Author Martin writes of 'Eternal Shadows'

Crossing from the real world to the fantasy world could prove to be a fascinating experience for readers of a local writer with a vivid imagination.

"Eternal Shadows" has been published by Cool Well Press, Inc., a publisher of fiction and young adult books, the latest work by fantasy author Kate Martin of Gaylorsdsville.

The book is available in traditional paperback and e-book formats and also at the publisher's website at www.coolwellpress.com, as well as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

"It began with the idea of `What if there was a war and no one came? What kind of war would that be?" Ms. Martin said. "From there the rest of the story just evolved. I'd always loved vampires and wanted to explore a dynamic that hadn't really been tapped yet in the growing market -- someone facing the change personally.

"Add a little romance, and a dash of past lives, and, before I knew it, Kassandra and Rhys were born."

As the New Milford High School graduate reveals about "Eternal Shadows," vampires aren't supposed to be real, and Kassandra is not supposed to be one of them. But now, world leaders, including her father, are being replaced -- by vampires.

The author elaborated: "One day shy of her 18th birthday, Kassandra discovers she has fangs, a hunger for blood, and a body with abilities she can't control."

Ms. Martin is an adjunct professor by day, a dance teacher by night, "and a writer every minute in between."

Growing up in a small town in western Connecticut, she said she spent her childhood weaving intricate plots for her dolls -- none of which were ever without fantastical elements.

"I've been writing ever since I can remember," Ms. Martin reflected. "Even before I actually learned to write with pen and paper I spent the day weaving stories with my dolls and other toys. Barbie never simply tried on dresses and brushed her hair, there was usually some foul plot afoot.

"The same went for every doll I owned. They went to school, dealt with issues, won the Olympics, whatever I could think of."

Martin earned her B.A. in elementary education with a minor in psychology before finding Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction Program, from which she graduated with an M.A. in June 2008.

Her first story was published in July 2009 in Rage of the Behemoth.

For more information about the author or "Eternal Shadows," visit www.kate-martin.com.