Angst Team Profile: Matt

I have always had a tendency to keep people. Back in the summer of 1978, my parents moved from Omaha, NE to Kansas City, MO. Dad worked hard and did well. They weren’t sure about the public schools in the area (that I eventually graduated from) so they put me in a private school that was walking distance from our house. That’s where I met Matt.

It didn’t take long for us to become best of friends. We’ve had many adventures growing up. Over the years, we were superheroes and software developers on our Apple IIe computers. We created our own newspaper. We sang obnoxious songs to beautiful young women. We tried to make a Lego movie way before Lego did. We went to every opening night blockbuster movie you could name and quoted every line you could think of.

Matt and I went to colleges in different states, but still stayed in touch. (Snail mail and phone calls, because we’re old like that.) We were the best man at each other’s weddings. He is my son’s godfather. We’ve climbed up fourteeners together, and fragged in the New Year with video games for over a decade. There are stories upon stories that I could share, and probably shouldn’t. It comes down to this. We’ve been friends for almost 38 years, and that will never end.

My writing “career” started with a newspaper by Matt and I called The Kansas City Gazette. There were maybe five issues of stories, articles and comics. Each one was hand typed and then copied at my dad’s office to be sold for .25 each. I had the great desire to be a journalist back in that day, and Matt was always there to support and participate. He drew some great comics, and wrote articles far more politically savvy than any 6th grader I knew.


Years later in high school, I wrote a lot of stories, including my favorite, “The Unknown Knight,” featuring a forlorn character filled with angst. (Go figure.) Matt encouraged me to continue with my writing more than anyone, and I did. When we graduated from college, I started my first book which was similar to The Matrix. Matt was one of the few who read it, and pushed me to write more, yet, without actually being pushy.

That’s the thing about Matt. He has always been one of the most dedicated people I’ve ever met. He’s a better father than I’ve ever been for his two amazing kids. That bastard was late for gaming one Friday night, and then had to rush from watching Deadpool Saturday afternoon, all so he could see his son in a play both nights. :) He has been married to his lovely wife Susan for 17 years, and they are parents to two amazing children! Honestly, I couldn’t be more proud of the man I’ve known for so long.

Matt is crazy smart. Not only because he is a software developer, but the man reads and understands. A lot of people read, and you can ask them what they read and they will look at you with blank faces. Matt’s the guy I go to before purchasing something, because chances are he has already read up on it and will provide valuable input. It doesn’t matter if you are discussing investments or computer parts, he just knows.

Fast forward through twenty years of marriage and kids and jobs for both of us, I finally started writing Angst. At 25% I really questioned what the hell I was doing, so I decided to share it with him. In spite of everything going on in his life, Matt read it immediately and said go, so I did and shared with others. I met with my alpha team after the first half of Angst was complete and Matt was the only one to show up with a stack of notes. His input was amazing.

Recent comments on Angst 4!

Funny story: Matt read from those notes about one of the women in the story, about how she was beautiful and curvy and voluptuous...if you’ve read my books, you’re familiar. He read the description of another woman, and another. They all sounded pretty amazing. Matt then read out loud about one of the men from the stories and went on to describe that they had arms. I hadn’t included a single description for any man. Not one. He was the only one to catch that. Anyone that tells you friends shouldn’t critique your work can go fuck themselves. My oldest friend had totally saved me from this blatant oversight. He made Angst better, and continues to do so.

To this day, Matt encourages me to write more than anyone. I couldn’t be more thankful to have him on my side after all of these years. While we may not serenade pretty girls these days, not much else has changed.

My 2016 Visioncon Adventure

Rio and Punk Cosplay

Whoa! I'm not sure what happened, but I think a con passed by at light speed! Isn't that always the case? The things you look forward to the most take for-ev-er to get here and then when it arrives, time speeds up as you try  to take it all in? This happened to me the weekend of February 26th, 2016, and  I'm pretty sure that blur was Visioncon 25!

Since first attending four years ago, I've always been a fan. Those coordinating and attending have always been gracious and supportive. This year, something came together, both for Visioncon and for me. First of all, Visioncon became VISIONCON! They turned the Branson Hilton Convention Center into a Valhalla of geekdom. The vendor room no longer felt squeezed into my garage. It was this great sprawling thing that provided wide aisles where gifted cosplayers could traverse unhindered. I had room to breathe, and space to tell my tale. It just felt good to be there!

