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Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers Contest

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers is pleased to announce
The Twenty-Sixth Annual
Delacorte Press Contest
for a First Young Adult Novel

The prize of a book contract (on the publisher’s standard form) covering world rights for a hardcover and a paperback edition, including an advance and royalties, will be awarded annually to encourage the writing of contemporary young adult fiction. The award consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties.

All federal, state, and local taxes, if any, are the winner’s sole responsibility. Prizes are not transferrable and cannot be assigned. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

ELIGIBILITY
1. The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian writers who have not previously published a young adult novel. Employees of Random House, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and members of their families and households are not eligible.

2. Foreign-language manuscripts and translations are not eligible.

3. Manuscripts submitted to a previous Delacorte Press contest are not eligible.

FORMAT FOR SUBMISSIONS
1. Submissions should consist of a book-length manuscript with a contemporary setting that will be suitable for readers ages 12 to 18.

2. Manuscripts should be no shorter than 100 typewritten pages and no longer than 224 typewritten pages. Include a brief plot summary with your covering letter.

3. Each manuscript should have a cover page listing the title of the novel; the author’s name, address, and telephone number.

4. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced on 8-1/2″ x 11″ good quality white paper, and pages should be numbered consecutively. The type should be at least 10 point. The author should retain a copy of any manuscript submitted.

5. Photocopies are acceptable if readily legible and printed on good quality white (not gray) paper.

6. Do not submit manuscripts in boxes. A padded envelope will do. Please do not enclose checks for postage. The publisher is not responsible for late, lost, misdelivered, or misplaced submissions.

7. Please enclose a business-size stamped, self-addressed envelope for notification only. Please do not enclose checks for postage. Due to new postal regulations, the publisher cannot return any manuscripts. All submissions will be recycled by Random House after they are read.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS
1. Manuscripts sent to Delacorte Press may not be submitted to other publishers or literary agents while under consideration for the prize.

2. Authors may not submit more than two manuscripts to the Delacorte Press competition; each must meet all eligibility requirements.

DATES FOR SUBMISSION
1. Manuscripts must be postmarked after October 1, 2009, but no later than December 31, 2009. CHECK DATES

2. Send manuscripts to:

Delacorte Press Contest
Random House, Inc.
1745 Broadway, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10019

JUDGING
1. Entries will be judged by the editors of Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers. The prize will be awarded on the basis of originality, style, and creativity.
2. The judges reserve the right not to award a prize.
3. The decision of the judges will be final.
4. The editors of Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers will not be able to offer critiques of manuscripts or enter into correspondence about the manuscripts other than with the winning author.
5. Writers will be notified between January and April as submissions are evaluated by the editors. Final contest results will be announced on our Web site on or around April 30, 2010.

Q&A with Jamie Martinez Wood – learn more about the magical author

Jamie Martinez Wood’s book Rogelia’s House of Magic is a Las Comadres read for the month of June. Check out Las Comadres website to register free for a telephone conference to hear Jamie talk about her book and her writing. One free hour with this author; find more information at http://www.lascomadres.org

 

 

Q – When did you begin writing?

A – I found my love of writing in second grade and began a diary after my 11th birthday. I still have some the original stories and every diary I ever wrote in.

 

 

Q – How has writing in a diary affected your writing?

A – When I was a teen, my diary felt like my best friend, both loyal and a good listener. I have six top reasons to keep a diary. I’ll post another feature here, at BronzeWord’s Blog, in two weeks. Be sure to come back and read my explanation.

 

 

Q- How do you get your ideas for writing?

A – I start with a fact I want to know about or a story that I want to see unfold. I write about the magic I see everywhere and the love I feel for others. It is particularly important to me to support young women. When I was younger I did not feel the support I needed to be confidant. Today I write to motivate others to find the greatness within themselves and encourage them to share these unique talents with the world.

 

 

Q – You’ve written seven books, all in different genres. Is there a common thread between your books?

A – I have a strong desire to motivate others to find the greatness within themselves and encourage them to share these unique talents with the world. Each of my books, whether its my reference book, baby name book, the earth spirituality books or the young adult novel, were all written with the intention of inspiring and encouraging readers to seek out and unearth their own unique gifts.

 

 

Q- You’ve written several nonfiction titles but how different was it to write a novel?

A – In a non-fiction book, the writing is linear and straight-forward. In a fiction book, writing moves in circles that weave back and forth. I love writing dialog (I can finally put those voices in my head to work!) Non-fiction is telling people exactly what you want them to know. Fiction or storytelling requires symbols and relationships to convey your message. I love creating a world that runs like a movie through your imagination.

 

Q – How much of yourself is in these three young women featured in Rogelia’s House of Magic?

A – I am these three girls rolled into one. I am an impetuous Wild Child like Fern, more often barefooted hugging some tree, and like Marina I tend to worry, had a trying relationship with my mother, and we share family history. In my quiet moments, I tend to mimic Xochitl’s autonomy, determination and solemnity about what’s important to me.

 

Q – In Rogelia’s House of Magic, the protagonists’ teacher calls herself a curandera. What is a curandera?

A – A curandera is a spiritual folk healer. Her clientele includes people from all walks of of life. She works very closely with nature to bring healing to physical, emotional and spiritual health. She can specialize her healing art, like Rogelia who focuses on working herbs.

 

Q – You have a really interesting family history and deep roots in California. Would you share?

A – My family history dates back to the Spanish soldiers and Mexican civilians that came with Father Junipero Serra in 1770s. Jose Antonio Yorba and Juan Pablo Peralta (mentioned in Rogelia’s House of Magic) were granted the first land grant, 72,000 acres, from the King of Spain in what is now Orange County. I also have reason to believe (by virtue of some pictures) that I have Native California heritage as well, perhaps Tongva or Ajachemen (aka, Gabrieleño or Juaneño). I became aware of this heritage when I was nine and it seems to me that is when I began feeling the spirit of my ancestors all around me.

 

Q – Are your books based on research, imagination or life experiences?

A – My heart and soul goes into every book I write. Even the Latino Writers and Journalist book, which consisted of a lot of research, was influenced by the inspiration I felt in interviewing the writers and journalists. I’ve tested every recipe and spell in my magick books. As far as Rogelia’s House of Magic goes, I based it on experiences that I elaborated.

 

Q – Is writing a job for you or more of a creative endeavor?

A – Writing has become both my way to spend time with the muse, the creative, life-giving forces. It is also what I do for a living. I am still find the balance between the art and the business sides of this career.

Lucia M. Gonzales

Lucia M. Gonzales
Author of The Storyteller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos

(from Children’s Book Press )

Read the review here.

When did you start reading, and what did you like to read as a kid?

I remember very clearly how much I wanted to learn to read before I started school. At night, when my mother didn’t have time to read to me I would say to my self, “deja que lea solita / wait till I learn to read by myself.” I must have been 4 years old.

When you were growing up did you have books in your home?

I grew up in the countryside in Cuba and we didn’t have access to books the same way that we do here in the United States. We had three books in my house when I was growing up: The One Thousand and One Nights (Las mil y una noches), Hans Christian Anderson’s Fairy Tales, and magnificent pop up book of the story Puss in Boots. My mother read to me from those books every day.

