Please give a warm welcome to author Alexandra K. Martin

Tell us a bit about yourself… 

If I could use one word to describe me it would be quirky. I love to snuggle when it’s cold, surround myself with animals and have a family that I couldn’t live without. My sense of humour is either dark and dirty or lame Dad jokes, with nothing in between. 

I’m an Australian full-time author and I love it every single day. So far I have written fantasy, paranormal and contemporary RH but I plan on always pushing my limit and evolving my skills. With my husband and 3 kids by my side, I can trudge through anything and refuse to give up when life gets hard.

Unfortunately, I have a rare chronic disease that can push to lower my quality of life but I use it as the fire to remind me to enjoy every soft breeze on my face, the colours that fill the sky and the joy to get older. Never wasting an opportunity to help a person in need, and never bring anybody down or waste my time with idle gossip. 

I am a true believer that kindness does make all the difference.

Have you always wanted to become an author? 

Actually I went to university and studied 2 degrees in the hopes of becoming a federal officer or work in intelligence. The motivation to make the world a better place, driving me to success. However those plans never reached fruition as I got diagnosed with my illness and those jobs were then no longer a possibility for me.

So I spent my time doing what made me the happiest – writing. Never once did I consider that my fondest hobby could become my dream career. I hadn’t realised that it was even an option. Even though my home is filled with the tales of countless authors from throughout time, from Homer, Jane Austen, and Leo Tolstoy to the more modern authors Sherrilyn Kenyon (McQueen), Kelley Cole and Serena Akeroyd. 

One day it just snapped in my mind that being an author should have been my dream all along and that my deep desire to make the word better, can be fulfilled by bringing stories of love, laughter and fantasy to those who need it. So, here I am, doing what I love and regretting nothing.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series? 

I read A LOT, and it was getting to the point where I was getting frustrated because I couldn’t find any RH books of single mothers or women in their 30’s. Then I thought, I’ll just make it myself. 

The Rathe Chronicles began with that thought in mind and then grew from there. It’s my plan to have a place for all kinds of women to shine. I have created a world that will show all women; short and tall, big and small, strong and timid, dark and light, older and younger, with and without children, and with different sexual orientations from all walks of life. 

This series will be ongoing and continue to grow and unfold through every chapter told. Rathe is a whole new world of my creation and there is so much that I have to show you and share. It will cover RH, Ménage, M/F, F/F, and maybe even M/M. Each story is individual to the characters needs but they’re all spicy because everyone needs a little spice in their life.

A world for every woman is my inspiration.

What are you working on now? 

Currently I have my focus on Lust. Lust is an RH fairytale retelling from a sinner’s point of view, and it’s a part of a collaboration that I put together with 6 other amazing authors that I feel privileged to be working with. AJ Blackburn, Kira Roman, J. Kearston, Kat Blak, Kris Butler, and Jay Leigh Brown. Each one of us has our own fairytale and sin to tell.

Lust is book number 6 in the series and will be released on the 1st of August, but the book 1 ‘Gluttony’ comes out on May the 15th. 

The Golden Bird is the retelling that I’m focusing on, and I love that because it’s more uncommon than most and it’s exciting being able to create something unique from such a special story.

It’s a contemporary dark romance and could have quite a few triggers involved but it’s all relatable to the story and will have a HEA, I promise. All of the sinners books will.

It’s super fun to write and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. The series collaboration is going to be epic.

Do you have any quirks while working? 

I have to be either laying down or with my feet up. I have no idea why. Haha. I like to have my main playlist playing in the background while I write, with a bottle of water by my side.

I also write my daily words in one document before I add it to my manuscript, so that I can go over it again in case I’m not happy with it. It’s way more time consuming but I’m a big critic of my own work and like to make sure that I’m doing the best I can at that time.

I have a quirky hobby of collecting names and have a journal filled with them. I use it to randomly pick names for each character and mark them off so that I never double up in the future. It’s weird, I know. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

My Biggest hope at the moment is to learn how to write quicker and for my life to give me more time that I can dedicate to my career. Writing is everything to me and I look forward to always evolving and I never want to be settled in my writing because there’s always more to be taught.

I love what I do, I just wish there was more time to do it.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world? 

Listen to the advice of those around you and then decide what works for you because everyone is different and that’s okay. 

Be kind and supportive of other authors around you because we’re all in this together and being competitive is a waste of time and the only person you’ll disappoint is yourself. 

Find your support network! Without my little team of people I’ve found in the book community I would be lost, a good group of people to give you honest advice and remind you that you’re doing great is everything and make sure to give that support in return.

Find an amazing PA. My PA’s are my life savers, they are under appreciated and deserve more praise than they get. They work hard for you and keep life easier to maintain, I couldn’t recommend them more.

Do you have anything to say to your followers? 

You are everything! I appreciate every single one of you for taking the time to enter my world. My main goal in life is to bring you a temporary sanctuary to become a part of. A place for your mind to call home when you need a break and I hope that you’ve found it within my world of imagination.