Guest Author Interview: Matt Forbeck

Please welcome today's guest author Matt Forbeck!  Matt is the author of the Guild Wars series (Ghosts of Escalon), Eberron: The Lost Mark series (Marked for Death, Road to Death, The Queen of Death), Blood Bowl, Amortals, and Vegas Knights.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Matt:   I started writing professionally when I was in college, first as a game designer writing rules for board games and books for tabletop roleplaying games. I'd written since I was in grade school, of course, and I have a degree in Creative Writing from the Residential College at the University of Michigan, but I first started getting paid for it when I was in college.

My first published short story came out in 1992 in an anthology based on the TORG roleplaying game called STRANGE TALES FROM THE NILE EMPIRE. It was a modern-day pulp mashup. I've written lots of shorts since then, and 15 novels, the first 13 of which were tie-ins based on games or films. My first original novel, AMORTALS, came out in the US in January, and my second, VEGAS KNIGHTS, is due out in March.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Matt:   I grew up reading comic books, which are not even a single bound away from what we now consider paranormal fiction. I also loved the noir fiction of Chandler and Hammett. Mixing the two into a modern-day setting makes for the best kind of fictional fusion cuisine.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Matt:   Omniscience, although that might be asking for a bit too much. Knowing everything might blow even the brightest mind. Otherwise, I'd say time travel. There's nothing like being able to go back and fix mistakes.

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Matt:  I had a ball writing it, and I hope they'll have just as much fun reading it. It's a fast-paced roller coaster of a ride that starts with two college freshmen heading to Las Vegas to try breaking the bank at the Blackjack tables by way of a little magic. They soon find out they're far from the first people to have thought of this, and it all spirals out of control from there.

Hmm. That's just a sales pitch, of course. How about a couple quotes?

The Ranting Dragon said "“I have held my breath before; I have felt my heartbeat rise before; but never have I physically shaken from the rush generated from the action contained in a book until I read Vegas Knights… If you’re craving a fast-paced action adventure, skip a movie and grab a copy of Vegas Knights instead… This is popcorn fantasy at its best.”

William King wrote "Vegas Knights is a smart, slick, noir fantasy. If Elmore Leonard had written Harry Potter for grown-ups, it would read something like this.”

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Matt:  For VEGAS KNIGHTS? I don't really know. I'd suspect the leads would be relative unknowns, as they're pretty young. I could see George Clooney as Harry Houdini. He'd be perfect for that. Mostly I'd just be thrilled to see VEGAS KNIGHTS on the silver screen.

Vegas Knights by Matt Forbeck.

Ocean’s Eleven meets Harry Potter as two student wizards try to scam a Vegas casino… using magic!

When two college freshmen decide to use Spring Break making magic on the gambling tables of Las Vegas, little do they imagine that Vegas harbours a dark magical secret of its own… the whole place is run by magic, and they won’t believe who’s in charge…


Thank you Matt for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Matt Forbeck and his books, please visit his website.