Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a multiple-award-winning author and avid student of Colonial America and the American Revolution. My lifelong passion for history and all things supernatural led me to write historical fantasy. Reading, extensive traveling and graveyard prowling with my husband keep that passion alive. I’ve gone on many journeys to the places I write about to experience the ambience of their history. I’m a native Floridian who lives in Austin, Texas.
I’ve written four novels and a novella.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Angels and Patriots: Book Two, the second in my eight-time, award-winning series. It was inspired by the second year of the American Revolutionary War, 1776, when the Continental Army begins to suffer great hardships and losses. They often turn to Providence for succor and, for those who believe, they find it among their ranks in the form of angels, as they did in the first book in the series.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write on my office walls—inspirational messages, historic timelines, people and places. It’s comforting and helpful to look up and see reminders and guidance all around me.
One of those inspirational messages is from a song by the rock band Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here. “So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell.” It’s very appropriate for what I’m writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.R.R Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Edgar Alan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, George R.R. Martin, Margaret Mitchell, Harper Lee, Shirley Jackson, and non-fiction authors like historians Nathaniel Philbrick, David McCullough and Patrick K. O’Donnell.
I’ve been heavily influenced by books on historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, Catherine the Great, Henry VIII, and Robert the Bruce.
What are you working on now?
Angels and Patriots: Book Three, the third novel in my series. The American Revolution bleeds into the third year, 1777, when a plethora of brave new challenges ignite, exacerbating both the American and British armies’ old obstacles of starvation, nakedness, disease, and faith.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love offering free or deeply discounted eBook copies of the first book in my Angels & Patriots series, as well as a standalone novel I wrote, The Shipbuilder. They both give readers a good taste of the historical, fantasy, and spiritual elements I love to write about. I promote free downloads and discounted eBooks on a myriad of site like Kindle Nation Daily, Fussy Librarian, and of course, Awesome Gang!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be patient. Write what you want to read. Don’t let doubt stifle your work (and it will try). Hire a great editor (or three—developmental, copy, and proofreader) and a fantastic cover designer.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma…Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” – Steve Jobs
What are you reading now?
I’m reading a biography, Henry Knox, Visionary General of the American Revolution by Mark Puls. Knox is an important character in my novel Angels and Patriots: Book Two and will continue to be so throughout the series.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I intend on writing book four in my Angels and Patriots series, but I may take some time away to write something else in the historical fiction/fantasy genre. I would love to write a novel about someone like Baroness Frederika Charlotte Riedesel, who was the wife of Major-General Friedrich Riedesel, commander of German troops from the duchy of Brunswick hired by the British to fight the rebellious American colonies. She is considered a “witness to war.” Frederika, with her three young daughters, spent over a year traveling to America so she could be on the front lines with her husband.
This endeavor would probably require access to primary sources, which would be time consuming and a challenge to obtain. From my own advice: be patient.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Dr. Joseph Warren, The Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill, and the Birth of American Liberty” by Dr. Sam Forman. (Joseph Warren is my hero)
“Gone With The Wind” by Margaret Mitchell
“The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson
“Angels and Patriots: Book One” by Salina B Baker (yes, I love it that much!)
Author Websites and Profiles
Salina B Baker Website
Salina B Baker Amazon Profile
Salina B Baker’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account