I was on my own Thursday night and all of Friday, but I still won't admit to waiting in the hotel lobby like a puppy looking out the window Friday evening as Cristi, Marina and Mayra rolled in. If you were at Visioncon, or saw the pictures, you probably noticed I had 3 spokesmodels for this con. I’d like to say this happened because I’m actually Bruce Wayne and hot 20-somethings are falling all over me all the time. The truth is, I have some amazing friends and things just sort of fell into place. Marina and Mayra are Cristi’s best friends, and close friends of mine as well. They’ve both joined us at cons in Kansas City, and it worked out that they could come to Visioncon. I couldn't be more grateful!

I refer to them as my muses because they are as beautiful as they are inspiring. We had an amazing time outside of the con, even if I totally failed at trying to be 20 again. There were some odd looks thrown at us from our waitress at one restaurant, to the point I finally explained I was married to all of them. I don't think she found it as funny as we did. One of my favorite moments was when my muses arrived in full costume Saturday afternoon. The line of photographers and numerous camera flashes made it feel like paparazzi at a Hollywood Red Carpet.

My muses did amazing! Not only did they do an incredible job helping promote my Angst novels, they made the con a lot of fun for me! A special thanks to Amanda Lynn Chainmaille Creations for providing their costume tops and belts!

This was also my best Visioncon to date for sales. I even pre-sold quite a few copies of my fourth fantasy novel, Burning with Angst (even though I'm only about halfway done with the rough draft.) One reader picked up a copy of Angst on Friday, read the entire book Friday night and purchased the rest of the series Saturday. I couldn't have been more flattered.

I should shout out my excellent neighbor at the con, who I spent all of my downtime pestering. If you enjoy romantic urban fantasy, be sure to look up Lisa Medley! You can learn more about her books here: http://lisa-medley.com/books/

I didn't think the con could get much better than all of this, but I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Brandon and Nate Shaw for their “Brothers on Whatever” show, which airs on St. Louis radio station 920AM. This was my first radio interview, and I had a blast. I’ve been listening to the entirety of the show throughout the week, and these guys are great! I highly recommend listening to their show either live, streaming, or by download! Thanks to both of them for the opportunity, and to Ed Gehlert for inviting me. You can find my portion of their show below.

You can find pictures of the con posted to my Facebook page. And finally, thanks to everyone who attended and organized Visioncon 25, I'm already excited for next year!

Now, back to writing book 4: Burning with Angst!

Visioncon 25 is coming and we will be there!

There’s nothing like kicking off the year with one of my favorite Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions, Visioncon in Branson, MO! Three days of everything I love! A great meet-up of people sharing their passion for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror and Anime. Everything is celebrated, from books and comic books to movies and television shows. Visioncon is filled with amazing cosplay, fun room parties and awesome guests.

To make this con even better, it’s Visioncon’s 25th anniversary! This is how we’re planning to help celebrate:

• Sign up at the booth for your chance to win a brand new Kindle Paperwhite with all three Angst e-books!*
• Free signed poster of my beautiful and amazing spokesmodel Cristi with every purchase!
• Meet my muses! Cristi is bringing friends to Visioncon, so be sure to visit the booth Saturday afternoon for pictures!
• Book title announcement Friday for the 4th Angst fantasy novel!
• Pre-purchase the 4th Angst novel that will hopefully be available this summer o.O
• Wield the giant sword, Chryslaenor, from the Angst novels!

We are planning to have a great time, so I hope you will join us!

Visioncon 25

www.visioncon.net 

Hilton Branson Center

200 Sycamore St

Branson, MO 65616

Feb 26th-28th, 2016

* A little about that Kindle contest! 

This is for a brand new Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers and charging cable. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OQVZDJM <-That’s the one I purchased to give away.)
It’s only been out of the package once to check its condition, and take this awesome picture with Cristi!
The Angst ebooks will be gifted after the con. (They can’t be pre-loaded without being attached to an Amazon account)
We will also be giving away some Angst T-Shirts!
We will accept one entry per person at the booth only.
No purchase necessary.
This will be a random drawing.
The winner will be announced Saturday at 6pm in the vendor room.
You must be present to win.

