MATTHEW SHERLEY
MEET THE AUTHOR
WRITER
Matthew Sherley is a retired police detective who now writes full-time.
​
Prior to becoming a full-time author, Matthew retired from a career in law enforcement where he spent the majority of his career as a detective and hostage negotiator. Since his retirement from law enforcement, he has also worked as a contract employee for the United States government.
His latest novel, SUBJECT 27, is the first in the Jack Warner detective series. A psychological thriller, it follows Detective Jack Warner’s quest to find Alexis van Dornan alive—something he failed to accomplish in his first attempt to prevent a kidnapping victim from being murdered.
​
Matthew is seeking literary representation for SUBJECT 27.
​
When not writing, Matthew enjoys traveling, cycling, and fly-fishing in the solitude of Rocky Mountain trout streams. He also serves on the instructional staff of the West Texas Writers’ Academy.
​
A life-long resident of the Lone Star State, Matthew and his wife live in Texas where he is an avid fan of Texas Tech Red Raider baseball.
CLICK HERE to learn more about how Matthew Sherley became a writer and how he draws from his real-life experience for his books.
PRESENTER
Matthew is an instructional staff member at the West Texas Writers’ Academy, hosted every June by West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX. His first class at WTWA, Crime Writers Police Boot Camp, helped authors of crime fiction get the details right in their stories. Days started in the classroom and ended in the field with firearms demonstrations, pursuit driving challenges, jail tours, mock homicide crime scenes, and shoot-don’t shoot simulator training. His current class, Using Suspense to Up the Stakes in Your Novel, is designed to help authors develop page turning stories. Additionally, Matthew has made presentations to college creative writing classes, as well as to local writer groups in Texas. To book Matthew for a speaking engagement, go to the CONTACT page.
STORY CONSULTANT
As a natural spin off of his class, Crime Writers Police Boot Camp, Matthew also consults on crime-related stories. If not meeting in person at writer events, authors can submit draft scenes of their crime-related stories for advice on topics such as authenticity, tactics, dialogue, hostage negotiation, and interrogation. Firearms related questions are by the far the most common questions received. If you’d like Matthew to take a look at one of your scenes or just ask a question, go to the CONTACT page and send him an email.
INSTRUCTOR
Are you serious about the scenes in your stories that involve firearms? In addition to story consultations, Matthew, who is a certified firearms instructor, has provided hands on instruction at local firing ranges for authors. The purpose of the instruction is not to create marksmen out of the authors, but rather to expose them to the details of their stories that translate to the page. Details like how weapons feel and react upon discharge. What is a believable distance for a shot from a handgun, for both a trained shooter and a novice? Ever wondered what a gun fight smells like? Matthew also uses inert training pistols in his training sessions. Another great takeaway from this instruction is the debunking of firearms myths portrayed in television and movies. Do you really want the hero detective in your story carrying a gun that can’t actually be used coming out of the holster when confronted with a deadly force encounter? For more information, contact Matthew directly on the CONTACT page.
BASEBALL GEEK
An avid fan and season ticket holder to Texas Tech Red Raider baseball games, Matthew drives his family crazy by going to the ballpark as soon as the gates are unlocked to watch batting practice and infield. They show up closer to game time! Game time temperature in the 30’s? He’ll be there (even if his wife won’t be). If you ever need one-on-one instruction in how to throw a killer change up, contact Matthew on the CONTACT page. He can show you how to do it!
