Interview with:Cinsearae Santiago [cinsearae]
PROFESSION
 | What is your profession? What is your title printed on your business card? I'm an author in the dark paranormal romance and horror genres. I'm also Editor/Publisher of Dark Gothic Resurrected magazine. |
| What links do you have on the Internet: website, blog, social networks? |
| Do you attend cocktail parties, presentations, fairs or conventions related to your profession? I haven't yet, but I would definitely love to! |
| How is the Interent changing the way you work? It has definitely allowed me to expand my communications by meeting new people from across the states and around the world. |
| Do you feel your hobbies serve to elevate your career? Absolutely! My love for drawing and creating digital imagery has allowed me to create art and become a book cover designer for JadedSilencePress.com as well as individual clients. |
| Besides your current profession, what other things would you have liked to have been? I think I would have liked to get into acting a bit more. This was one of my majors in college. |
| List any credits, publications, competitions, etc. |
| Your Bible? The Bible. I'm a very spiritual person and very open minded. I pay attention to nature and feel a closeness to it |
| What do you do to manage stress? Breathing exercises. They DO work. I also visualize smashing whatever is causing me the stress, and it usually stops. |
CREATIVITY
| How and why did you begin to be creative? I think I always was creative, even when I was young, at least when it came to creative writing. Once I started writing, I just kept doing it. It gave me a new 'playground' to be in. |
| Your mind is your work tool. How do you take care of it? I always eat healthy, love exploring new places, exercise, meditate, and read, read, read. |
| What cultural sources do you draw from the most? I love the Gothic culture, it's so multilayered. I'm also interested in middle eastern, Latin, and Asian culture. |
| Does spirituality contribute to your creativity? Absolutely. it is often my inspiration. |
| The armchair psychologist: Is creativity an act of rebellion for you? Sometimes, especially with my creative writing. It gives me a chance to write about things I normally wouldn't or would consider taboo. |
WRITING
| What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote? I read a lot of R.L. Stine's work when I was younger, also L.J. Smith. In Junior High, I was also reading Stephen King, which garnered funny looks from my classmates, lol. I recall writing when I was in 3rd grade. It started out as a simple writing assignment using some vocabulary words. It only had to be a paragraph, but my imagination kept going, and it wound up being a whole page, front and back, lol. I guess my mother and teachers were the first to read my stuff, but it wasn't often. I kept a lot of my writing to myself. |
| What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it? My favorite genre is horror, but I like paranormal romances too. To get a glimpse of my own works, you can visit my website, http://bloodtouch.webs.com, and visit the "Abraxas" and "Sneak Peeks" pages. |
| What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write? My creative process is a bit sporadic. Inspiration comes at any given time, so I always keep a pen and paper with me. Whatever comes to mind, I'll write it down and look at it later. |
| What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story? A decent plot, believable characters, realistic dialogue. It doesn't matter if they're in another dimension or a different time--if it has those elements, it should keep the reader engaged. |
| What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? It really depends on the type of story, but first person seems a lot easier sometimes. |
| What well known writers do you admire most? King, Koontz, and Rice come to mind first! |
| What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours? They must have flaws. No one is perfect and neither should a character be. |
| Deep down inside, who do you write for? Not just for myself, but for those who like what I write. |
| Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force? Of course it is, lol. And sometimes, that internal conflict IS what drives me to write. |
| Does reader feed-back help you? Absolutely. I always appreciate their feedback. |
| Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards? Not fond of competitions, but I have won awards for other things. (Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine landed 2nd place in the Preditors & Editors Readers poll for 2008). |
| Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for? I feel as if I've found it, but I'm always improving it. |
| What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate? Atmospheric, instrumental music. What's in the room doesn't matter, as long as I have peace and quiet. |
| Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process? The majority of my writing is done on a PC (but not without backup in case of a power failure!) I still use paper as well for those 'bits' that come to mind. Once I'm done with a first draft of something, I'll print it out and correct on the hard copy, then return to the PC again. |
| What are you working on now? |
| What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone? One's writing style changes over the years, so take everything out, look it over, edit/polish it, (you'll see that you CAN change things around and improve it a bit!) then take your 'favorite' pieces and let them see the light of day, so to speak. You just might be surprised by the comments you'll get on them. |
PHOTOGRAPHY
| Do you have an online gallery where one can view your photos? you can visit my website, http://bloodtouch.webs.com, and click on "Photo Gallery" to see some B&W images I've done. |
