BIO:
Cristina Isabel was born in Miami, Florida and is very proud of her Hispanic heritage. She enjoys expressing herself through the written word, and from the age of 11, has been passionate about writing. Her favorite genres are horror and dark fantasy, however, she also likes comics, graphic novels, science fiction, young adult and poetry. Cristina is author to the poetry collections, Break the Chains, Be Freed Within and Love and All Its Condiments & the horror novelette series, A Sudden Terror (Volume One) while pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education at Broward College. She is also a beta reader, book reviewer and a member of the Horror Writer’s Association. Cristina’s other interests are attending writing conferences, going to the movies and playing Sudoku. Visit her at cristinaisabelauthor.com.
AUTHOR Q&A:
- When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
CI: When I was little, around maybe 11ish. I would verbally tell stories to family members, but then the story would go on and on, and after awhile they didn’t want to hear anymore (Lol). My mom had suggested I write them down instead.
- How long does it take to write your book(s)?
CI: Depends on what I’m working on at the moment. Poetry, for example, I might know what poems I want to incorporate into the collection, but there’s also an order I’d like for them to be read. But, other works, for me, probably about a few weeks. Longer novels would be months, on and off, because I might need a break in between.
- What is your work schedule like when writing a book?
CI: It can become challenging because I’m trying to find the right balance between everything. But, most of the time, I can balance pretty well, unless I’m exhausted. I can go days without really writing, but as soon as I pick it back up, I make up for it.
- Where do you get your ideas or information for your book?
CI: A lot of times they come from movies in the horror realm. I observe the style and then try to come up with ones completely different. I can also be on the street and start conjuring up ideas about what I see and it always tilts to the horror side (Lol).
- When did you write your first book?
CI: In 2014, officially, was when I wrote my first book. But, off the record, I’ve written quite a few before 2014. I’ve worked on them, but a lot of them have been shelved.
- What do you do when you’re not writing?
CI: Catching up on shows I’ve missed, doing arts n’ crafts, reading, walks in the parks.
- What does your family think of your writing?
CI: They support me through the entire process. My mom is always suggesting submitting some samples to ongoing contests to have the rest of the world read them too. And while my mom won’t read my horror writing, she still supports me in writing it. Sometimes I ask my fiance or my sister to read my work as well because it’s someone, other than me, proofreading it.
- What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your books?
CI: That my imagination can stretch a lot farther than I thought it could. And if I can conjure it, then I can write it and stick with it.
- How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
CI: 3. So far. With the goal to write so much more! My favorite? Hmmm…that’s tough! I love everything I’ve published, but, I’d have to say my love poetry collection, Love and All Its Condiments because it was written in honor of my fiancé, Hector Rivera. To write about Love, I feel, is a very inspiring thing in and of itself.
- Any tips/suggestions on getting started?
CI: Probably the most obvious answer, START NOW! I’ve known friends that say they are “stuck” on writing something, especially a novel. I say, just start writing small and work your way up. Trust me, you will be able to build a story from the simplest piece of work. Create your own writing prompts or simply write about how you felt when you woke up or how your day has been. Like I said, start small and then work your way up. Allow your imagination to spark a little at a time. Once, it is unleashed, you won’t be able to stop when ideas start pouring out and you’re running out of paper to write it on. 😉
- What do you think makes a good story?
CI: A good beginning because that is the forefront of your novel and if you want someone to read what you’ve spent time writing, hook’em within the first line, if possible. First page works too! This is how I like to read a story, being “hooked” from the very beginning. The synopsis in the back is also quite important, because, people do tend to go to the back to read what they’re getting into, but, don’t give too much away, just enough to get someone to say, “hmmmm…I’d like to know more…”
- As a child, What did you want to do when you grew up?
CI: A profession that worked with kids. I would pretend my stuffed animals were kids, and I would put a piece of paper with a math problem in front of them, explaining how to do it. Or, I was in a doctor’s office and pretended to be a nurse taking care of them. I had a doctor’s toy kit, so I would pretend to check temperature, heartbeat, give them a shot if needed, etc. Sometimes, I would also lay with them on the bed and read to them or pretend we were in a spaceship that was really my playskool easel that was a chalkboard on one side, and the other side was for drawing.
LINKS:
Website: www.cristinaisabelauthor.com
Facebook Page: Cristina Isabel – Facebook Author Page
Twitter: www.twitter.com/PoetryTwist
Email: authorcristinaisabel@gmail.com
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CristinaIsabelAuthor
Goodreads Book Link: Break the Chains, Be Freed Within
Goodreads Book Link: A Sudden Terror (Volume One)
Goodreads Book Link: Love and All its Condiments
Amazon Link: Break the Chains, Be Freed Within
Amazon Link: A Sudden Terror (Volume One)
Amazon Link: Love and All its Condiments
Published Works:
Cristina Isabel 