The Sacred Sin, his second book, was published when he was 18, and shows a darker edge and deeper intensity than his first effort. The Sacred Sin bleeds with honesty and emotion, and tells the story of Jude Foster, a cynical self-loathing detective,assigned to bring down a serial killer capable of stealing victim’s souls without ever touching them. Stopping this ghost killer, fighting against his demons, his inner darkness, may be the only path toward sanity and a new beginning. With a curiosity for the supernatural, as well as a feeling of discontentment with humanity’s complacency, Vega’s story-lines dwell somewhere in between fiction and reality, a place where the world is as blurred and irregular as human choice and consequence.
Where are you from and where are you now? I have the privilege of being from New England, where the people seem ornery, with or without their morning coffee, and the winters last way too long. Connecticut, actually. Born, raised and stuck. But, I guess home is home. And supposedly, we’re a rich state. Not exactly sure that applies to young, Hispanic authors…yet. The last two semesters, I have bounced back and forth between home and Massachusetts, where I go to school.
When did you decide you wanted to become an author? How did you get started writing? I was in fifth grade, and I had made up my mind. It was time for me to become rich and famous. Never knew I could write, but I started getting A’s on English essays and short stories, so I decided to begin a book. That’s when Servant of the Realm, book number one, came along.
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story. On the one hand, The Sacred Sin is a creepy story about a cynical, self-loathing detective trying to stop a serial ghost killer capable of stealing victims’ souls without human contact. On the other hand, it’s about overcoming your inner darkness, that which corrupts, stains and eventually leads us to ruin. We all have it in us. The only question is: are we strong enough?
What was your goal when writing this book? To write something meaningful and spooky. Oh, and I wanted it to blow my first book out of the water. I think I achieved them all, but it’s the readers who truly decide.
Who is your target audience? Whoever wants to be. I’ve found a place with young readers, as well as adults. But the book has some dark material. Not for the faint of heart. ARSON is going to be a much more readable book, meaning that there will truly be something for everyone…from high school student to grandmother.
Technically speaking, what do you have to struggle the most when writing? How do you tackle it? Making my characters and their situations unique, real and palpable. I take pointers from my own life, mistakes, victories, longings.
When writing, what themes do you feel passionate about? Humanity. Their darkness. Their fragile nature. Their beauty. We are such a unique yet flawed creation, intricate and precious in our imperfection. Our passions and our weaknesses stimulate me, perplex me, and often leave me discontented. It’s a perfect place to start a story.
Do you have another book on the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects? Yes. What I hope is shaping up to be the best yet. I’ve been working on this one since the end of 2006. ARSON is a coming-of-age character story with a really cool supernatural angle, which I totally love. Arson is a boy who has the unusual ability of creating and manipulating fires with his mind. He hates the cruel world that hates him, but at least he understands it…until this strange girl with a mask comes along and changes everything.
Anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your work? I’m just one kid in a sea of chaos and loud voices. If you have something to say, say it. The world is too small to be unexplored, life too short to be unlived and to live unspoken. And if you get a chance, check out The Sacred Sin, and keep your eyes peeled, Arson should be coming your way soon.