| For how long have you done photography? How did you begin? Since 2007. I've always had an interest in it and finally took the initiative to start. |
| What has been your education as a photographer? I have not stepped foot in a photography classroom. I learn by reading, then I develop my own style from there. |
| What is your favourite type of photography? I guess that would be considered 'still' photography. I enjoy taking 'atmospheric' and nature images. |
| What do you try to express through your photography? Either a serene, yet haunting, or eerie feel. |
| How do you choose your subjects? Most of them are spontaneous. I usually just take walks through parks, or while on the road, come across an interesting area or subject, and take it form there. |
| What type of preparation do you do before undertaking the photo session? There is no preparation, other than having my camera ready, lol. |
| Do you normally photograph with a purpose already in mind, or do you let yourself go with the flow? I know what types of themes I'm searching for, and if it's 'already there', then all the more better! |
| Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sigma, Olympus, Sony, Pentax...which do you place your bets on and why? I only have a Sony, and it's been my faithful standby for the last three years, lol. It hasn't let me down yet! |
| What software and plug-ins do you use to retouch and manage your photos? I use Paint Shop Pro X. |
| What measures do you take to protect your work against Internet piracy? I have copyright notices on my site, and usually have any 'right-clicking' disabled. |
| Are technology and digital retouching reducing the gap between professionals and amateurs? I'm always debating what makes one a 'professional' or 'amateur'. If the photograph is beautiful or moves me/gets my attention in some way, it doesn't matter to me if one is professional or not. |
| Do you consider yourself more technical or more artistic? I would definitely have to go with artistic, lol. |
| How does one develop the instinct of knowing when to press the shutter release button? I think it's an innate thing. For me, I think I have a little voice in me that says when to do it. |
| Does photography have the recognition that it should have in contemporary art museums? I don't think so. I'd love to see more of it. |
ACTING
| Please list three actors and three actresses that you like. Alan Rickman,(do I LOVE his portrayal of Professor Snape! lol. He was awesome in 'Rasputin' and 'Robin Hood' too. Johnny Depp, (I've liked him in practically everything, especially the 'Pirates' trilogy and 'Sweeney Todd') and my first love, Frank Langella! (I LOVED him in the 1979 verison of "Dracula"!!) Jamie Lee Curtis, (top faves were 'True Lies', the 'Halloween' series, and a couple others.) Fairuza Balk, (she was the absolute best in 'The Craft'!) and I LOVED Aaliyah in her role of Akasha in "Queen of the Damned". |
PERSONALITY
| What hobbies have you got? Writing, drawing, collecting Halloween junk. Making jewelry or clothing on occasion. |
| Which actor would you like to be? EVERYONE SHOULD BE THIR OWN PERSON! Anything coming from a cookie cutter is uninteresting. |
| If you were sent to a deserted island, which book, CD and film would you take with you? I hate to say it, but having only ONE of each would bore me eventually. |
| How do you respond to telemarketing calls? Leave the answering machine on 24-7. |
| Something in which you are completely incompetent. rollerskating, skateboarding--anything that involves little wheels being under my feet. |
| Of what are you an addict? Gummi bears and those round, gold-foiled, Ferraro Rocher chocolates. |
| Your New Year resolutions. Not to make any more. So far, it's working. |
| A word or expression that you detest. any derogatory term for a woman. |
IDEAS
| Does brand name influence your buying habits? Hell no, especially in today's economy. If I see something I like in a catalog, I'm almost positive I can make it, plus add my own tweaks to it. |
| What is your opinion of the rise in popularity of plastic surgery and implants? if people want to look like Barbie and Ken that's up to them. It's all superficial, and society bases themselves too much on 'looks', instead of inner beauty and personality, which, in my opinion, is just SAD. |
| Do extraterrestrials exist? I don't DOUBT it....I just can't believe we're the ONLY life form that exist in the fathomless void we call the universe. To think that would be extremely egotistical. |
CULTURE
| Places in the world that you have visited recently. Mexico. In the past, I've visited London/Wales, and Jamaica. |
| What is that special film you never tire of watching? I still find myself going back to the 1979 version of "Dracula" starring Frank Langella. I LOVE his portrayal of the Count. No one has come close to him yet. |
| Do you find the saturation of advertising in the media excessive? Dear Lord, yes. I can't stand watching tv now because of it. |
| Do you believe there is excessive sex and violence in the media? Of course there is---but those two topics SELL, so they won't go away any time soon. |
| What were your favourite subjects when you were in primary/secondary school? Science, particularly Biology. |
POLITICS
| Should homosexual couples have the same right to adopt as heterosexual couples? OF COURSE! Why not? They're capable of loving and providing for a child just like anyone else! This debate is so TIRED. |
PHILOSOPHY
| If you were a millionaire, what would be your charitable work? Animal rescue. |
| Please list three important words for the world today. PEACE. EQUALITY. LOVE. |
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[cinsearae]
Cinsearae Santiago
Philadelphia, PA United States
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