Title: ABRAXAS: Seeing Green (Book 4 in the ABRAXAS Series)
Release Date: 2009
Author: Cinsearae Santiago
Author Website
Publisher: Lulu Press
Buy Link
Genre: Dark Paranormal, Romance, Horror
Blurb: Edward lies in a coma in the hospital, with Christine having a sneaking suspicion Ryan has something to do with Edward's current condition. Ryan continues to act strangely possessive of Christine to the point where it becomes too scary for her. Edward's spectral form constantly cries to Christine for help, leaving her with many sleepless nights... and to make matters more trying for her, Christine's best friend stops by for a visit, unknowing of her situation. (This is part 4 in the continuation of The ABRAXAS Series at http://BloodTouch.webs.com/
Welcome Cinsearae and thanks so very much for agreeing to the interview.
Thank you so much for having me here, Rie! A pleasure to join you!
Can you tell us the journey you embarked upon to your first publishing contract?
It hasn’t been an easy one, but when you love what you do, you keep plugging away! J I’ve only been ‘out there’ for about six years or so, and I’m still learning the tricks of the trade, as they change so rapidly. My first publishing contract came with Forbidden Publications, which unfortunately folded. I had entered a couple of writing contests, which garnered two contracts from them. As of now I self-publish, which has been going well, but I still like the feel of being with a traditional publisher, so I never cease looking and hoping to land a contract again in the future. I recently had one of my short stories published in a horror comedy anthology from Damnation Books, titled “The Zombie Cookbook”, and two more short stories to appear in anthologies this year through Library of the Living Dead Press, so the opportunities are still out there! J
Which author(s) inspire you and why?
Poe has been my first and favorite author. I’ve always enjoyed his dreary, dreadful writings, and the period style of his writing. I also enjoy King’s works, as his imagination is tireless!
Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written, and if so, what is your favorite scene?
I think it might be the very first book. In ABRAXAS:The Beginning, after Christine calms down a bit after realizing what she has become, she sets out to find her attacker. When she does, she tries breaking his neck. Not only does she twist his head to the point where it’s completely backwards--and yes, he’s still alive--she hurls him into the street, and his head gets run over by a taxicab. The cab also starts a chain accident, and Christine is in morbid shock knowing she started it!
Your favorite book by another author?
It think it would have to be Pet Sematary, by Stephen King. I read that when I was twelve, (and it was the first book of his I had ever gotten my hands on!) and boy, did my imagination fly off the handle with that book! Since then, I was hooked. Another one of his books that’s a favorite of mine is Rose Madder. (I’m not sure if the Creepshow comic book counts, but I love that one too.) J
What book(s) are reading right now?
Right now, I’m working on Gregory Macguire’s books (Wicked, Son of a Witch.) I’m enjoying his take on the whole Wizard of Oz story!
If you could choose one author to co-write a book with who would it be?
King definitely. (But if Poe were alive, then it would be him.) J
What type of research do you do for your novels?
I haven’t really done any research on any of my books until The Show Must Go On since that’s my first ‘period’ piece, and still a WIP, due out early this spring! Even so, I didn’t have to do much research, lol. Not a big fan of doing that! (History wasn’t my biggest subject in school, unless it was something I was personally interested in learning about--like ancient Egypt or the Elizabethan era.) J So, since I write a lot of ‘modern’ paranormal/vampire/horror stories, I fall back on all the movies, documentaries, and non-fiction books I’ve read on the subjects. Also, current events play a part in helping develop my stories.
What do you think makes a good horror story?
First, you don’t need a bunch of blood and gore. I think folks have become too desensitized to the violence, real-life or fictional, especially in gore-fest movies you see these days. Sure, it’s fun to put in, but ONLY when necessary. I prefer the tension that builds up to the climax. The subtle things that will make you look over your shoulder or makes your hair stand on end. Things that make you think twice about talking to a stranger, betraying someone’s trust, or coveting something you know isn’t yours. And most of all, what makes you terrified to walk alone in the dark.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I don’t have a schedule. It would never work out well for me, lol! My writing is sporadic, so when the mood hits me to write, I write until I simply can’t anymore. On my ‘dry spells’ I’m always doing something else creative that’s not writing related, until my muse comes back for another visit. J I like writing in the very early morning, when it’s nice and quiet and the busy energies of the world are at a low. Either then, or very late at night. J
What was one of the most surprising things you learned writing your books?
That I really do have lots of other people in my head with their own voices, stories, and plenty to say! I wonder where the heck these people came from? LOL!
How do you satisfy your muse when things get rough while writing a book?
Lots of walks in nature and cemeteries, plus taking lots of photographs in the process! This has become one of my favorite pastimes, and folks can see the fruits of my labor at my photo gallery, http://cinsearaesgalleries.
