Here is our first author stop on the readathon!! Woop!! See my interview with Shawn Martin here on Colorimetry... Join the Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon, and then jump over to Shawn Martin's post today... and enter to WIN his book... Shadowflesh...
Shadowflesh
by Shawn Martin
Paperback, 290 pages
Published February 28th, 2013 by Vinspire Publishing
Torn from her home and fighting bouts of suicidal depression, seventeen year old Aileen McCormick lands in the small coastal town of Redcliff, North Carolina. Her first day of school promises to be the worst day of her life - until she falls into the arms of Addison Wake. Addison's otherworldly charm and drop-dead gorgeous face leave Aileen breathless, but only for a moment. Grim and painful secrets lurk in his dark soul.
Addison Wake isn't exactly like other boys. Far from it. He's dead and has been for 300 years, locked in an ethereal prison by a lethal enchantress named Donelle. When she hungers, she blesses Addison's tortured spirit with moments of freedom, allowing him to roam the mortal world as Shadowflesh. But that dark blessing comes at a price. He must deliver the souls of five unsuspecting humans to Donelle.
When four dead bodies pop up in Redcliff, Aileen asks herself is her love for the mysterious boy unconditional? Is the love worth the risk? And will she be the next victim?
Please welcome.... Shawn Martin... to Colorimety!!
What was the first scene that came to you and you knew you had to write Shadowflesh?
Shadowflesh began as a living ghost story my wife and I shared with each other. Each day we'd add a little more to it until the tale morphed into something much bigger and even, dare I say, romantic. I remember the day the story begged me to commit it to paper. I had the epiphany when listening to "Oblivion" by The Briggs, and the scene blossomed before my eyes. Aileen stood in tears and a tattered dress atop her grandmother's three story mansion. Shame and sadness pushed her to the edge. Oblivion beckoned. Just before Aileen was to take that long and final step, Addison gave her a reason to live.
Wow!!!!! I love the scene, oh-my-goodness, and how you created the story with your wife!! That's beautiful!
Can you describe where the name comes from?
I spent a boat-load of years reading ghost stories and always found myself somewhat disappointed in what the authors called those spirits from the afterlife. Ghouls, phantoms, specters, apparitions... and yes, ghosts. Addison Wake, the handsome hero who had been murdered three hundred years ago, needed to be something more, something someone could love. He emerged from the shadows and became flesh. And the name was born. Shadowflesh.
Ah... it is... extra creepy, actually!
Do you have a favorite scene?
My favorite scene comes early in the book, when Aileen first meets Addison. It's her first day at her new school, and the bullies immediately target her. A linebacker the size of a commercial refrigerator stiff-arms Aileen, sending her kettle of teacup backwards. Just before she lands with a splat on her bottom, a pair of cool arms catch her and a voice says, "I have you." She looks up, but the sun over his shoulder obscures the face of her savior. When she squints and moves her head, Aileen stares into the eyes of the most amazing boy she has ever seen. Nearly speechless, she stumbles and bumbles for more than two coherent words to string together. She knows her world has changed, that she will never be the same again.
:-D I must read that scene!!
Share something personal! What are your favorite books? What are you reading now?
I suppose I have more than a few personal quirks. The one that stands out: I have a soft spot for animals. So, here is a personal little tidbit. In addition to writing, I am a firefighter. On a snowy winter evening, I responded to a house fire and found a poor lifeless cat deep in the smoke. After carrying the little guy out into the fresh air, I began what everyone thought was a futile effort to revive the feline. I began chest compressions and breathed into his whiskery mouth, then modified an oxygen mask. Within minutes the cat was meowing for its family. The other firefighters clapped me on the back and called me "the cat whisperer."
My favorite books are undisputedly young adult, especially the ones with a paranormal tilt. They bring me back to a time when life was so extreme, music was so powerful, and words meant so much. My heart races when I read about someone falling in love for the first time or discovering the courage to face the insurmountable. Currently, I'm reading the Hex Hall trilogy by Rachel Hawkins.
I'd like to thank Burgandy Ice for inviting me to chat for a few minutes on Colorimetry, and I'd like to thank you for reading!
Thank you for coming, Shawn Martin!! I can't believe you saved a cat... now I want to know how many cats you have... or have saved... so INTERESTING!!! Amazing!
Shawn Martin lives with his unconventional family and a clowder of cats in Springfield, Missouri. He graduated from Missouri State University with majors in Economics and Political Science.
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 imagining wonderful stories and weaving them into words.
Where did your book come from? - post today on Shawn's blog for the #TackleTBR readathon!
Giveaway -
1 eCopy of Shadowflesh. All my rules under the About tab and on the Rafflecopter apply!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