When did you think about becoming a writer? Was there someone who got you interested in writing?

From the moment I became a reader, I also became a writer. I loved to write and my assignments were always selected for display in the class.

How do you write? Do you have a daily routine? What’s good about it?

I don’t have much time that I can dedicate to writing, but I the little time I do have I use it very wisely. I get up at 4:00 a.m. every day, make my Cuban coffee, open my laptop and start writing. I dedicate three hours daily. I love this morning ritual because at this time the house is quiet and my mind is fresh.

What do you hate about it?

I would like to have more time in the mornings to dedicate to writing. By 7:30 I have to stop and get ready to go to work.

Any particular story to tell concerning the writing of this book?

I went to New York City for the first time when I started the research for this book. From the moment I arrived in New York everything happened by serendipity. The spirit of Pura Belpre guided me by the hand to the places where I needed to be.

I stayed at the YMCA in Harlem because I couldn’t find another affordable place at the time. As I walked out of the YMCA the next morning and asked for the nearest NY Public Library, a man that was leaning against the dark brick wall just lifted his hand and pointed across the street. There, across from the room where I stayed, was the Schomburg Library, the first library where Pura Belpre worked in 1921. My heart pounded with emotion when I entered the place where Ms. Belpre first told the story of Perez and Martina to an eager group of children by the light of the storyteller’s candle.

What some good advice that you’ve received concerning writing?

Learning to block time everyday for writing was the best advice. Writing is a craft that requires much discipline. I also received great advice from the editor of my first book. She told me not to worry about corrections, just to write what was in my mind and follow my inspiration. The first draft of a story has to pour out of you. Later there will be time to make corrections and edits.

What’s some advice that you could offer young writers?

Writers need to allow time to satisfy their curiosity. They need to read and be always open to new experiences and different points of view.

How did you find the publisher for this book?

I didn’t find the publisher, but the publisher found me. I was at a meeting at the Annual Conference of the American Library Association where I mentioned that my dream was to be able to write a book about Pura Belpre as a story not a biography. The Executive Director of Children’s Book Press at the time was also at that meeting. She remembered my dream and months later she called me to offer me the opportunity of writing this book. Publishing this story with Children’s Book Press was very important to me because I have always admired the history of the publisher. They pioneered the publication of bilingual books for children in the 1970’s.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am not working on anything else for now. I have to wait for another dream to come my way. I chase dreams.

What are you reading?

I am reading Pablo Neruda’s autobiography, Confieso que he vivido. It is a beautiful book.

NHCC Latino Writers Conference

The National Hispanic Cultural Center in May of this year will be hosting the 2009 7th Annual National Latino Writers Conference. The conference is an opportunity for authors to participate in workshops, attend panel discussions and have “three one-on-one appointments with an agent, author, and editor.” Who wouldn’t want such opportunities? The Conference promises to bring authors, agents and editors of national reputation. Unlike Cave Canem’s focus which is solely on poetry, the National Latino Writers Conference welcomes Latino writers whose work includes the genres of novel-writing, poetry, biography, playwriting, screenwriting, short fiction and children’s literature. Resources such as these open up a world for writers that often may not be offered to them.

 

http://www.nhccnm.org/

 

7th Annual National Latino Writers Conference

May 20 – May 24, 2009

10 am – 5 pm

NHCC Campus

$250 registration fee

Nationally known authors, agents, and editors will present in workshops and panel discussions. All attendees will have the opportunity to have three one-on-one appointments with an agent, author, and editor. Genres include: novel, poetry, biography, playwriting, screen-writing, short fiction, and children’s literature. Accepting a total of 50 fiction and nonfiction writers. If submitted early, authors will read a sample of your work. Workshops will include hands-on exercises. Registration deadline is March 30, 2009. Call 505/246-2261 for information. Go to their website to click on registrar form.

NATIONAL LATINO WRITERS

CONFERENCE MAY 21-23, 2009

 

 

 

Faculty Listing

 

• Gabriela Baeza Ventura: Executive Editor Arte Público Press and associate professor of Spanish, University of Houston, supervises production of over 30 titles a year.

• Doris Booth: Editor, Authorlink.com an online literary clearinghouse. Ms. Booth has

considerable expertise on publishing and marketing.

• Moses Cardona: Agent with John Hawkins & Associates, New York. Mr. Cardona is a literary agent who represents Latino fiction and non-fiction.

• René Colato Laínez: Children’s literature, bilingual elementary teacher in Los Angeles, author of children’s picture books I am René, the Boy/Soy René, el niño which won the International Latino Book Award for best bilingual picture book of 2006.

• Adriana Dominguez: Editor, Ms. Dominguez has New York editing experience most recently with HarperCollins. Children’s Books and Rayo.

• Anna Gallegos: Publisher, Director of Museum of New Mexico Press, has had New York publishing experience with Vintage and Random House. She has been Director at Museum of New Mexico Press since 2001.

• Mario García: Memoir/biography, Mr. García is professor of History and Chicano Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Among his notable books are Luis Leal: An Auto/Biography.

• Reyna Grande: Novel, Ms. Grande was born in Guerrero, Mexico, her novel Across a Hundred Mountains was the winner of the Premio Aztlán Literary Award and a National Book Award. Her second novel is forthcoming.

• Demetria Martínez: Memoir/autobiography. Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape Chicana was the winner of an International Latino Book Award.

• Valerie Martínez: Poetry, Poet Laureate of Santa Fe, New Mexico and professor of

Creative Writing and Literature at the College of Santa Fe. Her book Absence

Luminescent was the winner of the Larry Levine Prize.

• Patty Moosebrugger: Agent, Patty Moosebrugger Literary Agency, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Novelist and poet Benjamin Saenz is one of her notable clients.

• Achy Obejas (invited): Translation, Born in Cuba Ms. Obejas came to the United States at a young age. She has been a translator, editor and journalist. Her novel Days of Awe received several awards among them the Lambda Literary Foundation Award and Best Books of 2001 from the Los Angeles Times.

• Lisa Pacheco: Editor, Ms. Pacheco is the Acquiring Editor for the University of New

Mexico Press.

• Malin Alegria Ramírez: Young adult novel. Estrella’s Quinceañera. Malin Alegria was recently named one of the San Francisco Library 2008 Laureate Honorees.

• Bobbie Salinas: Children’s literature, Author and illustrator Bobbi Salinas is an instructor in multicultural and adult education, The Three Pigs-Nacho, Tito and Miguel was the winner of the Tomás Rivera Children’s Book Award.

• Stephanie Sanchez Von Borstel: Agent, Full Circle Literary LLC, San Diego, CA. Her publishing career began with PSS/Putnam, followed by seven years as marketing manager with Harcourt.

• Michael Sedaño: Online resources, journalist and one of the three original La Bloga blogueros.

• Charley Trujillo: Publisher Chusma House Books (produces 30 titles a year). Mr. Trujillo is also a writer and filmmaker.

