A bonafide Hoosier, Matt McDonald grew up on the Northwest side of Indianapolis, attended North Central High School, and worked at Carousel hot dogs in Lafayette Square Mall. While in high school, he ran track, played alto sax in the symphonic band, and was obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons. During the summers he lifeguarded at various pools where he met and worked with Runyon’s own Tim Ricker. They became fast friends and both graduated from Indiana University, Matt with a Sports Marketing degree and aspirations to aviation.
Immediately after college, Matt accepted a commission in the Marine Corps. For the next 10+ years he flew both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft all around the world, concluding his time with 3 years as a Search and Rescue pilot along the South Carolina & Georgia Coast. From there, he was honorably discharged and settled in Newport Beach, CA where he split his time between writing, raising a family, and working on the wine staff at the world famous Hi-Time Wine Cellars. While in Southern California, he got Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Antioch University in Los Angeles, ran a couple marathons, and spent lots of time in the mountains. Since then, he has published multiple books ranging from poetry and children’s stories, to mystery and historical fiction.
For the most part, Matt has always lived near the water, splitting the last 30 years between Pensacola, Florida; Kailua, Hawaii; Okinawa, Japan; Beaufort, South Carolina; and Newport Beach, California. But his Midwest roots eventually yanked him back in. Matt now lives in Carmel, IN with his wife, Rebekah; daughter, Amanda; and son, Ian. Their house, an ever-changing menagerie, presently holds an Australian Shepard, two cats, and a sassy Quaker parrot. Continuing on his path from high school, Matt may ride his motorcycle more than he runs these days, but he’s still part of two adult D&D groups and continues to listen to old AC/DC. When hanging with friends, he likes to hike, camp, fish and kayak. With the family, he travels, skis, and scuba dives. Through it all, he’s active in both his son’s scout troop and the local Civil Air Patrol wing, while continuing to write every day in search of the perfect story.
Since joining Runyon in 2020, Matt has worked on an array of special projects and creative endeavors. Presently, he is RSP’s IT Manager, NetSuite administrator, runs the website, and creates content for a variety of marketing initiatives. He is also a certified Sommelier, Cicerone and Specialist of Spirits, which means that he is always on the lookout for unique tasting experiences. And if one should stop by at Runyon headquarters, he just might be found serving up craft cocktails at any number of exciting company functions. Always up for a good time, Matt’s positive attitude makes him a pleasure to work with and we’re all looking forward to his unique contributions to the continuing Runyon saga.