Today Cinsearae S. is on my blog. She’s one of several authors in the vampire anthology, Vampires Romance to Rippers an Anthology of Risque Stories that I am also in and I’m delighted to have her on my blog today.
Diary of a Vampire Stripper is the first novel in her series. Learn more at her website – http://bloodtouch.webs.com or pick up the ebook on Amazon too – click here.
About the Author
Cinsearae S. is the Editor/Publisher of award-winning Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine and a graphic designer for Damnation Books and independent authors. Author of The ABRAXAS Series, Diary of a Vampire Stripper (Top 10 Finisher, P&E Readers Poll, 2012), and In The Beginning (published through Black Bed Sheet Books), Cinsearae is an avid lover of all things gothic and horrific, and is a huge Vincent Price fan. Her Etsy shop, Mistress Rae’s Decadent Designs specializes in one-of-a-kind creepy dolls, Steampunk/Victorian/Halloween inspired jewelry, accessories, and more, receiving Fright Times’ 2012 Award for Best Horror Collectible. She lives with her husband and two rat terriers, aptly named Hades and Chaos, and is a huge Vincent Price fan.
About Diary of a Vampire Stripper
Her best friend is a werewolf. Her boyfriend is a ghoul. And she really, REALLY can’t stand her vampire husband.
Audra Perez is hard up for cash and looking for a quick fix to her financial woes. After all, a girl needs a roof over her head, not to mention tuition for school. When she auditions to be a stripper and is chosen, things seem fine and dandy until a mysterious-looking gentleman starts to frequent the club. When they start exchanging friendly banter and get to know each other more, they begin dating against club rules.
One hot night at his beach house changes her life forever.
Things take a turn for the worse when Audra wakes up to find herself a vampire, her lover gone without a trace, and her ‘new’ life a horrid, laughable mess, as she handles everything with snarky, dry wit and dark humor. Dealing with jackassy clients is just the start of her gripes. And if you think vampires and werewolves can’t be the best of friends, think again. Did I also mention she’s dating a ghoul now? Don’t call him a zombie though, that only pisses him off.
And the relationship issues? Well, it’s not easy dealing with a boyfriend AND a vampire husband, so let’s not even go there…
Life’s a bitch, and then you DON’T die…
What is your book about and what genre are you writing in?
Diary of a Vampire Stripper is the hilariously awkward tale of a young woman named Audra who is trying to scrape by in a crappy economy by auditioning as a stripper. She does this as a ‘last resort’ kind of thing, so she’s surprised she’s chosen. After a while of working there, and finally making ends meet, she starts dating one of the customers, who she finds out later is a vampire, not to mention befriending one of the strippers at the club who (unbeknown to her at the time) is a werewolf!
Do you have a specific writing style or approach to writing your books?
I pretty much write in the ‘voice’ that I hear my characters speaking to me. They don’t talk all the time, but I’m also not the type of author that ‘has’ to write something every single day. I write when the muse hits me. *grin*
What would you say makes your vampires unique to the paranormal genre?
They don’t have a complete aversion to sunlight, and my MC prefers bird blood over humans. *grin* She’s also attempted eating tiny amounts of food because she misses it, but too much food makes her feel queasy.
What do you like about your main vampire character?
She’s snarky, no-holds-barred, and down-to-earth, but not without her own gripes, issues and flaws.
Is there one particular thing your vampires can do or vampire myth that you enjoyed creating for this series?
Audra’s still figuring out all the ‘cool vampire stuff’ she can do, and the one myth of vamps and weres not getting along is one of the myths that’s focused on in the book.
What is your favorite line, passage, chapter from your books?
The opening chapter is funny to me, because she’s telling everyone of her awkward experience auditioning at the strip club, the people who auditioned, and the name she gave to her (later on) best friend because of her ‘hairy attributes’. That had a lot of readers laughing.
What motivates you to write?
