Today’s guest is an author whose ‘Six Stories’ series I’ve torn through. I’ve also had the pleasure of doing a deeper dive with friend and reviewer Tony Jones into Matt’s work.

Matt is an author whose work you need to read and experience to understand the layers and nuances that take place within them. It is dark, depressive and utterly compelling to read.

Please, do welcome Matt!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Matt: I’m very strict with writing time and being a father as well as jobs in the house, it always feels like there’s so much to do. However, I’m also incredibly driven; writing has been my dream since I was a child so I push myself very hard. My routine is quite set – I make everyone’s breakfast, clean the kitchen, make coffee and begin work at 9am. Work through until the afternoon when I spend my time reading or listening to an audio book or podcast and doing housework.
Two thousand words a day is my minimum – even if it’s two thousand words of rubbish (which happens frequently!)

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Matt: I’m privileged in that I’ve met a great deal of authors at various festivals and there are some who have become solid friends – we’re all weird little introverts at heart so when you make a connection with another author it’s wonderful. I think I’d invite people whom I admire as well as get along with and hope I can absorb some of their skills through osmosis.
First would be my Finnish friend Antti Tuomainen author of The Rabbit Factor, The Man Who Died and other words of genius- one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. Second would be Catriona Ward (The Last House on Needless Street, Sundial) as we’re always on spooky themed panels together and have consequently become friends; we share a very similar sort of humour too. Last but by no means least would be SJ Watson (Before I Go to Sleep) who is one of the most gentle, funny and kind authors I’ve ever met. I think the three of us would spend a lot of time laughing.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Matt: My latest book, the sixth in the Six Stories series is ‘Demon’ published by Orenda Books, it’s written in the style of a true crime podcast; each chapter being an interview with someone connected to the crime and stands alone, as do all in the series. Demon deals with the subject of kids who kill other kids and the way out society is so quick to brand people as ‘evil’. Two twelve year old boys kill a disabled classmate on the austere Yorkshire Moors. But why?
I really like to look at blurry places in morality with my books and hint that there’s something supernatural going on. Were these two boys possessed by a demon or is that just an easy way for our society to look away from deep seated problems within ourselves?

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

Matt: Dracula for sure. I’ve not really ever grown out of my teenage goth phase and going to hang out with the man himself would be a life goal!

Excellent choice!

Thank you so much Matt for doing this!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConcreteKraken

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Wesolowski/e/B007C1EW90