Featured Interview With Tim Wright
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Tim Wright. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota but have lived in Glendale (Phoenix), Arizona since 1984. My wife, Jan and I, have been married since 1979. We have two adult children, five grandchildren, and two dachshunds. I enjoy traveling, riding my recumbent bike, Disneyland, reading, especially Fantasy Adventures and British Mysteries, and being a grandpa. I am also a long-suffering fan of the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals, having watched my two teams lose a combined 5 Super Bowls.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing since I was a kid. In third grade we had a school-wide play writing contest and the play I wrote, John and the Ogre, took first place for our grade. We had the chance to perform it in front of the whole school. I discovered way back then that I enjoy the creative, imaginative process.
The first books I wrote grew out of my work as a Lutheran pastor. The books were more information/strategy oriented, but I always tried to write as creatively as I could, using stories and humor to unlock the imaginations of my readers.
I only started writing my middle-school fantasy adventure series a few years ago. It’s always been something I wanted to do, and finally, having grandkids, I felt the push to go for it. It was and is such a joy, thrill, and an adventure in and of itself to see where the story will take me. While I’ve been fortunate so far (two books published, the third soon to be released and the first draft for the fourth completed) in that I’ve yet to hit any writer’s block, there are probably some things I’d go back and fix in book 1 now that I know where the story is going. But that’s the challenge, I’m guessing, with any series. The first book lays the groundwork. The rest of the books build on that groundwork, and, at times, can be a bit constricted by them. The tongue-in-cheek style of this series offers me a lot of freedom to make a course correction or two without totally losing the storyline of book 1.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I didn’t discover the joy of fantasy adventures until I was in college. In 11th grade we were assigned The Hobbit, but for some reason it didn’t capture my attention. But the Hobbit bug caught me after High school and I couldn’t get enough of Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Sam, and Middle Earth. I moved on to the Shannara Chronicles (Terry Brooks), the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (Stephen Donaldson), The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis), and a host of other fantasy books that didn’t include Chronicles in the name—including, of course, Harry Potter. These writers wrote with such wonder. Their character and world-building, and the joy of their stories, are so compelling and memorable. Their ability to put words together in interesting and new ways held my attention.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The series is called: The Adventures of Toby Baxter. In book 1: The River Elf, the Giant, and the Closet, 13-year-old Toby Baxter is summoned to a strange land through his closet to assist the river elves in their battle against the trolls. Toby is a reluctant HERO, and as will be the case in each of his adventures, he will be challenged and stretched to discover who he is and his place in the world.
Book 2: RiverHome for the Holidays, has Toby back in RiverHome for a rematch with his archnemesis from book 1, the troll leader Clygon. Will Toby give in to his fears and doubts, or will he be WISE as he moves deeper into his Quest to save RiverHome?
Book 3: Aloha RiverHome: The GOOD Prophecy, sees Toby back in RiverHome. This time around old enemies must become allies to overcome the threat to the land. An ancient prophecy compels Toby and Clygon to find the GOOD in order to rebuild the Sword that protects RiverHome. During the Quest Toby stumbles into a brewing civil war among the giants, finds himself tempted in Para-dies by a sly serpent, and must battle stalagmites, stalactites, and continuous homonyms. The book should be out Mid-May of 2024.
I’ve been working on book three for about a year.
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You are the best story teller, especially when you read aloud. I hope you come out with audio books soon