Meet Matthew!
Growing up in north-central
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
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.
Nothing Good is
Free
ISBN: 978-1-621830-37-5
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.
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.
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Barnes and Noble
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.
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.