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Media Kit - R. A. Baker |
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Welcome,
Members of the Media! Here you will find links to media kits related to the author and his/her books. Click on the links to the left to find bios, interviews, photographs and more. If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact us Apollo House Press and R. A. Baker grant full rights to the media to publish all or part of the interview, press release, market copy, author photos, and book art, for publicity purposes only. Also see Terms of Use. Review Copy Requests Review copy requests
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About
the Author R.A. Baker was born in a small town in North Carolina, before his family moved to Virginia. He grew up watching TV shows like "Star Trek" and "The Twighlight Zone", which sparked an interest in sci-fi and fantasy at an early age. R.A. Baker went on to write stories throughout school and college, winning several writing awards and competitions. Soon after college, the author began serious work on the novel "Rayna of Nightwind", but did not complete it until several years later. He is now working on the second novel in the series tentatively titled, "Beyond Irel's Band". R. A. Baker enjoys reading, listening to jazz music, art, and lives with his wife and two children in southern Virginia. A
Q&A Interview With
Sci-fi/Fantasy
Writer R. A. Baker
In
2008, R. A. Baker joined the ranks of Black science fiction and fantasy
writers like Charles Saunders, Steven
Barnes, Octavia Butler, and Nalo Hopkinson, among others. Baker was born
in High Point North Carolina and spent only four years there before his
mother moved them to Richmond Virginia. Demonstrating a talent for
creative writing at a early age, he won several contests and awards from
elementary to high school. During his college years, as Baker began to
hone his craft in his spare time, he worked on the beginnings of his
first novel. Years later, the novel “Rayna of Nightwind” was
completed, with future books in the works. Q: How does it feel to have your first novel under your belt? A: "I feel very blessed, and I thank God fro having made it to this point. This novel represents a tremendous milestone in my life. I'm having a great time." Q:
How would you personally categorize your book? A: “Well it definitely has a
prominent fantasy theme, but it also has a strong infusion of science
fiction. So, if I had to give my current novel a label, I would say
it’s fantasy with a sci-fi twist. As the series progress, the stories
will actually contain more sci-fi, and less fantasy.” Q:
What is your novel “Rayna of Nightwind” about? A: “In a nutshell, it’s about
a young, modern-day woman, Rayna Powell, who suddenly finds
herself in a strange preindustrial society called Taren—a land divided
by war and years of distrust. Needless to say, Taren is a bit of a shock
for Rayna. Part of the reason for this, is that some Tareners possess
magic-like mental powers they call “psi-magic”. To add to the
problem, Taren is currently ruled by Nephredom—a bitter, cruel man
with questionable sanity. Nephredom commands many forces, most notably
the Red Robes, an elite unit of psi-mages who increase their powers
greatly by combining their thoughts—allowing them to think and act as
one. Using the Red Robes, Nephredom has systematically bent the people
of Taren to his will—or at least most of them. This takes us to
Princess Keris. She was the rightful heir to the Taren throne, but was
framed for murder by Nephredom’s aide, and forced into hiding. Soon
after Rayna arrives in Taren, she meets the princess and they agree to
join forces in an attempt to overthrow Nephredom. In exchange for this
help, the princess says she will take Rayna to see a group of
“scientists”, who may know how to return Rayna back to her world.” Q:
Could you tell us a little about the main character in your book? A: Well Rayna is a young science
student who, following a car crash and a strange lightning storm, finds
herself in a land called Taren. She is a skeptic and refuses to believe
in magic, even though magic seems to manifest everywhere in
Taren—including herself. Taren is a dangerous place and most people
would probably give in to despair. But Rayna is a stubborn and
determined person. She’s no diplomat, but she has a honesty to her
that people like. At the start of the novel, her main goal was to get
back to the world she once knew, and once Rayna makes up her mind,
there’s no turning back. Q:
Was there any particular reason you chose to make your protagonist a woman? A: “Why not? Most of the
sci-fi/fantasy novels I’ve read seldom gave female characters
meaningful roles—much less a black female character. Women possess so
much beauty, will and fortitude—the perfect ingredients for a good
novel. It’s a shame they are not celebrated as such in the field more
often.” Q:
Could you tell us what attracted you to sci-fi and fantasy? A: “I was bitten by the sci-fi
bug when I was very young. I recall watching the original Star
Trek on TV, imagining what it would be like to be a crewmember on
the Enterprise, and what strange alien worlds I would encounter. Because
of shows like Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, I was aware of the sci-fi
genre, even though no one in my family gave it much, if any mention. I
remember making frequent trips to the Richmond Public Library, and
checking out books by sci-fi authors like Ray Bradbury, Robert
Silverberg, and others. Then one day, by chance, a library patron had
left a book by Piers Anthony on the table where I decided to sit.
