Jodi Baker's Blog

There are witches, a scientist, a warrior, a fairy, a princess, a necromancer, an academic centurion, and a monster.

YA Lit Media & Culture invited me to list my Top Ten Fave YA #KickassHeroines! You can read the full article here. 

All of these phenomenal characters inspired #10, which is my personal favorite, although I might be a tad biased…

At 1pm today I will be at the Leimert Book Fair where I have the honor of speaking on a panel about the legendary Octavia Butler & Afrofuturism!

The Afrofuturism genre is a place where storytellers and artists get to use mysticism, magic, sci-fi & fantasy to entertain readers while enlightening them as they explore our collective past history and envision our future in ways that invite us to examine what is possible in our present. Octavia Butler's work is amazing for so many reasons - but I especially adore her incredibly complex, strong heroines.

I'm looking forward to hearing what the amazing panel guests at Leimert have to share. I'm also excited to meeting readers at the book signing for TRUST & TRUTH! Click here for details about Leimert Book Fair - voted one of the Los Angeles's best 5 annual Book Fairs.

If you'd like to delve into this delicious genre, here's list of some of my favorite Afrofuturism authors & their books to get your started:

Octavia Butler - Kindred
Nnedi Okorafor - Who Fears Death
N.K. Jemison - Dreamblood Duology
Nalo Hopkinson - Sister Mine
Charles R Saunders - Imano
Gloria Naylor - Mama Day
Deborah Pratt - The Vision Quest

Happy reading!

Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that combines elements of science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, Afrocentrism, and magic realism with non-Western cosmologies in order to critique not only the present-day dilemmas of black people, but also to revise, interrogate, and re-examine the historical events of the past.
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrofuturism

Quote from TRUTH by Jodi Baker, author of the paranormal romance series Between Lions FREE SNEAK PEEK to meet Cax: the book thief Anna can't fully trust...or trust herself with. Between Lions Series is "Must-Read YA". Watch your back for Were-creatures, Liars, & Voices in your head!

To celebrate tomorrow's ebook release of my next installment I'm giving away Free Sneak Peeks of Book 1 (TRUST) & Book 2 (TRUTH).

Choose your Between Lions Adventure by following the links below!

Happy reading!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book Two!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book One!

I'd love to pre-order TRUTH: Book 2 in the Between Lions Series from

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON 

I'd love to get TRUST: Book 1 in the Between Lions Series from:

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON

Quote from Author Jodi Baker's TRUTH, YA Fantasy Series: Between Lions Grab your FREE SNEAK PEEK of TRUTH & discover why The New York Times called Between Lions "THE YA Series to FOLLOW", The Los Angeles Times said, "Ingenious! Between Lions Series should be on every young woman's bookshelf" & USAToday crowned it  "MUST-READ YA".

For the next 4 days, to celebrate the release of the next book in my Between Lions Series, I'll be revealing my favorite quotes from the book & giving away  Free Sneak Peeks of Books 1(TRUST)  & 2 (TRUTH)!

Choose your Between Lions Adventure by following the links below!

Just watch your back for Were-animals, Liars, & Voices in Your Head.

Happy reading!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book Two!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book One!

I'd love to pre-order TRUTH: Book 2 in the Between Lions Series from

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

I'd love to get TRUST: Book 1 in the Between Lions Series from:

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

Forbidden Romance, Werejackals, Otherworldly Doorways...grab your SNEAK PEEK to find out why Between Lions is on USAToday's Recommended Romance & Must-Read YA lists!

For the next seven days, to celebrate the release of the next book in my Between Lions Series I'll be revealing my favorite quotes from the book, giving away a free sneak peek of Book 2 & sharing exciting advanced reviews for TRUTH!

Choose your Between Lions Adventure by following the links below!

Happy reading!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book Two!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book One!

I'd love to pre-order TRUTH: Book 2 in the Between Lions Series from

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

I'd love to get TRUST: Book 1 in the Between Lions Series from:

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

Book Thieves, Werejackals, Forbidden Love, Ancient Libraries & more in my soon to be released next "Must-Read YA" book, TRUTH!

For the next 9 days, to celebrate the release of Book 2 in my Between Lions Series, I'll be revealing my favorite quotes, giving away a free sneak peek chapter & sharing exciting advanced reviews for TRUTH!

Choose your Between Lions Adventure by following the links below!

Happy reading!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book Two!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book One!