How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
I think being a lover of all things creepy, quirky, vampiric, paranormal, and Gothic is what got me started. It’s no surprise I love Halloween, and I love the old classic movies that starred Vincent Price--mostly Roger Corman’s movies based on a lot of Poe’s works. J As a child, being overly-sheltered and bored as hell with everything ‘normal’ forced me to find ways to entertain myself, so writing and reading creepy books became some of my best escapes.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I’m either jewelry crafting or tinkering around with Photoshop, creating digital art. Folks can find some of my art on my web gallery, too. J
Before we say goodbye, could you tell us about your latest release and maybe give us an excerpt?
Absolutely! ABRAXAS: Seeing Green picks up right where the last book leaves off. Christine and the Abraxas Clan have just finished dealing with a psycho woman who’s a necromancer to boot, plus happened to be a former flame of Ryan’s. She tried passing off a child (that she created through demonic means) as his son, hoping to worm her way back into his life and push Christine out of it, so the Clan squashes her crazy plans--but not before some negative, demonic energies get a hold of Ryan, and slowly start to possess him. The demon feeds off of Ryan’s weaknesses, his main one being Christine, turning Ryan’s petty jealousies into something much more dangerous…
EXCERPT:
I got to the foyer and raced up the staircase. Dumb move! I should have ran out of the mansion! I felt as stupid as those girlie victims in horror movies who always ran up instead of out whenever they were trapped in a building or house, all the while being chased by some undead, crazy, serial killer. Common sense would have told anyone to leave. I guess it has a tendency to allude you when you’re in a panic.
From a short distance away, I heard Ryan growl again, making the hairs on my neck rise. I didn’t know what his problem was--aside from me smacking him with my energy--but I didn’t want to use my more forceful powers on him either. Who knew what would happen to him, or what affect it would have on me.
He bounded up the stairs by twos, grabbed my ankle, and I fell on the steps with a thump. He clambered over me, and flipped me over so I would be facing him. He held my wrists down. That solid, gross, zombie-like color was gone from his eyes, but his irises remained bright green. He wore his usual suspicious look and smirked, raising an eyebrow at me, giving a slight sniff of arrogance.
“Going somewhere…my dear?” We were nose to nose.
“I--I--” I stammered. The hard edges of the steps were really biting hard into my back and arms.
“Did you honestly think these little games you and Kiera were playing around the house would work? Did you really think you had me fooled?” His grin grew wider.
How long did he know? “So…we were both trying to play each other for fools. Whoop-de-fucking-do,” I replied in a snide tone.
“A sad and pathetic raggedy bunch of so-called vampires can’t stop me,” he hissed. “You, who’s too afraid to use the powers you’ve been given, and your ‘mate’ being just as bad, while being absolutely sick in love with you. You both couldn’t have been an easier target.”
“Target?” I echoed. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Demon Ryan's eyes flickered an even brighter shade of green. Any more and they’d look neon.
“That stupid witch had abilities I already possess. Hanging around her was starting to prove useless, until I found out she knew your mate, Ryan Price, who has powers I’ve always dreamed of possessing. The powers of Abraxas.” He took a deep breath, calming down. “Then I discovered you share the same power!” His grin widened. “One of man’s biggest sins is jealousy, and once I realized how much he covets you, it was all too easy to invade him.” He ran his cheek against mine, and I heard him inhale deeply. God, nothing could describe how badly this was freaking me the hell out. I wished I had something nearby to knock him unconscious with.
But then he distracted himself. “I love the scent of your skin. Like cherries and blackberry wine…” He ran the tip of his tongue around the edge of my ear, making me shiver. But it wasn’t Ryan’s tongue; it was too slender, too snakelike. Good thing I couldn’t see it---I might have screamed.
“I can see why he’s so passionate about you,” he continued, pulling back slowly. He looked into my eyes, then, very predator-like, he covered my throat with his hand. I gasped, the knot in my stomach tightening more. He tilted my head to the side slowly, exposing my neck.
“I could kill you right now with a flick of my wrist,” he whispered. “But it would be such a waste…”
The look on Demon Ryan’s face was very calm and almost seductive. Now holding my shoulders down, he leaned forward, licking me from the base of my ear, then down my carotid artery, and around to the hollow of my throat. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it would explode.
Slowly, his tongue slid up the middle of neck. I grimaced. He continued going under my chin, following the curve of it, then brushed my bottom lip. I closed my eyes, too afraid to---
Don’t look Christine, don’t look!
Sometimes I wished I listened to my inner-self.
It took all the strength and will I had in my bones not to shriek, as I caught a glimpse of that forked, blood-red, snakelike tongue retracting itself back into Ryan’s mouth.
“I want to taste you, Christine,” he whispered softly, his breathing quickening, the look in his eyes deadly as he tightened the grip he had on my shoulders.
I panicked, fearing the worst. Snakes could smell with their tongues, and I half-wondered if he was smelling my blood under the surface of my skin.
I swallowed, then bravely gave a half-hearted laugh. “You’ve done that---quite a few times now.”
“I want...to taste...a different essence,” he replied, and before I realized it, he flashed a pair of fangs and dove for my jugular.
(Additional excerpts and free downloads plus free short stories from the ABRAXAS Series can be found at http://bloodtouch.webs.com/