• Luis Urrea (invited): Novel. Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Chicago. Winner of the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Prize for Fiction for The Hummingbird’s Daughter and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in non-fiction for The Devil’s Highway.

• Sharon Warner: Novel, professor of Creative Writing at the University of New Mexico where she has been given several teaching awards. Ms. Warner is the Founding Director of the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference. Among her books are the novel Deep in the Heart.

• Frank Zuñiga: Screenwriter, producer, director Disney Studios examples include “

Heartbreaker with Fernando Allende among others. He is also a former director of the New Mexico Film Office.

 7^thAnnual National Latino Writers Conference

 May 21 – 23, 2009      Albuquerque, NM

AGENDA-AT-A-GLANCE 

Thursday May 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 8:00 – 9:00    Breakfast & Registration

 9:00 – 10:00  Plenary, Keynote [Ortego y Gasca]

 10:00 – 11:30 Poetry [V. Martínez], Novel  [Grande], Short Fiction [Warner], Screenwriting [Zuñiga], Children’s Literature [Colato Lainez]

 11:30 – 12:00 Lunch and changes and adjustments

 12:30 – 2:00  Webinar [Booth],

Presenting Your Work [Sedaño]

 2:30 – 4:00    Memoir [García]

Online Sources/Newswriting [panel]

 4:00 – 5:30    Editors [panel

 6:00 – 8:00    Social and open mic (music and food)

 Friday May 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 8:00 – 9:00    Breakfast

 9:00 – 10:30  Poetry [V. Martínez], Novel  [Grande], Short Fiction [Warner], Screenwriting [Zuñiga]                   

10:30 – 12:00 Playwriting (Martínez-Lutz]

Chidren’s Lit. [Colato Lainez]

12:00 – 1:00  Lunch and open mic

1:00-3:00      Agents [panel]

1:30 – 3:00    Memoir [D. Martínez], Children’s Lit.  [panel]

3:30 – 5:00    Publishers [ panel]

6:00 – 8:00           Banquet:  Premio Aztlán, Keynote [López], music

8:00 – 10:00  Performance by comedian Michael Quezada and the  Diego Arencón Latin Jazz Quintet

Saturday

9:00 – 1:00    One-on-one Interviews

NHCC Latino Writer’s Conference Faculty: Marilyn R. Atlas

National Hispanic Cultural Center is hosting the 2009 7th Annual National Latino Writer’s Conference at the NHCC campus May 20-24. Check page on BronzeWord for information. Visit NHCC www.nhccnm.org to register for the conference.

MARILYN R. ATLAS

Film Producer/Personal Manager

 

An award-winning producer and personal manager, Marilyn R. Atlas is equally at home in the worlds of film, television, and live theater. Among her credits as film producer are “Real Women Have Curves” for HBO, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, “A Certain Desire,” starring Sam Waterson, and “Echoes,” which won the Gold Award at the 1991 Texas International Film Festival. In addition to producing a variety of programming for the cable/ pay TV market, Marilyn has served as a production consultant on the film “Call Me.” She was also involved as a producer in the development of the MOW “Nightwalker” and “Playing for Keeps.”

 

In live theater, Marilyn co-produced the West Coast premiere of the musical “God Bless You Mr. Rosewater” by Ashman and Menken, writers of both “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Beauty and the Beast.” She also co-produced the award-winning play “To Gillian on Her 37^th Birthday,” which was made into a film starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Peter Gallagher. Her additional credits as a producer in live theater include “Today’s special” and “As I Sing.”

 

 

Marilyn has served as Casting Director for feature films, including John Frankenheimer’s “The Equals” and “The Whiz.” She is a founding member of Women in Film’s Luminas Committee which supports the portrayal of women in non-stereotypical roles in film and television. Along with director and actress Dorothy Lyman, Marilyn founded ADT, a director’s theatre, and served on its advisory board.   

 

Marilyn is a member of NALIP, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. She has spoken at their Writers’ and Producers’ retreats, the DGA-sponsored LA Asian Film Festival, as well as various other symposia for the Sherman Oaks Experimental College, Santa Fe Screenwriters Conference, and Richard Krevolin’s USC Screenwriting Retreat covering such topics as: “Creating for the Actor: Carving Memorable, Inhabitable Characters” and “Ever-Evolving Marketplace: What’s Hot, Why and for How Long…” Marilyn has also taught several actor workshops on creating “Multiple Viewpoints – One Core” for actors as well as “Acting and Auditioning for Producers.”  She has spoken at the Texas Bar Association and was a guest lecturer at Whittier Law School. 

 

Marilyn has spoken at various colleges, including Skyline, Stephens, and at the University of Texas – San Antonio’s Adalante Latino Film Festival.  She has served as the professional-in-residence (in theater and film) at Ball State University, and was the guest speaker at the International Writer’s Conference at Hollins University.  She structured an accredited, intensive course at Skyline College in San Francisco covering the inception, development and promotion of a script in “The Business of Screenwriting: The Idea – and its Execution.”

 

Marilyn is working on a development slate that includes “Lola Goes to Roma” and “Loteria.”  For television, she’s in development on the pilot “MacArthur Park,” first developed for Showtime, and recently sold the pilot “Untitled Posse Project” to ABC Family.  She set up the MOW “Bitterroot” at the Hallmark Channel and Starz.  “Suburban Turban” is set for late Spring 2009 production.  She is also presently developing a musical adaptation of “Real Women Have Curves” with the Goodman Theatre in Chicago to be part of their Latino Festival in 2009.

 

In addition to Marilyn’s film/TV credits, she has sold the novels “Chasing the Jaguar” to HarperCollins and “Hungry Woman in Paris” to Grand Central Publishing.

 

Marilyn is committed to projects that reflect diversity and portray non-stereotypical characters.

