top of page

TRAITMARKER MEDIA
tell a better story

LAPIDIUS

A Novel

by Matthew Runals

Magical Realism. Dystopian.
Americana.

Thirteen-year-old Joey is in trouble. His mother can hardly feed him, which-because of his small size-is saying a lot. As war moves closer to their little town, his mother's options for more work are a big fat zero. Desperate, she sends him to a place where he won't starve. Soon after arriving, however, Joey learns that he and the hundreds of other children aren't just charity cases. Lapidius is a prestigious military institute that develops specialized skills for combat. But Lapidius is also a mysterious place where Joey learns that the battle for which they are being trained is full of magic, malevolence, and monsters.

A Post-Apocalyptic Appalachian Story

Like the characters in his books, Matt Runals believes that individual freedom is a necessary part of working together. An early entrepreneur, he owned a paintball business as a teenager and competed in paintball semi-professionally. He attended Longwood University getting a degree in History and a Master’s of Divinity from Regent University. Later he worked at Liberty University, where he served as assistant coach and chaplain for Liberty’s paintball team and worked as a code of conduct officer and a class 3 civil rights Title IX investigator with the Dean of Students.

After college, he spent fifteen years as a youth minister, mentor, and counselor, focusing on the wellbeing of trauma victims and the spiritual development of teens. Feeling called to serve in the Army he joined as a chaplain, a position he’s held for six years. The work Runals has done in mentoring, counseling, and guiding those in need has reinforced his strong belief in community involvement and volunteering.

Runals currently lives in Texas with his wife Dana, whom he met while playing Ultimate Frisbee, and their three children. He hopes that his work with the Army and the heart he puts into his writing will help more people see the promise and possibility in our American heritage.

bottom of page