Shawn Cormier was born in the small town of Southbridge, Massachusetts in the northeast United States.  He found his love for words early, reading the likes of Jim Kjelgaard, Jack London and J.R.R. Tolkien. Finally, having run out of "good reads", he put pen to paper and at the age of twelve wrote his first short story. He has been writing ever since, earning his Creative Writing degree from Long Island University, Southampton Campus in 1989.

When not writing, he can be found in his family's jewellery store, repairing and designing jewellery and studying gems. He currently resides in East Brookfield, Massachusetts in the United States with his wife and two children. His works include the highly acclaimed young adult fantasy novels: Nomadin, NiDemon and the recently-published third book in the series, Necromancer.

A short interview with Shawn

How did you get interested in writing?

I was an avid reader when I was a child. Books took me to fantastical places. Books introduced me to unforgettable people and books made me feel happy. Through them I could escape a very real world of sadness and depression.  When I ran out of books that interested me, I turned to writing them for myself. I found writing to be even better therapy than reading. It was the ultimate escapism. I knew then that I never wanted to be without that feeling. I knew then that I wanted to be a writer.


Tell us about the inspiration behind Nomadin and its sequels, NiDemon and Necromancer.

I was raised in a very strict religious atmosphere. As a Jehovah's Witness I was taught that I was a member of a very select crowd that God would save. All others would perish when the end came and in a twisted way, I felt incredibly special. At the age of seventeen I was forced out of the religion by my parents, the very people who had immersed me in it. Suddenly I went from believing I was a Chosen One to grappling with the fact that I was really a part of the Other Side, and the Other Side was not evil after all - it was the religion that was evil. Of course, life is not that simple. The nature of Good and Evil lies in each and every one of us. It took me many years to become fully Deprogrammed. Nomadin and its sequels were my way of sorting through my emotions and beliefs.

Now that you have finished the trilogy, what are your future plans?

I will continue to write for young people. I have so many other ideas bouncing about in my head that it really comes down to just choosing one and beginning. I could write a prequel to Nomadin; I could write a contemporary novel. At the moment, I am in between books, which is a fancy way of saying "relaxing"!

What do you do to relax?

I play tennis. I watch television. I play with my kids. I take walks around my neighbourhood and pick up trash. I read. I am especially interested in tennis; I played college tennis and now belong to a local club. If only my body liked the sport as much as my psyche!

Authors Books