New Book of Estevan Vega

ARSON

Chapter 1

Remnants of a passing storm formed the lazy fog drifting over the lake. East Hampton, Connecticut waited in silence, but for Arson Gable, this silence was louder than a gunshot. Like it or not, this place was the only thing he could call home. Pathetic, he reasoned day in and day out. After all, the streets and corners knew his name better than even he did, and faceless as they were, they reminded him there was no going back.
Arson looked up to find a bright light high in the sky. Somewhere far enough to notice him, but close enough to burn still, fighting its way through patches of rimless clouds and wandering fog. He blinked, welcoming the dark rush of black behind his eyelids. As Arson approached the dock, his mind returned to thoughts of Danny, the only childhood friend he ever had. Dim mornings somehow made each memory more real. Hard to let go, even harder to erase. Was he always here, always watching? Odd how seven years can come and go without a warning, as if the world blinks and somehow forgets to open its eyes again.
It was never his grandparents’ intention to stay anywhere for too long, but it seemed East Hampton had a part of them now, a part of him. “One day we’ll be like the rest of them,” he recalled Grandpa saying. A man of ideals, empty dreams and hopes Arson could never freely call his own. Eventually, his grandparents grew tired of running. This dull corner of the world seemed quiet enough for them to believe starting over again as normal folks was possible. “Forget what happened all those years ago in Cambridge,” Grandma urged so many times Arson imagined her screaming it to him while he slept. But it was always there, the memory, a splinter in the back of his mind. No going back. Ever.
Arson staggered across the dock, images of child-play and stupid laughter pouring in all at once. Danny’s face stuck out the most, and behind that, he glimpsed their old home in Cambridge, and flashes of his first birthday. His mother wasn’t there, though, nor dear old dad, but that day was recounted to him only once by his grandfather and it stuck. Nevertheless, with every joyous recollection, distilled regret always followed. He sometimes imagined what it might be like to wake up and find strong hands choking the life out of him, or to get thrown in jail by an angry agent and be forgotten.
Arson was an unusual boy. He knew it. And he hated it. The ancients might have even gone so far as to call him cursed. Whatever lingered inside his bones left as quickly as it came, finding him in short moments of fear or rage. Over the years, he’d asked to be examined, to locate the source of his imperfection, and if possible, terminate it. After all, why did he sometimes wake up in the middle of the night in a fever? How come his sweat burned when it hit the ground? What was he? But Grandma argued there wasn’t much of a point in talking to no-good doctors or even finding out answers to questions he was better off not asking in the first place. Some people were just born with demons, right?
Arson swallowed hard and threw a stone into the water, watching its slow ripples spread, soon losing his own reflection. He wondered why he was the way he was, wondered why those little girl’s parent’s quit looking all of a sudden, why the investigation against two stupid boys evaporated. Perhaps they didn’t care about retribution, or maybe they were just sick of chasing shadows. Would he ever see Danny again, or was his friend resolved to visit only as a figment of his imagination?
I want to be free, Arson thought out loud, as nausea crept up his belly. While boats raced along the surface of the lake, he stared in awe. He noticed each vanishing vessel, and thought of how easily they traversed across the water and then were gone. There was a man, once, he’d heard, who walked upon water and didn’t sink. Maybe he could, too. Maybe, one day, there would be those who believed in him.
Arson’s gaze moved over the lake, across to the other side where Mandy Kimball lived, and her neighbor, his science teacher from the ninth grade. Then his eyes drew back to the ripples spread out before him, to the dying cabin behind him, as he spit into the current. Beads of sweat streamed down his bony frame, his ash-brown hair trapped inside the gritty creases of his forehead. Arson listened for the lake’s soothing melody but couldn’t hear it. He focused instead on the sound his feet made atop the floorboards of the splintering dock. Kind of like the way swings sound in cheap horror flicks—empty, rocking back and forth to no melody at all. Closer to the edge he came, lingering.
With shut eyes, he stepped out onto the water and began to sink. In seconds, peace abandoned him to the lake’s shallow world. In a blink, he was inside a memory, looking through the eyes of a ten year old boy.
“I don’t like fire,” he heard the boy say, so frightened, so naive. “It’s dangerous.”
“Don’t be such a wimp,” came his older friend’s taunts. “Just light it already.” With each shove and curse, the memory turned alive; it was as if it knew he was watching and didn’t like it. The pain stung still, images wilting and tossed against the shores of chaos. Lightless. Breathless. A thick blanket of fear and horror.
I. Hate. Fire.
Arson could feel the cold, even remember the way everything sounded, or how there was no sound at all. Until the night shattered. The weight of remembering dragged him further down, while he sucked in a filthy gulp of water, his coffined body jerking. The veins on his head began to swell. He was choking. Time to return to the real world, to release the nightmare once more into the dark of the lake. The struggle eventually pulled him to the surface. Slinging his head back and forth, Arson dragged himself against the tide, falling upon dead grass. He tasted the grit of sandy dirt in his teeth. Panting, Arson stood up slowly and staggered toward the cabin, where Grandma Kay’s shadow guided him in.
XXXXX
It was her way of showing him mercy, or so she said. A dive into the lake at dawn usually resulted in a more painful punishment than fixing a leaky roof, which Arson would’ve had to eventually do anyway.
Grandma’s reasons for why she did things, why she treated him a certain way, seemed to get worse with time. It was no secret that she loathed the idea of him diving into the lake, especially if fully clothed. She even claimed there were toxins in the water from pollution that supposedly killed a bunch of fish years back. But maybe it was a fair trade. He’d returned to the lake all the toxins he’d soaked up with every vile thought. And when he contemplated a bit, Grandma’s logic didn’t seem all that twisted. She probably just didn’t want him bringing any of that evil back with him, infected or not. Arson made a promise he knew he couldn’t keep, said it wouldn’t happen again. She replied by handing him a hammer and a bucket of tools.

The muggy June morning caused his palms to sweat. Arson almost lost his grip on the bucket during the climb to the top, but regained his balance before losing any supplies. Spiderman would have been proud. Reading comic books all his life came in handy now and then.
Being a good man of limited means, Arson’s grandfather took care of the cabin to the best of his ability, even showed Arson how to repair the roof years back. “If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself,” he recalled. But in spite of his grandfather’s hard work, it was clear that time eventually wears away all things, even hope.
Arson worked for about an hour, when carelessness got the best of him. A loose, jagged shingle sliced through the palm of his hand. Blood gushed from the wound onto his leg. He swore, as the sting began to overwhelm him, tossing the hammer and trying to keep pressure on the cut.
“What happened?” Grandma’s voice echoed from below. “I heard you cussin’ all the way in the kitchen. You know how I feel about that.”
“Sorry, Grandma.” Arson was glad she left it at that. Sitting on the roof, he turned slightly toward the sun. It’s a gusher, he thought to himself. But then, as he stared in amazement, he watched the wound cauterize itself in seconds. It burned.
“Arson, are you all right up there?”
He looked down at the remaining scar, struggling to make sense of it, neglecting the mess on his clothes. “Just fine, Grandma,” he called down.
“That roof isn’t going to fix itself. If I have to spend another night with drops of water hitting my face, I promise you’ll regret it.”
“All right,” Arson said. “I’ll get back to work.”
By evening, the task was complete. He braced himself and watched the sunset from the rooftop, as it melted against a fluorescent sky. Arson listened, as Grandma concluded her tea conversation with the man she loved. Moments later, their time together ended with laughter, and he knew it was safe to come down. Arson caught her while she was clearing away the silverware and china.
“Did you finish the roof, love?” she asked in a pleasant voice.
“Yes, Grandma, it’s healed…I mean, fixed.”
“Marvelous. Say, whatcha mean healed?”
Arson grabbed the ladder, “I’m really tired. I’m not thinking straight right now. Maybe I just need some rest.”
“I think you’re right. You’re not making any sense at all. Say, do you want a piece of cake before I put it away? Grandpa didn’t eat much tonight. He’s never been much for carrot cake.”
“No thanks. Not hungry,” he said.
“Suit yourself. Put your tools away and get on up to bed then. A growing boy like you needs his rest. I hope you learned your lesson, though. I don’t like you spending so much time in that miserable lake. The whole notion just doesn’t sit well with my soul.”
Arson nodded with reluctant eyes and put away the ladder and the tools. Then he rushed inside the cabin and up to his room to read a comic book before dozing off. Maybe tonight, his dreams would be different.

