Matthew DeGelleke

"I write what I've lived—survival, struggle, and the beauty found in desolation."

I'm Matthew DeGelleke, and I'm 60 years old. I was born and raised in Upstate New York, but that's not where my story stayed. My brother and I spent years traveling across the United States together—hitchhiking, working odd jobs, sleeping under the stars in places where civilization felt like a distant memory.

Those years on the road taught me what it means to survive. We crossed deserts where the heat could kill you. We weathered storms in abandoned buildings. We saw the raw, unforgiving side of nature and humanity. And through it all, I learned that life is about endurance—about pushing forward even when everything tells you to give up.

From the Desert Howls to the Page

I was camped outside Quartzsite, Arizona, living off-grid in the desert.

One night, twelve coyotes gathered in the dark around our camp. Not scattered yips, a chorus. Coordinated. We swept our flashlights across the brush and caught eyes reflecting back, green, gold, silent. They weren’t panicked. They were present, watching.

From the hillside, we could see the lights of Quartzsite glowing in the distance. I remember staring at that small town and imagining it completely dark, no streetlights, no hum of power, just desert again.

Not long after, the world faltered. COVID spread. Supply chains cracked. And one night, the lights in town actually went out.

I was still up on that desert hillside, my own lights blazing, running on solar, self-contained, quiet. There is no feeling quite like standing in darkness and knowing your power comes from the sun you stored yourself.

That contrast stayed with me: the organized howls in the dark, the fragile glow of a human town, and the reminder that modern life is not permanent.

Ember- The Coy-Wolf Chronicles grew from that intersection. In the novel, animals inherit a valley shaped by human ambition and human failure. Territory is contested. Water is controlled. Survival is immediate. The conflicts aren’t allegory; they are ecological, territorial, and ruthless.

I heard it that night in the desert, and once I imagined the lights going out, I couldn’t stop asking what would rise when they did.

This isn't a sanitized story. It's gritty, violent, and uncompromising—just like the experiences that inspired it. The animal warriors in my book face the same harsh realities I faced on the road: territory disputes, scarcity of resources, and the constant threat of death.

Why Coloring Pages?

People ask me why I included coloring pages in a violent, mature novel. The answer is simple: art and survival go hand in hand. During my travels, I sketched what I saw—landscapes, animals, the remnants of abandoned places. Drawing helped me process the harshness around me.

The 27 coloring pages in Ember- The Coy-Wolf Chronicles aren't for kids. They're intricate, detailed illustrations of the brutal beauty of the in the valley.

What's Next

I'm already working on the next installment of this world. The animal apocalypse is just beginning, and there are more stories to tell, more survivors to follow, more chapters to illustrate. If you want to stay updated, join my newsletter. You'll get exclusive content, behind-the-scenes looks at my writing process, and advance notice of new releases.

This is my world. Welcome to the wasteland.