Interview with Matthew Horn

Please welcome author Matthew Horn to the blog.  Matthew is current on tour for his new book, Nothing Good is Free (a sequel to The Good Fight) and stops by here today for an interview...

Interview with Matthew Horn

Why don’t you begin by telling us a bit about yourself?

Well, I was born and raised in small town Indiana.  My grandparents lived on a lake close by so we always had something to do during the summers, but I think I used reading and writing as a way to help avoid the sheer boredom of living in flyover country.  My mother used to give my sisters and me writing courses in the summers.  As a result, I’ve always loved to read and write.  My first published book, The Good Fight was released by Brighton Publishing in September 2011, and my latest book, Nothing Good is Free is the sequel.  I’m currently writing the third instalment and have eight or ten other ideas in various forms of completion.  

Can you describe your new book, Nothing Good is Free?

This book continues to follow my vigilante hero, Jeff, after the death of his friend and mentor, Jim.  As Jeff continues in his role as a vigilante he starts to confront the same pressures that caused Jim to stray from being a true hero.  To complicate matters the Chicago Police Department has come up with a new scheme to catch the famous vigilante, and has put Detective Martell, Jeff’s only ally, at the head of it. 
Additionally, Jeff’s romance with Brooke is put under strain as she travels more and more for her work.  Her new Boss, Rick, seems interested in her, but may have his sights set on something else. 

How did you come up with the ideas for Nothing Good is Free and the previous book in the series, The Good Fight?

I remember writing my first book, Heroism, (currently unpublished) and having a desire to write something completely different.  Heroism is a fantasy epic with many different characters.  I wanted my next book to focus on only a few characters and to be bound in reality.  I came up with an idea to have a young hero come of age with the help of a mentor.  My wife suggested I add some conflict with the mentor and a few months later I had The Good Fight.  It met with a great response from readers and because I had left the ending mostly open, it was a given to write the sequel.  I believe that it is my best work so far and am extremely excited for the print release in a few weeks.   

Your book is a suspense thriller. What do you like best about writing in this genre?

It is a great genre to create a hero that is completely realistic, yet lives just past the edge of normal capability.  My hero, Jeff, is a normal guy and uses equipment that can be found using any search engine on the internet.  He trained with a great mentor and finds himself very lucky or amazingly blessed depending on how the reader sees it, but he’s not something that a real person couldn’t do if they put the time in.  I love creating a dream world that is so in tune with reality that the two blend easily and I think this is one of the best genres to do that.

What is the most difficult part of writing a thriller?

It is hard to be creative in the thriller genre anymore, especially crime thrillers.  The first thing I wanted to do was come up with a crime that hadn’t been written of before.  That, of course, is nearly impossible.  So I based the activity in this book not on the crime itself.  The crime is a backdrop to everything else Jeff is dealing with, and I think that gave me a creative storyline people will love. 

You’ve stated you also write in other genres. What are some of the ones you’ve tried and why?

I’ve started a sci-fi novel mainly because it’s my father’s favourite genre.  I love titles like Star Wars though and am intrigued to try a sci-fi that combines elements of a fantasy novel and a thriller.  I’ve also stated a humorous detective story, a fantasy series, mental thriller, and even a zombie apocalypse novel.  All of them are in various stages of completion, but are coming along nicely.

What’s the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Frankly, finding time.  I am a Chief Financial Officer for my small family company and work nine or ten hour days regularly anyway.  I often find myself writing chapters over lunch or sneaking in interviews whenever I can.  It’s a difficult balance, but I love writing too much to give it up.

Do you have a favourite author who has inspired your writing?

CS Lewis is hands down my biggest inspiration as an author.  The way he was able to combine a gripping story with deep spiritual symbolism was wonderful.  I hope first and foremost that my readers enjoy my books, but I also hope that they can see what lies underneath as well.  CS Lewis achieved that in wonderful form and I hope to do the same.

What’s next for you?

I hope to get the final instalment of The Good Fight series finished and ready for publishing by the middle of next year.  Beyond that, my heart lies in the first book I ever wrote, Heroism.  I plan for it to be a trilogy with a prequel, but it’s so large that even just the first two books total almost 1500 pages and the revising is such an incredible and daunting task.  I can’t wait for it to hit the bookshelves, but it must be ready first.


You can find out more about Matthew and his books at his website:  http://www.matthewrhorn.com/