Tim Patterson

Timothy Patterson is an Oregon author whose work spans contemporary fantasy and nonfiction. His debut novel, Forged in Ancient Fire, is the first book in the Jia Peach series, blending magic, mythology, music, family, and a young woman's discovery that the world—and her place in it—is far stranger than she imagined.

Tim's own path has taken a few unexpected turns. He spent more than 25 years behind the microphone as a radio personality and music director on stations throughout northwest Oregon before moving into the trade show industry. In 2011, he founded TradeshowGuy Exhibits, where he continues to help companies create exhibits and marketing programs for conferences and events.

His nonfiction books include Tradeshow Marketing: 14 Proven Steps to Take Your Tradeshow Marketing to the Next Level and Tradeshow Superheroes and Exhibiting Zombies. But fiction has been part of his imagination for much longer. He grew up devouring science fiction by writers including Robert Heinlein, Philip K. Dick, Poul Anderson, and Arthur C. Clarke, while spending much of his childhood exploring the forests and mountains of Central Oregon.

Music has been another constant. Tim has played drums since fifth grade and guitar since the mid-1970s—an enthusiasm that inevitably found its way into Jia Peach's world. Photography became another creative outlet later in life and eventually grew into a second business.

A lifelong Oregonian, Tim still skis whenever he can, often returning to Hoodoo Ski Area, where he first learned at age seven. He lives in Salem with his wife and their dog, and when he's not writing, working, or taking photographs, he's likely to be found on a ski slope, behind a drum kit, or with a guitar in his hands.

A few things that don't fit neatly anywhere else: he can juggle (really); he was married in Gibraltar—the same place John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married; and he remains convinced that curiosity is one of the most valuable traits a person can have.