Welcome Tim Baird

Tim is a fantasy and science fiction author looking to share his wild ideas with the world. He has been an avid reader for his entire life and has always enjoyed writing, whether it be a technical report for work or a fictional story.

He lives in New England with his lovely wife & adorable son. He is an automation engineer by day and enjoy using his skills to volunteer with several youth robotics programs.

His next title is a dragon romance novel, titled ‘The Dragon in the Lighthouse’. It’ll be out in Summer 2022.

You can follow Tim through his social channels:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Website 

1. Tell me about yourself. What inspired you to write?

2. Describe your desk / writing space.
My desk is an old black sheet metal construction that I liberated from the dumpster bin at work. It’s covered in a variety of in-progress projects, bills to pay, and random tomfoolery which should have been put away by then (wip Magic: The Gathering decks, miniatures to paint, or random 3D printing projects).

3. Do you have a writing routine, or do you write when inspired?
My writing routine would be described as ‘haphazard’ at best. As I work a lot of hours, have a 6 yo, and try to escape the house into the woods to hike as often as possible, I tend to avoid my laptop when I can. But I enjoy writing while I eat lunch and after my son goes to bed. So, I don’t write consistently at the same time every single day, but I have consistent time periods where it does happen, when it happens.

4. How do you come up with the title to your books?
I typically bulletize my story until I’m comfortable with ~75% of what will probably end up happening and then dive in without a title. While I type, I let the ideas/concepts simmer on the backburner and try to think of eye-catching words from the bullet list which might look nice sitting on my bookshelf. I then come up with 2-5 names and check out the Internet to see if that book name already exists or is something close.

Sometimes I sort things out and determine the name right away, and sometimes I end up changing it even after editing is complete.

5. What was the hardest scene for you to write? Which scene was your favorite to write?

My hardest scene to write was probably a drawn-out battle scene at the end of my third book. It involved a real-life mountain top with features that I wanted to get right, several dragons fighting with multiple humans mixed in. There were a lot of moving pieces and it was hard to get everything just right and make sense when read back.

My favorite scene to write was probably the ending of my first book. It involves a battle between the MC in a helicopter against a dragon on Mount Washington. Between the players and my love of the hiking area in question, it was really neat to work through and bring to life.

6. What inspired your book/series?
My series was inspired by two things: my lifelong love of hiking in New England and a trip that I took to Iceland during a semester abroad in college. I was camping on this island off the southern coast of Iceland inside the crater of an old volcano and the beginnings of the tale came to me while I laid there in my tent. I didn’t end up actually starting the story for another decade afterwards as I was pretty afraid to start a book. I’m now working on my 6th book and wish that I had started sooner when I first had the idea.

7. What are you working on next?
I have the concept drawn up for a monster hunting SFF story set in the present time/world. It’ll focus on a strong female character who needs to work through her day-to-day life while also ridding her town of creatures trying to kill her and everyone she loves. It’ll probably feel like a mix between Buffy and Ready Player One.

8. What authors or books have influenced your writing?
My writing has largely been influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien, John Scalzi, and numerous Star Wars novels over the past several decades. I love science fiction, fantasy, and especially stories which blend the two. If you can toss in some good action scenes, character development, and make me fall in love with the MC, then I’ll get hooked.

9. If you could live anywhere, in this world or fantasy, where would you live?
If I could live ANYWHERE, it would probably be Rivendell from Lord of the Rings. If I had to say here in this reality, it would probably be in central/northern Vermont.

10. What is your favorite meal?
My favorite meal really depends on the day. Sometimes I love a good, juicy slice of brisket off my smoker paired with a nice salad and cornbread, whereas sometimes a simple grilled cheese will hit the spot. If I wasn’t worried about destroying my GI tract and gaining weight, I’d probably eat buffalo chicken dip and corn chips all day.

11. Coffee or tea? Wine or beer?
I have a love/hate relationship with coffee but rely on it to survive. However, I do enjoy a good raspberry green tea when it’s cooler out. If I had to choose between wine or beer, I’ll typically go with wine (Riesling or Pinot Gris), but a Gin & Tonic with Bombay Sapphire really hits the spot.

12. Describe yourself in three words.
Lost but focused.