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Do family members have to take care of narcissistic, toxic relatives? What happens when those relatives are gone, and the pain they leave behind? Does it grow, or can it be transformed? What lessons, if any, can we learn from those relatives...or is that idea of closure immature and ridiculous? What happens when other people do not validate the abuse you experienced, and you have to validate your own feelings?

All this and more is explored in "Like It Never Happened."

"Am I strong enough to take care of an evil cancer patient?"

Alice Braun has lived in the shadow of her grandmother's narcissistic abuse, which has sent shock waves through her mom's and aunts' parenting styles. When her grandmother gets cancer, all six of them ask Alice to be her caregiver. Is Alice strong enough to break this generational curse, and care for a person who everyone else considers evil? And will she have to do it all alone?


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Biography

My name is Lisa Marie Martens and I've been writing short stories since I was very small. Back in the mid-90s I would use the family computer to create a satirical "newspaper" and made people who sat next to me on planes read it (I flew alone a lot as a child).

If I'm sitting next to you on a plane, I just might make you read one of my books. 

Bio

I was born in New York City. My childhood was a crazy time. I was briefly in foster care and eventually lived with my biological family. We moved to Costa Rica and then Texas. Things settled down. I discovered epilepsy and my love of writing. Fortunately, I was cured of one of these conditions. I moved back to New York for college, and now I spend my time in Costa Rica or the east coast. (If you're traveling to Costa Rica, hit me up. I can probably help you!)

I graduated from NYU with a BA in Philosophy and CCNY with my MFA in Creative Writing. 

These days, I write blog posts, grant proposals for nonprofits, internet content, radio content, and novels. My most recent novel, "Like It Never Happened", is about a narcissistic grandma and the granddaughter tasked with caring for her. Do we have to take care of those who didn't take care of us?

Earlier Works

Earlier works on Amazon under LM Martens. I originally didn't use my full name because I thought I would sell more copies if people didn't know I was a woman. But, forget that. New books will be published under Lisa Marie Martens going forward. 


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