We Love… Lex Martin

Dear readers, I have a big surprise for you. This is my first interview with a writer and it was my honour to speak with the lovely Lex Martin, who brought us the Dearest Series and Shameless.

Not many know that she is an English/ journalism teacher, who stopped professing in order to write full time. Being a bestselling author comes easy for her and in her free time she loves printing black and white photos and listening to music on vinyl. She is happily married and has twin daughters 😀 She was so awesome and opened to share with us a little part of her amazing world. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did 🙂

Ramona: What inspires you to write?

Lex: Watching people interact and trying to guess their stories. Sometimes I’ll hear a word or a phrase and get inspired. I love piecing together the story and finding just the right way to interlock the story, finessing everything until the picture is clear—it’s the ultimate challenge.

Ramona: What was the book that marked you and that you considered a role model? Tell us something about its unique features. 

Lex: “Hopeless” by Colleen Hoover was one of the first new adult books that really stood out to me. Before that, you mostly had young adult or adult contemporary. Needless to say, Colleen was a huge inspiration to me. I’ve also been inspired by Amanda Hocking, who was one of the first indie authors to sell a million e-books. I stumbled across her vampire series several years ago, and each book was 99 cents and so freaking additive. I loved how accessible her books were. That’s when I realized I could do this. I could self-publish.

Ramona: What do you think are your greatest assets as a writer?

Lex: Even if terrible things happen to my characters, I always want readers to feel lighter when they’re done. I started writing to deal with some trauma in my own life and to escape, so I want my books to be an escape for readers as well.

Ramona: Do you see yourself doing something else besides writing wonderful books?

Lex: Nope. This is it! 🙂

Ramona: After writing The Dearest Series that had such a success, how can you characterize your style? 

Lex: I think my books are fun and irreverent, hopefully sexy with substance. If my books were dessert, I’d want them to be that big piece of chocolate cake with ganache frosting and not the Peeps you get in an Easter basket.

Ramona: When dealing this writer’s block, what helps you find your inspiration again?

Lex: I try not to believe in writer’s block. For me, it’s more about finding the right way to say something that’s rattling around in my head. Listening to music is usually what helps me to relax enough to trust my instincts and get it on paper.

Ramona: What is your favourite quote or paragraph from a book?

Lex: “They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered.”- F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

Ramona: What is your biggest dream?

Lex: Honestly, this is it—being able to publish my books. If I could have a movie deal some day for one of my stories, that would be the cherry on top.

Ramona: What were the biggest challenges in getting to publish and make your work known? 

Lex: Marketing and publicity are probably the most challenging, but I really enjoy those aspects too. It’s fun to plan promotion and create teasers and share your work with readers.

Ramona: I can’t help myself to ask, what is your favourite book boyfriend?

Lex: Some of my favorite book boyfriends are actually from young adult books. I love Four from Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Will from Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices series, Raffe from Susan Ee’s Angelfall, and Akiva from Lanie Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I went through this big YA paranormal romance phase a few years ago, and those characters just stuck with me. They’re all fierce and a little standoffish, which I love.

Ramona: To end with, please share some thoughts with the readers that love your work or  want to get to know it better in the near future.

Lex: It means the world to me when they take the time to post reviews or write to me and share what they enjoyed. There are a million great books out there, and the fact that they take time out of their lives to live in my stories is incredible. I don’t take that for granted.

 For more on Lex Martin, just click her official website or Goodreads profile: