The Crab Chronicles

Twenty Questions With Tim Baker

I belong to a book group on Facebook and we are always sharing book titles because if you’re a dedicated and voracious reader, such information is gold. Somebody posted they had read all the books by Tim Baker and I was immediately intrigued. After checking out his website, I interviewed him by phone a few days ago.

Tim lives in Florida and writes mysteries, but he didn’t start out as an English major [think Mickey Spillane, not Ernest Hemingway]. A former architect, Tim has had a number of jobs in different fields. Writing is his passion, though. He writes books basically for the same reason I do: “I write books that I would like to read,” Tim explains.

I asked Tim to describe his writing. “I’ve been compared to Carl Hiasen and Elmore Leonard.”

Tim published his first novel, Living the Dream, in 2007. He decided to forego the traditional publishing path, after learning how hard it is to get a literary agent – a lesson I’ve learned, too. (Getting hit by an asteroid is easier.) Although he uses a professional editor to help polish his stories, otherwise he’s a one man show. He has published more than 14 books since that first one. One of his books [Unfinished Business] is now being made into a television series, and Tim is learning how to write TV scripts.

No matter what the genre, as Tim notes, “A good story is always going to be a good story.”

Without further ado, here are Tim’s responses to some random questions.

Are you a full-time writer or is it more of a passionate hobby?

I guess, technically, it’s a passionate hobby since I do have a full-time day job. That doesn’t mean I don’t expect to one day write full time.

What got you interested in writing?

It began with a love of reading. From the time I was a child and read my mother’s copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer I couldn’t get enough of reading and the more I read the more I became enamored with storytelling. At some point in my late 20s I read a quote by a famous author (I believe it was Stephen King, but I’m not sure). To paraphrase - he said “One day you’ll read a book and when you’re finished you’ll think ‘I could do better than that’ and on that day, it’s time to start writing.”

Sure enough, I once read a book and had that exact thought. So I started writing.

Describe your writing process?

My books always start with a “what if” moment. For example, I once met a mortician. I was fascinated with her description of her job and at some point, I thought “What if every time she embalmed a body, she had to follow through on whatever that person was thinking about when they died.”

From there I come up with a crude “road map” for the story. I know the beginning, the end, and I have a rough idea of what will happen along the way.

Then I start writing - and although it probably violates all kinds of rules, I literally make up the story to fit my “road map”.

Once the first draft is finished, I send it to a team of beta readers and tell them to tear it apart. They aren’t looking at spelling or grammar, they are trying to blow holes in the story.

When I get their feedback, I go through it and decide how much, if any to take under advisement.

Then I edit the story from beginning to end, incorporating any of the beta comments I like and adding or subtracting things I think will improve the story.

At this point the manuscript is sent to the editor. Once I get my editor’s feedback, I go through the story again and give another polishing.

Then it’s back to the editor for the final go-through and another coat of polish when I get it back.

If all has gone well – the manuscript is now ready to be published.

What’s your favorite book ever, and why?

My favorite book ever is Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was the second book I ever read and although I’ve read many books since then that would qualify as “better” – I credit Treasure Island as the book that captured my imagination to the point where I couldn’t wait to read another book.

Was there a teacher who had a big influence on you?

As far as writing goes, there wasn’t a teacher who had much influence on me, but there was one teacher I had in high school who encouraged me, gave me confidence and always treated me as an equal, rather than a student. His name is Gerry Houle and even though I graduated high school over forty years ago, Gerry and I are still friends.

A lot of writers are inspired by their hometown. Is that true for you as well?

My original hometown, Warwick, RI, didn’t inspire me to write, but when I moved to Florida in 2006, I was almost immediately inspired by my “new” hometown, Flagler Beach, FL. It is the location for almost every one of my stories.

 

THE STANDARD TWENTY QUESTIONS

What is your full name?

Timothy J. Baker.

Where would you live, if you could live anywhere in the world?

I’m quite happy where I am, but I guess the south of France wouldn’t be hard to take.

What is your favorite movie and why?

Jaws. In my opinion Jaws is a fantastic movie on every level. The writing is superb (talk about a fantastic “what if”!!) The acting, cinematography, music all combine to make it a technical masterpiece, but it’s also a great character study. If you can manage to look past the obvious tagline about a rogue shark, you can see it for what it is. A story where the 3 protagonists must put aside their differences and work together toward a common goal which is for the greater good.

DISCLAIMER: Despite the fact that Jaws is my favorite movie I do not subscribe to the belief that sharks are inherently evil. In fact, I love sharks. Jaws actually inspired me, at the age of 16, to want to become a SCUBA diver.