If you have any questions, please message me on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/gotangst/ 

Thanks to Amanda Lynn Chainmaille Creations for providing those amazing costumes worn by my muses!

2016 Nerdgasm Part 2: Television

The party continues. When the popcorn is gone and you’re waiting for the next big film, there are now plenty of television shows to fill in the blanks! (If you watch all of this, there won’t be any blanks! Welcome to couch potato 101)

The Shannara Chronicles (MTV...no really, the “Music Television” channel) January 4th, 2016:
Imagine CW taking Game of Thrones and making it more...angsty (shut it), less rapey (ugh), with lots of very young, pretty people and a few dudes with amazing voices to add weight to the show. Hi, welcome to Shannara.

It’s okay. My son was not a fan, but I have friends who enjoy it. There really isn't enough fantasy on television. So, yes. I feel it's my sworn duty, as an admitted nerd, to watch Shannara Chronicles in hopes that it can grow into something amazing. I swear, I'm not just crushing on Poppy Drayton who looks amazing and beautiful in every scene. Nope. I swear. Really. (Don't make this weird.) Fingers crossed it comes together, let's give it a chance. You can watch the first 4 episodes here!

The Expanse (Syfy) Based on a series of books by James S.A. Corey (the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck), The Expanse takes place 200 years in the future. The military has colonized Mars and their relationship with Earth is cold war. There are also people who are born and work in The Belt (asteroid belt) and they seek independence. I’m only a few episodes in, but someone is trying to start a war, and it’s a mystery. I don’t have a clue as to where they are going, but I really like what I’ve seen so far. If it all comes together in a cohesive way, eventually, I’m totally sold.

Supergirl (CBS) I’ve read posts on a few random sites from guys complaining about this show. My wife and daughter love it, and really, that’s all that matters. There aren’t enough superhero shows about women, or for women. I really feel like this one was needed. Personally, I think the show is good and getting better! No, it’s not my favorite, but it wasn’t made for me either. In a way, I love that. With so many shows about superheroes, the only way they will enjoy success is to stand apart. And one way to do that is to target a specific audience. The Toy Man episode was excellent and I love that the Martian Manhunter is in it. He looks amazing! I hope they keep it going, and I hope to see a crossover with The Flash!

Agent Carter (ABC) January 19th, 2016: I'm afraid if I don't watch this Hayley Atwell may beat the crap out of me. O.O Really though, great characters, fun story, stands just fine on its own while comfortably attached to Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I love that there is a season 2, I hope they keep it going!

The Flash (CW) January 19th, 2016:
*SPOILERS - if you haven't started season two, run away!* Okay, that scene where Zoom break's Barry's back and runs him around the city by his neck. Daaaaaamn. That was rough.

Aside from The Flash being one of my favorite heroes growing up, there is a lot I love about this show. Great effects, fine acting and plenty of action make it a fun ride. My favorite is that they don't shy away from anything. King Shark and Gorilla Grodd are examples of characters that made me shake my head and say, "Wow, they really did that...and it worked!" My only problem with this show is that the new episodes don’t come fast enough! (Ahhh! I crack myself up! That was funny! Is this thing on?)

Arrow (CW) January 20th, 2016: This season of Batman has been much better than the last. Wait, did I say Batman? My bad. :) I felt like last season ran out of steam. Oliver has become kinder and gentler and to the dismay of my wife doesn’t do enough chinups. I do like the crossovers with Flash, because it makes sense to have the occasional team-up, but they’ve got so many heroes now that they should pull a few supporting characters and put them in another show. (Hey!) With that in mind. both Arrow and Flash spent a lot of time building up for CW’s third superhero show...

Legends of Tomorrow (CW) January 21st, 2016: I can’t imagine how this even got made. The pitch had to go something like “Hey, I’ve got an idea, let’s take all of the supporting characters from The Flash and Arrow and make a time travel show!” CW has my sincere admiration for trying this. It really looks like comic book miniseries material. Part of me thinks it’ll be a hot mess, but it also looks like a lot of fun! I’ll definitely be along for the ride!

