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Ileen Martin is an award-winning author and lifelong Miami native with Cuban roots. A public-school language arts teacher for more than twenty years, she has spent much of her life surrounded by stories—reading them, teaching them, and writing her own. Her work has also appeared five times in Idea Education Fund teacher publications. She is the author of the young adult A Nightmare in Elmridge series, beginning with Nightmare Beauty (2019) and Nightmare Hunt (2022), supernatural tales that blend romance, mystery, and the unexpected. Both novels were rereleased with updated covers in 2024, with the third installment, Nightmare Kiss, forthcoming. A lifelong “what-if dreamer,” Ileen draws inspiration from family, Miami’s vibrant energy, and the impossible questions that have a habit of turning themselves into stories. She lives in South Florida with her family.
Ileen Martin is an award-winning author and lifelong Miami native with Cuban roots. A public-school language arts teacher for more than twenty years, she has spent much of her life surrounded by stories—reading them, teaching them, and writing her own. Her work has also appeared five times in Idea Education Fund teacher publications.
She is the author of the young adult A Nightmare in Elmridge series, beginning with Nightmare Beauty (2019) and Nightmare Hunt (2022), supernatural tales that blend romance, mystery, and the unexpected. Both novels were rereleased with updated covers in 2024, with the third installment, Nightmare Kiss, forthcoming.
A lifelong “what-if dreamer,” Ileen draws inspiration from family, Miami’s vibrant energy, and the impossible questions that have a habit of turning themselves into stories. She lives in South Florida with her family.
From young teens to adults who savor the sweet and spicy comedic clash of Anne of Green Gables meets Mean Girls, readers will love this saga filled with teen angst, slow-burn romance, and ‘firsts,’ all wrapped in a Beauty and the Beast paranormal twist of murder mystery, burgeoning superpowers, and haunting family secrets.
"Author Ileen Martin has crafted a charming and enjoyable YA novel that perfectly balances elements of mystery, romance, and the supernatural to create a compelling narrative that hooks readers from the very first page. Belle's journey of self-discovery and resilience in the face of adversity is both relatable and empowering, making her a protagonist that readers will root for until the end. I loved the close narration and her dialogue and attitude, shaped by the events around her as she grows and learns to cope with the new surprises in store. The intricate plot, filled with twists and turns, keeps readers guessing with well-laid clues and some really satisfying reveals later on. The vividly depicted setting of Elmridge goes beyond the cinematic to realize a fully multisensory immersion into the story world. Overall, Nightmare Beauty is a must-read for fans of young adult fiction who enjoy a mix of suspense, romance, and paranormal intrigue, and I can’t wait to see what the series has in store next."
"The wrapping of spirituality, fairytales, science fiction, and supernatural aspects into one novel [Nightmare Beauty] is absorbing and avoids some of the more traditional fantasy routes.... Belle Montague holds her own as a heroine, never settling for the role of damsel-in-distress. While the supernatural creatures don't all stand apart as unique, they'll have no trouble rooting for Belle's success and happiness...even if it means just graduating high school unscathed.... Nightmare Hunt blends a bevy of supernatural dangers into an enjoyably frothy story of navigating high school dramas and dilemmas.... Martin has a clear handle on storytelling, even as the chaos erupts at the highest decimals. Well-played dark humor and believable interactions between characters, human and otherwise, keep the story sailing along.... Nightmare Hunt relies on paranormal romance tropes, but the action is non-stop and Martin more than delivers on romantic and dramatic expectations."