Day 9 Top Ten Days of Estevan Vega

The Sacred Sin by Estevan Vega
Posted by Jen on Friday April 10th 2009

Jude Foster, an L.A. homicide detective, has demons to deal with. His former partner, Morgan Cross, nearly killed him last year. His younger brother, Kevin, is on the brink of collapse, and Jude is taking that personally. Jude has just been assigned a new partner, Rachel, whom he wants nothing whatsoever to do with, despite their growing attraction to each other. Also, he may be losing his mind, but he’s not quite sure about that.
As if this weren’t enough, there are the bodies. A killer is out there. One who is somehow able to steal his victim’s souls without so much as touching them. Some bodies have been marked with a symbol, and the detectives keep finding scraps of paper with cryptic messages on them. Jude is compelled to find out who is behind these murders, and he has a strong suspicion that he knows who the killer is. On his quest to discover the answers, he ends up uncovering more questions. Can he piece it all together and put an end to it before another victim is claimed? Will Jude make the tough decisions, or take the easier way out?
The Sacred Sin is one part mystery, one part thriller, and is filled with some deep spiritual concepts as well. It’s a quick read, but not a light read at all. Parts of the book scared the hell out of me! Vega does a wonderful job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, wondering what will ultimately happen to the vivid characters he has created.
Estevan Vega was kind enough to do an interview with me for Book Sandwich.
Jen Thorpe: When I started reading The Sacred Sin I thought I knew exactly who the “good guy” and the “bad guy” were. However, as I continued reading, I started to question my initial decisions. Is there a “good guy” and a “bad guy” in this book? Is anything “black and white”, or is this book filled with shades of gray?
Estevan Vega: That’s an interesting question. It’s something I struggle with, the way my characters in The Sacred Sin do. There are good and bad things in this world. To me, it seems like humanity is somewhere in between. We were created good, but yet our nature seems twisted, sadistic, and evil sometimes. The things we are capable of, the things we say, think. I do believe there is darkness within us all; but I also believe there is light. We have to choose which one we’ll side with, as Jude Foster and Morgan Cross have to choose. And at the same time, we must realize that as much as we would like there to be a crystal clear way of determining which way to turn, which way to be, we must understand this world is gray, a dichotomy of the good and evil aspects of nature.
Jen Thorpe: This book is filled with imagery from Christianity, from the description of the churches, to the details about the statues inside them. Crosses appear in important places. There is even a character who is a priest, and a hospital called St. Mary’s. Were you raised Catholic, or did you do a lot of research in order to make these parts of the book so authentic?
Estevan Vega: I was raised in a Christian home, attended private school practically my whole life. I went to Xavier High School in CT, a Catholic school. So, my faith definitely interests me. The good things about it, the confusing things, the bad parts. Since this book was so internal and spiritual, I knew what kind of atmosphere I wanted. It was dark, but not utterly hopeless; that’s where the priest comes in, that’s where the hospital comes in. But at the same time, I felt it was important for there not to be a clear and cookie-cutter “Christian/ Catholic/whatever” answer for the characters or storyline, because life is rarely that clear. These are real people with real messed-up lives in a messed-up situation. It was fun mixing dark elements with the light.
JT: I’m always impressed when authors are able to write from the viewpoint of a character they have created who is the opposite gender from the author. You made the part where your character, Rachel, talks about what a previous boyfriend did to her very real. How did you make that so vivid and believable? Did you do research here, or did you talk to women who had similar bad experiences?
EV: I wish I could say I researched the crap out of it, but that would be an elaborate piece of fiction, and not the good kind. A lot of people say you have to have experienced something in order to write about it or relate; I disagree somewhat. The imagination is a powerful tool for a writer. I have never been a cop, never been hunted by demons or been a woman. But I have met these types of people, talked with them, tried to picture how I met handle a situation if I were them. Also, things I’ve read in the past and movies/shows I watch have also helped me to capture snippets of humanity along the way. Everything contributes to a writer’s life, not just the writer’s life itself.
JT: Some of the clues at the murder scenes in the book are small snippets of writing, with one letter… I’m going to say “highlighted”, so as not to give anything away. Do these letters actually spell out something, or were they just a lot of “red herrings”? Were these small pieces of writing quotes from somewhere?
EV: Oh, definitely. I was hoping you caught that. Some have caught onto it, others not so much, so don’t feel bad. If I could go back, I would have made that part of the book a bit clearer. Those letters, when placed in the right order, do spell something. Jude Foster, I believe, says what it spells. It’s near the end of the book, last chapter or something. But yeah, it’s significant to Jude’s character.
JT: I found your book to be extremely scary in parts, but, the scenes with Azrael were especially terrifying. I think I have heard that name before, but couldn’t quite place it. What can you tell my readers about Azrael?
EV: You know, they say there’s nothing new under the sun. When I was writing The Sacred Sin, I had never heard that name before. It was something I created during one of my many editing phases. So, to me it was completely original. It wasn’t until the book released that I stumbled upon a CD titled Azrael, or maybe it was a band. I was kinda pissed.
But on to the character. Azrael is a character in The Sacred Sin, a very prominent character. He’s not just one, he’s more like a part of a few of the characters in the book. In essence, he’s a bit of all of us. Like a symbiote. I just gave him a name. When he shows up, the characters’ eyes start bleeding red.
JT: It’s my understanding that you started writing at a very young age. What inspired you to become a writer? How old were you when you finished The Sacred Sin ? Is this your first book?
EV: I did. At the young age of eleven, I began writing. I had always hoped I’d get to this point, but doubted if it’d ever come true. It started with these writing assignments in the fifth grade. My dad would help me with them. “Close your eyes,” he’d say. “Picture this.” Then he’d go on to tell me about a character or a scene. He painted my imagination, gave color to my gray world. I have a lot to thank him for. He loves to write, but always says he never has the time. I think to him he gets to vicariously live through me. But anyway, it was after my class bound our story collections/essays at the end of the year, that my dad shared with me an idea for a book. He asked me what could scare a person so much that it literally killed them? This became the catylyst for my first book Servant of the Realm, a story about a kid who stumbles upon a formula which allows him to have visions of the future. Only catch is these visions are of all the people he loves dying. In a race against time, he tries to alter the events he sees.
I began writing The Sacred Sin a few months before Servant of the Realm was published. Had a first draft completed that summer. But it would take another three years before it would be released to the world. I was 18 when The Sacred Sin came out.
JT: In your experience, do you feel that the publishers you have dealt with treated you differently from how they treat authors who are older than you are, or was it the same? How so?
EV: Not sure how they’ve treated their other authors. But I do know this, I keep switching publishers with every book. I know the publisher of The Sacred Sin required me to be 18 before they even looked at my stuff. Nevertheless, I haven’t found the right publisher to stick with just yet. Working with a new publisher now that seems to be a good fit for my third book.
JT: Did you listen to any particular music while you were writing The Sacred Sin, or do you write in silence? I like to get an idea of what might have been in an author’s head as he was writing.
EV: Usually, I don’t like to listen to music while I’m physically writing, because I feel like it breaks significant concentration. Perhaps it’s a skill I will someday perfect. But I do love music, and try to go to concerts on a regular basis. I am definitely influenced by the lyrics of bands. I like all kinds of music, mainly rock. Whether soft or heavy. Some favorites are: Switchfoot, Mat Kearney, Underoath, Anberlin–this band actually kind of inspired book three through one of their songs.
JT: Where on the internet can my readers find you?
EV: www.estevanvega.com, amazon.com , bn.com, anywhere else books are sold. Also, on your lovely site. I’ve been privileged enough to have done quite a few of these interviews, so a google search might turn up some results.
JT: What do you have planned next? Can you tell my readers a little about your next book? Do you have college plans? Where might your next book tour, or podcast appearance be?
EV: I would love to tell them about my third and what I think is my best book. ARSON is a coming of age story about a seventeen year old kid struggling with guilt from a past accident. He’s anything but normal, and he hates it. Arson has a gift, well sort of. He can create and manipulate fire. His world’s a mess, but it makes sense, until a new neighbor moves in, a new neighbor who wears a mask.
At the moment, I’m studying English at Gordon College. Typical, I know, but I’m trying to stand out. I’m a sophomore, but try to come across as something other than sophomoric.
Next, you can find me online at Examiner.com. John Valeri is a great freelancer who recently did an interview with me about my writing. He’s a book examiner for Hartford, CT. Be sure to check it out. Thank you so much for having me on your site. Anyone who hasn’t checked out The Sacred Sin, please do so. It’s fun, and is sure to keep you on edge.
And keep your eyes peeled for ARSON, which I plan to have out later this year.
JT: Thank you, so much, for doing this interview with me for Book Sandwich!
EV: Thanks again for sharing with me this opportunity. It was a pleasure to answer these questions for Book Sandwich.
http://booksandwich.com/2009/04/10/the-sacred-sin-by-estevan-vega/

