Author Chat with Chandler Baker, Plus Giveaway!

YABC: What surprised you most while writing your latest book?

Chandler Baker: Which character would present themselves as the main character for Book 2! When I went into drafting Teen Frankenstein, we knew High School Horror 2 would be a companion, picking up the thread of another character in the small town world of Hollow Pines, Texas, but we left it open as to which character that would be. I was pleasantly surprised when Cassidy Hyde, originally a very minor part, popped up and demanded her own story.

YABC: If you could live in any fantasy world, which one would it be?

CB: Hands down, I’d want to attend Hogwarts where I’d be a Ravenclaw probably, with a small chance of Slytherin.

YABC:  Do you have a mantra that gets you through the drafting phase?

CB: “Every little bit adds up.” Writing a full book can be daunting and often I don’t have the chunks of time I’d like to devote to drafting. So I always tell myself that even if I can only sit down to write for 15 minutes, each piece will add up to a full book eventually and I’ll always be glad I wrote.

YABC:  What is your favorite hobby when you’re not writing?

CB: Right now it’s spending every spare minute I get with my 7­month­old daughter! She’s pretty into “Old MacDonald” right now, so if you can call that a hobby…

YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?

CB: At the outset I would have sworn it’d be Adam, the monstrous creation, since he has no memories and no social skills, which seemed like an obvious challenge. But the narrator, Tor, wound up being the character that took me the longest to nail down. I had to fully come to terms with the fact that she really isn’t a nice person and I had to be willing to follow where her twisted, egotistical mind was leading.

YABC: Do you enjoy writing to music? If so, do you have a go­to playlist?

CB: I can’t write to music, especially not music with lyrics—I find it to be too much of a distraction­­but I do often use the Spotify “White Noise” Radio Station to drown out whatever is going on in my house.

YABC:  Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?

CB: RAINN, which stands for Rape Abuse & Incest National Network, is a wonderful and important organization. I’ve recently finished the second book in the High School Horror series, TEEN HYDE, which deals head on with issues of sexual assault and its aftermath. It was critical to me to deal with the issue responsibly and we’ll be pointing readers to the RAINN website (https://rainn.org) for more information.

YABC: What’s a book that you’ve read recently that you would recommend to your readers?

CB: The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman. I’m almost finished (no spoilers!) but I’ve already adored it. A really fabulous read.

YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?

CB: Revising! I find drafting to be a terrifying process.

YABC: What would you say is your superpower?

CB: Picking the very best friends. 

Meet Teen Frankenstein!