From preacher’s kid to youth pastor’s wife to Mrs. Oklahoma, “setting a good example” is pretty much second nature for author Leah Starr Baker. And, like most women, she is all too familiar with the pressure to be perfect in all arenas. But since surviving a bout with Systemic Lupus, a chronic disease that affects the immune system, Baker is more apt to celebrate life’s imperfections these days – and has found a creative outlet that allows her to do just that.
Her debut novel The Bunko Babes (Emerald Pointe Books, November 2007), chronicles the lives of eight women who rely on each other through giggles, fattening foods, and weekly bunko games for strength and support.Drawing from the frantic reality of a woman’s daily life – cooking breakfast, clothing an army, running errands, forgetting the dry cleaning – and from a host of deeper struggles, like infertility and divorce, The Bunko Babes offers readers a cast of loveable friends – friends whose troubles certainly aren’t getting in the way of their weekly bunko game.
“I have fallen in love with each of these women, and by the end of the novel, I was sad to let them go,” says Baker. While the "Bunko Babes" are far from perfect, they are survivors, much like Leah herself. “The Bunko Babes chose me I guess you could say, not the other way around,” says Baker. “And I hope the main message that readers take away from the book is that nothing and no one is perfect. Life is not perfect and better yet, God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He just wants us to be real,” she says.
Though Baker’s various career paths have included everything from stay-at-home mom to country music recording artist, she admits that she never sought out writing as a profession until recently. Her knack for storytelling, however, does appear to be a family trait: the daughter of pastor and author, Richard Exley, (Alabaster Cross and Encounters with Christ), Baker recalls watching her father burn the midnight oil preparing sermons for his congregation. “As a child, I remember my father sitting at his desk, kerosene lamp at his shoulder, preparing his Sunday sermon and me across the room watching, absorbing,” says Baker.
Combined with the colorful cast of real characters in her life – “a compilation of the many amazing women who have touched my life throughout the years,” she notes – Baker had all the tools necessary to explore female friendships in a work that has been likened to The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
“I write as if I am sitting on the couch, sharing a cup of coffee, and chatting it up with one of my girlfriends,” says Baker. “I like to think of the reader as a participant in the story, instead of an observer.”
Along with her two children and husband, LEAH STARR BAKER currently lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When she is not writing, she is a volunteer for Jenks Public Schools. For more information, please visit thebunkobabes.biz.
Thanks for coming, Leah. Can you share how you came up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?
This is one of my favorite stories to tell. One night my husband and I were sitting in the hot tub relaxing about a particularly tough day when out of the blue Douglas said that I should write a book called “Bunko”. His suggestion for a storyline involved a group of suburban women who were using the game of Bunko to cover-up a methamphetamine ring. I thought it was an interesting concept but I was more interested in the title than the storyline. After weeks of contemplation, I felt that Bunko should be more about female friendships and the value that they play in our lives as women. As the story developed more fully so did the title and it came to be known as The Bunko Babes.
Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her:
Rebecca Thornton or Becca as her friend’s call her just poured out of me. It was like she was the character that I was meant to create. Her voice came quite easily to me. My friend’s say that is because she is a lot like me and I will admit that we are similar in many ways but Becca isn’t me. Her development as a character was a gradual process. Each day and with each chapter she came alive more and more. That’s one of the things I love most about writing…the shaping of the characters and the surprises that occur as you are pounding out the story. I can’t tell you how many times I would just write something and I would have to stop and wonder where that came from. It’s hard to explain but the character’s and the story take on their own lives that not even the author is aware of until they are being written.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?
This book and story was a lifesaver for me. At the time I began writing this story I had been housebound for most of a year and my mother and grandmother had to take turns living with us to help take care of my two small children. I was getting extremely depressed the longer I was trapped but when I turned off Jewelry television and began writing I started to come back to life. So, I loved everything about writing this book. I feel so blessed that I got to create such wonderful and rich characters. These women and the simple game of Bunko were my lifeline to the outside world.
The least thing I like about writing this book is very simple—the edits phases one through four. That was very humbling.
What made you start writing?
