Matthew James Edwards is a professional novelist, ghostwriter, and a published poet and playwright. His first brush with writing success came in 1992 in Chicago when he entered the national Norton Phoenix Writing Competition. His poem, a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's "Seven Ages of Man" soliloquy, received a Best New Poetry Award, and was critiqued and read aloud at that year's national conference by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks.

Matthew has written 15 stage plays to date. His first one act play, "THE PITCH," was featured in Watertower Theatre's Out Of The Loop Festival in 2004. Two of his more recent one act plays were published with Next Stage Press. His first full-length play, the epic romance "WRITTEN IN TIME" was produced in 2012 and nominated for a Column Award for Best New Work by a Local Playwright. His highly successful full-length Film Noir comedy, "SILVER SCREEN SLAYER," was produced twice in 2014 by two different theatre companies, and also nominated for Best New Work by a Local Playwright.

Much of Matthew's published poetry comes in the form of song lyrics for several successful bands he either worked with, played in, or fronted, from 1995-2023. He also wrote "Hello Neighbor," a poem inspired by the legendary work "In Flander's Field" as a promotion for the regional premier of the World War I romance stage play "Mary's Wedding," produced by Rover Dramawerks of Plano, TX.

Matthew has ten completed novels as of February, 2023. The genres range from Middle Grade/Young Adult Fantasy to Romance and even Horror. Click on the WORKS link above more for information.

Matthew is also a bit of a modern Renaissance Man: IT Professional, web and digital designer, AV / audio engineer, musician, artist, dancer, choreographer, DJ, photographer, and occasional actor.

He earned his bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of North Texas. He's an award-winning stage actor who has performed in more than 50 productions. He also costumed professionally for more than 10 years, painted and assisted in building sets, and even directed several successful mainstage productions across two states, including a stage version of the radio drama "The War of the Worlds," which he helped adapt. He has taught and performed jazz era dances for nearly 20 years, and even appeared as a swing dancer in the 1998 film "To Serve and Protect" with Craig T. Nelson, Richard Crenna, and James Franco.

When he's not hunched over his tablet writing his next best-seller, you'll find Matthew managing his new business, Digital Outlaw Solutions. The company specializes in graphic / web design (including this one), A/V support for public, private, corporate, non-profit, and entertainment events, music composition for film and commercials, audio production / engineering, and brand strategy / marketing.

He also teaches Jazz Age social dance, often enjoys a night of Lindyhop at a local Swing Dance venue, occasionally paints something with watercolor or pastels, and continues to write, program, and perform music. You might even spot him returning once in a while to stage acting.


FOR MORE INFORMATION regarding his other endeavors...