The X-Files (Fox) January 24th, 2016: At what point is a show old enough that it’s okay to have a few nostalgic memories? I don’t think my wife or I missed an episode throughout the first seven seasons. We enjoyed the first film too. There were two more seasons and a second movie that weren’t my favorite. I really feel that they have told their story. It was great, but it’s really hard to go back and care about these characters. I’ll watch it, and I really hope they pull it off, but theirs is an uphill climb! That said, here is picture of Tooms, because he creeped the hell out of my wife and she is editing this blog post.

The Magicians (Syfy) January 25th, 2016: Harry Potter goes to college. The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are mixed, but when did a bad review of a nerd show ever stop us from giving it a try? More importantly, what the hell happened to the Syfy channel? I thought it had gone the way of MTV not playing music, only showing WWE and Sharknado. Now they’ve got all of these new sci-fi and fantasy shows out, and MTV is making fantasy, and...what alternate dimension am I in?

Gotham (FOX) February 29th, 2016: (In my deepest announcer voice) In a wooorld, where Alfred slaps up street kids, Commisioner Gordon’s wife acts like Harley Quinn, and a 15 year old Silver St. Cloud tries to seduce a 14 year old Bruce Wayne. Watch Gotham, to learn how the bad guys went crazy from being in an alternate universe from their comic book counterparts, and nothing is the same! (I’ll keep watching through this season, but if Michael Chiklis doesn’t get to say, “It’s clobberin time,” I’m throwing in the bat-towel.)

Agents of SHIELD (ABC) March 8th: I feel this show really began to stand on its own with the introduction of The Inhumans. When SHIELD began, it felt like someone added fuzzy dice to the overall MCU. It was fun, but you kind of wondered why. There were some minor film tie-ins and cameos, but that was it. After the Captain America: Winter Soldier tie-in, things changed. The show has now developed into something that stands on its own and is worth watching while still being connected to the rest of the MCU.

Daredevil (Netflix) March 18, 2016: There are a lot of Punisher fans that will be happy that Frank Castle seems to be one of the primary antagonists in the second season. The show will also delve into Matt Murdoch’s relationship with Elektra. I enjoyed most of season one. My primary nit to pick is that the secondary story lines in both Daredevil’s first season and even moreso with Jessica Jones (ie. the twins) seem unnecessary and distracting. The rest was fantastic, and I’m looking forward to season 2!

Emerald City (NBC) April 15, 2016: A dark and gritty Wizard of Oz. It sounds to me like someone at NBC saw the image below and took it literally. Living a state over from Kansas, I feel obliged to watch the premiere. However, if dark and gritty means that Dorothy is going to break Zod’s neck, I’m out.

Game of Thrones (HBO) April 24th, 2016: Game of Thrones is definitely not for everyone. Incest, rape, gorey violence...it’s a rough world that I don’t want to visit, in person. The show has also been solid from day one. You never get the impression that, like some shows, if you wait a little longer it will get better, it already is better. I believe there are only two seasons left, and a lot of plot threads to wrap up. I look forward to seeing how they do it!

Westworld (HBO) 2016:  My mom enjoyed the original movie, partly because she was a huge Yul Brynner fan, I'm sure for his acting in the same way that I love Kate Beckinsale. I've always been impressed with Crichton's work. For these reasons alone I'll be watching Westworld. HBO has a great lineup of actors too, which can be a good sign.

Luke Cage (Netflix) He’s not Luke Cage, he’s Power Man! What is the world coming to! Oh, yeah, hi. So, at some time in 2016, Power Man will premiere as Netflix’s 3rd Marvel series. After introducing Cage in Jessica Jones, they’ve already got something to build on. I have no doubt it will stand as solid as the other two shows, but my question, does he get to wear the yellow shirt?

Ash vs Evil Dead (Starz) If you enjoyed The Army of Darkness, you’ll love this show. They haven’t missed a beat. There are 10 half hour episodes, with loads of comic book gore and some campy fun. Bruce Campbell is still groovy, and the show has already been renewed for season 2.

Dark Matter (Syfy) and Killjoys (Syfy) and 12 Monkeys (Syfy) Van Helsing (Syfy) Okay, now I’m just being lazy. SOOOMANYSHOWS. Support your local Syfy channel to get more sci-fi so they eventually make more Battlestar Galactica.