My next author interview is with Lydia Baker, who writes fantasy - often with a sprinkle of romance, sci-fi and dystopian fiction. She is also hoping to branch out into Crime writing! She was first published in 2017 and has been both traditionally and indie published, so let's meet her:
'I'm a busy mother of four and wife of one, living and working in West Sussex. My day job is as a Teaching Assistant and Forest School Assistant.'
And a tweetable for you (tweet here):
'Lydia Baker - author of The Return of the Queen, winner of the Pink Heart Society Award for Best Paranormal Romance, and author of AVA, runner up in the Agora Lost the Plot Writing Competition. Books for Sci-Fi lovers and Fantasy lovers!'
That's not a bad start to a writing career, is it!! What inspired Lydia to become a writer?
'I’ve loved reading since I was small, it’s always been an escapism, and I started writing stories when I was at primary school.
When I was around 8 years old, a teaching assistant told me she would see my name in books one day and that really inspired me to keep writing and doing what I love.'
Oh, I love hearing about inspirational teachers - I'm not sure all of them realise how much impact they can have on young minds, but how wonderful Lydia is now in the position to help the children in her care (I bet she's fab!)! Having such a busy life, how does she fit in her writing?
'I work four days a week, but I have one day off midweek and that is my writing day. It’s the day I can really sit down and focus on writing for several uninterrupted hours. I find that in the evenings and when the kids are around its a challenge to get any peace and quiet!'
I can believe that 😁 but how wonderful she gets that time - that day must be so precious! What does she enjoy the most about writing?
'I love creating new characters and building new worlds. But I really love writing characters who would say and do things that I would never dream of. The villains are always fun to write as they are so different from my own character.'
And what has she found the trickiest part of the publishing / writing world?
'One of the hardest parts is editing. I love to write but I hate to edit! Also, rejections are hard, but you do tend to develop a thick skin.
The hardest thing, however, by far, is marketing your book. I find that harder than the writing itself. I think most authors prefer to be behind a keyboard, not in front of a camera.'
So true, but she's doing it, so kudos! What's been the best money she's spent as a writer so far?
'Definitely paying for an editor. Both of the ones I used have helped me grow and develop as an author.'
That's so good to hear! It goes to show that having the right team behind you really does help you improve - and winning awards means those editors knew their stuff! How many WIPs (work-in-progress) books does she have on the go currently?
'8, is that too many!!??'
🤣🤣 It sounds a lot to me! I suspect she's going to be very busy for the long-term! How long do they take to write?
'About a year, give or take.'
OMG, that's her next decade mapped out then! What does she find the most difficult thing about writing characters who are very different from herself?
'Not wanting to offend anyone!'
Yikes, I'd never thought of that! So let's chat about her books now. Can she give us an extract from one?
'Of course. This is from AVA:
I am tough; tough like worn boots on frozen ground, at least that’s what I tell myself. Yet the truth is, it’s bleak out there, out in the world we live in now, but you wouldn’t know it to look at us. We try to be normal, but there are strangers amongst us now: an army of metal soldiers that police our streets and threaten our doorways. They watch us. They are always watching us. You can’t miss the large, red MTech logos that adorn every building and every product, stamped across anything consumable, anything profitable, anything controllable. They own it all. They own the Mechs, too.
Yet if you step out of the bustling hive of the city, into the quiet, abandoned streets that stretch out towards the edge of this little world of mine, then the desolation and loneliness is earth-shattering.'
Oh my word, that's powerful stuff! Which of her books should readers try first?
'It really depends on if you’re a fantasy lover or a sci-fi lover as I have a book out in each genre. AVA is the first of a three-part series, whereas The Return of the Queen is a stand-alone fantasy book with a sprinkle of romance.'
So there are 2 further books, following AVA?
'Yes. I have book 2 in the AVA series ready to be edited and published. Book 3 is still being written.
I am also currently querying another dystopian novel and have a fantasy that I’m working on too.'
Yep, she's one busy lady! And we have lots to look forward to! As an established writer, what have been her writing-career highs and lows?
'The high point was getting a publisher. It was amazing to think that someone else thought my book was worth reading and shouting about. The awards that my stories have won have also been a high point.
Bad reviews, especially nasty ones, are always a low point.'
Oh dear. So she reads her reviews then?
'I like to, but they aren’t all always good. Like I said before, you have to have a thick skin. Not everyone will like my books and that's okay. What I do find hard is when a review has gone out of their way to be deliberately nasty. If you don’t like the book, that's okay, but authors are people with feelings.'
That's very true. If you'd like some advice on how to write a review, please see my post here
If she could go back and talk to herself, at the start of her writing career, what would she say?
'Just keep writing. The first thing you write wont necessarily be the best thing you write either. Make lots of author friends!'
Fabulous! And knowing what she knows now, does she have any advice for aspiring writers?
'A common trap is thinking that being published traditionally is the only way to succeed as an author. There are so many other ways to be published and so many authors self-publish and are equally, if not more, successful.'
That's excellent advice and certainly, of of the books I've read recently have been Indie and exceptionally good, so I agree wholeheartedly!
Please do take a look at Lydia's work, and visit her links below to find out more about this lovely lady:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lydiabakerauthor
Instagram: www.instagram.com/l.l.bakerauthor
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