Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thomas Matthews. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Thomas thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As a settled and safe creative director for a calm and predictable firm, I became disillusioned with the day to day drudgery of the ordinary. Ads the son of an American Literature professor, I had always been a voracious reader and imagine myself a potential writer. Call it a mid-life crisis, but I resigned from my job, put myself in front of my Mac and began writing a novel. It came easy and I was hooked. Ancient Anger was born. Ambitious and exciting, I fictionalized what was to happen at the end of the Mayan calendar. It drew readers and reviewers… not all generous and appreciative. From that support and criticism, I became a better writer and have completed twenty books, published seven and had two #1 bestsellers. Now, as an indy publisher, I strive to continue on my dream journey and take joy in every day I am self employed and creatively driven. My latest is Secret of Little Bear Creek. https://tinyurl.com/398xusve

Thomas, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Jack of all creative trades. I paint, draw, write, sculpt, speak and act. I do voice overs, produce local events and teach kids to stretch their imaginations to achieve what they can dream of.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I announced I wanted to quit my job and become a writer, my wife said, “Don’t become one of those beret wearing idiots tapping away in the local Starbucks, hoping to write the great American novel.” I promised I would work as hard at this new endeavour as I did working for a boss and a J.O.B. I did, and it paid off. Not that I didn’t work hard or face setbacks. Oh, I did. But I am resilient, and one day, somebody said yes. Ancient Anger was picked up by a small specialty press and it sold well. ThenI had a two year dry spell. So I wrote REJECTION as payback at the publishing industry. It caught the eye of a small press that love the idea. They coined it, “The ultimate rejected writers revenge novel.” That alone garnered attention and it took off.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

To share the inside of my head, so to speak. As an author, designer, illustrator and cartoonist… I have a committee of creative personalities sitting around a conference room table, all arguing about what we should do next. I calm the group down and prioritize the next deadline and then control the chaos. What come out is a wonderful melody of words and images. As a natural born storyteller, I have put my lies on paper and called them fiction for 30 years.

Contact Info:

• Website: andalusiapress.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomaskmatthews/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.k.matthews
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-k-matthews-8a622a2/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tomsafreak

Image Credits
All images are mine. I need no approval to use these images.