I'd love to pre-order TRUTH: Book 2 in the Between Lions Series from

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

I'd love to get TRUST: Book 1 in the Between Lions Series from:

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

FREE SNEAK PEEK! For the next six days, to celebrate the release of the next book in my "Must-Read" Between Lions Series, I'll be revealing my favorite quotes from the book, giving away a free sneak peek of Book 2 & sharing exciting advanced reviews for TRUTH!

Choose your Between Lions Adventure by following the links below!

Happy reading!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book Two!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book One!

I'd love to pre-order TRUTH: Book 2 in the Between Lions Series from

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

I'd love to get TRUST: Book 1 in the Between Lions Series from:

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

FREE SNEAK PEEK! To celebrate the release of Book 2 in my Between Lions Series, for the next 8 days, I'll be revealing my favorite quotes, giving away a free sneak peek chapter & sharing exciting advanced reviews for TRUTH!

Choose your Between Lions Adventure by following the links below.

Happy reading!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book Two!

Take me to a free sneak peek of Book One!

I'd love to pre-order TRUTH: Book 2 in the Between Lions Series from

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

I'd love to get TRUST: Book 1 in the Between Lions Series from:

AMAZON          BARNES&NOBLE          HUDSON BOOKSELLERS

Book 2 in the Between Lions Series is about to be released and I can't wait to share Anna's next adventure with you! For the next ten days, we'll be releasing new Memes with sneak peek quotes from TRUTH along with early reviews, accompanied by this link so you can read a preview of what's coming,
so stay tuned & happy reading!

Take me to read a free sneak peek of Book Two!

Take me to read a free sneak peek of Book One!

I'd love to pre-order Book Two right now from:
Amazon       Barnes&Noble      Hudson Booksellers

I'd love to grab Book One right now from:
Amazon          Barnes&Noble          Hudson Booksellers

​Survival comes at a steep cost…when you’re being chased down a magical staircase by mythological creatures that want to kill you.

Critically acclaimed author Jodi Baker’s breathtakingly unique brand of storytelling weaves magical mysticism, forbidden romance, and shocking plot twists into this electrifying second installment of the Between Lions Series.
 
Will the answers Anna is searching for get her killed, or set her free?
 
Only TRUTH will tell...

Read on for a sneak peek of
TRUTH: Book 2 in the Between Lions Series:

A blast of wind rushed through the subway tunnel, strong enough to lift the hair off my neck and forehead. I took a cautious step backwards as the waiting passengers stepped forwards – a stupid thing for them to do. An over-zealous person could accidentally push them onto the tracks beneath the approaching train.

​Brakes screeched as it came to a halt. Mechanical pings and beeps sounded as an indecipherable garbled recording spat out the location of the stop. Glass and metal doors cracked themselves open and I watched the people wrestle their way in and out of the cramped trains, all anxious elbows and jutting heads. The train exited in another shriek of metal against metal; another gush of stale, artificial, stinky wind.

I was weaving my way through the new crowd of exiting passengers as they pushed towards opposite direction, which is why I was the only person facing the service door down on the train tracks when it opened and then closed. As the last car vanished through the tunnel’s archway, I was the only one who saw a young man hop over the tracks and pull himself up on the tiled waiting area. It was obvious from the ripped up clothing, to say nothing of the unkempt black beard and hair, that he was not a subway worker.
The guy was graceful upon the rails, but as soon as he was on the platform, I watched him stumble. It was as if that act took everything he had, and now, there was nothing left. He collapsed against the wall, curling into a fetal position on the floor, halfway beneath the wooden bench.

HELP HIM!

Inanna –

TRUST.

She had been right so many times before. I pushed all my anxieties down deep, away from my heart, past my belly, below the soles of my shoes, further than the ugly, tiled floor, beyond the subway tracks beneath the bus station, all the way to the rocks and dirt that made up the very island of Manhattan itself, and then walked over to the bum.

The closer I got, the more obvious it was that this guy was really, really sick. His body was in complete spasm. I considered calling for the police officers, but they, along with the homeless kids, had disappeared.
The platform was almost empty. A few people were exiting through the turnstiles, leaving me alone with him. My New Yorker defenses prickled like porcupine quills.

This is not smart.

HE JUST NEEDS A DRINK.

I think that’s the last thing this guy needs, Inanna, I told her sarcastically, even as I held out the water bottle to him.

