-Editorial
Imperial Valley author Sherlyn Cervantes will celebrate the upcoming release of her novel “Don’t Forget Me” with a release party Sept. 25 at After Hours Bookstore in El Centro. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. at 623 W. Main St. Admission is free.
“Don’t Forget Me” is a contemporary romance centered on Lysandra Guerrera, a bestselling author whose carefully planned future is disrupted when she encounters Ezra Van Dorren, the former boyfriend who broke her heart five years earlier.
Ezra is a film producer who reunites with Lysandra through a professional project and attempts to rekindle their relationship. Lysandra, however, is engaged to Aldair and has been trying to build a stable future. Working with Ezra forces her to confront unresolved feelings and memories from their past.
Cervantes said her interest in writing began during childhood, when she frequently created stories for school assignments.
“My mom is one of the reasons I went into reading and writing. She was a young mom and she wanted me to keep my focus on books and school so she’d always take me to libraries and bookstores,” Cervantes said.
Cervantes published her debut novel, “Heiress of Fire,” in 2024. She said her personal experiences also influenced “Don’t Forget Me,” including aspects of the relationship between Lysandra and Ezra.
After leaving an abusive household at age 19, she fell in love for the second time with her future husband, who was her boyfriend at the time.
“Aside from my faith, he kept me upright through all my battles,” Cervantes said. “I wrote ‘Don’t Forget Me’ as a representation of us.”
Cervantes said the characters’ traumatic history and connection were influenced by experiences from her own life, although the story is not a direct account of her relationship.
“Not everything, of course,” Cervantes said when asked whether her relationship influenced Lysandra and Ezra. “But the foundation of Ezra and Lysandra’s understanding of one another, that magnetic pull they have for one another.”
The novel also explores the uncertainty surrounding Lysandra’s engagement to Aldair. Cervantes said that storyline was influenced by a period when she struggled to envision a future with someone other than her husband.
“I found myself trying hard to imagine a future with someone who wasn’t my husband,” she said. “Meanwhile, my husband was taking care of me from a distance. Even though we were broken up at the time.”
Cervantes said her life experiences continue to influence the characters and themes in her writing.
“My life experiences are what drive me as a writer,” she said. “It goes down to that saying, ‘Write what you know.’”
Representation was another consideration in the development and publication of “Don’t Forget Me.” Cervantes said she initially attempted to find traditional representation for the novel but received about 200 rejections before deciding to publish it independently.
She said the decision allowed her to reach readers in her community and receive feedback from people who identified with Lysandra, who comes from a Mexican family.
“Many people even told me that she’s not your stereotypical Hispanic female main character,” Cervantes said. “She’s normal. She’s proud of her roots.”
Cervantes said she incorporates elements of her culture into her writing and that living in the Imperial Valley has provided experiences that influence her characters and storylines.
The novel is planned as the first installment of a duology. Cervantes said the second book, “Don’t Remember Me,” is scheduled for release Feb. 12, 2027. The sequel will focus primarily on Camille and Zack, friends of Lysandra and Ezra, while also including the original characters.
Cervantes said she hopes readers take away a message about recognizing when a situation or relationship is harmful and maintaining connections with people who provide support.
“I hope readers can have the courage to leave any situation, place, relationship, friendship that hurts them,” Cervantes said, “and to hold onto the people who do them good.”
Cervantes said she is also encouraged by readers who say they feel represented by Lysandra, who is described as brown-skinned, curly-haired and brown-eyed.
“Growing up, I read the complete opposite, so it definitely heals a part of me,” Cervantes said.
She said she hopes readers will connect with the characters and find comfort in the story.
“I’d love for readers to know that this book was made with a lot of love and care,” Cervantes said. “Hopefully they are able to find comfort in my words.”
