Matthew Horn Interview

Please welcome Matthew Horn aboard the Christian Bookmobile.

Matthew Horn

As a young boy in small town Indiana, Matthew Horn grew up loving storied heroes of all kinds. After graduating from Purdue in 2002, he returned to Rochester to work as a financial manager for his family's small company. His love of heroic tales never diminished and his first work, The Good Fight, was published by Brighton Publishing in 2011. The sequel, Nothing Good is Free, was released in December 2012 and Matthew has his eyes firmly set on continuing to create heroes beloved by all.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I can remember moments through high school and college where I would try to put some random idea to paper, but the concepts always died out when I discovered the amount of time and effort that would be required.  It really wasn’t until 2009, about six years after I graduated from college, when I finally found the drive to follow-through on a book idea.  I surprised most of my friends and family when I told them I wanted them to read sample chapters.  I had always loved to read, but had never expressed a desire to write.  It was a fun time.

Do you have formal education in writing? If so, please describe. If not, how did you learn?

The most I can claim regarding an education in writing is the summer classes my mother forced me to take during high school.  She has her Master’s in English and was always very unhappy with the public education system in that area.  She worked on my sisters and me relentlessly, or so it seemed to me.  My educational background is actually in Management.  I put my Mother’s lessons to good use however, writing papers and business plans to get my degree from Purdue.

Please tell the readers about your latest book.

My latest book is titled Nothing Good is Free and is the sequel to my first published novel, The Good Fight.   This book continues to follow my hero, Jeff, after the death of his vigilante mentor, Jim.  The entire Good Fight series is intended to be symbolic of a Christian’s struggle to do what is right all of the time.  Jeff, as a vigilante in Chicago, is trying to walk a very tight line yet not stray as his predecessor did.  The first book was very centered on Jeff and Jim.   In this new installment, I expand on the roles of Jeff’s girlfriend, Brooke, and the hardened detective, Martell, that Jeff was always trying to avoid in the first book.

What was your inspiration for writing this book?

In 2010, my wife and I had taken our youth group to the Indiana Christian Youth Convention.  We were listening to a speaker one night talking about the difficulties in loving God all day, all the time.  I suddenly thought of an idea to have a young hero coming of age with a wise mentor to show him the way.  I ran the idea by my wife who thought adding some conflict with the mentor would be a good idea.  Leave it to my wife to shoot holes in my ideas.  This idea eventually became The Good Fight.  After completion of the first book I knew immediately that I wanted a second and third installment. 

What do you want the reader to feel/learn/experience while reading this book?

First and foremost I want my readers to enjoy a good, wholesome, adventure story.  I think it’s getting harder and harder to find a story today that is considered real, but doesn’t have incredibly foul language and crude scenes.  I also want my readers to be able to see ways that God works in the characters lives and decision making.  I hope they enjoy the story and I hope they can feel the deeper meaning. 

Please summarize other books you have published.

My only other book is the first book in this series, The Good Fight.  In that story, Jeff is just graduating from college when he has the opportunity to help Chicago’s famous vigilante, the same man that saved his life when he was nine.  Jeff learns the heroes identity and eventually becomes his reluctant protégé.  As the story progresses, Jeff begins to see the ways that his once hero is straying from what’s right.  Jeff wants to pull away, but the more he does the more he gets pulled in.  Jeff ultimately must choose what life he wants, and what life he has been given.

What would you tell someone who wants to write a novel?

Always ask questions and never, ever give up.  For someone like myself that doesn’t usually deal well with personal failures (and I sure have a few of them), publishing can be one of the most brutal industries out there.  It’s hard to be told your work isn’t publishable.  However, if you ask questions and never stop learning you can eventually push past barriers that keep others from succeeding.  It takes a lot of perseverance, but it most certainly can be done.

What would you tell a new author about marketing his or her book?

The best tip I could give is to find a group of people who have been where you want to be, or are trying to get to same place.  No matter what we think, we aren’t alone.  Thanks to the internet it’s easier than ever to find help and I promise, no matter what you write, there’s a group out there doing the same thing.  Find them, learn from them, and ask questions until your blue in the face.

Please describe your hobbies and interests other than writing.

My wife gave birth to our first child, a littler girl named Ella, January 31, 2012.  My number one hobby right now is playing with her on the living room floor.  She is very active and loves to laugh so we have a great time.  My wife and I are also pretty active people so we love to get out and play on the lake we live on, go for a run, play some tennis, etc.  I think my pastime is reading.  I always have a good book.  Currently I’m reading through Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan books. 

What's the best way to reach you and buy your books?

If you go to my website www.matthewrhorn.com there are links to not only buy my books on Amazon or Barnes and Noble, but there’s also a link to email the author.  You can also email me directly at matthew_horn@hotmail.com.  I can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Goodreads, and LinkedIn. 

Thanks for allowing me this interview.  I very much appreciate the chance to answer you questions and be hosted for your fans. 

The Good Fight Trailer