Fearless Friday! Meet Matthew R. Horn

Meet Matthew!

Growing up in north-central Indiana, Matthew learned the value of a good imagination at an early age. Bob Kane and Bill Finger's Batman, Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt, and Ian Fleming's James Bond were constant visitors to Matthew's imaginative world.

At the age of 14 Matthew began taking writing classes from none other than his own mother. Having a Master's in English, she wanted her children to be able to communicate properly with the written word. Of course, Matthew hated this. However, nearly twenty years later the lessons learned combined with the imagination born from sheer boredom have cultivated a desire to share his imaginings.

To better tell his adventure stories, Matthew began taking lessons in Martial Arts in 2011. Having achieved a Red Belt in Tae Kwan Do and having broken his nose during a sparring session, Matthew has a unique ability to combine his imagination with real-life experiences to tell stories in a way that are creative and adventurous, yet gritty and realistic.

In September of 2011 Brighton Publishing made Matthew's second book, The Good Fight, his first published novel. The sequel, Nothing Good, is Free is now out in eBook and will be released by Brighton in paperback in March 2013. The final installment, The Price We Pay is currently being written and will hopefully be released during the summer of 2014.

You can contact him clicking the "Email the Author" link from the homepage. You can also follow Matthew on both Facebook and Twitter.

 

The Good Fight

ISBN 978-1-936587-04-9 

 

About the Book:

Jeffery Scott had always made it on his own. An unwanted child, Jeff spent his childhood being pushed from family members to orphanages before finally ending up on the street, until one night, in an alley behind a popular restaurant, Jeff’s life was saved by a dark suited vigilante. Through the mask of the vigilante, Jeff found the courage he needed to change his life, to get an education and become the person even his own family had told him he could never become.

Sixteen years later, Jeff is only a semester away from graduating from community college. With his eyes on graduation, Jeff’s life once again crosses with the dark suited vigilante. But this time, he learns the vigilante’s identity. Over the next year, Jeff fights to discover the line between what he wants and what he must do. His decisions will not only affect those he cares about, but will also alter the course of his life.

 

Purchase on Amazon

Purchase at Barnes and Noble

 

 

Nothing Good is Free

ISBN: 978-1-621830-37-5

About the Book: 

Detective Martell of the Chicago Police Department has a big problem on his hands when he discovers a connection between a recent drug bust and a case he worked on in the ’80s. Not sure if he can trust his peers, Martell goes to the one person he knows he can count on: Jeff Scott. 

Jeff has taken over as the city’s vigilante after Jim, his predecessor, was killed in a drug bust. Toward the end, Jim’s demeanor took a turn for the worse as he became more violent in his work and went after bigger thugs, which ultimately led to his untimely demise. The last thing Jeff wants is to let a life of violence get the better of him and end up like Jim. So, in a pursuit to avoid the same destiny as his mentor, he seeks the truth about Jim and the life he led before the two joined forces. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Now for the interview:

 

Share something not many people know about you:  In January of 2011, I joined the Blue Dragon Tae Kwan Do school in order to learn a new skill, try something new, but also to learn the mechanics of hand-to-hand combat to better write my adventure novels. This last December I took a punch to the face while sparring and broke my nose. Having now been through the surgery and almost fully recovered, I feel that I have ‘earned’ a unique viewpoint in how these fight scenes can be described. I would, however, not recommend anyone try this at home.

Are you a “pet person” or prefer no pets? I love animals and grew up with cats in the home.  However, my wife is extremely allergic to pet dander and as such, my house is animal free.

Would you rather travel or stay at home? Honestly, it depends on the last time we went out. I love to read, and spend time with my wife in the safety of our own home. However, we love to travel and have seen a good deal of the country so far.  We just booked our first European trip as well.

Do you read more or write more? I definitely read more than I write. I try to read the Bible every morning and I like to read fiction before I go to bed. My writing usually occurs when my wife and child are napping.

Prefer cake or pie? I know I’m not helping by straddling the line, but if it’s a birthday, cake. If it’s a holiday meal, pie. I love’em both.

Would, or do, ride a motorcycle or prefer to ride/drive a car? Finally an easy one. I love motorcycles and have two of them. My father taught me to ride as his father taught him. I always ride with full gear ie. helmet, leather coat, leather gloves, jeans, and boots.

 Bus or taxi or walk? I prefer to walk. I don’t like to spend a lot of money on transportation and I prefer the freedom of space.

 Are you part of a big church congregation or a small church? Definitely a small church. I attend a small church in a very small town. We know everyone and everyone knows us. It’s a great family.

 Do you like to telephone people or prefer to use e-mail? I think I’m more effective with email. As it’s less personal I don’t feel as many restrictions on word usage. 

Are you happy or joyful? Joyful. I know Jesus, how could I not be?

Do you eat at home or eat out? I’m a routine guy so eating at home is the most important thing.  However, I really love a good restaurant.

Listen to music or prefer quiet? I enjoy music sometimes, but I definitely prefer quiet.

 Prefer sunrises or sunsets? Sunsets. When I get up in the morning I’m usually focused on a workout or on getting my routine started. The evening is when I take the time to enjoy the beauty of a wonderful sky.