What do you enjoy most about writing?
For me it’s the feeling of absolute freedom and power. With a pen in my hand I can create anything, destroy anything, teach anything. I can right any wrongs and show anyone reading the truth as I see it. I fully believe my talent for writing comes from God, so I do my best to represent images of positivity and hope, even in my horror writing.
What’s your favorite recipe?
I’m a huge fan of good food in general, but one of my favorite recipes is my homemade chili! A pound of ground beef, turkey, or chicken alongside some Mexican corn, chili beans, kidney beans, and a can of either diced tomatoes or Rotel. Let that simmer for a couple of hours and mix in your preferred spices (largely chili powder, garlic, and a shake of taco seasoning for me). Very filling with saltines and plenty of cheddar cheese!
I generally enjoy the night. When the sun starts to sink below the horizon and the shadows stretch long across the land, the world becomes a welcoming place, filled with mystery and peace. As an author of horror and fiction, the darkness is the place I feel most at home.
I get excited about at least one thing a day, I won’t lie. I’m basically a big kid at heart. But the thing I want to mention here is one of the coolest thing that has happened to me in regards to my social media/writing presence. I was at Lowe’s with my wife and sister-in-law grabbing a few things for a household project and I heard someone behind me ask if I was the guy from Youtube. I asked if I’d heard them right and they said my name and asked if I was me. And I am. We spoke for a minute and they told me they’re a fan. It was a short interaction, less than a whole minute probably, but it was one of the coolest. To be recognized for my work, my content, and to have someone tell me they’re a fan. Simply awesome!!
What truly motivates me is the idea that I can be of help to someone. I fully believe I have been placed where I am in life, in my job, online and elsewhere because I have a purpose. God gave me talents and gifts as an author and an educator and I do my bet to maximize that potential each and every day. I hope that my writing and my place in the world can be of some inspiration or help to someone, even if it’s just that they get a smile from a line I wrote or something. Just to know I made a difference.
Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).
Aside from my wife’s engagement ring, I’d have to say this would probably be my leather tophat with the sterling silver skull band. The largest skull, centered in the middle, is inlaid with rubies in the eyes, and is absolutely perfect for me.
What are you most proud of in your life?
Honestly, that I have never given up. I have struggled throughout my life with some very difficult times, as anyone has, and as a young man it truly hit me hard. I grew up with a mostly absentee father, so my grandfather was my rock. As a man who took care of his own family from the age of 14 and carried the Mathews name across multiple states he was a source of strength for me. He passed when I was 12 and I was completely lost. I struggled for years to find my place, my heart, but it was always beyond me.
As many young people do, I began seeing the world as something not to survive, but to escape from. I considered everything from leaving my home to live in the mountains like a pioneer, all the way up to taking my own life. As a high schooler in a household with an over-worked single parent I fell hard. There was a day I literally held a knife to my throat. That was when it hit me. A story idea. I became so distracted by this impossibly intense idea I put the weapon down and started writing.
I have always loved reading and had started writing a few stories in the past, but this one was different. It opened the floodgates for me. The passion for writing was awakened that day, with ideas hitting me left and right. God showed me the light of my own future when I was barely 16 years old and it gave me the strength to keep moving forward. I have now published 8 books and have countless others started or forming in my head, with no plans to stop writing. I have shared my story before, but I will do so again and again until I know others have found their reason for staying alive. It is not worth losing the good times to give in to the bad.
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean
Damean Mathews 