Writing has always come naturally for me. Even as a young teen, I would sit in my window seat and just start writing. I was a hopeless romantic so all my stories involved falling in love and they all included living in the mountains (I moved from Colorado when I was 10 and I’m still trying to get back).
My Dad is an author and has published over 30 books now. He was always encouraging me to pursue writing but I kept putting it off. I guess I didn’t want anyone to think that I was just riding on my Dad’s coat tails. But all of that changed when I found a book in my father’s library that broke down the writing process into simple steps that I could do. Always before I would write a chapter or do and felt they were really strong but I didn’t know how to get past the first 10 pages. How do you develop a complete storyline? How do you create believable characters? That sort of thing and this book laid out the plan. I would love to tell you the name of the book but I can’t find it. I’ve looked it up on Amazon but it is not there. I thought it was called “How to Write a Novel in 90 days”. If you ever find that book buy it. It is invaluable to a rookie writer.
What would you do with your free time if you weren’t writing?
Sleep. :-)
This is one of my favorite stories to tell. One night my husband and I were sitting in the hot tub relaxing about a particularly tough day when out of the blue Douglas said that I should write a book called “Bunko”. His suggestion for a storyline involved a group of suburban women who were using the game of Bunko to cover-up a methamphetamine ring. I thought it was an interesting concept but I was more interested in the title than the storyline. After weeks of contemplation, I felt that Bunko should be more about female friendships and the value that they play in our lives as women. As the story developed more fully so did the title and it came to be known as The Bunko Babes.
Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her:
Rebecca Thornton or Becca as her friend’s call her just poured out of me. It was like she was the character that I was meant to create. Her voice came quite easily to me. My friend’s say that is because she is a lot like me and I will admit that we are similar in many ways but Becca isn’t me. Her development as a character was a gradual process. Each day and with each chapter she came alive more and more. That’s one of the things I love most about writing…the shaping of the characters and the surprises that occur as you are pounding out the story. I can’t tell you how many times I would just write something and I would have to stop and wonder where that came from. It’s hard to explain but the character’s and the story take on their own lives that not even the author is aware of until they are being written.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?
This book and story was a lifesaver for me. At the time I began writing this story I had been housebound for most of a year and my mother and grandmother had to take turns living with us to help take care of my two small children. I was getting extremely depressed the longer I was trapped but when I turned off Jewelry television and began writing I started to come back to life. So, I loved everything about writing this book. I feel so blessed that I got to create such wonderful and rich characters. These women and the simple game of Bunko were my lifeline to the outside world.
The least thing I like about writing this book is very simple—the edits phases one through four. That was very humbling.
What made you start writing?
Writing has always come naturally for me. Even as a young teen, I would sit in my window seat and just start writing. I was a hopeless romantic so all my stories involved falling in love and they all included living in the mountains (I moved from Colorado when I was 10 and I’m still trying to get back).
My Dad is an author and has published over 30 books now. He was always encouraging me to pursue writing but I kept putting it off. I guess I didn’t want anyone to think that I was just riding on my Dad’s coat tails. But all of that changed when I found a book in my father’s library that broke down the writing process into simple steps that I could do. Always before I would write a chapter or do and felt they were really strong but I didn’t know how to get past the first 10 pages. How do you develop a complete storyline? How do you create believable characters? That sort of thing and this book laid out the plan. I would love to tell you the name of the book but I can’t find it. I’ve looked it up on Amazon but it is not there. I thought it was called “How to Write a Novel in 90 days”. If you ever find that book buy it. It is invaluable to a rookie writer.
What would you do with your free time if you weren’t writing?
Sleep. :-)
As a survivor of Systemic Lupus and a mother of two I crave sleep like others crave chocolate. I can never get too much of it. I also love to sing and have recorded two independent records in Nashville in the mid-nineties and I have a heart for politics as well.
What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?
Developing the storyline. Right now I am working on a political intrigue book and it is difficult to make sure that you are giving enough information out in each chapter without giving away too much information. That is a difficult balance to obtain. So what I’ve done is made me a poster with a timeline on it. Under each chapter name, I fill in the clues and information that I have exposed thus far. It helps keep things in order.
