Author Interview: Shawn Martin

Today’s post is all about Shawn Martin, the author of “Forget Me Not”. Please, let’s welcome him to our creepy castle.
Firstly, I thank the author for giving me a chance to interview him.

1- Tell me, what inspired you to write “Forget Me Not”?

Amnesia has always amazed me, puzzled me, and scared me. "Forget Me Not" explores an evil amnesia in a paranormal world. Aileen's memory is stolen from her, but not all memories. Just the one that involves Addison, the phantom she has fallen in love with. I wondered what in the world could possibly trick and betray the mind, causing the soul to tear away from its identity. I wondered if something residing within the heart could overcome amnesia and heal the injured mind. After getting tired of wondering, I decided to write about it, in Aileen's world where phantoms walk as Shadowflesh.

2- How did you create your character Aileen?

Aileen is loosely based on a girl I knew in high school, someone who had been torn away from her home and forced to move halfway across the country. Someone whose life ended too soon. She was the foundation, and from there I constructed the character from girls I'd met, actresses I'd seen in movies, and women who had looked back on a disappointing life. Aileen is the embodiment of all those people, filled with paradox after paradox. She's shy and bold, strong and uncertain, optimistic and cynical.

3- What do you usually do to get inspired?

I wish I had a set way to find my inspiration, but no two ideas have ever fallen out of the sky the same way. For "Shadowflesh," my first book, inspiration came after watching the final scene to "Breakfast At Tiffany's." With "Forget Me Not," the inspiration seeped out of the ethereal stars in the night sky as I pondered amnesia. For my current project "Invisible Ink," the third installment in the series, my inspiration comes from a tender soul named Angela. She makes me smile, even when I'm sad.

4- What are your favorite snacks during writing?

A black bowl sits on my desk, filled with baby carrots. They crunch, sate my palate, and keep my waist from expanding. My eyesight, however, hasn't improved a bit. (Anila's note: Wow! You actually eat carrots... I wish I was this healthy)

5- Lastly, who is your biggest influence?

Jim Butcher, the author of the series of books known as the "Dresden Files," truly stands out as my greatest influence. He writes with such a conversational voice that seems so casual, but it's really intricate, almost literary. Though my books have a completely different texture, his talent at writing gives me something to strive for.

Thanks for reading along, and a big thanks to Writer's Dark Corner for inviting me to chat. Hope you enjoy "Forget Me Not."

About The Book

Forget Me Not by Shawn Martin
ISBN: 978-0989063234
Publisher: Vinspire Publishing
Date of publish: March 31, 2014
Pages: 308
S.R.P.: $9.99

Fortune has smiled on seventeen year old Aileen McCormick ever since Addison came back into her life, giving her the love she has so desperately longed for. That is, until a mysterious man slithers across her path and slips a spellbinding cameo around her neck. The cameo holds more than just the image of an enchantress who hungers for souls. It possesses a curse that strangles away every memory Aileen has of Addison.

Addison, a three hundred year old fugitive from the netherworld, recognizes the wretched woman inside the cameo and the curse she has cast on his unsuspecting love. The enchanted cameo has but one purpose: to torment Aileen with hints of love she can no longer recall.

Aileen cannot escape the deadly cameo. She runs for her life with the curse only a breath away. If she truly wants her memory back, the enchantress is all too willing to restore it. It will cost her, though. Cost her everything.

About the author: 

Shawn Martin calls Springfield, Missouri, home. After graduating from Missouri State University with majors in Economics and Political Science, he bounced around the Midwest only to end up right where he started.

His day (and night) job is being a firefighter. Aside from rescuing cats in trees and removing burnt pot roasts from ovens, he spends his time finding the hardest way to do the simplest of things. The rest of his time is spent weaving words into another installment in the Shadowflesh Series.

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Have a nice day!