Here they discuss writing, inspiration, and everything in between!
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Jess C Scott speaks with Cynthia Vespia (www.CynthiaVespia.com):
"Demon Hunter" -- Cynthia's latest project
1) What's your favorite genre of literature (both in terms of reading, and writing)?
It's somewhat like my taste in music as in it varies but I mostly stick to contemporary thrillers and sometimes dabble into the realm of fantasy. That goes for both reading choices and what I like to write about. I think the fantasy element comes from my belief that I was born in the wrong century, I should've been a bard back in the day of swords and sorcery...lol!
2) What is the most important aspect of a story, to you?
I believe it all starts with the characters. If you don't have strong characters in place the whole story will fall apart regardless of how great of a plot or structure. The key is that they have to be real to the point where you can almost reach out and touch them and that's a tough thing to do. I tend to spend most of my pre-writing on flushing characters out to the last detail. You want the reader to feel like it's someone they know personally.
3) When did you first write your first story/poem? What was the inspiration for writing it?
I was around 8 years old. My sister had an electronic typewriter, which back in the day before the home computer was a big deal! I used to punch away on it as often as I could writing short little stories that made no sense at all. The writing bug was instilled in me early!
4) I notice on your bio page that you enjoy martial arts and being an active fitness competitor. Whoa! How have these interests/disciplines had a positive effect on you, as a writer?
As you go through competitive sports you learn alot about yourself whether you win or lose. Those changes refresh your outlook on many levels. Naturally it unfolds within the confines of whatever story I'm working on at the time. For instance in my new release Demon Hunter there are many elements drawn from my fitness background, whether its Costa's training, the interaction between he and his mentor, or his overall growth as a person...all of that was taken direct from my reality, little bits and pieces pulled together and inserted to a workable end.
5) Elaborate on your favorite brand of chocolate.
Ah, my Achilles heel! There is a lovely little chain of candy shops called SEES. They have the most divine chocolates known to man! My favorite has always been the bordeaux, it is a nouget like center but very fluffy and soft that is drizzled with chocolate and topped with chocolate sprinkles...excuse me while I go get a piece!!!
6) Please share some juicy details on the latest/current project you are working on.
My latest release is called DEMON HUNTER (AspenMountainPress.com). It is the story of a nobody who becomes a somebody in the bloodiest of ways. Costa Calabrese has just uncovered the truth about his past. Some truths should never be revealed. When you learn you’re the son of the worlds foremost and feared hunter of demons, life’s rules inevitably change. Now Costa has been chosen to walk in his famed father's footsteps and take up the role his bloodline demands of him...whether he wants to or not. He is a killer of killers, laying waste to the scourge of evil that threatens the existence of mankind. He is the chosen one. He is the Demon Hunter.
It's been a labor of love for quite awhile now and it will continue in a saga of 3 parts. Currently I'm wrapping up part two and having a fun time revisiting the characters and their world. This is one of the darker story arcs I've written but it also lends itself to what I had mentioned before about growing and changing...the light and dark side of human emotion. Because tell me: what would you do if faced with a task that you really did not want to partake in but knew you had to? We've all been in those situations before, Costa's is just a little more extreme ;)
Demon Hunter will be released in ebook format by AspenMountainPress.com. Another first for me. I think e-books are a sign of the times as technology rapidly changes it was only a matter of time before the book world caught up.
Cynthia turns the tables on Jess (http://jesscscott.com):
"EyeLeash: A Blog Novel" & "4:Play" -- Jess's latest projects
1. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?
Oh, from everywhere. Real people, real events, imagined people, imagined events, music, product labels (reading labels is a favorite pastime of mine), games (crosswords, anagrams, random poetry scribbles)...inspiration comes in from many sources. Sometimes from multiple locations at once.
2. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING AND WHAT INFLUENCED YOU?
I've been writing before I turned 5. Got doubtful of my abilities during high school (too much of the focus was on grades, and hardly any emphasis was on creative aptitude). At age 16 I found an Edgar Allan Poe anthology, and fell in love with the written word all over again! 'Twas a life-changing moment.
3. WHAT CURRENT BOOK/BOOKS ARE YOU PROMOTING?
I'm promoting my first two books. The first is a coming-of-age blog/IM novel; the second is a contemporary cocktail of erotic short stories. The blog/IM novel is exactly what/how I wanted my debut novel to be like (something fresh, unique, original)...the second was unintentionally completed a couple of years early. Both reflect my interest(s) in exploring life and sexuality.
4. WHAT PROJECTS DO YOU HAVE COMING UP IN THE FUTURE?
I'd like to try and complete my third book by early-mid 2010 -- it's the first book in a young adult series, that's less radical than my first two books. The plot is still requiring a lot of effort on my part though. Non-writing projects include fixing up my new bamboo tablet, which has been sitting around forever -- I like to draw when I'm not writing. Drawing rewires my brain to a more sane level after too much focus on textual elements.
5. WHAT AUTHORS INFLUENCED YOU TO START WRITING?
(In no particular order): Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, Roald Dahl, Anais Nin, Jane Yolen, Vivian Vande Velde, Michael Morpurgo, Bret Easton Ellis, the King Arthur and Robin Hood legends (various authors/illustrators), and a whole lot more.........
6. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES OTHER THAN WRITING?
Indulging in good food...good books...I like to move also. All that sitting down at the computer screen isn't healthy for one's physical body/state. I like yoga, walking, and swimming the most. Art and music replenish the soul too.
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Thanks for joining us today!
~ Cynthia Vespia & Jess C Scott
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