and splash of dark humour. I love
dark humour; chalk it up to loving a lot of Vincent Price’s old horror flicks.
Who is your publisher? or do you self-publish?
I’ve been published
traditionally, but I prefer self –publishing the most, since each project is exactly
the way I envisioned it, from the story to the characters to cover art.
What can we expect from you in the
future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I love writing
paranormal romance and horror, and I’m working on the second part to Diary
of a Vampire Stripper as we speak. *grin* I like writing short stories
on occasion to, so I’ll more than likely have another anthology out by next
year too.
Where do you get your book plot ideas
from? What/Who is your inspiration?
My muse hands me a lot
of my ideas in my sleep! As for inspiration, life’s negative and positive
aspects are an inspiration to me, not to mention combining that with being a
horror junkie. It helps me to create more believable situations, people and
dialogue.
Do you have a certain routine you have
for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I do a lot of writing
while listening to instrumental/atmospheric music or nature sounds, and other
times, I need absolute peace and quiet. My favorite albums I listen to are by Nox Arcana or Midnight Syndicate, and lately, Symphony
of Shadows. For atmospheric music, I really enjoy any of Steve Roach’s
works. I actually do a lot of writing in my bedroom!
How do you come up with the Title and
Cover Designs for your book/books? Who designed the Cover of your books?
I’m a book cover
designer for Damnation Books, LLC, and I’ve learned a lot over the years. When
I design my own covers, it’s usually an image I see in my mind’s eye. If it’s
one rule I stick to when doing covers, it’s, ‘the simpler the design, the
better’.
Do you choose a title first, or write
the book then choose the title?
It really depends.
Sometimes, the title will pop in my head with the story immediately following,
or vice-versa.
How do you come up with characters,
names, and place names in your books?
They come to me
already ‘alive’, lol! I know their names, looks, personalities, quirks,
likes/dislikes….the works. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear there were
other people living in my head, but in a good way, lol! I think Mel Brooks says
it best: "Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under
his skin. The talent of a writer is his ability to give them their separate
names, identities, personalities and have them relate to other characters
living with him."
How do you market/promote your books?
The majority of it is
done via internet, but I still like good ‘ol person to person contact at
conventions too when given the opportunity.
What do you do to unwind and relax? Do
you have a hobby?
To get away from the
PC, I LOVE to spend time outdoors. Parks, cemeteries, nature trails…it’s great
to disconnect and be exposed to nature. It definitely helps ground me.
Have you ever based characters on people
you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
I might use a small
part of person’s personality for a particular character here and there, as well
as personal events or situations, but I never like to tell exactly *which*
events were ‘real’ ones in my books! (grin)
Are there any hidden messages or morals
contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The
moral of this story is..")
I usually like to have
hidden messages in my stories, especially in my latest one-- they revolve
around family, friendship, and trust.
Which format of book do you prefer,
ebook, hardback, or paperback?
I’m still old-school
and prefer a paperback book, but if it’s a short story, I don’t mind reading an
e-book.
Do you think books transfer to movies
well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie transfer?
I enjoyed the Harry
Potter series immensely. Some books in this particular series transferred
better than others, and the first two were spot-on, which I loved.
Do you think ebooks will ever totally
replace printed books?
I doubt it. After all,
people should have a choice to their preferred style of receiving and reading a
book. And heaven forbid your Kindle (or whatever e-device one uses) decides to
konk out and you lose all those e-books you had stored away.
Did you have a favourite author as a
child?
I loved Judy Blume’s
books and read her a lot as a child. I’ll still never understand why her books
were banned. She wrote about normal, typical stuff that went on in everyday
life and had such lifelike characters! To ban stories that talk about things
that happen in LIFE doesn’t make sense to me.
Do you have a treasured book from your
childhood? If yes, what is it?
“How to Eat Friend Worms” and “Freckle
Juice” were two of my all-time favorite books as a kid. I also loved the “Bunnicula” series. I devoured R.L.
Stine’s “Goosebumps” series in junior
high school/high school as well.
What piece of advice would you give to a
new writer?
Avoid any and all
naysayers and dream killers, for they’ll be the first to bring you down or keep
you from pursuing your own dreams. Choose critique groups carefully as well as
creative writing instructors. Almost everyone loves being a critic, and most
love to be cruel when it comes to giving their own two cents. Treat their two
cents as such. As a writer, you’ll have to develop a thick skin. Understand
that everyone will not love your work. It’s expected, and unrealistic to
believe otherwise. Write for yourself
and for those who do love your work—to hell with the ‘mainstream’. Writing is a
lonely road, but don’t cut yourself off completely from human contact! And if
you’re a horror/paranormal romance writer looking for a supportive group, I
invite you to join my own writers group on Facebook (just search Gratista
Vampire Clan)
If you could invite three favourite
writers to dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with?
If I could call up the
deceased, then Edgar Allan Poe, first and foremost! I’d also call up Vincent
Price (and yep, not only did he act, he was and author AND a cook! Maybe we
could cook something together and chat at the same time!) and I’d love to have Stephen King over and pick
his brain for a bit!
Where can readers follow you?
They can friend me on facebook
They can friend me on facebook
on twitter:
and my author website:
http://www.youtube.com./user/Cinsearae?ob=0&feature=results_main
Thank you so much for having me , Jeanz! J
Thank you so much for having me , Jeanz! J
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