Meet Matthew Mellema, Author of Red Rex

A literary meet-'n'-greet in 10 pictures or less

Welcome back!

My two little boys are hugely interested in Godzilla and King Kong. Dinosaurs? Yes, one-thousand percent. Monsters of any shape, size, or skill—fascinating beyond all measure.

My kids are the dead-center target audience for Mattew Mellema’s new middle grade fantasy. I already have a copy, and it’s on our homeschool read-aloud TBR.

I can’t wait for you to meet Matthew today!

All About Matthew

I’m the author of a middle grade dinosaur fantasy. It’s called Red Rex, and it’s published by Bandersnatch Books. I was born and raised in Colorado Springs: a place surrounded by dinosaur bones. After studying literature at Oxford and law at Yale, I returned to Colorado. Once back home, the dinosaur bones of my childhood reignited my imagination.

I live in Colorado Springs with my wife and four kids. I’m a member artist of the Anselm Society’s Arts Guild, and I host their podcast, “Believe to See.” My Red Rex collaborator is my artist brother, Brian. He designed the cover and each of the book’s illustrations. Brian and I also collaborate on a YouTube channel called ”Brothers Mellema.” We explore ancient civilizations, mysteries, and (of course) dinosaurs.

I’m obsessed with Godzilla movies, Bigfoot, dinosaurs, sports uniforms, flags of the world, golden age detective novels, feeding giraffes at the zoo, obscure dog breeds, medieval heraldry

Confession: As a boy, I once became convinced that I’d accidentally killed a Bigfoot behind my shed, and that its Bigfoot clan was plotting revenge. Luckily, it turned out the “Bigfoot” was actually an old tire. Close call on that one…

Q: Is there anything you regret about your writing career?

For a while, I tried writing nonfiction books because I thought they’d be more practical to publish and sell—even though what I actually wanted was to write fiction books. I wish I would have just started writing what I wanted to write instead of what I thought I “should” write.

Q: What's a watch-worthy book-to-screen adaptation?

How to Train Your Dragon. I know we authors hate admitting things like this, but the movie is actually way better than the book.

Q: Name 1-3 book characters you find irresistible.

Miss Marple, my favorite literary detective. Samwise Gamgee, my favorite literary character. Leonardo, my favorite ninja turtle.

All About Matthew’s Book

Red Rex (Released Sept. 10, 2024 by Bandersnatch Books)

On a hidden island where dinosaurs roam free, Carthus is trapped. The 14 year-old orphan has only one chance to escape his dreary life of herding stegosaurs: getting into Koganri, Kosmosa’s legendary school of dinosaur riding. 

But after he gets to Koganri, he realizes his adventure has only just begun.

Books that Matthew read and loved

• Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

• The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith. This is the latest in J. K. Rowling’s detective series, which she writes under a pseudonym

• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

• The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

Here’s how you can connect with Matthew

Head over to Matthew’s author website to check out everything he does and sign up for email updates and 🎁 get your hands on a free short story, “The Last Prince,” a prequel to Red Rex.

Here’s where you can find him on Instagram, TikTok, and Goodreads.

Check out Matthew and his brother, Brian, on The Brothers Mellema on YouTube, where they discuss dinosaurs, ancient cultures, and anything strange or wondrous. Oh, and Bigfoot.

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Thank you, Matthew, for chatting books today!

And thank you for being here, readers.

Catch you next time,

Michelle