Christine Church

Christine Church agreed to be interviewed via e-mail by C. T. Atherton.

CA: After the success of Housecat, How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Sane and Sound (which became one of Great Britain's top-selling books on cats), why did you turn to e-publishers to represent your soon to be released paranormal novels?

CC: Simply stated, because I was invited to. I was a member of their e-list and all members were invited to submit works. I had an old book in a drawer that had not sold to paper markets, so I sent it to them. They are devoted to publishing good novels that may not have quite made it for the paper publishers for whatever reason (none of which are that these novels are any less in quality, they are wonderful).

CA: What has your experience been so far within the realm of e-publishing? Any advice?

CC: I think in the future, e-publishing is going to be a very large venue, and I am glad I am here at the start of it all so I can watch it grow. I truly and honestly believe in the publisher that will be putting out my book (Dark Star Publications, sister to Starlight Writer's Publications) and their ability to promote and grow until the world has to stand up and notice e-publishers. Some people have stated that they believe e-pubbed books will eventually replace paper books altogether. My opinion is that this won't happen any time soon, if it does, because some people don't have computers, can't afford e-readers, or get headaches reading too much off a screen (I confess I fall into this latter category and have to print everything out to read it). But I do believe e-pubbed books will grow and methods will be developed for making e-books easier to access and read.

CA: You teach two classes at Painted Rock, a site for writers: Tips And Techniques of Paranormal Writing and Writing the Non-fiction Book. What do you enjoy most about teaching through e-mail?

CC: I can sit in my jammies and open my e-mail and just teach. I love it. I have some medical problems that prevent me from working a "regular" job outside the home, so this is a wonderful way to interact with people yet still do what I love to do, all from home.

CA: Tell us about your new novels. When and where can we buy them?

CC: At present I have no novels out. My novel, Love In The Dark, will be published next summer by Dark Star Publications in e-book format. They are also talking about doing Print on Demand by next year, so my book may be available in paperback as well. It will be available through the DSP web site (http://www.darkstarpublications.com) or at bookstores and at Amazon.com.

CA: You have an engaging Web site. How else do you market your work on the Web?

CC: Basically just through my Web site and by signing guest books, visiting other sites like it, e-mailing and networking with others (word of mouth).

CA: How often do you use the Internet for writing? Do you ever conduct research on the Web?

CC: Whenever I need information I can't find in the books I have here at home, I go to the Web for research, which is actually quite often. The Web is great. Everything you could ever want to know is right there at your fingertips.

CA: What motivates you? Deadlines? Self-imposed schedules? A quote on your bulletin board? A mentor? A muse?

CC: Money! Of course, money motivates everyone. Seriously, I watch movies to get motivated, believe it or not. Movies stimulate the creative side of me (I have a degree in acting) and get me writing, so if I am writing a sad scene in my novel, I will watch a sad movie. If I am writing about vampires, I watch only vampire movies, etc. Deadlines are also a good motivator.

CA: Do you write every day?

CC: I wish I could say yes to this, but I work four jobs and don't always have the time or energy. But I do try to write at least something every day.

CA: How do you feel about writers' groups?

CC: I think they are wonderful. Writing is a solitary business and it is nice to have others to talk to and share your writing endeavors with.

CA: When did you first consider yourself a fiction writer? What led you to write paranormals?

CC: I guess when I first starting writing fiction, which was when I was 9 years old. You don't have to publish to be a writer. You are a writer if you write. To be a professional writer, you have to publish and make money. Thus, I wrote fiction at 9 years old, so I started being a writer then. I have always loved the paranormal ever since I can remember, so it was natural for me to write about it. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays and I have always been passionate about tales like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (one of my personal favorites).

CA: Can you explain a bit about the different categories within the horror genre? For instance, what is a paranormal versus dark fantasy?

CC: I think many people automatically assume paranormal is horror, but that's not always the case. You can have a cute little ghost story that is very light and fun. I personally don't write horror, I write mainstream and romance. Dark fantasy is basically a fantasy plot that has darker elements to it (like death, etc). Paranormal can be dark or light and deals with (obviously) paranormal elements (ghosts, vampires, reincarnation, time travel, etc).

CA: Any advice for fellow writers exploring the darker side of literature?

CC: Not necessarily the "darker" side, but paranormal (I rarely write "dark") is a popular market for readers, but have fun convincing the publishers of this. I can only tell you about romance and mainstream markets and I can say that, yes, there are publishers who look at paranormal, but the market is smaller than other areas (like historicals, which are very popular). Your best bet is to stick to a genre, such as romance or horror and market your books there (mainstream is very hard to crack into in the beginning).

Related Links:

• Author's Web Site
• The Haunted Forest
• E-mail the author.
• Order Housecat, How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Sane and Sound from Amazon.com.

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