“Sir, would you like some water? Can I-”

My voice died as his head twisted on that skinny neck, revealing two golden-as-the-sun eyes. I leapt back, scrambling to get away.

DO NOT RUN! Inanna ordered.

My body froze.

Can’t move- oh Gods, have to run!

TRUST! THE CREATURE IS DYING! IT IS NOT A THREAT. YOU MUST ALLOW!

Allow what! I thought-screeched at her in panic.

ALLOW ME TO MOVE YOU.

The hand that was holding the water bottle - my hand - lifted - without me telling it to - and I gasped.

Oh, hell no! I screamed at the voice in my head, fighting her.

My arm stopped, but the muscles were shaking with exertion as she somehow, inexplicably, was pushing against me.

ALLOW. TRUST IN ME AS I TRUST IN YOU. I HAVE PROVEN THAT I WILL ALWAYS PROTECT YOU. TRUST. TRUST. TRUST…

With a frustrated cry, I released control of my muscles. Instead of flopping to the side, my hand shot forwards, gently touching the germ-encrusted fingers of the Guardian’s, forcing the water bottle into his grip.

My lips shifted into a smile that felt wicked and terribly foreign. In that moment, my face no longer belonged to me.

I was wearing the expression of a completely different person.

How in the name of the Gods can you take over my body, I tried to ask.

Yell.

Scream.

But that wasn’t at all what came out.

My mouth was moving: words were exiting from it, but my tongue was hissing out sounds in yet another language I didn’t know I knew.
        
“WAZZ EEEZ SAT SATRAY.”

In disbelief, both the Guardian and I watched as the water, in the ever so ordinary plastic bottle Cax had given me that morning, turned yellow.

Not just yellow, but thick, golden ocher: the color of Guardian eyes and the texture of actual Guardian blood.
        
My brain reconnected with my body and I dropped the bottle, as well as all contact with the homeless thing, faster than if it were a scorching hot potato.

The Guardian greedily gulped it down. As he drank, color seeped into his face. The short hair elongated, reaching past his neck. The scraggly beard receded back into his cheeks. He shook the arm that was not holding the bottle and muscles abruptly bulged beneath the ripped arms of his sweater.

As I backed away, he rose halfway up off the floor and bent before me on one knee. His eyes were glowing more iridescently than a thousand suns, starring at me in joy-filled wonder.

“I am ever your servant,” I heard him swear.

What happened next blew my mind even more than the water changing color in the bottle.

He lifted up both arms as though he were going to embrace me. When I stepped back, the Guardian promptly burst apart. I watched his body shatter into pieces of black darkness.

I killed a Guardian, I thought, miserably and excitedly, closing my eyes against all that would imply.

There was a breeze then, against my face.

Next, a whooshing sound.

And then, there was a terrible and terrifying fluttering.

LOOK.

Against my better judgment, I obeyed.

A murder of crows stood at my feet.

All with intense, yellow, Guardian eyes.

THIS IS GREAT.

I disagreed.

But before I could spout my opinions on the matter, the crows lifted up into the air and began flying around one another in an odd, cone-shaped pattern. Around and around and around they swirled, churning the air all together, faster and faster, until it was a black mess of feathers and caws and blisteringly hot energy, almost impossible to tell one crow from the other, and then, in an instant, one crow screamed louder than the rest and broke free. It flew to the ceiling and then sped off into the tunnel. The rest followed, single file, kamikaze-ing themselves away.

From the opposite direction, a gust of wind came. I turned my head to see about thirty people staring at the tunnel the crows flew through in wonder. I looked at them all, but not one of them seemed to see me.

A moment later, the next train screeched to a halt. The group seemed to wake from the dream it believed it had just experienced, and collectively decided to move back to their personal realities by boarding the subway train and forgetting what just happened.

I can’t do that. This is my reality.

WHAT HAPPENS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING.

What did you do to me, Inanna? I screamed in my head. What in the name of the Gods is happening to me?
​

You can Pre-Order your ebook
or paperback copy of
TRUTH: Book Two
in the Between Lions Series today from 

​AMAZON 

BARNES & NOBLE.
​ Wanna start from the beginning?

If you haven't read the first book Between Lions,
which the New York Times called,
"The YA Series to Follow!"

You can get Between Lions Series Book One:
TRUST today from 
AMAZON or BARNES & NOBLE


Read a sneak peek at the first chapter
of TRUST  HERE!