Curious, I momentarily put down my small stack of sci-fi books to peruse
this other book, and suddenly the world of modern fantasy literature was
open to me—I was hooked! My concept of writing has never been the same
since. I went on to read more books by great fantasy writers, like Terry
Brooks, Stephen Donaldson—too many to list.” Q:
Do you think people will view your choice in genre as unusual for a black writer? A: “I guess that’s another
way of saying black people don’t write sci-fi, and I have to strongly
disagree. While I’ll concede that the number of black sci-fi authors
out there is fairly modest, I’m proud to say that our numbers are
growing. I believe a writer should write on a subject they enjoy and
love—not what is politically or socially acceptable, based on his or
her race. For example, if Tiger Woods had decided early in his career to
abandon golf because it was “unusual” for a black person to play
that sport, we would have missed out on a phenomenal golf player, and a
great role model.” Q:
How has being an African American writer impacted your novel? A:
“Well, first and foremost, I am a writer and storyteller, so my
principle goal is to tell a great story that entertains and holds a
reader’s attention. While I think every author brings something unique
to their writing based on their culture and how they grew up, I don’t
let preconceived notions about my race influence how I write, or what I
write about. That’s not how my imagination works. I draw my ideas from
many, many sources, so I simply write from my heart and hope that it
strikes a universal chord with all my readers. With that said, my novel
“Rayna of Nightwind” does address social tensions between two lands,
with people of very different cultures and beliefs. In many ways, these
people view themselves as separate races, even though they are not. I
don’t think I hit readers over the head with cultural or racial
themes—I just go wherever my imagination takes me.” Q:
How long have you known you wanted to be a
writer? A: “I wanted to be a writer at
a very young age—I might had been eight or nine years old. Books were
some of my best friends, and I remember spending most of my free time
holed up in my room reading. From that love of reading, came a desire to
write. In addition to being my friends, each book I read became my own
personal “mentor”—a teacher to learn from, and to help me grow as
a writer and storyteller. I’ve read a lot of books, so that means
I’ve had a lot of mentors. Q:
What is your philosophy on writing? A: “As cliché as it may sound,
I see writing as a muscle—the more you work at it—the stronger and
better it gets. With that said, writing sci-fi or fantasy is one of the
best workouts a writer can get because—unlike most other genres—you
usually have to do everything from scratch. I had to create a literary
world—complete with its own unique history, geography, weather,
culture, religion—and then proceed to fill that world with interesting
people that the reader will care about. But I pace myself, and focus on
how much fun that will be, rather than all the work that will have to go
into it.” Q:
What goals do you have as a novelist? A: “I
want to bring a new voice to the field, and perhaps attract new readers
to the genre. Actor Avery Brooks(one of my favorite actors)once said
that one of the reasons he accepted the lead role for Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine was to be role model to young African
Americans, by ‘letting them see something they might never otherwise
imagine’. Likewise, I hope to be a role model and have a positive
impact on my community as a writer.” Q:
Do you aspire to be seen as a black Tolkien or Asimov? A: “No. While it’s flattering to be compared to such great icons of the field, I know that ultimately, it’s the readers who will decide how I measure up, and to whom I will be compared. I just want to be known as a good writer.” Genre: Fantasy | Format: Hardcover, 328 pages | ISBN: 978-0-9787518-7-6 Go
ahead—feel free to use this article! Apollo House Press and R. A. Baker grant full rights to the media to publish all or part of this interview. FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Author: R. A. Baker Author Email:
rabaker@writing.com Publisher: Apollo House Press Publisher Website: www.apollohousepress.com Publisher Email:
editor@apollhousepress.com Black
Author Brings New Voice to Science Fiction and Fantasy. CHESTER,
VA
– With his detailed narrative, gripping plot, and compelling
characters, African American author R. A. Baker is a fine newcomer to
the literary playing field. However,
there is one thing that sets Baker apart from most black writers: he
writes science fiction. In 2008, R. A. Baker joined the ranks of black
science fiction/fantasy writers like Charles
Saunders, Steven Barnes, Octavia Butler, and Nalo Hopkinson,