What was your least-favorite subject in school when you were a kid?

Believe it or not – grammar. I couldn’t stand learning all those rules. I believed that telling a story was not about being “correct” – it was about taking the reader on a trip.

Besides, that’s why I pay an editor!

What was your nickname when you were a kid?

Most of my friends called me Bake.

Do you believe in God?

I am an Agnostic – even though I spent my entire childhood attending church, Sunday school and bible school.

What sound or noise do you love?

The sound of rain is hands down my favorite sound.

If you could do anything other than what you do, as a profession, what would it be?  

I would write full time.

If heaven exists, what do you think it is like?

Heaven most certainly exists – but in my opinion it isn’t a magical kingdom in the clouds occupied by god. It is in our mind and it is whatever and wherever makes us happy.

Do you have siblings?

I have three brothers and two sisters. I had four brothers, but one passed away about six years ago.

What is your favorite memory of childhood [something specific]?

It’s hard to cite one specific memory because I had such a fantastic childhood. But my most fond memories are of spending summer vacations playing baseball, going to the beach (I grew up walking distance from a beach) and generally being with my friends.

If you had to choose between one week traveling around the USA by car, or one week traveling around Europe on a train, which would you choose and why?

I would go with the Europe trip because driving around America I can do any time, visiting Europe not so much.

Who or what inspires you?

This is a very tough question for which I can’t really think of an answer so I’m going to go with this: I am inspired by the thought that the only person I have to be better than – is the person I was yesterday.

Which holiday do you prefer, Christmas or July 4th?

Neither of them is especially high on my list of favorites so if I had to choose, I would go with Christmas. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I come from a big family and Thanksgiving always fills me with fond memories.

What project or idea are you most passionate about, right now?

Right now, I am in the process of overseeing one of my novels (Unfinished Business) become a television series. Like most, if not all writers, it is the brass ring and I have been fortunate enough to have it within my grasp.

For more information on the project please visit blindoggproductions.com

Do you know how to cook?

I think I am a better than average cook.

What is your favorite thing to cook/eat?

I would have to say my favorite thing to cook is seafood chowder, but my favorite thing to eat is lasagna.

If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, for 2-4 weeks, all expenses paid, where would you go and why?

I would say Hawaii. I’ve always wanted to see it, but I’ve heard that it is quite expensive, so if all expenses are paid it’s an easy choice!

Who do you love the most in the world?

That’s a toss-up between my mother and my son. I credit my mother with teaching me that nothing was out of my reach if I was willing to work for it. And she somehow managed to raise seven children by herself and never let us know how hard it was. I credit my son for growing up to be one of the best people I have ever known, despite my lack of parenting skills!!

What question has nobody ever asked you, but you wanted to answer?

Nobody has ever asked me how I would like to be remembered – but you know something? It’s probably best because I think the only thing I could come up with is that every person I have ever met has influenced me somehow, so if you must remember me, remember me, not for what I was, remember me for what you made me.

Great Summer Beach Reads

After the pandemic nightmare of 2020/2021 I think folks are finally getting back to normal, thanks be to God. I thought I'd jump into the waters of commerce once again with some shameless self-promotion. Below are links to all my books, and synopses of each book. Order one or all - they are all great reads!

 

Singing to the Cows: A Memoir by Elva Hasty Thompson, edited by Dee Thompson

During her 86 years of life my mother Elva Hasty Thompson entertained and enlightened friends and family members with her stories. In her final years I persuaded her to write many of her stories into blogs. After she died in 2020 I decided to edit her blogs and compiled them into a book, and this is the result. Elva was born during the Depression, and her vivid memory encompassed World War II, the 1950's and 1960's, and being married to a dynamo [my dad]. She never lost her sense of humor, and she was much loved for her touching and often funny stories.

 

Heart of My Own Heart by Dee Thompson

Wouldn't it be fascinating to travel through time, into the future, and instruct your descendants in the ways of magic? For Sarah Walker, born during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, that adventure is made possible. Sarah's magical gifts must be brought forth and nurtured in her female descendants who inherit her incredible gifts, and each young witch's powers surpass her ancestor's. Two others accompany Sarah on her travels, a Goddess and an Angel.One is her friend and one is her enemy, but which is which? Sarah isn't sure.

Set in England and in America, Heart of My Own Heart is a tale of magic and mystery, love and female empowerment.

Readers are enchanted: "I loved the book. The story is wonderful, witty, and mystical. The characters are very interesting and endearing. Believe me you won’t want to put it down, and you’ll enjoy the ride. Great story telling!!"

