Travis Baldree is a full-time audiobook narrator who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate. Apparently, he now also writes books. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his very patient family and their small, nervous dog.

I had the opportunity to interview Travis, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself? 

Hi there! I’m Travis Baldree. Once upon a time I was best known for making video games like Fate and Torchlight. I was (am?) a software engineer, and ran a few game studios as well – a job I did for decades. I retired from game development to become a full-time audiobook narrator, where I became best known for narrating fantasy and a few fantasy subgenres. Now I’m best known for writing Legends & Lattes, although I still effectively narrate full time.

What can you tell us about your latest book, Bookshops and Bonedust? What was the inspiration for this story?  

Bookshops & Bonedust is a followup to Legends & Lattes set 20 years before, and is basically a prequel about the fact that prequels matter. It’s about the mistakes and blind alleys and relationships we weren’t ready for that are the ultimate foundation of the people we become. This was actually my fourth attempt at a second book – I scrapped the other three. But in some surprise thematic consistency, the characters and wreckage of those books formed the basis of this one.

If we’re talking purely story, Bookshops & Bonedust follows Viv at the start of her career as a new recruit in a mercenary company. Headstrong, she’s injured and sidelined in a crummy beach town while the rest of the crew continues onward in pursuit of their quarry. Bored and thwarted, she immediately runs afoul of the local law, and then befriends the very foul-mouthed owner of a failing local bookshop. Also, there are a lot of skeletons.

As an author, you are well-known for your novel, Legends and Lattes. What drew your interest towards writing “cozy fantasy” as opposed to other types of genres and sub-fantasy types?

Honestly, I never would have expected it was the sort of story I would write. I’ve always gravitated toward bigger action and darker themes in my reading, at least until recently. My reading diet as a narrator has me spending plenty of time there already, though, so in the dark heart of Covid times, I wanted something that made me feel a little better at the end of the day. It was a purely selfish need for a specific kind of affirmation and escapism.

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically speculative fiction and romance? 

I’ve always been a fan of speculative fiction. Romance is a bit of a newer acquired taste, and I’m not sure if I’d classify either of the books I’ve written as romance. Romance is really the C-plot. They’re much more preoccupied with relationships and friendships, and sometimes those become more.

How would you describe your writing process?

The process that eventually worked for me is very unexciting. It turns out I’m a plotter. I have to outline the book in plain English, like I’m telling the story in short to another person. Then I sit in my audiobook booth every evening, and write one chapter, with some music in my headphones. I pile the chapters up until I’m done, trying never to go a day without writing.

Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in? Are there any like that now?

I think growing up, most of the stories I responded to reflected a person I wanted to be. I loved stories that were about discovering that there was more to the world than just what we see, and the idea that I belonged there. Now I gravitate to the idea that we can make the world we are in more than it was.

As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general? 

I’ve taken inspiration from everything I’ve ever loved – and plenty from things I haven’t too. Will Wight taught me economy, Robin Hobb connection, Steven King comfortable language, Terry Jones wonder. There are too many to list. Audiobook narration has been an unexpectedly huge influence, as I have discovered it crystallizes your personal opinions on what you want to write in a way that nothing else does.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging? 

My favorite part is looking back on something that’s done! Actually, my favorite part is when someone lets me know that a book helped or moved them in any way – that’s incredible.

The most challenging part for me is finding the heart of the story and making sure I am not putting the idea before the character.

Many authors would say one of the most challenging parts of writing a book is finishing one. What strategies would you say helped you accomplish this?

Finding the things that keep me from writing, and removing them. Coming to the realization that a simple idea isn’t an unworthy one.

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

This is a hard question! I’ve spent my whole life defining myself by what I can do and I feel like I’m only now figuring out that it’s Ok to just exist, and that you don’t have to earn the right to be worthy of regard.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

Nobody ever asks about editing. I think the process of editing, of evaluation, change, and iteration, is key to everything. It happens as we write, and after. It happens with the door closed, and with it open. It’s the fire that burns away impurities. Learning how to edit and accept editorial feedback, and to ultimately clarify your position in that process is incredibly powerful.

What advice might you have to give for other aspiring writers?

Something helpful that I have found to make my stories function is looking back through my life for an ache – a time of indecision where my life could have gone one way or another, but a choice was ultimately made. Transmuting that into something relevant to my main character provides an engine that makes the story go.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

I’m still narrating constantly, and I just completed a mystery short set in the Legends & Lattes world – and I’m piling up the raw material for the next book.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ and/or fantasy books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

I’ll say Tamsyn Muir and the Locked Tomb series.