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Moving right along to week three of the Echelon authors interviews.

This week's interviewee is C.A. Verstraete.

Christine is the winner of The Fast and Freaky Fiction Writing Contest (October 2006)for her e-story, The Witch Tree; available at Fictionwise. See link right after Christine's interview!

She is also the author of the nonfiction e-book, In Miniature Style, available at Writer's Exchange E-Publishing: http://www.readerseden.com/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=243

I am very excited to welcome Christine to my blog! Check out our interview below!

Interview:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and the genre you write.

Answer: I'm kind of a chameleon when it comes to writing. Being a journalist, I've written mostly non-fiction and then started to write short fiction. I enjoy writing mysteries and horror. My short story, "The Witch Tree," won a a "Fast and..." contest and was published by Echelon Press, LLC. http://www.echelonpress.com/. My young adult mystery, "Searching for a Starry Night," has some spooky elements and involves two other favorite elements, dogs and dollhouse miniatures. It will be published in spring '08 by Quake, http://www.quakeme.com/, a division of Echelon Press, LLC.

2. Did you choose your present genre; or did the genre choose you?

Answer: I've always enjoyed reading mysteries, and being a long-time dollhouse miniatures collector, it seemed natural for my book to focus on the search for a missing miniature painting. You can see some of my work at my website, http://cverstraete.com/.

3. Have you always wanted to write?

Answer: One of my favorite baby photos is of me with a newspaper and a pencil stuck behind my ear, kind of prophetic. I remember always wanting to write and began with newspaper writing in junior college.

4. What would be a typical day for you, as a day in the life of a writer?

Answer: I write pretty much every day so I can usually be found at my computer.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

Answer: I'm lucky to have a vivid imagination. Sometimes a news story or something I see will spark an idea. Other times, I will get an idea or know how to finish a story by having it unfold in an dream.

6. Are any of your characters based on real people?

Answer: I do picture certain persons as I write, but my characters are usually a composite of bits and pieces of different people. They're really figments of my imagination.

7. If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you be, and why?

Answer: Hopefully, I'd be the smart one. ha! It's bad enough making mistakes in real life without having to assume those of your fictional characters, too!

8. Do you do research for your novels? What was the most interesting person, place or thing you have researched?

Answer: It depends on what I am writing about. I do try to double-check facts to make sure the idea I had is right and my memory or idea of it isn't faulty. It is interesting to look up things you weren't sure of. I know I always learn something new!

9. Have you ever had writer's block? If yes, what have you done to overcome it?

Answer: There are times when I've been stuck or something is not coming out the way I want, but since I write every day, I've never really been blocked. With deadlines, you don't have time to be blocked. If something isn't coming out right, I simply move on to something else and work on a different story for awhile, then go back to it. If I have to get it done that day, then that is my motivation to finish.

10. Do you have any advice for the young writer just starting out?

Answer: Don't be afraid to write. Don't doubt yourself. You are usually your own worst enemy. If you have a talent, then don't let anyone, or anything, stand in your way of fulfilling your dreams.

11. And just for fun, if you could be a Transformer, which would you be? An Autobot (the good bots) or a Decepticon (the evil bots)? =D

Answer: I'd definitely be a good bot. There is enough evil in the world!

Thank you so much, Christine!

DOWNLOAD AND ENJOY YOUR COPY OF THE WITCH TREE AT: Fictionwise

Stay tuned!
And check back each week for a new interview!