Featured Interview With Leonide Martin
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born in New Orleans and raised in southern Louisiana, I went to California in my early 20s to get a masters degree at UCLA. My professional career in health (nursing, nurse practitioner) included teaching at UCLA and Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA. Taking early retirement from the University, I continued working as an FNP at a rural clinic in the Sierra Foothills near Nevada City, CA. I lived for 15 years as a member of the Ananda Spiritual Community and followed the yoga and meditation practices of Yogananda. My spiritual studies included the Feminine Divine and I became an ordained Priestess of Isis. In the late 1990s I became fascinated with the Mayan culture, amassed a huge archaeology and anthropology library, and traveled to Maya sites in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. I studied with Mayan elders Hunbatz Men in Mexico and Aum Rak Sapper in Guatemala, becoming a Maya Solar Initiate and Fire Woman. It became clear that part of my life mission was to bring this advanced, magnificent culture to a wider audience through historical fiction. After living 5 years in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico my husband and I returned to the US and settled in Oregon, in a small town in the northern Willamette Valley. This brought us into fortunate contact with Oregon’s amazing wine country, renowned for Pinot Noir that has bested the finest Burgandy from France. Now we’re “wine fanatics” to quote David and have developed a rather refined and upscale palate (much to our budget’s distress). Our lives are enriched by two gorgeous white Angora cats, brother and sister, who have Mayan names. My other pursuits are gardening, putting up food, cooking, walking in nature, singing in choir, and of course, reading good books.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a youngster, I was encouraged to read by my grandfather who sent me books and discussed them with me. Early on I was reading classics and became especially taken with historical fiction. I remember writing stories in a spiral notebook around age 10-11, during my Western adventure phase (loved Zane Grey). Writing became part of my life, through a college prep high school and into college for advanced degrees. While on faculty at UCLA, I was recruited as third author on a famous maternity nursing textbook, when the lead author recognized my writing skills. Over the professional years I wrote many books and articles, delivered untold speeches and made national organization keynotes. Fiction did not re-enter my writing life until after retirement and the “call” to ancient Mayan culture. My first novel was published in 2006, about the indigenous understanding of 2012 and the end of the Mayan calendar. The Mayan Queens series followed about the lives of four great Mayan queens of Palenque. I’ve now finished three of this 4-book series.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Historical fiction is by far my favorite genre, ancient worlds in top place, especially Egypt, Greece, India, and the Mediterranean world. I do read widely among genres, with preference for action/adventure, space fiction, futuristic fiction (but not dystopic worlds), and some suspense.
My favorite contemporary authors are L.M. Ironside, Michelle Moran, Cheryl Fluty, Sherry Jones, Douglas Preston, Michael Crichton, and John Grisham.
Authors who inspire my writing are Marion Zimmer-Bradley, Mary Renault, Margaret Mitchell, E.M. Forster, Colleen McCullough, Anita Diamant.
Authors I read just because they’re fun are Elizabeth Peters, Ann Charles, Carl Hiaasen, Neil Gaiman, Colin Falconer (Naked Series).
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Mayan Red Queen: Tz’aakb’u Ahau of Palenque is the third in the Mists of Palenque series about four great Mayan queens. Although her birth date and name are not known, I call her Lalak because her formal royal name is quite a mouthful. She was the wife of Pakal, most famous Mayan ruler who brought the great city Palenque (ancient Lakam Ha) to its apex of political and creative prowess. Very little is known factually about Pakal’s wife, for there are few inscriptions and portraits of her. She came from another nearby city, bore Pakal 4 sons, participated in ascension to the throne rituals, and was buried in a rich tomb adjacent to Pakal’s own mortuary pyramid. Taking those bits of data about her, and copious research on Pakal and Palenque of his times, I created her character and story line mostly based on imagination. A shy and homely girl whose childhood was somewhat chaotic, her marriage is arranged by their parents who have motives of their own, and Pakal is already in love with a beautiful woman who does not have the right blood lines. Lalak is overwhelmed by the complex royal court, her mother-in-law’s hostility, and her husbands aloofness. She struggles to find her place and win Pakal’s love while coping with loss and heartbreak. She must find inner strength and assert her rightful position. She recognizes her destiny to play a pivotal role in Pakal’s mission to restore the spiritual portal that was destroyed in prior enemy attack. Through learning sexual alchemy, she brings the immense creative force of sacred union to rebuild the portal, but first Pakal must come to view his wife in a new light.
Ultimately this is a beautiful love story of two unique people, both possessing mystical qualities and shamanic abilities, who must reach through complexities and preconceptions to discover who the other truly is. Their character arcs show marked changes and it was gratifying for me to see this development unfold. Writing this Mayan queen’s story was the most challenging to date, because so much is known about Pakal and his times, and he is so greatly admired by Mayanists. I also had fun with the characters of their sons, making one a dark but magnetic personality. He is featured as a major actor in the next queen’s book. It took me over a year to write this story, mostly because I had to sort through huge amounts of research and kept re-checking the story timeline for accuracy to known historic events. Authors are not supposed to love any one of their “children” creations most, but I can’t help favoring The Mayan Red Queen.
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