Watch Bia Bella Baker talk about her new YA Sci-fi Fantasy on YouTube
Each week, we are going to introduce you to a writer from the Writers’ Mastermind. Today, we have Bia Bella Baker, author of YA Sci-fi Fantasy Hecctrossipy, which is FREE on Amazon for the next 3 days!
Meet Bia Bella Baker
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where are you now? What has your life been like?
I was born in Rahway New Jersey, and ended up clear across the country in St. Cloud Florida. As for what my life has been like, I’ve been around for 41 years, so I wouldn’t be sure where to begin. Rest assured, I’m not about to ramble. So here goes the condensed version—attending a boarding school for misfit kids, adventures in experiencing a hodge-podge of volunteer jobs, a ridiculous love-life, and several self reincarnations—but all the while, I always aspired to write.
2. What kind of stories do you write?
For now, I’m a young adult sci-fi & fantasy writer, but I have a pretty loaded multi-genre backlist.
3. What sets you apart from other writers in your space?
With two million or so books being released every year, I honestly didn’t count on my HECCTROSSIPY series being all that original, but others told me how unique it really is. I realized this too, when I searched the digital bookstores for other books in the YA sci-fi & fantasy genre like mine. The others I found, where the story takes place on a different planet, still have the expected science fiction or fantasy tropes, like political conflict, battles, and magic. The first novel in my series has neither of these things. The people of Velva Leena have a hive mentality. There are problems on their world, but they don’t involve war and politics. Strange and unexplainable things do happen on this planet, but there’s an organic explanation for everything.
My series is more like a teen drama that happens on a different planet. It could still be counted as sci-fi because it’s all about extraterrestrials and their very non-Earth-like culture, beliefs, their way of life, and their physical abilities that us humans don’t have, but it’s no Star Wars or Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It could be counted as fantasy, because there’s mythology involved, and folklore, but you’re not going to find any sprites and unicorns, and stuff like that. There’s also a bit of paranormal. Before the first book was published, I wasn’t even sure what genre to put it in.
The second book is going to be even more of a cross-genre mutant hybrid. There’s still the soap opera type stuff going on, but with more of a pre apocalyptic theme to it. Then add in a flare of murder mystery. The second book will also focus more on my characters’ personal and spiritual growth, especially with my main character, Artheena. Her psychic ability is getting sharper, which adds more of the paranormal element. There is also a new thing going on, what would seem to us Earthlings, like religious fanaticism. Yeah, you get the point. So far, at the time of this interview, my series is still very original.
4. What drives your writing? What do you mean to accomplish with your stories?
I just love it. Simple as that. I love the escapism. I love being other characters and experiencing what they experience. It’s so much fun to come up with dramas and new worlds, and just let my imagination go berserk. Writing about made-up planets is one of my favorites.
What I mean to accomplish with my writing is, to entertain people with compelling stories that are life-like enough to make them feel like they’re part of the experience, and that they feel they know the characters personally. The goal is to make my stories immersive enough to hit an emotional nerve, or stimulate the senses and imagination, and most of all, I love to take readers on a plot twist roller coaster. I would love for readers to get the same escapism enjoyment out of reading my books as I get with writing them.
And of course, of course, my dream is to make a good living off of this.
5. Who are you favorite writers and books? What are your other creative influences?
Sorry, but I’m going to be vague and generic with this one. I read so many different authors of books of all kinds of genres, I can’t point out a favorite. My creative influence is sugar. If I’m not watching my sugar intake, it has a weird imagination trip, hallucinogenic effect on my brain.
6. Do you write in silence? Background noise? Or music? What kind?
I have to cancel out the world around me, when I write, and make my work area as under stimulating to the senses as possible. My room has to be dark, and with the door closed, and I have to have an oscillating fan on for white noise. My sense of concentration is that flimsy.
7. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing?
I love pole-vaulting and cross-country skiing and scuba diving. I design clothes and accessories for pets. And I love to experiment with making new and unique flavors of marmalade and fruit compote, which I give to the poor children. Seriously, for real, I’m so freaking boring with hobbies. When I’m not writing, I love to read, explore Apple Music, browse on-line stores, and watch crime investigation shows.
8. Who is your current celebrity crush?
Hahahaha! How did this question end up in an interview about writing? I haven’t had a silly, dreamy, real celebrity crush in so long. Since I lost most of my vision, I only had fleeting feelings of just “kind of having a thing” for this or that guy, and they were all singers. But I didn’t consider them actual crushes. They were a voice that sounded hot, for a song or two. Or they had a passionate way of delivering a song, that gave me the chills in hidden places. Once I heard their song that got to me, enough times, the feeling would fade away.
Real celebrity crushes, for me, were visual. If I knew what he looked like, the crush was just more there, because I could fantasize about him, and ogle at pictures of him. Unlike my fleeting crushes on a singer’s voice, the visual crushes lasted for months. I used to even feel giddy and jittery when one of my celebrity crushes came on TV.
9. Why do you think it’s important to write fiction?
It’s important to write fiction, because it’s my favorite thing to do in the world, and it gives me a greater sense of purpose. If life started really getting sucky. Like, if my parents died, and I got bogged down by elephantitis in the left leg, or something. As long as I have my computer, and an overactive imagination, I’ll get along just fine.
10. Who would be the best writer, alive or dead, to tell the story of your life?
That would have to be me, because I’m such a loner who stays kind of hidden away a lot. If anyone wanted to write about my life, it would turn out a book that was based on a true story, because they would have to make up a bunch of stuff to fill in the blanks.
11. What are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m working on the second book in my HECCTROSSIPY series. It’s going to be called The Will of the Dark Creator, which I’m hoping to get released before the end of the year.
HECCTROSSIPY: BOOK ONE
THE LEGEND OF THE LAND (VELVA LEENA 1)
Free on Kindle
The alignment of the three moons is a sign of positive changes to come… But the moons never promised that such changes will happen to everybody… On the pre-industrial planet of Velva Leena, two sisters eagerly anticipate the Hecctrossipy Festival, Continent 15’s yearly tradition that celebrates the victory over a legendary evil monster, who had the power to manipulate the elements, and create chaos.
Artheena is smart, talented, beautiful, and blessed with multiple gifted abilities. Mell May, on the other hand, is simple and average. Both are in love with Leeandro Paul, a celebrity heart-throb who has an intriguing way of turning the leaders of the land into his followers.
Artheena has a premonition of marrying him, during the alignment of the three moons. While on her quest for true love, she gets caught up in unexpected adventures, embarrassing situations, and experiences beyond her wildest dreams, including an outrageous contest that challenges Continent 15’s strict, conservative social standards.
Through it all, Artheena and Mell May’s close bond is also challenged. When the festival comes, the sisters have the time of their lives… Until Leeandro Paul makes an announcement that shocks his fans. An unimaginable secret is revealed, that might tear the two sisters apart for good.
Great interview