 

Leaf Season by Dee Thompson

Set in the mountains of North Georgia and in Atlanta, Leaf Season tells an unusual story of love and mystery. Wyatt Jamison is a busy and successful Atlanta lawyer. When his uncle dies, Wyatt inherits his home in the North Georgia mountains -- and a number of startling questions about the antebellum home and his uncle's mysterious death. After seeing the home, Wyatt dreams of retiring early and settling into the mountains, but his wife has other ideas. His uncle's next door neighbor, Sally, further complicates things.

As one reviewer noted: "Leaf Season is a great read! I especially enjoyed the cultural and historical information regarding the Georgia mountains- an area I love to visit. The main characters are well developed and likable-especially the ones visiting from the beyond! Full of suspense and it doesn’t disappoint! I look forward to Dee’s next novel."  

above, my mom Elva holding Leaf Season

 

Ghosts in the Garden City

By Dee Thompson

Leigh Harrington knows she looks very different from her petite blonde mother, but she doesn’t know why. One day she is given an old suitcase that belonged to her paternal grandmother, Rose, and she makes a shocking discovery. Her grandmother Rose kept a very dangerous secret from her family, and it becomes Leigh's mission to find out why.

When Leigh digs into Rose’s past, she discovers that she and her grandmother are further linked by a young black woman and a long-ago act of violence. As buried truths come to light, Leigh must confront not only the lies fed to her for years, but also her own repressed memories. Eventually, Leigh must learn to accept herself so she can live honestly with the man she loves.

Ghosts in the Garden City weaves the stories of four very different young women (Leigh, her mother Peggy, Rose, and her daughter Liz) who learn to survive and even thrive in the Deep South despite its painful history of racism.

Remember with Joy

When my dad died in 1996 he was 65 years old. I had just turned 34. I remember so many people saying "He was taken so young!" in tones of anguish, shock, and dismay. I remember thinking "Well no, he was 65, not young at all!" but of course I didn't say that. From my vantage point, having lived fewer than half of his years, it seemed to me like he had a very long and full life.

Now, of course, I am 59 and so it seems like he actually was far too young, at 65.

I was reminded of that because two of my friends posted on Facebook about their sadness this weekend, because it's a birthday weekend for their departed loved ones. I feel great sympathy because if I had to live with the death of my son or my brother I would be devastated. I am quite certain that my grief would be overwhelming, and quite possibly debilitating, at least for a while.

Losing someone we love and are very close to is never easy.

When my dad died I existed in a fog of grief for months, just going through the motions of life. I was really worried about my mother living alone. She was only 62 and had never lived alone in her entire life. I had to teach her how to pay bills, balance a checkbook, and read a bank statement. Dad had always done that. She knew nothing about basic car maintenance, or home maintenance. Bruce and I were very worried. One of us called her every day, for months. He only lived an hour away, and he drove over and physically checked on her a lot. Much to our shock, she did fine. She adapted to life on her own and was fine, with a little help from her friends, and us.

I always went to church and had faith in God, but as I've said many times, I wasn't 100% sure I could really buy into the notion of an afterlife, until I lost Dad. The moment he died, I was sitting in my car in Atlanta and it felt like someone had hit me in the chest with a sledgehammer. I went back to my office and was told my mom had called, and Dad had passed away. I knew what I had felt was him leaving this earth. I left work and drove to Augusta, feeling him all around me. It was actually good, that two hour drive, because I got a lot of crying done, and was better able to deal with what awaited me at my parents' home in Augusta.

Here's the kicker, though: my dad was with me in that car. I know it like I know my own name.

I think those who grieve hardest are folks who either flat out do not believe in any sort of afterlife, or those who have doubts.

I wish I could grab my friends and shake them and say YOUR LOVED ONE IS ALIVE AND WELL! THEY ARE IN A PLACE OF PERFECT PEACE AND JOY! Their soul is on the other side. Death is SIMPLY a doorway, nothing more.

I have two points to make here.

1) The hard thing to face is this: people die when they are meant to die. Everyone is put on earth for a finite number of days. Dad wasn't taken away from us prematurely. Dad died when it was his time to die. Period. Dad got 65 years. Mom got 86. We never know how long we will get.

I will die when it is my time. So will you.

Cancer took my dad. Covid took my mom. Getting mad at cancer or Covid is a huge waste of time and energy. Anger solves nothing.

My son lost his older brother to suicide, years before I adopted him. Sadly, it was Sasha's time.

