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 8th grade, it was then that I had dreams of
becoming a writer.
What is the
name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise 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
humor. I love dark humor; 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 the 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 too, so I’ll more than
likely have another anthology out by next year as well.
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 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, so try not to take
negative reviews to heart. 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 an 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
on
twitter:
and my
author website:
You're welcome thanks for sending me a copy of your book and taking part in the Interview too!