\u201cNot so long ago, a person seeking books by Latino authors had to mine the bookstore shelves for that rare but rewarding find. Today, the Latino literary field is thriving and has become quite visible, thanks to the growing recognition across various communities that our writers are dynamic, engaging and continually attuned to the politics of the present \u2014 something Latino readers have always known\u201d, writes Rigoberto Gonz\u00e1lez, NBC Latino.<\/p>\n\n\n
Gonz\u00e1lez wrote a wonderful who\u2019s who on Latino writers for a Hispanic Heritage Month piece:<\/p>\n\n\n
CTLN\u2019s Brian Woodman Jr. spoke with one writer in Connecticut with a talent for telling supernatural stories.<\/p>\n\n\n
By Brian Woodman Jr.<\/a>, CTLatinoNews.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n Colchester resident Estevan Vega speaks proudly of how his ethnic heritage (he is half-Puerto Rican), his literary tastes and his spiritual side have influenced his work as an author of supernatural thrillers.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cI am a Christian but I think I\u2019m a skeptic at heart,\u201d said Vega, who was born in Meriden but raised in Portland and Middletown. \u201cLike most people I am at war with both sides of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n His best known work is perhaps the \u201cArson\u201d series, which was written for young adults. He releases his books under the auspices of his company Capulet Entertainment, which also promotes concerts.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cThe \u2018Arson\u2019 saga is very important to me,\u201d he said. \u201cI was 21 when the first one came out. It is about a teenager who has the ability to create fire with his mind. He is raised by a bipolar, borderline-schizophrenic grandmother and thinks himself a freak until he befriends a unique neighbor named Emery who feels more comfortable wearing a mask every day than letting the world see who she truly is.<\/p>\n\n\n The series is one part drama, one part superhero epic. \u2018Arson\u2019 was released in 2010, \u2018Ashes\u2019 in 2012 and \u2018Arise\u2019 in 2014. Part four was supposed to be released a few years ago but I\u2019ve taken a sort of unintentional hiatus. I\u2019ve got a ton of ideas I\u2019d like to unleash upon the world but time will tell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said F. Scott Fitzgerald\u2019s \u201cThe Great Gatsby\u201d profoundly affected him while in high school.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cI reference aspects of that novel throughout my \u2018Arson\u2019 saga because of that,\u201d said Vega. \u201cThe works of Ted Dekker have also played a major role in shaping me as a writer and a reader. Any good book can help shape a writer. Good writing in general can inspire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n He described pain, squandered potential, theological questions and love lost as recurring themes in his work \u2013 this includes the young adult novel \u201cWhite Sparrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s about an artist who suffers a mental accident that causes her to awaken a dark, spiritual side she did not realize was within her,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s also about love, death, evil and magical trees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cI love exploring these complex ideas and coupling them with a supernatural angle,\u201d he said. \u201cNot everything I write involves otherworldly elements but it is prevalent.<\/p>\n\n\n Vega said a fifth-grade school assignment sparked his interest in writing.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cWe had to write short stories for our English assignment and I was terrible,\u201d he said. \u201cI wrote a couple, realized I desperately needed help and my dad helped me write a few. It as quickly apparent his writing skills far exceeded my own, so we kept \u2018co-writing\u2019 until I got the hang of it and forced myself to employ my imagination more. I went on to write about 12 chapters for that project and it led me to the wild notion of thinking that I could someday publish a book. So when I was 12, I decided to begin writing one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n He admitted that he tries to forget his first book, \u201cServant of the Realm,\u201d which he self-published at 15. The book features a teen-ager who injects himself with a magical serum that gives him visions of the future.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cI was so young and didn\u2019t know a thing about writing or the publishing industry,\u201d said Vega. \u201cI just knew that I wanted to write. So if anyone can find a copy, have mercy on me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n He wrote the supernatural serial killer novel \u201cThe Sacred Sin\u201d at 18 but later revised it and retitled it \u201cthe Forsaken.\u201d He described the revised version as a vast improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His more recent efforts include the short story collection \u201cWhen Colors Bleed\u201d and \u201cMusic Box\u201d \u2013 an apocalyptic meditation on mortality and one of Vega\u2019s personal favorites.<\/p>\n\n\n He said that while productions companies have approached him regarding his books, no film adaptions are immediately pending. <\/p>\n\n\n I\u2019d love it if Blumhouse would take them on,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve followed Jason Blum for years and the dude has been completely successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n Publisher\u2019s Note<\/em>: Watch for Hispanic Heritage Month (9\/15 \u2013 10\/15) special reports focused on community, arts & culture, education, economy, and politics.<\/p>\n\n\n Latin Music Festival<\/p>\n\n\n Vitilla-Style Baseball<\/p>\n\n\n Spotlight On Education<\/p>\n\n\n The Emerging Majority<\/p>\n\n\n USA\u2019s Economic Engine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cNot so long ago, a person seeking books by Latino authors had to mine the bookstore shelves for that rare 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\n\n\nHispanic Heritage Month, special reports:<\/h4>\n\n\n