A Word from the Author: J.A. Baker author of The Girl I Used To Be

Dear Reader ...

My current book is entitled The Girl I Used to Be and is based around the life of a teacher, Stella Ingledew, who has managed to forge out a decent life for herself despite a tough upbringing.

However, Stella has secrets hidden deep in her past, some of them buried so far down that she had forgotten they even existed until a series of sordid events forces her to delve back into her childhood to work out who is intent on wreaking revenge and trying to ruin her reputation.

I think it is every author’s dream for one of their books to be made into a film or television drama and from the very outset I have always had one actor in mind to play any of my characters from any of my books and that is Tilda Swinton. She has such presence and can play a range of parts from feisty (The White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia) to vulnerable (Eva Khatchadourian in We Need to Talk about Kevin) such is her adaptability and talent.

Available here

In The Girl I Used to Be, I created the character, Astrid as a bit of a foil for Stella, the main character, who was always on edge and unsure of how to react when faced with difficult situations. Astrid is a strong gutsy woman with an acerbic wit who aids Stella’s trajectory throughout the book. Had Stella not had Astrid by her side, the book would not have progressed the way it did and Stella would have very probably collapsed in a heap and not uncovered the truth that needed to be unearthed.

My Writing Habits

After completing The Girl I Used to Be, for the very first time since penning

my first novel, Undercurrent, I suffered writer’s block. Prior to developing it, I had no idea how it manifested itself or how it actually felt to have a great big void where my ideas and inspiration should be. I don’t mind admitting that it worried me as I thought I didn’t have another story in me. I took some time out, watched films, read, tried to clear my head rather than watching and observing as I usually do to help stoke up my imagination, and after two or three months, ideas slowly started filtering their back into my brain. Writing them down didn’t come easily. I had to think about the storyline an awful lot before it eventually settled in my head and I was able to get back at my computer and set that particular story free. That story is called In the Dying Minutes and is due for release in September this year. Since that time, ideas have flowed freely but I definitely needed some time away from my books to unlock the door that closed in my mind and stopped me from writing.

The old adage given to up and coming writers that you just need to keep writing and submitting may be well worn but it is still worth voicing. It is really hard to get noticed, especially in the fiercely competitive world of the crime/thriller genre but the only way to succeed is to keep on trying. I was given a sterling piece of advice by a literary agent and told to read books I wish I had written and learn from them.  I did this and am still doing it, often reading books that take my breath away with their well-crafted sentences and plot structures. It’s a tough market out there and we’re all still learning.

About Me

I honestly cannot think of any other job I would rather have than writing. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was a child. Unfortunately, life got in the way and my first book wasn’t published until I was in my 50’s! I work part time in a school as a Teaching Assistant and I really enjoy it. Full time was hard while writing but I now do three days a week in school and it works perfectly, leaving me time to write and edit.

I absolutely love the crime fiction genre as it allows me to explore topics that are often seen as unpalatable or sometimes taboo. I can wrap them up in a nice little tableau, think up some terrible setting or scenario and foist them upon the waiting world!

I love to hear from readers and can be contacted on social media for a chat or general questions about my work or anything to do with the subject of reading and writing.

twitter.com/thewriterjude

facebook.com/thewriterjude

Author Biography

My name is Judith Baker although I write under the name of J.A. Baker (not the one who is an expert on peregrine falcons!). I have had seven novels published by Bloodhound Books, five of which made it into the UK Amazon Top 100. One of my books (The Other Mother) made it into the Top 5 and another (Her Dark Retreat) got into the Top 20.  My next one, The Girl I Used to Be is due out on July 6^th with another to follow in September (In the Dying Minutes) and another after that in January (The Vanishing).

I work part time in a primary school and write at home for the remainder of the week with my dog Theo for company. 

I began writing in earnest almost five years ago after completing my MA in Education and Applied Linguistics with The Open University.

My first novel, Undercurrent hit the Top 100 within days of its release.

The Woman at Number 19 is my most recent novel and reached number 60 within a week.

I am married with four grown up children and one grandchild and another on the way.