Do you put yourself into your books/characters?
I think that every author can find at least a small part of themselves in each of the characters they create especially the main character of their stories. Because The Bunko Babes is written in first person I think I put a little bit more of myself into Becca than I have in my main character of my newest work. Becca is a stay-at-home mom and is learning to live with a debilitating disease so she is much like me in that aspect, whereas Allison Kendall is a struggling journalist writing obituaries for the Tulsa World. That is nothing like my life. But any character that you write will have characteristics of someone you know or have seen. That’s what makes a strong, three dimensional lead.
What message do you hope readers gain from your novel?
That life is full of challenges. No one is perfect or has a perfect life. But the joy of living comes in whom you know and whom you allow to know yourself. Relationships are the key to happiness. Living is in the doing and being not in the having. We must learn to focus on the blessings in our lives even as we struggle through the challenges. I love that famous line from the movie Steel Magnolias, “That which doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.”
Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.
Once I get an idea, a plot, I like to immediately begin the writing process. I like to pound out the first couple of chapters before I do any background research of begin the in depth process of developing the characters. This allows me to get a feel for the story, the plotline and the characters. At this point, I pause and take the necessary time to really do a in depth analysis of my main characters. I answer about 10-12 questions about each character creating for them an entire history of their life. Of course, this includes their physical characters, any interesting habits, their birthday, any love interests past and present and so many other things. Once that is complete I will do a brief summary of the story. Then I simply write a minimum of 3 pages a day. To prime my pump I will read the previous days work as a reminder of where I’ve gone and what I need to accomplish in these next pages or chapters. I very seldom go back and make any major changes to my work. I save that for the revision process. From start to finish, my novels will have been revised 3 to 4 times.
What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?
I have always adored Gone With The Wind. I do my best to pick it up and read it again every 4 to 5 years. Also, Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood is a book that really moved me and gave me a passion for the Chick Lit genre. Classics like Thorn Birds, Rage of Angels, and even some of the newer classics The Firm, The Notebook, are books that I could read time and time again. Each of these stories touched me deeply in one way or another and have helped me understand the ebb and flow of a great story.
What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?
That it is extremely important to have a story outline. Something to help you remember precisely what points need to be in the plot and at what point they should be put in. It makes revisions much simpler. Also, I feel that it is so important to understand that you and your body of works are separate entities. I was hurt when I got my first and second round of edits. I took their comments and suggested changes as a knock against me both as a writer and as a person. I had to learn to step back and remind myself that Becca Thornton and the Bunko Babes are not me and my friends. The editors are not intentionally setting out to hurt me. They are simply doing their jobs.
How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?
I do quite a bit of marketing. I researched and worked really hard trying to find the best publicity firm for my book and then I did everything they wanted me to do. On my own, I lived on the internet searching for blogger’s and reviewer’s that I thought would be a great place for my book and then I would send the info to my contact at the PR firm for follow-up. This helped me get well over 25 reviews. I have done several book signings but we decided to try and mix it up a little so we included a game of Bunko to be played while I was signing. The people really seem to like the change-up.
Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on?
I am working on a new project right now. I am revising my very first manuscript and as soon as that is done I am going to get right on the second book in this series. I feel now that God has given me a direction for Bunko Babes II. I didn’t want to start writing just because someone wanted a number two. I needed to feel like I had a strong plot line and could move the characters forward. Now I do and I am looking forward to getting to work on that very soonJ
Do you have any parting words of advice?
If writing is your passion, don’t give up. You can follow your dreams. But please don’t write because you want to get published. That is a road filled with heartache. Write because it makes you happy, fulfilled. Write for yourself. I write because without it I am less of who God made me to be. Getting published the first time was a huge bonus and it will be the next time too.
What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?
Developing the storyline. Right now I am working on a political intrigue book and it is difficult to make sure that you are giving enough information out in each chapter without giving away too much information. That is a difficult balance to obtain. So what I’ve done is made me a poster with a timeline on it. Under each chapter name, I fill in the clues and information that I have exposed thus far. It helps keep things in order.
Do you put yourself into your books/characters?
