Tom McLaughlin, an award winning science teacher, packed up his bags and moved to Malaysian Borneo after beating a rare neurological disease to a standstill. He traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia, married and produced a vasectomy failed son. He currently lives and teaches in Kuching, Malaysia.
Thank you for this interview, Tom. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
The local discount airline, Air Asia, usually runs steeply discounted fares when you book three months in advance. When a sale came up, I rushed to the computer and booked a flight not caring where it landed. I then wandered around my new location exploring.
I am not a Hilton to Hilton traveler and prefer discounted establishments with my back pack. I am usually the oldest among a group of twenty something travelers.
Currently, I am a teacher at the local international school. When my son is older, I will continue my adventures. However, we do plan to visit Komodo Island to see the dragons in September.
I have been writing for about twenty years for local and regional publications in the Washington D.C. area.
Do you write full-time?
My teaching activities preclude a full time writing career.
You’ve met an old friend from high school and you want to pitch your book to him/her in five minutes or less. What would you say?
Welcome to a world of orangutans, pandas, proboscis monkeys! Walk with me through Hanoi, Mandalay, Chengdu and many remote locals in tropical Asia. Hold my hand as I fall in love, get married and find a child is on the way despite a vasectomy! See through my eyes the beauty and enchantment of this wonderful land!
Who is your intended audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences as well?
My intended audience is travelers, environmentalists, scientists and anyone with a sense of wonder and excitement. I found out my book attracts tweens and teens as they follow my daughters who came along for several of my adventures.
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