When we cannot accept that good people sometimes are taken away from us while still young, we are dishonoring their memory. We are hanging on to grief that needs to be released. We are depriving our living family members and friends of seeing us living our best lives. I'm not saying don't feel sad. I'm just saying don't wallow in it, and don't let anger become your credo.

 

2) I also wish I could say "How do you think your loved one feels, seeing you continuing to mourn, day after day, year after year?!"

I know my dad is still with me, still around, often, in spirit. He would not want to see me weeping and wailing because he has died.

I already told my kids I will haunt them if they don't live their lives with joy even after I leave them.

When I die I expect my kids will mourn and be sad for a while, but then I want them to live, 100%. I want them to love. I want them to pursue fun, and magic, and happiness. I want them to close their eyes and remember my laugh, remember how it felt when I hugged them, remember eating my cooking, and the sound of my voice. Remember me with JOY. I hope they hear my voice in their head -- I want them to especially hear me telling them to not wallow around in sadness.

The cure for death is LIFE, y'all.

That's what our departed loved ones want from us, I am convinced. They want us to LIVE boldly and love boldly. There is no higher calling. Miss me if you must, but push through that, and go out and live. That's how healing happens. My spirit will then be able to rejoice, knowing the most important lesson has been passed on.

 

Daring Childhood Days

Every so often as I am scrolling through my news feed on Facebook I run across an intriguing meme or post. Today I saw one that asked "What did you do as a child that would be considered dangerous today?"

I thought about it for a moment and scribbled down a few things.

Young people today could probably never comprehend the joy of sitting in the back of a pickup truck (without a seatbelt) feeling the wind and sun on my face, drinking a Coca Cola out of a small green bottle, happy just to be riding and not walking.

Do kids today even know what it feels to walk barefoot in grass? To step into squishy, warm mud, and feel it ooze between their toes? To see a tree and immediately think I'm going to climb that! -- and then do it?

I remember long afternoons  in kindergarten or first grade, playing in a creek behind my house with my brother, both of us not wearing sunscreen, fishing with homemade poles, swimming in our shorts, walking home when we heard Mom call us for dinner. Dad loved to fish and he taught me how to bait my own hook with a fat wriggling worm, watch the red and white bobber, and then pull in my fish. At the end of the day I would clean my fish, lopping off the head, scooping out the guts, and scaling it. It never bothered me to do that. Dad's rule was, you catch it, you clean it. He and Mom would fry up the fish and he would de-bone my fish for me. Nothing tastes as good as a fish you pulled out of the water hours ago.

Starting when I was about 6 or 7, Mom would drop me and a friend off at the movies and we would see a movie, then be picked up two hours later.

I rode my bicycle all over the neighborhood starting when I was about 5. I never wore a helmet.

My brother and I discovered there was a dump that was only about a mile from our house and we would go over there and scrounge around for hidden treasures. Unfortunately we moved about a year after making that exciting discovery.

I remember playing at the beach all afternoon, and getting my bathing suit so full of sand it would take ten minutes to get all the sand hosed off of me when it was time to go inside. On beach days or pool days, before we could ever go in the water, Brother and I had to submit to Mom slathering Sea & Ski on us, and pouring alcohol in our ears to ward off infection. We also had to stay out of the water for an hour after we ate.

I never wore a helmet to ride a bicycle, a scooter, a skateboard, or in my adolescence a motorcycle. I never saw anyone wear padding of any kind, except boys playing football.

I was taught to swim while still a baby. My father never allowed us to use swim rings because he wanted us to be strong swimmers. He made sure he taught us how to swim safely with no flotation devices of any kind. Today, I am appalled when I see children wearing "swimmies" on their arms because guess when happens if a child falls in water without them? They won't know how to keep themselves afloat and the may drown.

I played football in the street in Augusta. When a car came along we would scatter to the sides. Nobody thought anything of it.

We didn't have bottled water. When playing outside we would drink out of the garden hose. If I didn't have a cup and I was thirsty I would cup my hand under the faucet and drink.

Before every meal we washed our hands. When we came in from playing outside we washed our hands. After using the bathroom we washed our hands. Before we went to church we washed our hands. Hand washing was so ingrained in me by my germaphobe mother I was sort of amused when Covid hit and everyone made a big deal out of washing hands.

My mother was not a "helicopter" parent managing every aspect of my day, but she did have strict rules about some things.

I was always required to ask permission to go play somewhere other than our front or back yard. Mother had to know where I was. Many mothers were far more blase about it. Mom was considered somewhat overprotective, but then again we were the children of a banker and one of Dad's friends had had his daughter kidnapped and then she died before the ransom could be paid. Also, Mom's older brother was kidnapped as a 2 year old, although he was returned unharmed. Because of her fears, Mom taught me and Bro our home address and phone number and Mom and Dad's names as soon as we could talk. We were drilled on that information.