Day 8 Top Ten Days of Estevan Vega

Hartford Books Examiner
Estevan Vega: A young writer’s journey
April 18

Estevan Vega
Hey Estevan…I’d call/text but I’m on hold with the IRS at the moment…
As I hit ENTER and send the message via Facebook, I contemplate the wonders of the Internet. Facebook’s messenger function allows me to conduct an interview while simultaneously holding on the line for the good ol’ U.S. government.
Haha. I’m here, dude, comes his reply.
Figured as much…writers are always at their computers, I type back.
Writers are not always twice published by the age of eighteen, however. Estevan Vega, who grew up in Middletown and Portland, Connecticut, and is currently a student at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., has just signed a contract for his third book, Arson. He is about to take a look back…and a look ahead.
I begin with the obvious: Why writing?
Ahhh, writing. Well, I honestly couldn’t stand writing, or English. Early on, I figured I was good at math…then the math started getting complicated. In fifth grade, Vega had a teacher who required daily essays/short story submissions, a prospect that he was not keen on. (I loathed the idea almost as much as I loathed her. Isn’t that harsh?) Fortunately, his father began to play an integral role in his writer’s journey.
As Estevan explains it, He pulled me away from the TV one night and sat me down, told me to close my eyes, and he started painting my imagination with images and characters. I marveled at how well he could construct a story or concept. I was this little punk fifth grader who couldn’t be bothered, and yet he saw something in me, a possibility…that I had never seen. He showed me that writing stories could be fun.
Soon, the short stories led to a bound “mini-book” based on a story that his father helped him to envision. It was the culminating project of that fateful fifth grade school year, and it left the would-be writer wanting more. I felt so accomplished…but it wasn’t enough.
Initially, thoughts of fame and fortune filled his head. The only thing I could think about was getting a full book out to the world. He started working on that book in the sixth grade, finished it when he was fifteen, and published it later that summer.
Servant of the Realm begs the question can fate be changed or is the future inevitable? The story centers upon a troubled teen, Luke Phillips, who steals a lethal serum that, when ingested, allows a person to see the future. But Luke’s visions are of those closest to him dying. It’s pretty heady stuff for anyone, let alone a fifteen-year-old.
I was such a novice, and the books shows it, Estevan humbly admits. My father says that book wasn’t about the story or the finished product’s quality, it was about completion. Suddenly, the teen found himself a published author amongst peers whose only writing credits were mandatory book reports. Kids at Xavier used it as a way to make fun of me. Anytime they got pissed at me, they’d say, go write a book, Vega.
So he did.
A few months after Servant of the Realm was published, Estevan had completed a first draft of The Sacred Sin. While it would take another three years, and a seemingly endless round of edits and rejection slips, the book was released to mostly favorable reviews in 2007.
Estevan summarizes the “high concept” for The Sacred Sin like this: A demon killer capable of stealing people’s souls without ever touching them, while trying to battle internal demons and ‘the darkness that lies within all men.’ It allowed Vega to explore “darker, more mature” themes. The Sacred Sin was powerful for me because I tried to incorporate a deeper truth than in the first one.
I liked my ability to capture character better, he continues. Those looking for that growth need only reference Jude Foster, the book’s protagonist. An L.A. homicide detective with a drinking problem and on the brink of a mental breakdown, he is a marked departure from those who populate the pages of Servant.
Can you tell me a little about Arson? I ask, in reference to his newest character.
The response is immediate: Oh…my favoritist book of all!!!!
Arson is the writer’s current labor of love. It’s also the name of the main character, described as a seventeen year old kid who starts fires with his mind. Whenever he feels emotions such as anxiety or anger, his body heats up, and the potential for devastation is great. And Arson’s back-story is a heavy one: his mother dies in childbirth, his father abandons him, and his grandparents become the caretakers by default. Of course, the grandmother is a bipolar, vindictive recluse who loathes and loves her grandson at the same time, as her daughter died while giving birth to “God’s mistake.”
Arson’s creation was no mistake, however, and his master proudly proclaims, He is my most unique creation. I feel like Victor Frankenstein!
The story takes place in East Hampton, CT, and Arson lives in a cabin on Lake Pocotopaug. Vega spent his formative years a town over, so he has the knowledge to keep it real. He also understands that having a local angle is a good selling point. The idea came to him as he was visiting colleges during his junior year of high school, a time of tumult for any teenager that was made worse by circumstances in the author’s personal life.
Some of that angst helped to paint Arson, the consummate tortured teen. Inevitably, there’s going to be a bit of me in every character I create, but it’s just a matter of how much of me is in there. Fortunately, the character does find some relief in the form of the girl next-door, who (literally) wears a mask, which, along with Arson’s powers, may be an homage to the comic books that the author loved as a kid. That was fun to play with, Vega reflects. I love her character, almost as much as Arson. The mask deal was great fun…I hope it’s believable!
Sometimes a reporter’s instinct takes over, and I can’t help but ask whether there was a real girl next-door that inspired the character. Never had one of those girl next-door moments, Estevan replies gamely. My neighbors are either older or ornery.
Estevan Vega is clearly the antithesis of those traits, and, while classes take up much of his time these days, writing is never far from his mind-including ideas for a possible sequel to Arson. School complicates things, as does my intrinsic laziness, he admits. It’s hard to be a dedicated writer, but I can’t picture being this passionate about anything else…
http://www.examiner.com/x-3859-Hartford-Books-Examiner~y2009m4d18-Estevan-Vega

Day 7 Top Ten Days of Estevan Vega

Review – The Sacred Sin by Estevan Vega

The Sacred Sin
by: Estevan Vega

Paperback: 218 pages
Publisher: PublishAmerica (2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1424183065
ISBN-13: 978-1424183067
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches

If you like horror, psychological terror and suspense, The Sacred Sin is the perfect read for you! Centering on L.A. homicide detective Jude Foster, who just happened to be taken in by a priest, at the age of seventeen, after losing his parents at a young age and fleeing from the cops – sure that they were his ticket back to juvi. The Sacred Sin is like a never ending tunnel ride of twists and turns. The reader is gripped within the story’s dark clutches, from the first word until the very last.

