This week, I'm highlighting fellow writers I met as part of an effort to put together my writers' group. In the writing course I am taking, they emphasized the importance of sharing, of being generous, when working with readers and writers. I'm using this opportunity to share with you as my readers about these new(ish) writers, so you, too, will watch for their future pieces. This time, I'm writing about Jennifer L. Baker.
[half-sisters]
Jennifer is working on polishing up a finished draft of book one of a nine-book fantasy series (intended for more mature young adults and adults). She has begun writing the second book in that series and has outlined the other seven. Here is the summary of her first book:
In a medieval, Earth-like world where even the weakest humans possess some form of limited magic, fifteen-year-old Sarra struggles to keep her two beloved half-sisters–Aella and Heather—clothed, fed, and safe. Impoverished and living in constant danger from Seth, their mother’s violent boyfriend who leads a band of local criminals, Sarra fears her only course of action is to leave the life she’s built behind, to get them out of Orestone and settled somewhere far away. But it takes coin to safely travel the kingdom’s long and sometimes desolate roads.
But Sarra has a plan. If she can just obtain a coveted apprenticeship with the metallurgy guild, she'll be able to secure the necessary funds to make their journey in relatively safety. However, obstacles and dangers abound: mysterious magical creatures, a journeyman at the foundry who seems oddly intent on keeping Sarra from success, long-buried family secrets, and of course, Seth and his sinister cohorts.
Will Sarra successfully attain this apprenticeship? Will she be forced to take her sisters and flee the city, leaving behind dear friends, and possibly having to say goodbye to the young man with whom she is falling in love? And, if they must leave, can Sarra rise to the challenge and get herself and her sisters safely out of Seth’s grasp? And even if she can…what might be the consequences of their Escape?
It sounds like a fun romp to me.
When I asked how she got started writing, she said, "I'm an avid reader. One day I found myself caught up on reading all the fantasy series I like to read and needed more. So, I figured, if I can't read something I’m dying to read, then I’ll write something. I never made a concerted effort to write for fun until that moment. It was kind of a random thing to do at the time, I suppose. My degree is actually in psychology so that change in focus a few years back really took me by surprise. But it just felt right.
“And, I love reading a good series. So, the idea of starting with short stories didn’t even cross my mind. I launched right into developing an idea for a series. And, eventually I did finish the first book, though it took some time and wound up turning into an unwieldy beast of a manuscript. But I learned a ton. I learned so many things not to do while trying to write a novel.
[Revising: Source]
Concerning what Jennifer likes least, she said, "It's the seemingly endless revisions it takes before I reach a draft I feel I can live with." I very much agree.
Escape, book one of Jennifer’s series, The Elven Prophecies, is in the final stages of polishing up. In the near future she hopes to see it published. When it becomes available, I recommend you pick up a copy of Jennifer L. Baker's wonderful fantasy novel. I'm sure you won't regret it. To receive updates on its progress, you can visit her website at: www.jenniferlbaker.com.
This is cool! Enjoyed getting to know Jennifer.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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