Featured Interview With Vespasian Phantom
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Vespasian Phantom, and I’m a debut teen author, publishing my first crime fiction book. I was raised in a small country in the heart of Europe, called Slovakia. I’m currently studying in Denmark, and I plan to stay here. I was always in the presence of books, mainly from my mom, who is the biggest book lover I have ever met. She inspired me to write my own – the Unseen Cases of Detective Winston. Nowadays, I run my TikTok account where I teach other teen and adult writers on how to publish their dream book!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I read my first ‘adult’ crime book when I was 13. My mom used to work in a library, and they had a very small English section, and she brought me a Kathy Reichs book home. Ever since then, I read most of Reichs’s books and more. My most favourite book is The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara – I fell in love with the story and how the protagonist slowly became the villain. It really inspired the backstory of Detective Winston.
I started writing short stories when I was in high school, and I wrote Unseen Cases of Detective Winston the summer after I turned 16, a year ago. It took me roughly four months, and hundreds of hours of editing. I truly had no idea what I was getting into, but I enjoyed the whole experience.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I hate to say this, but I have so many favourite books from all the genres that I cannot choose one. My favourites include Kathy Reichs’s Bones series, Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code and Donna Tartt’s Secret History. I also enjoy authors like Murakami or Hanya Yanagihara. My least favourite books are in the fantasy genre. I don’t usually read non-fiction, but last year I started to read more memoirs and finally understood why people enjoy non-fiction.
What inspired me the most to write my book was the fact that there are many crime fiction books with thrilling story lines, apart from the usual unhappy detective who is searching for meaning in their lives. I have decided to writ the ultimate villain in my book as disguise him as a normal person. I don’t want to spoil any more facts, but I can tell you, the end will leave you at the edge of your seats!
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is also my debut book, called Unseen Cases of Detective Winston. It’s a crime thriller, with a variety of characters – I inspired it from my years of reading crime and thriller books, but it still includes its own twists and characters, like Detective Winston, a corrupted cop from New York, whose past is coming to catch up with him. It also explores the morality between the right and the wrong. He is a compulsive liar, manipulative and obsessive over his grand plan – order now to find out!
What makes my book different is the fact that each chapter is inspired by the different ‘unsolvable’ cases Detective Winston and Maxine take on. If you enjoyed books like Dexter, Gone Girl,Sharp Objects and The Silent Patient, you should definitely give my book a try!
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