Jude is a dark and mysterious, almost tortured character. The author, Mr. Vega, has created a perfect leading character in Jude, as well as an excellent supporting character in Rachel Cragin, who has reluctantly returned to Los Angeles to help in the case of a sinister serial murderer.

Jude does not take kindly to his newest partner, Rachel, after losing his previous partner, Morgan Cross, who was like a brother to him. However, Jude doesn’t have a choice and together, he and Rachel must try to solve a crime spree that leaves it’s victims dead and with an imprint of a cross carved within them (seeming being carved from the inside out). Behind him, the killer leaves a note – phrases from the Bible with certain letters that are highlighted in blood.

There is an evil and sinister force that is out there, killing, taking souls and it all seems to revolve around Jude. But what part does he play in the entire scheme of things? Is there a dark monster lurking within him, waiting to come out and if so, can he stop it before it is too late?

The Sacred Sin is not a story for the squeamish or easily scared or offended. This is a story that takes the reader to the depths of hell and evil – leaving no question about good and villainous. Mr. Vega does a great job of composing his story and bringing the reader into a world of darkness and sinister evil. As I read, I was brought to mind of the writings of Stephen King, Wes Craven, early Dean R. Koontz, as well as Bentley Little. Estevan Vega shows great promise in becoming a lasting novelist and writer of the horror genre.

I greatly enjoyed The Sacred Sin and was woven tight within it tale. There were a few mechanical errors throughout, but not nearly enough to detract from the writing and story itself. I feel that lovers of the genres of horror/supernatural/suspense and thriller will get a charge out of The Sacred Sin and be yearning for more from Mr. Vega. I, for one, cannot wait to see what the future holds for this young talent.

As a side note, I do want to mention the cover artwork. It is fantastic and really represents the story within. Gazing upon the eyes, you are dragged into their reaches – a glimpse into a tortured soul.

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About The Sacred Sin:

Everyone has a past. One that is inescapable. Jude Foster, an L.A. homicide detective, is on the brink of mental collapse. A year ago, he was left for dead by Morgan Cross, a once-close friend and partner. Now, although forced to undergo mindless psychoanalytical diatribes in order to be reinstated into the department, the world apathetically spins on. When a dead body is found in West Hollywood, an investigation is set in motion and Jude realizes, with the aid of Rachel Cragin, his annoying new interim partner, that the first victim is only the beginning. The markings on the bodies are trails to a more sadistic pattern of evil, one Jude may or may not recognize. But how does someone stop a killer who’s slaying his victims by stealing their souls, without ever touching them? As the time ticks, the countdown begins. They will have one week to uncover the sacred sin…and the darkness that lies within all men.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Estevan Vega:

As a young boy, Estevan Vega never really felt interested in the written word. Far more fascinating things like comic book superheroes and sketching fantastical beings caught his eye. But in the fifth grade, writing short essays for a standoffish teacher ignited a fire that is still burning. Using his imaginative father as a springboard for ideas, Vega set out to write a full manuscript. His dream to become a published author came forth when he was just15 years old, releasing his first literary creation, Servant of the Realm,to the world, a story about a teenager who sees the future deaths of those he loves and tries to change it. “There is something therapeutic and natural about breathing life into the mundane, or finding escape through odd characters and strange concepts,” says Vega.

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.

Vega resides in Connecticut, a small New England state most people forget about. Tate Publishing will release his latest creation ARSON in 2009.

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Be sure to visit Estevan Vega’s fabulous website:
http://www.estevanvega.com/index.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

Chapter Four

It wasn’t much of a welcome home, but she expected nothing less.
“I hate this city.”
The thought of returning to the place that took her father so many years ago made her want to puke. Rachel knew in her gut that she had some unfinished business with Los Angeles. It was one of those now or never things.
She fought the invasive hues of light that sketched through her windshield. The midday sun made the drive that much more of a drag. Rachel was still chewing on loose pieces of the fortune cookie she shoveled down her mouth an hour ago. Although it was pointless, she read the small sheet one last time.
“You will meet someone interesting and unique today,” she said. Then she threw it out the window. “Why don’t they just tell me I’m going to breathe today? Could you be any more vague?” Rachel felt her head spin all over again. The fact that she sounded like the valley girls in high school that she always wanted to pummel didn’t help. It’d been three hours since she packed up from San Diego and was on her way to Hell as she knew it. “Okay, get a grip, Rachel, and stop talking to yourself.” She started pacing her breaths, focusing on the road, before screaming at a wild driver. “Yep, I’m home, all right.”
The sky painted a picture of fuchsia and bright orange. Amidst the cloudiness and smog, the breeze felt soothing, but it didn’t do much to calm her down. “What are you doing? This is not what you need. Another case? Are you out of your mind?” Rachel rolled her eyes, bellowing a curse at another driver. This time a taxi.
With both hands choking the steering wheel, she stared at her reflection in the rearview mirror, “Lighten up, right? It’s not what you want, Rachel, but it’s your job. Cities can’t protect themselves.” A sigh. “Oh, stop with the heroine routine, Rachel, you don’t want to go, just say it. You’re afraid…but afraid of what?”
When she found enough space to get off the exit, she stopped at a gas station to fill up. She looked at her watch. Eight o’clock. Exhaling deeply, Rachel blinked a thousand times, before getting out of the car to pump her gas. “Just shut up, Rachel. You talk too much.”

