This week I am delighted to have a slice of cake with Christine Astle.
C. Rene Astle is the author of the Bloodborne Pathogens dark fantasy series, as well as a number of short stories.
She gained a love of fiction, fantasy in particular, and a voracious appetite for story literally at her mother’s knee, being read The Hobbit and Chronicles of Narnia – because those are the types of stories her mom wanted to read.
From her father, she got an enduring curiosity about the universe, earned shivering in the dark beside a telescope on cold, Canadian winter nights waiting to witness some celestial event.
Now she fits in writing between her day job, gardening and getting out to enjoy supernatural British Columbia.
What kind of books do you write?
I write stories focused on characters that interest me. Most of my characters are conflicted or broken in some way. They have secrets they rather not share. Even the villains…I try to keep in mind that every villain is the hero in their own story.
I love a good fight scene (even if most of them start life as **insert fight scene here**), but I try to use them to drive character development…as well as build tension.
Can you describe your writing why?
The main reason is that I love to write. I love creating worlds and peopling them with characters. I grew up surrounded by fiction. The bedtime stories my mom read were The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia, because that’s what she liked to read. Even when I was too old for bedtime stories, I remember crawling in with my mom and brother to listen.
And I have stories popping into my head all the time, characters rattling around in there, wanting to come out. And I enjoy thinking up all the horrible things I can do to them once I give them life.
Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most
This is from the first book in the Bloodborne Pathogens series, A Scarlet Fever. I don’t actually remember writing it. I think it just flowed from the story. It’s from one of the scenes where the main character is being trained in fighting.
Bee threw a wooden stave at her.
She grasped it out of the air. "I'm supposed to fight a monster with a stick?"
"Sometimes, yes. Sometimes a stick is all you have."
"My dad had more fire power when he went looking for monsters under my bed." The image of her dad on his hands and knees with a baseball bat surfaced from the cool, deep pool of memory.
"Overkill. Creatures that hide under beds are scared of their own shadows." Bee picked up another staff, tested its weight, and turned to face her. "Hit me."
Tell us about your latest project
My latest release is a novella that tells the origin story of Bee (the trainer mentioned above), telling how she became a vampire. It’s a bit of a departure since it’s set 2000 years before the events of the main series!
I originally envisioned Bee as a man. However, a friend suggested a sex change. And I’m so glad I listened…I love Bee.
What is your favourite cake?
Can I say pie? Bumbleberry to be exact (a mix of berries, apples and rhubarb). Frozen if possible.
As for cake, anything that involves multiple layers of chocolate. If there’s peanut butter in there, so much the better.
I have never heard of Bumbleberry Pie before. It's my new favourite and I can't wait to make one! You can stay in touch with Christine on her website as well as the following social media sites:
Join me next week when I'll be having a slice of cake with Chrys Cymri.
If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.
You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!
Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.
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