We were put to bed very early. I vividly recall going to bed at 8 p.m. I was in high school before I could stay up to 10 or 11.

Vacations meant me and my brother in the back of our old station wagon with coloring books, crayons, toys, blankies, and snacks. No seatbelts. Mom and Dad sat in the front seat and smoked. We often went to drive-in movies with me and Bro in the back of the station wagon under blankets, so only Mom and Dad paid to get in. We would just play until we fell asleep. I slept through a lot of great movies that way. I have heard that now the pandemic has caused something of a revival of drive-ins, which is great.

When I was around 12 years old I started having to wear a seatbelt in the car. Mom and Dad paid attention to the public service commercials about the dangers of not wearing them. Before then, nobody we knew got all worked up about seatbelts. As a toddler, my brother always stood on the bench seat next to Dad while he was driving. We were lucky Dad never had to brake hard, or Brother would have been launched through the windshield.

Mothers didn't breastfeed when I was little -- babies took bottles. My mom had no milk for me or Bruce so it was a moot question. From a scientific standpoint it might be interesting to note that I had a robust immune system as a kid and rarely got sick, and I had been bottle-fed from birth. Mom had tried to breastfeed Bruce, without success, and then switched to bottles after a couple of weeks. He was sick constantly as a child.

Nobody limited my "screen time." I liked TV but when the sitcom re-runs ended in mid morning and the game shows and soap operas started Mom told me to turn off the TV and go outside and PLAY.

She was not my entertainment director. I was expected to amuse myself and stay out of trouble.

I had to do chores as soon as I was old enough. Clear the table, set the table, dust, sweep, make my bed. I never felt it was unfair. Everybody I knew did chores. I also had to be respectful, call older people M'am or Sir, not speak in company unless spoken to, ask permission to leave the table when I was finished eating, and say prayers at night before sleeping.

"Backtalk" wasn't allowed. Period. Spankings were rare but they happened.

We mostly grew up not feeling entitled or spoiled. I was a middle-class suburban kid. Most of my peers have led successful, reasonably happy lives. I sort of feel sorry for kids today who are so over-protected.

I will soon be 59 years old, and one of the good things about getting older is you can look back on life and see the learning that had to happen to get to the world we have today.

Help for Insomniacs

For most of my life I have dealt with insomnia, and it has taken me years to overcome it. Mom said even as a baby it was hard to get me to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

I still occasionally have a night when getting to sleep is really hard, mostly due to me being unable to let go of worrying about something. However, 95% of the time I can get a good night's sleep, so I wanted to share my experiences.

Around 1995 I heard of an herbal supplement called Melatonin that helps people sleep. I remember going to the old Oxford Books here in Atlanta and buying a book about Melatonin, wanting to do some research before trying it. [Now I would just consult WebMD about it but then I didn't have a home computer with internet access.] I decided to try a very small dose, I think 2 mg. at night. That didn't help much. Eventually I tried 3 mg. and that helped.

So, long story short, I have been taking Melatonin more than 25 years and I take 4-6 mg. a night, and I sleep well, most of the time. However, I also do other things that help me to sleep.

I have a white noise machine I ordered off the internet years ago, like this one. Just before I get into bed to sleep, I turn it on. Many people sleep with a fan on -- same difference.

Before I go to bed, I sit at the computer and check emails and Facebook, and listen to soothing music like this song. Experts say doing the same thing at night helps your body get ready for sleep.

When I am ready to sleep I always do the same three things: brush my teeth, use the potty, and adjust the thermostat.

When I am in bed I tell my body to relax, and I pretend I am floating. I concentrate on breathing in and out, deeply and slowly.

I say my prayers, starting with praying for my children. I ask God to take away any anxiety or worry -- having faith really helps.

Finally, if I am still awake I hypnotize myself. I start planning the decor in a house in my imagination. I mentally decide the color scheme of the living room, for example, and I mentally arrange the furniture, the curtains, etc. Usually within minutes I am asleep. Photo below is a house I admire. I keep a scrapbook on my computer of house looks I like.

When I was younger I fell asleep planning every detail of my someday wedding. After 40 that changed to decorating my house. It can be anything, really, as long as it's the same activity every night.

A few more tips:

1. Always go to sleep at the same time.
2. Don't take calls or text for an hour before bed.
3. Make sure you're not hungry, as hunger can keep you awake. I eat a carton of low-sugar Greek yogurt just before bed.
4. Make sure your room is truly dark.