Tell us about Pump It Up

If looks could kill we wouldn’t need Ernie Boudreaux. Ernie offers back room cosmetic procedures at bargain basement prices…but some of his clients pay the ultimate price—likewise anybody who threatens his operation. Ex-Navy SEAL Ike is determined to put an end to Ernie’s operation and it’s more than just a threat. Ike is not going to stand by while Ernie puts his friends in harm’s way.

But Ike’s plan backfires and in order to save the life of his friend, he has to work with Ernie’s former partner…but can he trust an ex-con with a grudge?

The peaceful, beach-side community of Flagler Beach, Florida turns ugly when Ike and Ernie square off in a high-speed, high-stakes showdown with several lives, and a small fortune, hanging in the balance.

What genre is it?
Suspense/Action/Thriller

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
People who enjoy off-beat plots, colorful characters and fast-paced stories. My work has been compared to Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiassen. Fans of Janet Evanovich and JD Robb have also told me they love my books.

Tell us more about your hero, Ike.
I have to be honest…I don’t know much about Ike myself! In fact, I don’t know if Ike is his first name, last name or a nickname! What I do know about him is that he was a career Navy man (SEAL). At some point he served in South America where he went through an emotionally traumatic experience involving a young girl in the jungle. He is retired and lives on his 37 foot boat in the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. He works for a local bookie as a body guard/enforcer. Despite his involvement with said bookie…he has a strong moral compass and an innate calling to do the right thing. He is 6’6” tall and weighs approximately 275 pounds. He has long dark hair that is beginning to gray and he wears it in a ponytail. He drives a 1974 Harley Davidson Shovelhead (his only form of ground transportation). He is a ladies man on par with James Bond and George Clooney. Other than that, the rest is “yet to be determined”.

Interesting. If Hollywood wanted to make a movie of Pump It Up and put you in charge of casting, who would play Ike? George Clooney?
That’s a tough one. When I first “created” Ike, I used three characters as my model…Sam Elliot’s character “Wade Garret” from the movie Road House (for the general appearance and toughness) – Bruce Campbell’s character “Sam Axe” from the TV show Burn Notice (for the personality) and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (for the physical stature). So the short answer would be – The Rock with long hair a moustache and beard…

How long did it take to write?
Pump It Up took me about seven months to write the first draft and then another three in editing and revisions.

And what was the most challenging part of your creative process?
My biggest challenge is finding time to write…Between working a full time job and trying to do all of my own marketing work (another full time job) I sometimes go several days without working on my latest W.I.P.

You talk about marketing, what have you found to be the most effective means of marketing your work? Do you use social media?
I use facebook, Twitter (@blindoggbooks), goodreads and  linkedin mostly. I also send out a semi-monthly newsletter. I don’t have a budget for a PR at this time so I’ll try anything if it’s free! As for their effectiveness, I don’t have hard data to make any claims, but my sales are climbing steadily.

Tell us about yourself; who is Tim Baker?
Originally from Warwick, Rhode Island, Tim Baker attended The Wentworth Institute of Technology in 1980. He enjoyed a 25 year career in Architecture and Engineering, followed by short stints in the natural gas industry, construction and ice cream sales. An avid dog lover, Tim was a volunteer puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, raising and socializing potential guide dogs. He has studied and taught martial arts and is a lifetime member of Red Sox Nation. Inspired by his interest in Karma and the unexplained forces of the universe, he made his first serious attempt at writing in 1988 when he began writing a novel entitled Full Circle, a story about the far reaching effects one man’s actions can have on people he has never even met. Unfortunately without the use of a computer or even a typewriter he shelved the project due to the difficulties of trying to construct a novel completely by hand. In early 2007 a bizarre dream inspired his first novel, appropriately called Living the Dream, and he has been cranking out books non-stop ever since. Tim writes fast-paced, off-beat crime stories set in Flagler Beach and St. Augustine, full of colorful characters and loaded with unexpected and often humorous twists and turns. Currently, Tim is enjoying life in Palm Coast, Florida.

Have you got a blog where readers can keep up with your work?
My website is www.blindoggbooks.com – links to my blog and all of my books can be found there.

Where can we buy your book?
Amazon ( US,  UK ) is the easiest place.

What’s next?
I am currently working on four projects… Unfinished Business explores what happens to our to-do list after we die. Liquidated Damages is a Steve Salem novel where the Flagler Beach P.I. investigates a seemingly small matter of a missing person but uncovers a complicated web of political corruption. Protect This is the story of a down and out loser who believes his new life is waiting in the witness protection program…unfortunately he hasn’t witnessed a crime. Dying Days: The Siege of European Village is co-written with Armand Rosamilia (an accomplished zombie/horror author) and combines his main character, Darlene Bobich and my main character Ike battling zombies and trying to save a rag-tag band of survivors from the undead.