Leah Starr Baker, author of The Bunko Babes, will be available to respond to comments and/or questions July 30 and 31. Feel free to come by and join the discussion!
Author Talks! Leah Starr Baker – The Bunko Babes
The URI to TrackBack this entry is: http://blogstopbooktours.wordpress.com/author-talks-2/author-talks/trackback/
Welcome, Leah! Thank you for making the time to chat with us over the next two days. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Good morning Mary. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to connect with my readers. I haven’t had my first cup of coffee yet so if I’m a little punchy you can understand why.
I am a wife and mother of two (8 & 6). In my spare:) time, I am a novelist. When I am writing is when I am at my best. I love to read, watch movies, cheer for my Denver Broncos football team and for my Houston Rockets basketball team. I am what you call a dreamer. I have pursued anything and everything that interests me from: pageants, to country music, Politics and most recently real estate but it was when I decided to pursue writing that I really found my call.
I am a daily survivor of the debilitating disease Systemic Lupus. This has shaped my life more than anything else. It has forced me to stop and evaluate everything I put my time and energy into because with lupus both are very limited and worth the price of gold. Learning to say no when I desperately want to say yes is one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to grasp. But God has been faithful and like Becca, He has provided me with an awesome cast of friends and an amazing family.
Well that’s about it. Me, in a nutshell. Can’t wait to field some questions throughout the day. Talk again soon.
Leah Starr Baker
author of “The Bunko Babes”
http://www.thebunkobabes.biz
Hi Leah! I’ve enjoyed all our correspondence, so I figured why not bring it over here and spark some discussion.
Are any of the women in the Bunko Babes patterned after friends of yours in real life?
And (can I ask two? LOL) Do you play Bunko??? If not, where did you get that idea for it to be that game–I’d never heard of it before your book (and actually looked it up on Wikipedia when I was writing my review).
Hi, Leah! And thanks, Mary, for setting up such a neat opportunity for discussion.
Leah, I’m a reader and reviewer of The Bunko Babes, but today’s questions come from my perspective as a fellow writer. Hope you don’t mind?
First, how long did writing The Bunko Babes take you, from first thoughts to completed revisions? And when the time came for your agent search, did you encounter multiple professionals who expressed interest in your work? How did you know when you’d found the right representative for you and your book? And, lastly
, how did your word count differ from the submission stage to publication?
Thanks so much!
First to answer Dawn’s questions. Jessica is a compilation of my two best friend’s. The two women who in fact the book is dedicated to. Karen and Susannah.
Mercedes is loosely based upon my cousin Alicia who grew up in Argentina. In fact the story about the ring is her story (names have changed). Her husband is in the military having served in Iraq during the first Gulf War and now being stationed in Korea. Alicia helped me alot with the Spanish phrasings and culture of Argentina.
Autumn is based on one of my friend’s that I’ve known since being a senior in high school. The true joy of our friendship was in celebrating the incredible differences in our personalities and lifestyles. She is now living in Oregon.
So as you can see, the list goes on and on. The characters were shaped by all the women who have so richly influenced my life and the story is dedicated to every one of them.
As for the game of Bunko, Dawn…I learned how to play it via the internet. My husband came up with the title and suggested that I write a book around that particular, popular game. At the time, I was incredibly ill and spent most of my days laying in bed watching Jewelry Television. His suggestion seemed remote but as I contemplated it and chewed on it a story began to develop.
Before long, I shut off JTV (much to my husband’s relief:)) picked up my laptop and began to write. And the rest is history. I do now have a group that meets monthly during the school year. How wonderful it is to be well enough to get out and be with 8 women who have become great friend’s as well.
Okay, now onto Mary’s questions. I wrote the first draft of “The Bunko Babes” in 6 months time but that was just the beginning. I was fortunate enough to have gotten a contract on it with just 50 pages and a synopsis. That is highly unusual I know and as a first time writer a whole bunch of pressure.
I had no idea what was involved in finishing an entire novel and then having it edited by professionals. Wow! That first draft came back with soooo many red words and sideline comments that I wanted to cry. So I added, removed, edited, and fought for what I wanted to stay. Then sent it in again. It still wasn’t how they wanted it and revision number 2, then 3 came in. I was pretty discouraged. The release had to be postponed due to the number of revisions needed. So then in desperation, I went to my parent’s house on the lake in Arkansas and my mom went to my home to help with the kids. For three weeks, I wrote for 10 to 12 hours a day until it was through. Yikes! That first manuscript I only got to use about 25% of what I had originally wrote.
As far as word count goes, it dropped from almost 90,000 words to the 82,000 words I think it turned out to be. I hear that is not unusual.
As for an Agent, I still do not have one. I am discovering even with a book in print the good Agents are hard to come by. I am currently seeking representation as we speak. I hope that isn’t discouraging to you. The only thing I know is that the Agent that I do choose will need to believe in my work as much as I do. Otherwise, how can they sell it?
Hope the answers haven’t been to long and drawn out. I just love talking to people about writing and about “The Bunko Babes”. Thanks to both of you for taking time out of your day to write me a question or two.
Many Bunko Blessings,
Leah Starr Baker
http://www.thebunkobabes.biz
Actually, those last questions were from me, Janna, instead of Mary.
So, with no agent, does that mean you self-published? How was it that you successfully sold to a publisher with no representation?
Thanks again.
Janna,
Sorry about that mix-up on the names. The publisher that I am with is an actual independent, royalty paying publisher out of Tulsa, OK. They did not require that I have an agent to negotiate the contract. I know that the big NY houses won’t even consider negotiating a contract with an author without an agent and that is why I am looking for one at this time. The most recent conferences I have attended the NY Agents said that they get most of their clients as referrals from other authors that they already represent. That of course makes it challenging. They admit that they seldom take a client as a result of a query letter but keep sending them if you like. They also said that they do get some of their clients from the appointments that they have set up to meet authors during conferences. I hope this information helps. I am fully aware of how frustrating this can be.
Many Bunko Blessings,
Leah Starr Baker
author of “The Bunko Babes”
http://www.thebunkobabes.biz
Leah, first off let me say I love your name.
I read with interest the last comment you made – “I am fully aware of how frustrating this can be.” – meaning the publishing world. I totally agree and those who get anywhere are the ones who remain determined and persistent.
Thank you for your wonderful responses.
It’s not often that I meet someone with the same name. Leah isn’t very common; though it is picking up in popularity lately.
I wish you luck and temerity in your journey through the ups and downs of the publishing world.
Many Bunko Blessings,
Leah Starr Baker
Well, it’s been a fun tour, but now it’s over. Thank you all for participating in Author Talks! And Leah, best wishes in your future endeavors!
Mary