The Vault Guardian

Below is a link to my author profile on Amazon. You can find both the physical and Kindle editions of my book there. The Kindle edition will be available on May 26th, in honor of the anniversary of my mother's passing. For now, it will be exclusive to Amazon as part of the Kindle Select program. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you should be able to download the book for free. The physical edition of the book is currently $9.99, but I may have to increase it a bit to increase my distribution channels. Stay tuned for more updates! https://www.amazon.com/Thom-L-Matthews/e/B07D6B3CB6/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

(Source: https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium_380_230_/public/images/event/montage-extreme-1.jpg?itok=aMTabGhg) If you read my book and have a keen eye (or read the afterword) you’ll probably notice that it’s based on a world ravaged by climate change. There are other factors that led to the post-apocalyptic setting, but I’d be spoiling it for you if I mentioned them. Though it’s not explicitly stated in the story, much of the environment in the story is in its current state due to the effects of environmental degradation. It’s hot out, plants don’t grow as well, mosquitos are everywhere, people need to cover their skin from the sun, there are lots of storms, and the color green is used—a lot. I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to make my world post-apocalyptic. To me, that’s nearly synonymous with climate change. So, in case you care or are interested, here are some of my thoughts on climate change based on some scientific evidence. I provi

(Illustrated by Elena Garrido) The following is the prologue of The King's Gambit. It does not follow the main character, but instead does some foreshadowing and sets the tone. Hopefully, it will entice you to read more when the book itself comes out! Enjoy! "Have you wondered if even the smallest decision could impact the fate of the world?” the man asked Sam, the young woman sitting across him. There was a screeching echo following the man’s voice, and Sam couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes. “I didn’t either,” the man said, “until a loud and incessant siren echoed throughout the undercroft, and a stranger invaded my home. I suppose that’s the best place for me to start.”  None of this made any sense to Sam. The last thing she remembered was the closing gate, an explosion, and then the ominous sound of nothingness. She needed answers, so she would remain silent, and let the man finish his tale. “When the sirens went off,” the man c

I started writing The King's Gambit in February of 2017 during my last year of undergraduate studies. At the time, my mother was in an assisted living facility and on dialysis treatment three times a week. My grandmother, my 9-year-old brother, and I were the only people she had left, and it took quite the toll on us. Writing started off as a therapeutic hobby to help me cope with her illness and accept the fact that she was dying. The project turned into something much bigger and became more about coping with my mother's illness. It was about extending my experience through Ben's journey to others, hoping they could learn to appreciate life and accept death as a reality the way that I did. Therefore, I would say that Death is the most prominent theme in The King's Gambit . The story is about accepting death as a part of life, knowing that we cannot avoid it, but that we can have a say in how we experience it. I strongly recommend reading Dr. Atul Gawande's Being M

(Illustrated by Elena Garrido) Welcome to the companion site for The Vault Gaurdian ! This is a series I started writing last year. I hope to have Book #1, The King's Gambit available via Kindle Direct Publishing and CreateSpace by the end of the month. The following is the back cover blurb of The King's Gambit : "It has been ages since Earth’s societies crumbled, leaving the planet a nearly barren wasteland. Since then, the remnants of humanity have slowly rebuilt isolated civilizations with new cultures and ideas, all seemingly unaware of how the world ended. It is a world ravaged by war, illness, and famine. To Benedict Limetrad, the outcast son of Freztad’s former chief, that world is about to get much bigger. When the mysterious forces of a faraway land capture a beloved member of his village, Ben embarks on a quest to bring her home—only to discover that the world is far more dangerous and mysterious than he had once thought. His journey proves perilo