As far back as when I was crafting Exiled To Iowa, I was pondering a big series of books that became Hybrids. Of course, at the time, the idea was to make a super hero series, but then I got to wondering about the mechanics and before I knew it, my super hero series had turned into a science fiction series. I’m still not sure what happened.

This is a YA story, but it’s got some fairly mature themes. And while Joaquin is gay, this story is not about being gay. It’s an adventure story, filled with danger and intrigue. There are some complex themes involving the meaning of good and evil that I hope my readers will find interesting.

I wanted this to be more than an “Us vs Them” story. I love carnivorous aliens as much as the next geek, but I didn’t want it to be as clear cut as a predatory alien race coming to Earth. You’ll have to read Arrival to find out what motivates the aliens and what exactly their plans are. But as an author, I just love shades of gray. Life is never as simple as black and white. I think in between good and evil is where the truly interesting stories can be found.

This story is going to get a lot darker and bleaker before the end, but I don’t ever want it to be depressing. I want the danger to be real and immediate, but not hopeless. In the end, this is a fight for freedom, which is a fight worth fighting.