Cynthia Vespia is an author at heart

Printed by permission of the author

There’s more to writing than just putting a pen to paper or typing out words on the keyboard, and no one knows this better than author Cynthia Vespia. She writes short stories and novels, does the artwork for her book covers and successfully promotes her work with video trailers that she creates. Her most recent accomplishment has made an award-winning video editor of her, when she received a New Covey Most Artistic book trailer award for the creation of her video trailer for her Demon Hunter Saga. In addition, she shares her knowledge with others through her fledgling advertising company, with ambitions to teach online workshops in book advertising.
For Cynthia Vespia, it is all about writing. Since she was a child of eight, she has wanted to be a writer, “It’s the only thing I’ve known I’m good at. If I was going to do anything else it would have to remain on the creative side.” Although she has been successful in many things in her life, writing has remained her first love; her passion, if you will. Today she is currently watching that dream come to fruition before her eyes. To date, she has worked as a journalist and promotional writer, and produced several short stories, in addition to her books. She has published three novels; Demon Hunter:Saga, Life, Death and Back, and Theater of Pain.

One of her greatest inspirations has been author Dean Koontz, who she refers to as her “literary hero”,

     “It was Dean who pushed me from just writing short stories to saying ‘I want to write novels.’

     I read his novel INTENSITY in highschool and from there I was hooked. Dean writes in a way

     that keeps the pace moving from cover to cover. I’d like my writing to flow in such a way.

     And he also writes his characters with flaws that make them real but makes them loveable.

     Dean’s a master at drawing out emotion. When I finished Odd Thomas I actually cried…”
Her writing does emulate the work of Dean Koontz in many ways. Costa, her protagonist in her book, Demon Hunter: Saga, is an example of a strong young character searching for his own identity; a character that sticks in your mind and stays with you long after you have finished the book. She sees a little of herself in all of her characters, as she believes every author does. With Costa, she says that she drew from her martial arts training to write his training sessions to learn the skills needed to become a demon hunter. Her storylines intrigue and capture the imagination, hooking readers and reeling them in.

Like Koontz, much of her works carry dark themes, as well. Cynthia was even fortunate enough to have an opportunity to meet her “literary hero” in person, reinforcing her enthusiasm for writing,

     “When I met Dean he spoke about how he never uses an outline, he doesn’t even do a

     character breakdown. I tried his method on my next book and it brought me back to

      the fun of writing. Everything seemed to just flow with much more creative freedom…

      I was very fortunate to have met him…”
In fact, it sounds as if Cynthia’s method of developing a story may not have been far off from that of Koontz, even before she met him,

     “I never sit down and actively look for a story idea. Some sort of topic will appeal to me

      in a way that will spark a story idea; I’ll flush it out a bit, and then start the story. Right

      now I’ve got a folder full of ideas that I need to get to and the “sparks” just keep coming.

      I can’t keep up with my own imagination!”

Her character driven stories are well written and quite entertaining. When asked what she develops first, character or plot, Vespia said,

      “More often than not I get the overall idea for the story and then develop the characters

      around that. There have been some  instances where a character comes to me first. For

      instance, I’m about to start work on a series where it was the character…actually just the

     character name…who started me off on the journey.”
Her characters are indeed memorable. Her character driven stories are well written and quite entertaining, with memorable characters that make readers believe. Savvy Authors: Writers Helping Writers says, “Today Cynthia writes suspense fiction with savagely powerful characters and strong storylines designed to stir the adrenaline.” In her Demon Hunter: Saga, Costa is a young man searching for his true identity and learning what his own strengths and weaknesses are. His two friends and his father are strong characters that are developed well, with strengths and weaknesses of their own. Death is a character that won’t soon be forgotten in Death’s Grand Design, a lighthearted short story presented from the point of view of a reluctant Grim Reaper that is sure to stir a chuckle.

Earlier this year she began her own advertising business, The Original Cyn Advertising, that places emphasizes on promotional materials for writers including book cover design, banners, logos and book trailers. She also plans to offer an online book marketing workshop through her The Original Cyn website, to share her expertise with fellow authors. Vespia offers advice to new writers that she once received herself,
     “…’write for the wastebasket.’…What this advice tells me is to relax when writing. It is

     called a first draft for a reason. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you’re going to throw out

     or rework, most of it anyway, so just relax and let it flow naturally. I would also say learn

     everything you can about the business, the ins and outs of not just writing but how the

     publishing scene works…You are your own best sales force…”

It seems that Cynthia will be successful in whatever way she chooses to express her creativity. Whether developing characters and story lines, creating book covers and video trailers, or marketing books, writing will always be at the heart of what Cynthia Vespia does. The fact that she does all these things so well makes her a perfect fit for her life’s dream; the role of author.