Ask the Author: Darla Baker
Answered Questions (5)
Darla Baker
I'm working on Seventy Six Falls, book two in the Thalia Chase: Sex Therapist series. Eagle Cove was book one and I have a total of four books planned. To me it is one continuous story logically divided by season. Eagle Cove was late Summer/early Fall. Seventy Six Falls is Spring/early Summer. Moon Bow is late Summer/early Fall. Winter Solstice is Winter/early Spring.
Following the four books in the series, I plan to go back and write in-depth stories of some of the major characters in the series. I also have an episodic series I started, the Slug Bug Chronicles, which follows the life of Cassie, a foster child with Aspberger Syndrome.
Following the four books in the series, I plan to go back and write in-depth stories of some of the major characters in the series. I also have an episodic series I started, the Slug Bug Chronicles, which follows the life of Cassie, a foster child with Aspberger Syndrome.
Darla Baker
Without a doubt, Derby Cain Casey and Emma from Ali Vali's Devil series. They have such a wonderful balance in their lives and they clearly love and trust each other deeply. They are fantastic parents and always seem to have their priorities straight.
Darla Baker
Excellent question!
Eagle Cove was my debut novel. So I went to my newly discovered Facebook friends in the Lesbian Books, readers, writers group and asked for recommendations. When I reached out to Rogena Mitchell-Jones of RMJ Manuscripts, we just clicked.
The editing process can be difficult because any feedback that is even remotely critical is not easy to hear when your book feels like your baby. But you have to let go of the personal and listen because it truly takes a village to produce a great product.
After completing the first draft and self-edits, I submitted Eagle Cove to five beta readers. Following the post-beta reader edits, I then turned the manuscript over to my editor. Once she and I finished the editing process, I then released the book to a little over 40 advanced copy readers. While they were reading and providing additional edits/feedback, the final proofreader was also reading the book.
Once I received the final proof, I made the last of the edits and then sent the manuscript back to my editor for formatting. And then the manuscript was submitted to Amazon for Kindle and paperback publishing. I then sent Eagle Cove to my narrator, Emily Beresford, for audiobook production. Once she completed the reading, there was only one small round of audio edits and the book was then published in audio format.
From the completion of the first draft to publication with Amazon took about two months and about 85 eyeballs. And even so, just yesterday, I made three typo corrections to the manuscript.
For those of you who are avid readers as well as writers, you're well aware that typos will slip through the cracks. But even so, every single one I've found post-production has been rough.
Eagle Cove was my debut novel. So I went to my newly discovered Facebook friends in the Lesbian Books, readers, writers group and asked for recommendations. When I reached out to Rogena Mitchell-Jones of RMJ Manuscripts, we just clicked.
The editing process can be difficult because any feedback that is even remotely critical is not easy to hear when your book feels like your baby. But you have to let go of the personal and listen because it truly takes a village to produce a great product.
After completing the first draft and self-edits, I submitted Eagle Cove to five beta readers. Following the post-beta reader edits, I then turned the manuscript over to my editor. Once she and I finished the editing process, I then released the book to a little over 40 advanced copy readers. While they were reading and providing additional edits/feedback, the final proofreader was also reading the book.
Once I received the final proof, I made the last of the edits and then sent the manuscript back to my editor for formatting. And then the manuscript was submitted to Amazon for Kindle and paperback publishing. I then sent Eagle Cove to my narrator, Emily Beresford, for audiobook production. Once she completed the reading, there was only one small round of audio edits and the book was then published in audio format.
From the completion of the first draft to publication with Amazon took about two months and about 85 eyeballs. And even so, just yesterday, I made three typo corrections to the manuscript.
For those of you who are avid readers as well as writers, you're well aware that typos will slip through the cracks. But even so, every single one I've found post-production has been rough.
Darla Baker
Eagle Cove, the first book in the Thalia Chase: Sex Therapist series will release on June 11th. The second book in the series, Seventy Six Falls, will release on September 29th. So I'm writing the first draft now and hope to have it finished by the first week of July.
Darla Baker
That's an excellent question. I think the best answer I can give is that I write anyway. If I'm stuck on a particular scene, I may jump to a different scene. If I'm stuck on the direction of the story, I may write a blog post or a journal entry or even random nothingness. Whatever I do, I don't frustrate myself. So if writing in general is feeling tedious, I take a break.
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