I think that every author can find at least a small part of themselves in each of the characters they create especially the main character of their stories. Because The Bunko Babes is written in first person I think I put a little bit more of myself into Becca than I have in my main character of my newest work. Becca is a stay-at-home mom and is learning to live with a debilitating disease so she is much like me in that aspect, whereas Allison Kendall is a struggling journalist writing obituaries for the Tulsa World. That is nothing like my life. But any character that you write will have characteristics of someone you know or have seen. That’s what makes a strong, three dimensional lead.
What message do you hope readers gain from your novel?
That life is full of challenges. No one is perfect or has a perfect life. But the joy of living comes in whom you know and whom you allow to know yourself. Relationships are the key to happiness. Living is in the doing and being not in the having. We must learn to focus on the blessings in our lives even as we struggle through the challenges. I love that famous line from the movie Steel Magnolias, “That which doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.”
Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.
Once I get an idea, a plot, I like to immediately begin the writing process. I like to pound out the first couple of chapters before I do any background research of begin the in depth process of developing the characters. This allows me to get a feel for the story, the plotline and the characters. At this point, I pause and take the necessary time to really do a in depth analysis of my main characters. I answer about 10-12 questions about each character creating for them an entire history of their life. Of course, this includes their physical characters, any interesting habits, their birthday, any love interests past and present and so many other things. Once that is complete I will do a brief summary of the story. Then I simply write a minimum of 3 pages a day. To prime my pump I will read the previous days work as a reminder of where I’ve gone and what I need to accomplish in these next pages or chapters. I very seldom go back and make any major changes to my work. I save that for the revision process. From start to finish, my novels will have been revised 3 to 4 times.
What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?
I have always adored Gone With The Wind. I do my best to pick it up and read it again every 4 to 5 years. Also, Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood is a book that really moved me and gave me a passion for the Chick Lit genre. Classics like Thorn Birds, Rage of Angels, and even some of the newer classics The Firm, The Notebook, are books that I could read time and time again. Each of these stories touched me deeply in one way or another and have helped me understand the ebb and flow of a great story.
What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?
That it is extremely important to have a story outline. Something to help you remember precisely what points need to be in the plot and at what point they should be put in. It makes revisions much simpler. Also, I feel that it is so important to understand that you and your body of works are separate entities. I was hurt when I got my first and second round of edits. I took their comments and suggested changes as a knock against me both as a writer and as a person. I had to learn to step back and remind myself that Becca Thornton and the Bunko Babes are not me and my friends. The editors are not intentionally setting out to hurt me. They are simply doing their jobs.
How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?
I do quite a bit of marketing. I researched and worked really hard trying to find the best publicity firm for my book and then I did everything they wanted me to do. On my own, I lived on the internet searching for blogger’s and reviewer’s that I thought would be a great place for my book and then I would send the info to my contact at the PR firm for follow-up. This helped me get well over 25 reviews. I have done several book signings but we decided to try and mix it up a little so we included a game of Bunko to be played while I was signing. The people really seem to like the change-up.
Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on?
I am working on a new project right now. I am revising my very first manuscript and as soon as that is done I am going to get right on the second book in this series. I feel now that God has given me a direction for Bunko Babes II. I didn’t want to start writing just because someone wanted a number two. I needed to feel like I had a strong plot line and could move the characters forward. Now I do and I am looking forward to getting to work on that very soonJ
Do you have any parting words of advice?
If writing is your passion, don’t give up. You can follow your dreams. But please don’t write because you want to get published. That is a road filled with heartache. Write because it makes you happy, fulfilled. Write for yourself. I write because without it I am less of who God made me to be. Getting published the first time was a huge bonus and it will be the next time too.
God bless.
Hi, Leah!!!! I adored Bunko Babes, and if anyone wants to read my review, paste this link into your browser:
ReplyDeletehttp://novelreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=Bunko+Babes
Super interview, Lisa and Leah.
Thanks for the interview! I look forward to checking out the book.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for giving me the opportunity to share my heart with my readers. I thoroughly enjoyed answering the questions. Many Bunko Blessings,
ReplyDeleteLeah Starr Baker