Tennille Marie Shares Her Out-of-This-World Middle-Grade Blended Family Adventure

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Valerie - Welcome to Bookworthy, where we explore the heart behind the books your kids read. Today, we're talking with author Tennille Marie about her middle-grade sci-fi adventure, So My Mom is from Outer Space. This book follows Wyatt Ricardo on a wild adventure after his mother disappears. What will he discover about his mom and himself through the pages of this book? Welcome to Bookworthy, Tennille.

Tennille - Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

Valerie - It is a pleasure. We usually start our conversation with a random question of the week. Since we're in the fall, here’s the must-know question: Is it a pumpkin spice latte or apple cider as your drink of choice?

Tennille - Full cider all the way.

Valerie - I’ve noticed that more people are choosing apple cider. I’m just not a fan of either, but if I had to pick one...

Tennille - I would take apple pie, apple spice, cider. I would take apple anything.

Valerie - That’s almost a culture or experience in itself. I love it! Now, Tennille, this isn't your first book. You've written some historical fiction. What made you shift to middle grade with this book, So My Mom is an Alien?

Tennille - I have three sons, and they all wanted to be characters in the book. I read to my son every night. He loves stories. I thought it would be neat to write stories that parents read to their kids at night. At the time, I was targeting the age group they were in. My son has a reading disability, so I aimed to make the book simple for him to understand. I did it for my boys. Each wanted a name, so one character is named after my children. You might figure it out!

Valerie - That’s a fun tidbit that only you and your kids will know! Tell us a bit about the book itself and where those ideas came from.

Tennille - The ideas came from my boys. They see me and their dad as boring parents. We clean the house, make dinner, and go to work. I thought, maybe a lot of kids think their parents are just boring. So, I wondered about a story where a child finds out their mom is much more than they thought.

Valerie - Just a little bit more! Why do you think your readers, who are in that 8 to 12 age range, will relate to your main character, Wyatt?

Tennille - I think they'll relate because he is not perfect. He is willing to learn. He has problems like everyone else. He struggles in school and wants friends. He loves his family. I think he’s a very relatable character. He’s funny, and my sons laughed at parts I read to them, saying, “You wrote that?”

Valerie - Our sons never understand how humorous we can be! I love that you’ve included a blended family in this book. You portray the odd relationships of stepfamilies. Was that inspired by your own experiences?

Tennille - Yes, I read many books and noticed a lack of blended family representation. I wanted to show that blended families are still families. We face the same issues, with many people in a small space, leading to drama.

Valerie - Exactly! With this book, what do you hope kids take away when they finish the last page?

Tennille - I hope they realize they can accomplish things they never thought possible. If you keep working and believing in yourself, you can achieve great things. It’s out of this world!

Valerie - It might be out of this world! Now, where did your writing journey begin, Tennille?

Tennille - My son is autistic and attended Lego therapy. I spent hours waiting for him. During that time, I felt like I could do something more productive. So, I started bringing a notepad and pen to write.

Valerie - You began with middle grade, correct?

Tennille - Yes, I started with middle grade. It took longer to publish than my historical fiction.

Valerie - It’s hard to put timelines on books. Did you start with this particular story or just the middle-grade age to connect with your kids?

Tennille - I focused on the middle-grade age. I love historical fiction. My father-in-law was a Vietnam vet, and I noticed a lack of fiction about that era. I wanted to create a saga of characters going through the Vietnam War.

Valerie - It’s important to tell those stories. We need to appreciate the experiences of those who lived through significant events. Did you always want to be an author?

Tennille - No, I always wanted to write stories. I loved telling stories my grandpa shared. I never thought of myself as a writer, but I enjoyed sharing stories.

Valerie - What made you take the leap from just liking to write to becoming an author?

Tennille - Once I started writing, I felt I couldn’t go a day without it. It gets into your system, and you want to share your stories. It’s hard because not everyone will like your work, but you have to develop a thick skin.

Valerie - Yes, it’s a process. You want people to read your work but also fear their judgment. It’s a way to express and process our world, which is rewarding.

Tennille - Exactly!

Valerie - What is your favorite book to read?

Tennille - My favorite book has always been Pride and Prejudice. I just love it!

Valerie - It’s a classic enemies-to-lovers story, isn’t it?

Tennille - Yes, I’ve always liked it.

Valerie - So, do you prefer the Keira Knightley version or the six-hour BBC version?

Tennille - I can’t help it! I’ll watch it every time it’s on.

Valerie - The Colin Firth version is long but really good.

Tennille - Yes, everyone says that!

Valerie - What is the most impactful book in your life, other than the Bible?

Tennille - I was going to say the Bible! But there’s a book called Local Girls by Alice Hoffman. It’s short and has some language, but it teaches that even when things get hard, if you keep pushing on, things will get better.

Valerie - We all need that reminder to keep moving forward. You can’t change circumstances, but you can change your attitude.

Tennille - Yes, keep going! It may be bad now, but it will get better.

Valerie - Do you have a favorite middle-grade book?

Tennille - Yes! My son and I have read many middle-grade books together, but I love Wonder. It touched my heart. I cried while reading it to him. He even wanted to record me crying!

Valerie - It’s a relatable story. We can all connect with someone in that narrative. What can we expect next from you?

Tennille - I have the second installment of the middle-grade series, So My Mom is From Outer Space, written and will be out soon. I’m also working on the last of the historical fiction series.

Valerie - That’s a lot of work! It’s impressive to balance two different genres.

Tennille - Thank you!

Valerie - Where can people find out more about you and your books?

Tennille - My website is www.tennillemarie.com. It’s a good place to learn about my books. You can also sign up for my newsletter for a freebie and follow me on Instagram.

Valerie - I’ll include that link in the description. Thank you for joining me today, Tennille.

Tennille - Thank you! It’s been a pleasure.

Valerie - Thank you for joining Tennille and me on this episode of the Bookworthy Podcast. Check the show notes for any books or links we discussed. Let us know in the comments which you would choose: Pumpkin Spice Latte or Apple Cider. Be sure to like and subscribe to discover more great books together.

Happy reading!