BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Once an Alien: The Alien Chronicles [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Robin Martin to talk about Once an Alien (28 April 2019, Bennett Lane Press, 213 pages), a Young Adult Sci-Fi Romance, book three in the The Alien Chronicles series.

"This book was amazing! I loved the characters. Rion is learning the ways of humans. Zoe, the wonderful girl she is, is teaching Rion about feelings and how humans react in certain situations. Then Pandora comes along being a rogue alien and turning everyone's life topsy turvey. The ending was bitter sweet but a good way to end. I loved it!" ~ Amazon reader

"This was an amusing alien story. It always is when one culture has to learn about another. But in this story not only does Rion have to learn about a new culture, but a whole new world. AND Pandora definitely doesn't help. The whole Zoe and Rion relationship is wonderful." ~ Amazon reader

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Robin Martin; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

"Thanks for hosting me!"

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Once an Alien , or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

Pandora and Rion danced to these fifties hits in a retro cafe.
Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
Rockin' Robin – Bobby Day
If you're into heavy metal, check this one out. Pandora danced to this on a coffee table during one of her many parties when she let slip that Rion was…well, not exactly human!
Space Truckin' – Deep Purple
But one of my favourites is the one Zoe, Pandora, Lou and Kerri danced to at the prom. It's the classic...
We Are Family – Sister Sledge

What was the inspiration for Once an Alien?

"Because 'Once an Alien' was my last book in the series, I wanted to finish it well.

I've taken Zoe and Rion's relationship to a deeper level, and have given some of the supporting characters a story, such as Lou and Kerri. But then, Pandora stepped into the book. I'm not sure where she came from, but she arrived fully formed with her own story and ideas about her place in the book, front and centre.

Pandora became the catalyst that forced the other characters to deal with some important questions in their lives. In particular, she confronted Rion and challenged him to examine who he really was, and that resulted in the title, 'Once an Alien'."

Why should we read Once an Alien and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Quirky and humorous with an alien twist, this series is for anyone who loves a light, humorous read that has some serious touches as well.

While it's YA, anyone can read these books and some of my biggest fans have been adults. I originally started the series because I wanted to write something that was fun and escapist for young teens that wasn't too heavy or dark. It started off with an unusual relationship between a 4000 year old alien and a fifteen year old human girl and grew from there.

In Book 3, 'Once an Alien' I introduced the character, Pandora, a rogue alien, who really stirs things up. This book also looks at exploring your own identity whether you are an alien/human, coping with the illness of a parent, and learning that changing yourself for someone else is never a good idea."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Once an Alien - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The cover of 'Once an Alien' features one of my favourite characters, Pandora, an alien with attitude. I wanted the cover to reflect her edginess and luckily my book cover designer, Anthony Puttee, at the Book Cover Cafe, came up with just the right image.

We also kept the same concept as the other two books in the series — silhouettes against a background. Getting the right cover is so important and it's great when you have a designer you can work with. I love the covers of all the books in The Alien Chronicles, but 'Once an Alien' is my favourite."

Can you tell us something quirky about Once an Alien, its story and characters?

"The aliens in my books chose their own human names and often called themselves after people or places they admire or identify with in some way.

For example, Orion called himself after the constellation where his planet was situated. Pandora's name comes from Greek mythology. Zeus, the king of the gods, who created the mythical Pandora as the first woman and gave her a jar (later called a box) containing all the problems of the world. And she certainly knows how to cause trouble, as the tagline on Book 3 says, 'Pandora doesn't need a box, after all, she's an alien.' Finally, there is Archimedes, a slightly pompous and totally unaware alien, who takes his name from the famous Greek mathematician he so admires."

Who would you recommend Once an Alien to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"This book would appeal to anyone who enjoys a fun, light read that still has its serious moments.

It explores what it means to be human. It also looks at family relationships and what happens when a parent becomes ill - such as when Zoe's mother develops cancer. And it deals with the developing love between Pandora and Kerri, two very different girls, one alien and one human, who find a connection and a mutual respect."

If you could / wished to turn Once an Alien and the The Alien Chronicles series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I think this would be an ideal TV series because it's quirky, YA oriented and lends itself to an episodic narrative.

Although it's set in Australia, the characters and concepts are relatable to most teens and a general audience anywhere.

My dream directors would be the Duffer Brothers, Matt and Ross, who directed the Netflix series, Stranger Things. I'd love to see what they would do with the concept. I'd be happy with unknown actors as the characters in the book are fairly young and I'd rather have actors who were close to that age than more well known actors in their mid-twenties. Netflix, if you're listening…"

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"The genre I read and like to write in is Speculative Fiction, which includes fantasy and science fiction. I also love rom-com, and anything that makes me laugh is a winner as far as I'm concerned. So I tend to write in those genres as well.

I've also found I really enjoy writing about teens, which is all about firsts - first love, first job, first time driving, etc. It's a time of discovery and understanding the world and your place in it. So, really, my books in the series include all the areas I love writing about — science fiction, romance, humour and YA."

What is in store next?

"At the moment I'm writing a book with my daughter, Ruth, who is also a writer. The genre is women's fiction, so it's directed at an older audience. It explores the whole mother/daughter relationship and we're having a lot of fun with that, particularly as the locations in the book take us travelling to a lot of interesting places. We will be heading off to Fiji in the near future and certainly including that in our book. Research is so hard!

I'm also working on a new YA series. There will be elements of speculative fiction in it and also romance. I hope to be able to reveal more about it in the coming months."

Again, thank you for being with us today; we hope you have a great tour!

Pandora doesn't need a box to cause trouble; after all she's an alien.