About Martin
Martin Matthews is an expat from England, Great Britain. After living in California for many years, he now lives in Central Illinois with his wife and son.
I go by many names, but you can call me Martin. I grew up on the mean streets of Romford in England. My father was an Irish immigrant who made a living with his hands, and my mother was a care assistant for the elderly and disabled.
Growing up, I was always caught between worlds. My Irish heritage, my English roots, my American family. I spent a lot of time between the US and UK during the 90s, and finally decided to make the transatlantic leap to the New World back in the early 2000s. In 2015, I became an American citizen. And here I am, nearly two decades later, a husband, father, and writer of fiction.
Why I write
I fell in love with stories at a young age. My mother taught me to read at four. At eight, I read the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Those books shaped my ideas about fiction. Some of my favorite and most influential authors include J.R.R. Tolkien, Orson Scott Card, Dean Koontz, Joyce Carol Oates, Frank Herbert, Robert A. Heinlein, and Ursula K. Le Guin.
I got to hang out for a few days with one of those authors on the list. I spent a week in Orem, Utah and had the chance to enjoy talking to Mr. Scott Card.
One of the (lofty) goals of this website is to help other writers by shining a light on their work and their talent. I hope to see you here, ready to read and ready to write, and ready to learn.