Andrea Baker ~ Worlds Apart - Leah ~ Amazing PN-Fantasy Romance

Hello everyone. This weekend please welcome featured guest paranormal/fantasy romance author Andrea Baker. We are celebrating her newest release, Worlds Apart – Leah. Andrea is showing us a bit of her soul and that of her story-stars in an interview, plus she’s got a very nice giveaway for a few commenters (details below). Before we get started here’s some a little backstory on Andrea ~

Andrea Baker has written stories and poems all her life, although most of them no longer exist.  After graduating from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in Economics and Marketing, she convinced herself to stop making these stories up, believing it to be something a "grown-up" should not do.

Since then she has spent most of her career working on major programmes across both private and public sector.  Of all the ideas that continued to occur to her, Worlds Apart has been the most insistent, refusing to go away.

Andrea Baker lives and works in the beautiful English county of Warwickshire, with her husband and daughter.  Kenilworth, the base for her Worlds Apart Series, is just a few miles away from their home.

What drives, motivates, and/or inspires Leah Clinton?
At the start Leah is mourning the loss of her mother five years earlier.  Raised by her father, and there just being the two of them, she has started to resent the extra responsibilities of family life that she has had to take on, doing all the cooking, having to get up early and make the breakfast before her Father goes to work. 

She is confused by his worsening temper and his obsession with her looking after herself, to the extent of buying vitamins for her to take.  He also tries to control her social life, and in particular her contact with boys. This is a real issue between them.  She is also driven by her dreams, or rather the lack of understanding of them.

What’s Leah’s job? What does she do for a living?
Leah is a student, just about to start University in England (making her approaching her nineteenth Birthday).

Tell us what Ben first means to Leah?
Leah is startled and confused when she first meets Ben – she’s just experienced one of her nightmares outside the comfort of her own bedroom for the first time. Ben comes to her aid, thinking there is something wrong.  Although she is attracted to him, she is unsettled by the experience, and also mindful of the promise she was forced to make her father.  She sees him as an ally on the first day of term, but thinks he will soon lose interest in her when there are lots of others of the same age to mix with.

Why this location? Anything in particular in real-life that made you select it?
I’ve lived around Kenilworth for most of my life and have spent many happy family trips – both as a child myself, and now with my own daughter exploring the Castle, but the real inspiration for it as the base location for Worlds Apart came one day when driving home from work back in 2009.  There was a thunderstorm and a flash of lightening illuminated the castle.  The pieces of the story that I had been struggling to fit, fell together, and I went home and wrote the bones of the book, over 30,000 words, at night over the next six weeks.  Looking back, the setting is so perfect I’m amazed I hadn’t thought of it before.

WOW, sounds like you were at the right place at the right time, Andrea. That’s amazing your story just flowed out as it did.

Is Worlds Apart - Leah included in a series? If so, what series and can you give us titles and a tagline for other books in this series?
It is the first book in a series, or possible trilogy.  The overall title is “Worlds Apart”, and the small section that is provided as an extra to the book gives an idea of why it is called that.  The premise is essentially that of alternate realities – several seemingly identical worlds living in harmony with one another, but only one is the real Earth, the others are hideaways and decoys to protect the vulnerable from Nilameth and her Harbingers.  I have the storylines mapped for the next two books, and am in the process of writing Book Two as we speak.  As yet they’re not named though.

Which scene was your favorite to write? Can you share a little of it?
That’s a REALLY hard question, as there are a number that are really special to me.  The scene where Leah and Ben finally kiss is a favourite, but I suppose I am most proud of the dream sequences, and how they unfold and then get revealed at the end of the book.

What are you working on now?
Well, I’m currently working on, or trying to (in between working full time and being a Mum too) Book Two.  There is also a historical fiction piece that I’m working on, called “Alfie”, based on a little boy growing up just before, and during, World War 2, and his experiences of life after his father died, and his evacuation.

Where can we find you? List all of your links.
Website:  www.AndreaBakerAuthor.com
Blog: www.rosewallauthor.wordpress.com/
Twitter:  @RoseWall15
Facebook:       www.facebook.com/rose.wall.15
                    www.facebook.com/WorldsApartLeah
Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/author/show/6557194.Andrea_Baker
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Ms-b5rrONdQ

Quickie Quiz

Getting to know Andrea Baker…

2 Things you do to relax: 

Play with my daughter, and read, read, read when time allows!

Favorite sport to watch:  

Formula One Grand Prix Motorsport

Cat or Dog:

Dog, definitely!

Favorite places to write: 

Sitting in my favourite armchair, laptop on my lap, listening to my writing playlist.

Place you’ve always wanted to go, but haven’t: 

America – I’d love to visit, but just haven’t found the time yet!

Breakfast drink:

Pink grapefruit juice and white coffee (lots of, I need caffeine in the mornings)

Favorite season ~ why: 

Spring – it is a time of fresh starts and new beginnings, I live seeing the first snowdrops flower, then the crocus and daffodils.  It always lifts my spirits to see things start to grow, and the animals being born.  It has always been my favourite, so we chose to get married then too.  By pure coincidence our daughter was also born in the Spring, six years later.

What are your hobbies /past times (besides writing): 

Reading, catching up with family and friends, spending time with my daughter and husband.

Worlds Apart-Leah

Andrea Baker

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Taylor Street Books

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Ms-b5rrONdQ

Kindle  Paperback

 

Book Description:

Leah knows that her mother died in a car accident when Leah was small and that her father, who used to be the gentlest dad in the world, has become increasingly controlling and occasionally violent.

She also knows that her recurring dreams are telling her something more about how and why her mother died, and why her dad turned nasty, but they are becoming progressively more disturbing and confusing.

When Leah meets Ben, she is excited to have a friend she can confide in and have fun with, but is he what he seems?

The voice of Leah’s mother repeatedly tells her to rely on her instincts, but when Leah is run over in a freak accident and Ben’s family take over her welfare, are they protecting her or using her?

And why would anyone, good or evil, bother with an ordinary girl just about to go to university?

Tour giveaway :

5 Signed postcards (for each stop) of book cover (full cover front, greyscale book reverse back, signature on back) ~ To win, leave a comment ~ why you like paranormal / fantasy romance along with your email so winners can be contacted. GOOD LUCK!!

 Click Button for Andrea's Tour schedule

Thank you everyone for stopping in and checking out Andrea and her book, Worlds Apart - Leah ~ show her some love and follow her links AND comment to win :0)

Until Next Time…Warm Hearts & Hugs,

Kay Dee