Media Matters

Writing Action Thriller ‘Brutal’

Recovering Alcoholic Matt Betley ’94 Encourages Others

Matt Betley ’94 never expected such a nail biter. And he’s not talking about the plot of his debut action thriller, Overwatch, although he does think following a former Marine Force Recon commander as he hunts down shadowy operatives is edge-of-your-seat exciting.

He just never dared hope a top publisher and Hollywood agent would think so too. But they do. Simon & Schuster has taken him on, and his Hollywood agent sold The Martian to Ridley Scott.

Overwatch owes its inception to a 2009 vacation when Betley, “bored to tears” with a best-seller, kept thinking, I can write a better book than this.

His first draft took 18 months eight days. He then spent six months editing, 12 looking for an agent, and 14 more negotiating a book deal.

Co-captain of the mock trial team while at Miami, Betley majored in psychology and minored in political science and sociology. He planned to go to law school.

Those plans changed during a night at the movies when he stopped a young guy from beating up an elderly gentleman. “I wanted to go where I would have a more direct impact.”

He became a Marine officer with deployments to Djibouti and Fallujah, Iraq, a prominent location in his book. Like his main character, Betley has a problem with alcohol. Unlike his character, Betley has been sober for seven years.

“A lot of people consider being a recovering alcoholic something that’s a private matter. However, I figure if somebody hears my story and says, ‘Hey, if this guy could get his act together …’ then someone might see the same thing for his or herself.”

Currently working for the federal government, he wants to become a full-time novelist. He has the requisite thick skin, he says. He advises new authors to learn to deal with rejection. He also recommends creating a business plan. Simon & Schuster is using his.

“I thought about all this stuff ahead of time because, as awesome as it is to write, you can’t write other stories if your books don’t sell.”

Trails, A Western Saga
Don Ross ’63
Light Switch Press
A historical novel, Trails depicts painful growth on the American Frontier, rife with tragedy and desperation, yet tantalizing in promise. The diverse characters include a pioneer visionary, Civil War heroes, a freed slave on a dangerous quest, and a reluctant gunfighter, plus scores of others facing adversity, leading to a bloody climax on the streets of Abilene, Kan., America’s first “cow town.”

Somewhere Warm — No Place Safe
David Kellough ’66
CreateSpace
Chicago-based Drug Enforcement Agency special agent Tom Morgan, an unstoppable ex-Marine, runs unexpectedly into some of life’s greatest challenges. Forced to take a sabbatical, he decides to trade in the cold, gray days of winter for the Caribbean’s warm, sandy beaches, unaware of what awaits.

Allerton’s Bloodguilt
Nancy Greene Vietor ’67
CreateSpace
Twin girls cut from the same cloth of love and loyalty, Allerton and Leah have begun to see the world through different eyes. In the contentious atmosphere of the post-segregation South, one is instilled with conventional attitudes of racial fear and distrust, while the other feels a painful emptiness she’s unable to explain. These conflicting feelings may trace back to a dark and tragic past. As Allerton travels to her true hometown of Marianna, Fla., she comes face-to-face with reality.

Wings in the Water
Cathy Marine ’73
Eifrig Publishing
Step aboard the Ono V and join Kim Bassos-Hull as she cruises the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico looking for spotted eagle rays. Also known as “flat sharks,” they are identified by spot patterns on their dorsal side. Photos and a fast-paced text show how Kim and other scientists investigate the behaviors and habitats of rays, from pups to adults, to learn about medical applications, feeding habits, and genetics and to develop a conservation plan.

Have Breast Cancer Will Travel — Postcards from My Journey
Jan Gevers Allen ’87
Xulon Press
“You have breast cancer.” Jan Allen heard those shocking words in 2010 at age 44. A world traveler since she was 17, she approaches her yearlong treatment of Stage II, grade 3 breast cancer as another journey on her life’s path. Through her personal “postcards,” her message of hope amid tragedy resounds. Having survived breast cancer, the self-declared “Pink Warrior” is on a mission to raise awareness and funding and also support others with the diagnosis.

Martian Mustache Mischief
Brian Rock ’89
CreateSpace
Earth has been invaded by Martians looking for ketchup! How can we defend against them? And why do they look like little mustaches! The narrator of this fun picture book enlists help from young readers to repel the “Red Menace.” Discover why ketchup is so important to Mars and learn one of the toughest tongue twisters in the galaxy as you join the fight to save Earth and its most precious resource from alien domination!

Louder than Words: Harness the Power of Your Authentic Voice
Todd Henry ’95
Portfolio
Are you doing your best at the office or only getting by? Are you fulfilled at the end of the day or just glad it’s over? If you want to succeed and thrive, you must stand apart from the noise. Louder than Words offers strategies and tactics for uncovering, developing, and using your authentic voice to create a body of work you are proud of and resonates with others.