among others. They are part of a small, but growing group of writers,
specializing in genres previously the exclusive domain of their white
counterparts. It’s a trend poised to add a new perspective to fantasy
and science fiction storytelling. Baker, who wrote the
sci-fi/fantasy novel, Rayna of
Nightwind, says that he knew at an early age that he wanted to write
sci-fi/fantasy. “I’ve always loved speculative fiction, which includes
both sci-fi and fantasy,” he says. “It allows for so much creative
freedom—it is the only kind of fiction I would ever want to write.” With the commercial success of
the Harry Potter novels, and
movies like The Lord of the Rings
and Star Wars, there is little
doubt of sci-fi and fantasy’s appeal. African American writers like
Baker believe there is also a demand for a fresh approach to these
popular genres. “I believe African Americans can bring a lot to the
table and take speculative fiction in exciting directions it has never
gone before,” he says. Baker says he does not see
himself as a pioneer, but simply as a member of a special, and often
misunderstood group. “When I tell people I write sci-fi/fantasy, I
sometimes get strange stares, like they are thinking to themselves,
‘black people don’t write sci-fi’,” he says. “It
can be a little disheartening, but I know the best way to deal with
attitudes like that, is to be as successful in my field as possible. In
a way, it has made me a better writer, because I know I can never give
up or stop writing. I would never want to give the naysayers that kind
of satisfaction.” Additionally, Baker points out
that diversity should be sought in all areas. “If Tiger Woods had
decided early in his career to abandon golf because it was uncommon for
a black person to play that sport, we would have missed out on a
phenomenal golf player, and a great role model,” he said. “I think
it’s time we shattered some old stereotypes about black literature,
and be open to explore different avenues”. To aspiring African American
sci-fi/fantasy authors, Baker offers the following advice: “There is a
world of possibilities to explore, so explore it your way. When I wrote Rayna of Nightwind, I stayed true to my voice and my particular
writing style. Don’t let preconceived notions about your race
influence how you write, or what you write about—let your imagination
decide.” ### Media: Contact author for interviews or review copies. Visit www.apollohousepress.com for an electronic copy of this news release, cover art, Q&A interview, author pictures, author bio, and sample excerpt. The book is hardcover, 328 pages, retails for $29.99. It can be purchased in bookstores, on Amazon.com, through www.apollohousepress.com and at 800-266-5564. ISBN-13: 978-0-9787518-7-6 Go
ahead—feel free to use this article! Apollo House Press and R. A. Baker grant full rights to the media to publish all or part of this press release. Just right click with your mouse on the photos below to capture and save to your hard drive.
ENTER
THE WORLD OF TAREN!
Science
fiction and fantasy come together in a single, sweeping epic adventure! In
the tradition of The Lord of the Rings (with a touch of Dune) comes a tale that will catapult the reader to the world called
Taren. There, a robed army of mages carry out the dark wishes of the
ruling sorcerer, Nephredom, whose fearsome power is matched only by his
madness. Nephredom
holds the key to the enchanted Gate, a barrier that imprisons horrible
creatures known only in the myths of Tareners, as the
"beasts."
Nephredom, for his own reasons, intends to open the Gate and
thereby unleash untold suffering upon the land. Into
this world of magic and treachery comes an outsider! Following a bizarre lightning storm, college student Rayna Powell
finds herself alone
in Taren. Trapped in this strange land where danger and death lurk
behind every corner, Rayna sees magic everywhere—even her own
wristwatch now glows with unknown energies. She is a student of science
and logic, but what she witnesses in Taren defies them both.
She reluctantly
joins forces with a mysterious woman with a bounty on her head, who—in
exchange for Rayna’s help—promises to help Rayna in her quest to
return home. What
Sets This Book Apart? Rayna of Nightwind is an
exciting fantasy with a great science fiction twist—so it appeals to
both science fiction and fantasy readers. The author paints the magical
world of Taren with a vivid brush—a fun and exciting tale of suspense
and drama, that is stuffed full of plot twists, and sprinkled generously
with humor. The novel follows the adventures of a strong-willed,
modern-day heroine who finds herself in an unfamiliar land, caught in
the middle of political strife and factional wars as she comes to terms
with the chaotic power growing inside her. Genre: Fantasy | Format: Hardcover, 328 pages | ISBN: 978-0-9787518-7-6
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