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| Matt Lucas Florida USA |
Good morning, Matt, and welcome to Vision and Verse. Can you tell us a little about what you’ve written?
I have two series that released in 2022 and 2023. The first is an apocalyptic, paranormal thriller titled “The Shadow Gospels. The other is a dark fantasy epic, and my personal ode to JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, titled Chronicles of Yeshu: Fellowship of Faith.
I’ve also had The Shadow Gospels sequel accepted for publication by my publisher. It should release in 2023 and is titled, The Shadow Gospels: Fall of Man.
What is your favorite genre to write?
Speculative fiction is probably my wheelhouse, but horror is something I’ve learned I’m oddly good at, even though it isn’t something I like to read or watch.
Favorite food.
Reminiscent of Eminem…Mom’s spaghetti.
Tea or coffee?
Coffee – iced w/ cream
Pizza or ice cream?
A nearly impossible dilemma, but I’ll go pizza. There’s nothing better than a strong New York style slice with a soda.
Wine or beer or soda or what?
Can I default to coffee again? I’m not addicted…I swear. However, if I had to choose between the three, a nice lager is hard to beat. Yuengling would be my preference.
Where would you like to visit?
Italy or Israel! Both feature prominently in my Shadow Gospels series, which would be great. My wife and I are going to Rome this summer, so I’ll actually get to visit some of the key locations in my debut novel, which will be amazing.
Favorite musical artist.
So many to choose from, but Matthew Mayfield fits the alternative rock style I like. His music was a significant influence on The Shadow Gospels series.
Do you listen to music when you write? What?
I do. I know many don’t, but it helps me envision scenes and create vivid concepts. I mentioned Matthew Mayfield for some of the emotional themes. I write a lot of fight scenes, so intense rap and rock help. Bands like Rise Against, Five Finger Death Punch, and a Christian rapper, NF, are go-to’s.
My golden retriever, Annie. She’s a year old and an absolute goofball. Just being herself brings a lot of laughter into our home.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. It’s an enormous church that the architect, Antoni Gaudi, infused with beautiful Christian themes. I visited it with my wife in 2019 and it was absolutely inspirational. I will actually be featuring it in my 3rd Shadow Gospels novel, which is my current WIP.
How old were you when you started writing?
I fell in love with writing at 14 in 9th grade. I wrote an assignment for an English Literature class and my teacher wrote an encouraging note, mentioning that I had a real talent for the craft. She recommended that I continue writing. Naturally, I ignored her advice until I was 23, which is when I began the first draft of The Shadow Gospels.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I’m an odd fusion of a pantser and a plotter. I start with the end of my story and work backwards to plot “big rock” events within my characters’ journeys. However, I don’t have a rigid structure with regard to how they get to those “big rock” events. I allow my characters to develop as the story progresses so their choices feel authentic to the reader, rather than forced.
Most of the time I have a notepad next to me where I write down the key themes I want to get across in a given chapter and jot down epiphanies as inspiration starts to flow.
Describe your perfect evening.
A huge banquet with friends and family (living and dead) at a beautiful piece of land my parents own in the Pennsylvania mountains. Just a giant celebration for all the people I love coming together to eat good food and share great stories.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I’m a Christian and student of the Bible, so a lot of themes in my novels come from that part of my life. I try to infuse allegories like CS Lewis did with Narnia and some of his other writings. I also follow an incredibly interesting Old Testament scholar and fiction author, Dr. Michael Heiser, and his work on the supernatural and spiritual realm bleeds into my writing as well.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
A good walk seems to be a consistent cure for me. In today’s world, we’re so oversaturated with distractions and noise that it can rob your creativity. I try to get away from those distractions and quiet my mind with a walk.
Who is your favorite author?
CS Lewis, George RR Martin, Dan Brown, and JRR Tolkien were big influences, but, of all of them, Lewis would be my favorite. I’m an INFP personality type, like Lewis was, so I just get him.
Best book you ever read.
My cliché, but I remember being blown away by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when it released. I thought it was just a brilliant way of tying up themes and mysteries that pervaded the entire series.
Last book you read.
The Screwtape Letters, by CS Lewis
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I do have a second job as a business strategist for a software company. It’s a good career and pays the bills, but certainly not a passion by any stretch of the imagination. If I weren’t writing, I’d still have to find some creative outlet…possibly drawing or animation.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My wife. She’s been the most supportive person I could have ever been blessed with. She’s probably the first person who listened to my dreams and really invested in helping me bring them into reality. She sacrifices a lot to give me the time to pursue those dreams and holds me accountable to pursuing them. Her mind is so beautiful, and I’ve learned so much about the world through her wisdom.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I’ve likely brought up CS Lewis too much in this…so let’s change gears. I would choose Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. First, as a Dunedain, he’d have incredible wisdom from having lived such a long life. Plus, I’m sure he’d have a plethora of captivating tales from his travels even before the events of LoTR. It would be cool to get deeper into his backstory and character development.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Writing is a unique undertaking in that, as long as your mind is sharp, you can do it every day of your life. With that context, the best advice I would give is to never give up on it. Everyone has a unique story, likely designed to help those who read it or offer a new perspective to challenges. That, in of itself, makes these stories worth telling. So, seek feedback and integrate it into craft, but never let the grind take you down. Just keep writing, keep learning, and keep evolving.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
Facebook – Matt Lucas, Author
Twitter - @luketheauthor
Instagram - @mattdluke
Amazon – Author Page
Amazon – The Shadow Gospels
Amazon – Chronicles of Yeshu: Fellowship of Faith
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