* * * * *

Night found Jude parked on a city corner, cold. He was making a few notes on the printout Mike had given him, and was almost finished when he felt his cell phone vibrate hard in his coat pocket.
“This is Foster,” Jude answered, scratching his cheek. It was the call he felt in his gut right before he got it. Often he’d been mistaken for having some kind of precognition, but he was never the type to embrace identities like a phony psychic or anything spiritual like that.
He listened carefully as he heard the familiar voice of the chief. “Are you okay?” Mike asked immediately, as if he read something severe in the detective’s voice.
“It’s 9:30, Mike, and I’ve spent the last four and a half hours finishing the paperwork on that kid yesterday. So for all intents and purposes, I’m fabulous.”
“Keep your sarcasm, Jude. Unfortunately, I’m at a crime scene. A unit’s on their way now.”
“Where?”
“Near the old factory, West Hollywood. Do you mind coming by?”
“I can always make time for the dead.” Jude hung up, got inside his car and gunned his car engine.
When Jude arrived on the scene, he looked around the perimeter before drawing nearer toward the house. The three family duplex was isolated from houses on either side by at least fifty feet. The factory exuded smoke from its huge cylindrical beams about a hundred yards away.
As soon as Jude stepped through the door, he covered his nose, trying to evade the foul smell that the house filtered out.
“Foster,” called Chief Michael Harrison, “follow me.”
Jude followed him into a dark room filled with obscene posters. He studied one closely. It was of a naked blonde, posing with her chest forward and her tongue sliding through her thick red lips. As she bent over, the coaster on her back of a black snake burned its way into Jude’s head. He focused for a moment on another wall. Beside the grotesque pictures carved into the indigo paint, he read: Die bitch. I hope you rot in hell.
“And they say I’m crazy,” he mumbled to himself.
Mike turned to Jude, “You look like a skeleton. Have you eaten anything?
“I haven’t been hungry.”
“You look tired, too.”
Jude stammered, “Is this a physical or a crime scene?”
Mike folded his arms. “The body was found at about four a.m.”
“And you’re telling me about it now? Why would you withhold something like this from me?” Anger permeated through Jude’s gaze.
“Whitney was the first to see the body early this morning. Let’s face it; you weren’t exactly all together.”
Forensics had been called to take pictures and collect DNA. One of the unit members was consoling a hysterical woman about twenty-two years old. Jude still hadn’t even seen a body yet, but this had already evolved into a nasty investigation.
“Show me the stiff,” Jude said in a forceful tone.
Mike led him to the adjacent room and pointed to a horrid creature sprawled out on the floor with bloodshot eyes and a gaping off-centered jaw.
Jude stared; he tried to remain calm.
“Black male,” Mike said, “His name is Darius Garnett. He’s about thirty or so. Time of death…3:14 a.m.”
With a sigh, Jude asked, “There’s no bullet hole, no marks around the neck, no knife wounds. But from the looks of him, he sure as hell struggled. Do we know the cause of death?”
“That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out,” Mike said.
“But take a look under his chin.”
Jude put on a glove and lifted the man’s face. When he stared closely into the wound, he saw a black cruciform burned into the skin, permanent, as if tattooed.
“What do you make of it?” asked Mike.
“My guess…some religious fanatic who wanted to get a point across,” Jude said. “But what’s the motive?”
“As of now, we don’t know.”
Jude turned his gaze to the hysterical woman. “What about her, does she know anything?”
“She’s about as lucid as my mother on morphine.” Mike licked his lips. “We’ve tried getting information out of her, but she’s not cooperating.”
Jude looked at the body again, inquisitively.
“This doesn’t make much sense, I know,” Mike admitted.
“Maybe it makes perfect sense.”
“What do you mean? This man didn’t swallow any poison, and despite his drug habits, he didn’t overdose.”
“Drug habits? I want information on all his dealings with any neighborhood scum. I want his dealer’s name and address.”
“So you want the case?”
“Yes,” Jude replied hastily.
Mike narrowed his gaze. “Why do you want it so bad?”
The silence in Jude’s face echoed in his eyes.
“Am I missing something?”
Jude stood, moved his eyes back and forth, and approached Mike. “Have you thought about the possibility that this might involve…Victor?”
“Who?” Mike said, as if he’d forgotten the name.
“Call me crazy, Mike, but I think it’s safe to say that Victor might be a suspect.”
Mike shook his head. “Anything’s possible, detective—” he began to roll his eyes, “but it’s highly unlikely that Victor is responsible for this.”
“Why, because he’s been missing for years?”
“For starters…yes. Not to mention the fact that you and your deluded ex-partner were the only ones to ever even see him.”
Jude half-smirked. “Look, I’ve seen Victor, okay. And you’ve seen his handiwork before. God knows those bodies weren’t normal.”
Mike looked heavily into Jude, before replying, “But a cross, Foster? That’s not his mark.”
Jude rubbed his forehead. “You’re right, but it could still be him.”
“Now we’re right back to motive. He’s been missing for three years. No one knows if he’s still alive. And even if he is, why would he risk his safety in hiding for a few quick thrills here in Los Angeles?”
“Because he can. Victor never touched anyone; he killed them some other way. This all sounds like some kind of story, but somehow he killed them. He believes he’s invincible. Maybe he wants to stir up commotion in the department that sought to put him away.”
Mike still didn’t agree. “You’re leaving too much up to chance. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Since when did an investigation make sense? Look, you’re right, Mike, it’s a far cry. However, I think it would be smart to cover our asses here, in the event that this bastard…” he pointed down at the corpse, “really does belong to our friend Victor.”
Before Jude could spit out another sentence, a woman approached them both. “I agree with him, Mike.”
With a smile, Mike greeted her. “Jude, this is…”
“Rachel Cragin. I’ve worked homicide for five years in San Diego,” she said, firmly shaking Jude’s hand. “Chief Harrison contacted me last night, this morning actually, and I left as soon as I could.”
Jude, still puzzled, looked at Mike. “So why is she here? I thought I had the case.”
“You do, but Rachel is here to help.”
Jude leaned in toward Mike, ignoring Rachel completely.
“Mike, after all I’ve been through, the last thing I need is another partner. I thought you knew me better.”
“This is a crime scene, detective. Now is not the time to argue
with me.”
“I realize that, sir, but I don’t need her help.”
Rachel tapped Jude’s shoulder. “I can hear everything you’re saying. So why don’t we cut the crap. I’m not here to step on anyone’s toes. I’m here—”
“Because you can’t solve this case alone, Jude.” Mike looked at Rachel.
Jude studied her frame: freckles dotted her nose, and she had a small face. Her auburn hair cascaded backward into a bun. A small figure balanced out her independent features. Although she was only about five foot four or so, she looked tough.
“Look, whoever did this is still out there. As a detective, you should know that every little bit helps.” Her oval eyes gazed into Jude. “I know what happened between you and your former partner. I can only assume that’s why you’re so hesitant with me. I want to nail this scumbag as much as you do.”
“Enough with the adolescent bullshit,” Mike coughed dust out from his throat. “This place is like a cellar. Listen to me, both of you. Forensics will get the prints to the station as soon as they’ve checked them in at the lab. In the meantime, you two have got some acquainting to do and a case to look into. Foster, let me know if you find anything.”
Jude rolled his eyes at Mike, who was already walking away. Meanwhile, Rachel paced the floor, glancing at the body and all around the room. He watched her make a few notes and put the tiny booklet into her pocket. Then he gave her a hard look as he stepped away from the dead body.
She said, “So are you always this friendly to new people?”
“No,” he replied grimly.
He took a last glance at the pale life as it was being stuffed into a body bag. A chill rushed up his spine, as he muttered, “Stiffs.”
Rachel had left the room when Jude found a torn sheet of paper tucked beneath a loose floorboard. Anxiously, he studied it, reciting the words slowly in his mind, Thou shalt not kill.
With every condemning thud in his chest, it became difficult to breathe. When Jude felt the still-wet note with his fingertip, his head pounded. The U was written in blood.

http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/2009/04/review-sacred-sin-by-estevan-vega.html