I write to get the voices out of my head, lol. If I try to ignore them, they’ll just keep on yakking and yakking….and yakking…. until I start writing. In the end, I hope to have created something that readers will enjoy.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Too many books to mention, lol! Contemporary novels bored me; I was and still am a fan of Stephen King. The first book of his I ever picked up was Pet Sematary, and I was in 8th grade at the time! Books by R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and L.J. Smith were everywhere, lol. When it came to non-fiction, anything paranormal, like ghost stories, weird places and such were also all over the place. I loved learning about the creepier side of other cultures as well.
What authors have influenced your life and writing?
King and Poe. Poe wrote in a more ‘psychological horror’ style which I love. He didn’t need to mention blood and gore in his works to creep me out.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
King most definitely! He is the one single author I wish I could meet. I’d love to pick his brain and learn the ropes on writing from him!
What are your current projects?
I have a second anthology of short stories I’m working on, Creepy Crawlers 2: More Twisted Tales of Terror. The first one, Creepy Crawlers: An Anthology of Spine-Tingling Terror, isn’t all horrifying per se. It’s a good mix of dark comedy, erotic horror, and somber, gothic tomes, with one of the short stories included being a first place winner in the National Haunter’s Convention’s 2011 short story competition. CC2 will have the same variety of stories. I’m also working on Diary of a Vampire Stripper: Choices, in which Audra is going to have to come to terms with some things she’s been straddling the fence on, involving her vampire husband, and letting go of her once-human boyfriend., not to mention the crazy new plethora of issues in her life involving zombies, ghosts, and her best friend’s brother escaping from the psych ward.
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
I’ve been bringing my own brand of ‘cute-’n-creepy’ to the world since 2009 with my Etsy shop, Mistress Rae’s Decadent Designs. I make zombie babies, creepy dolls, and Steampunk/Gothic/Halloween themed jewelry and accessories. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of anthropomorphic creations and insect jewelry. My shop also won the Fright Times Award for “Best Horror Collectible” in 2012 and was also featured on the news (channel 69 in Allentown, PA) at Parafest 2013 in Bethlehem, PA. I love what I do; it’s so much fun seeing what kind of creepy critter I can come up with next.
Who designed the covers?
I do my own covers. I’m also a cover designer for Damnation Books, as well as independent authors.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The editing. I can scour my manuscript for typos up to four times, and STILL find something I’ve missed before!
Are you an Indie Author? If so, what do you like about independent publishing?
I’ve had a couple of books published traditionally, but I’m predominantly indie. I love being indie. As an author, you have total control over everything from start to finish. It’s a lot more work as you have to put on several different ‘hats’, but it’s worth it! I get tired of the indie industry getting negative flak from critics, but I’m happy to see that a lot of people are becoming more open to indie authors.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Follow your passion! If writing is your love, don’t let anyone deter you from it! Also, choose writers’ groups carefully. I’ve found the few I participated in in the past to be worthless. Writing is mostly a solitary experience, but at least have one or two objective people you can share your work with and can help you out in the editing process.
If you were attending a Halloween party, what would your costume be and why?
Something with a sugar skull theme. I’ve seen so many beautifully designed skull faces, and Dia de los Muertos has a beautifully eerie aesthetic all its own.
What are your favorite hobbies?
I love doing ‘gothic’ photography. Ruined buildings, cemeteries, eerie looking places in nature, I love capturing it all. I love doing general nature photography too, although insects and birds are quite tricky subjects to photograph! I also love creating digital creepy art, especially zombies.
What’s your favorite love story? (movie or book)
Probably “Somewhere in Time”. There’s a few loopholes in the storyline, but overall, it’s very romantic, although bittersweet in the end… and I love Christopher Reeve. *grin*
Does Prince Charming exist? If so, briefly describe him.
I don’t believe in fairy tales; they’re just too superficial. I’m a realist, at least in that aspect, lol. If Prince Charming existed, every girl would have their own ‘happily ever after’. I’ll break it down this way: as long as the guy treats you with respect, lets you live your dreams and do what you want, doesn’t try to spoon-feed you any b.s., and loves you for who you are, that’s Price Charming enough for me.
Fanged Love and Vampire Confessions 