About

Now, a little about Scott Austin Tirrell.

I was born and raised in Monson, Massachusetts, a place few have heard of, even for those living in the state. I had a simple childhood of making mischief, exploring nature, and dreaming of the world’s many mysteries.

Monson’s population has fluctuated around 8,000 for the last 40 years, and my graduating class had one hundred students. The town’s only real claims to fame are a granite quarry that closed in 1935 and the freak tornado that virtually demolished its center in 2011. Everyone knows everyone in Monson, and the pace of life hasn’t changed much since my grandparents moved there in 1951. Monson doesn’t even have a traffic light, but it does have a 256-acre abandoned state hospital. Say what you will about Monson, but it is certainly a breeding ground for an active imagination.

At 18, I went to a small liberal arts college. I was originally interested in music and was accepted into the Berklee School of Music in Boston, which is one of the top music schools in the country, but I wasn’t blind to the very real possibility of becoming a starving jazz drummer. So, I chose elsewhere and enrolled as a Psychology major instead. I don’t know why I thought that would be a better choice.

I graduated with honors at twenty-two and now faced the prospects of the real world. Like many of my generation, things didn’t go well. A bachelor’s in psychology is not worth much more than school loan debt, and finding a job in the field was difficult. Originally, my goal was to pursue a doctorate in developmental psychology. I was quite successful in research and had some connections to pursue, but as math is my kryptonite, I needed to brush up on the subject before taking the GREs. Easier said than done. That plan floundered.

Six months later, I looked around, and things seemed hopeless. I was still living with my parents and working nights in a terrible job at the US Postal Service. The prospect of going to graduate school seemed to move further and further away. After a failed relationship, I became worn out and depressed. Finally, I decided that’s it! I wasn’t going to get trapped in Monson like so many others. It was time for an adventure!

I have always been fascinated by the history and culture of China. Although I was a Psychology major, my hunger for all things Chinese led to a minor in Asian history. I took a travel course to the country in 2003, and the idea of returning always tickled the back of my mind.

So, on a cold December day in 2004, I decided that my life’s journey should continue in the great Middle Kingdom. It was the most impulsive decision of my young life, but ultimately, the best decision I ever made.

I contacted a third-tier university in Baoding City, Hebei Province, and signed a teaching contract. The small industrial city of Baoding (small by Chinese standards, with a population of 2 million!) is about two hours outside of Beijing and had the grim distinction of being one of the most polluted cities in China at the time. Why Baoding, then? It was close enough to the staples of the Western world found in the capital (like coffee and cheese) but still undoubtedly the “real” China. I also had a connection at the university through one of my college professors (connections or guanxi are very important in China).

The experience would change my entire life. I would spend two years living and working in Baoding, teaching English to a full swath of society (from CEOs to kindergartners). Most importantly for this venue, I began writing fiction.

I also got married in China, something I wasn’t planning to do, but few have the resolve to stop the steamroller of love. It hit hard, and my love for my wife remains strong almost twenty years later.

I enjoy writing various stories, but speculative fiction resonates with me the most. A central theme of my work is placing people in isolated situations and letting them find themselves. In this vein, I’m inspired by nature, ancient mysteries, and the paranormal. My favorite author would have to be Clive Barker, but I also enjoy Frank Herbert. Combine the two, and you get a sense of my work.

Along with writing, I find solace in other creative pursuits such as painting, drawing, playing drums, and carpentry. I love to create and share some of these other endeavors on my blog. My adventure in China also created a love for traveling, seeing new places, and meeting new people. I feel it is the perfect fuel for good books.

My writing story is not necessarily unique. I have an active imagination and feel compelled to put it down on paper. I’ve been writing full-length novels for almost 20 years with no end in sight. Although The Island of Stone was my first published novel, it was my sixth complete book at the time. I have published four more since- The Slaying of the Bull, a Historical Fiction, and three books in the epic dark fantasy series Absolution of the Morning Star– Dawn of the Lightbearer, The Mourning Son, and Noonday in the North. Koen, a stand-alone prequel to the Absolution of the Morning Star series, is finished and looking for an agent. I am now working on book four of the AMS series Destiny of the Daystar, as well as a new project, The Order of Thanatos, that takes place in Lucardia but in a different storyline.

I currently live in the Boston area, where I write when I can- on the weekends and before and after full-time work as a higher-education administrator at MIT. Writing is still very much a hobby, but I dream of accolades, fame, and fortune. Join me on my journey, as fantastical as it may seem!

What to learn more about me? Check out some frequently asked questions! Learn more about my writing journey here and why I chose dark fantasy as my genre here.