An Interveiw with Shirley Martin

The Write Way Café welcomes Shirley Martin, author of Magic Mountain. Martin enjoys spinning fantasies and paranormal romances.


When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book? Was that first thought related to writing romance?
First, thank you for having me.   After my three sons had grown and left the house, I decided to start writing.  But I didn’t start right off with a novel, instead started with short stories.

Where did the idea for your story come from?
Since Magic Mountain is a fantasy, I didn’t do much research, but I got the idea from a non-fiction book titled Lost Treasures of the Anglo-Saxons. That book tells of the gold treasures left in England by the Anglo-Saxons.

Why did you pick the setting you did?
As I said, Magic Mountain is a fantasy, so I just created a world full of magic.

Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
All of my characters in all of my books are imaginary.  But I give them the traits I most admire in other people.

What have been surprises you've encountered while writing the book and after?
One surprise that happened and often happens with writers is that the characters have a mind of their own.  They don’t always do what you want them to do.

What are some of your favorite books and why?
My publishing company, Books We Love, has many fine authors,.  But one of my favorite books is Illusions by Frank Peretti.  He has written other fine books, as has Ted Dekker.  Anything by Terry Brooks is a good read.  These authors all write paranormal or fantasy, which are the genres I write in now.

What are you working on now?
The Door to Forever.  I’m very excited about this. It’s another fantasy romance, but part of it takes place in the real, contemporary world and part in the elven kingdom.

Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre?  Which one and why?
No, I’ve already written historical romances, paranormal and fantasy.  I enjoy writing paranormal and fantasy, so that’s what I’m staying with.

Who is your favorite hero/heroine?
My favorite hero is Owen of Forbidden Love, a historical romance, because he had so many obstacles he had to conquer.  My favorite heroine is Gwen of Dream Weaver my time travel romance because she, too, had many obstacles, going from her contemporary life, back to colonial Pennsylvania in 1762.

     She wanted to love him, but he was the enemy.
     Gold! Legend tells of a fortune in gold, hidden in a cave at Misty Mountain, in a land faraway.
     Princess Olwen must find the treasure . The neighboring warlike country of Volanar has held her brother hostage for years and demands a fortune to free him. Olwen’s country of Airenn Tir is too poor to pay the ransom. Her father doesn’t believe the legend of hidden gold and refuses to send anyone to search for the treasure.
     So she’ll find the gold herself, Olwen determines. Disguised as a man and traveling alone, she leaves in the dead of night and travels to a distant land to find the treasure. Painful surprises await her, for she has no idea she’ll encounter a land of magic . . . and danger.
     In Volanar, the king sends his son, Prince Garth, on a mission to find the gold. The king must have more money to wage war against Airenn Tir. He knows something the king of Airenn Tir doesn’t know, something his soldiers discovered while occupying part of that land. Greenstone lies beneath the earth, a precious gem believed to protect people against fatal illnesses.
     By accident, Olwen and Garth meet at an inn, neither knowing they have the same goal. Agreeing to travel together, they each make up a story to mask the true reasons for their trip. When they both realize they seek the same treasure, trouble follows, and plenty of it.
     When Garth discovers that Olwen is a woman, he fights his blossoming attraction for her. He must not fall in love with her, for they are enemies, each seeking the treasure for their countries.
     Too soon, Olwen discovers that Garth is a prince, from the very country that is holding her brother hostage. She wants nothing more to do with him and travels on alone.
     The evil sorceress, Gitta, vows to seize all the gold for herself and kill anyone who stands in her way.
     Who reaches the treasure first becomes a matter of life or death.

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About Shirley:
     Born in western Pennsylvania, Shirley Martin graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught school for one year, then obtained a position as flight attendant with Eastern Air Lines. Based in Miami, she met her future husband there. After raising three sons, she devoted her time to writing, something she'd always wanted to do.
     With a vivid imagination and a love of storytelling, Shirley has always enjoyed writing. Her first published novel, "Destined to Love" reflects her familiarity with western Pennsylvania and her love of romance writing. From this historical romance, she blossomed out to other romance genres. "One More Tomorrow" is a vampire romance, one her publisher dubbed "a sizzling seller." With several fantasy novels and novellas, her writing should appeal to just about every lover of romance. Her books have been sold at Amazon and most major bookstores and have garnered great reviews.
     A widow, Shirley lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her two cats.

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