Matthew Dicks's Blog, page 749
July 5, 2009
Poor but happy
I spent the weekend at my in-laws' home in the Berkshires, celebrating the Fourth of July. Joining us for dinner was Elysha's grandmother, my daughter's great-grandmother, who is 87-years old and sharp as a tack. Nana still drives, does not wear any kind of prescription eyewear, attends classes at her local college in Florida, and was still dating just a couple of years ago. She is always great for engaging conversation, captivating storytelling and good humor.
In fact, the character of Edith
July 3, 2009
Writers Digest article online
A couple weeks ago I posted about Jordan Rosenfeld's feature on SOMETHING MISSING and me in the July/August issue of Writer's Digest. The article has found its way to the Web for anyone interested in reading it.
July 2, 2009
Book deal!
Great news! I've accepted an offer today from Broadway, the publisher of SOMETHING MISSING, for my second book, UNEXPECTEDLY, MILO. And happily, I will be able to continue working with my editor, Melissa, even though she's now working in another division of Random House. We just spoke over the phone and are equally enthusiastic about the road ahead.
After many machinations, things seem to have worked out just fine.
And as a result of today's deal, my wife will be able to take another year off
July 1, 2009
Book clubs: A good use of my time? Or just plain fun?
As a first time novelist, the publishing process is new to me, and so I'm not quite sure what typical authors do to promote their books, communicate with readers, and make themselves available to the general public. I have wonderful people at Broadway working with me, but I'm also trying to do my part, using Twitter, Facebook, and this blog to reach out to potential readers.
Recently, a new opportunity for outreach and promotion has arisen: book clubs. In the past month, I've received requests
June 30, 2009
The Dark Tower: A must read
The Guardian recently charged its readers to "stop sneering at fantasy readers," arguing that fantasy and science fiction should no longer be considered the realm of the geek, the dork and the socially awkward. "The genre has produced some of the most forward-thinking, influential and linguistically advanced literature of the past century," the Guardian argues, yet writers of this brand of fiction and their fans are often relegated to second tier status.
Though a read almost anything save roman
June 29, 2009
The actual book!
A carton of books arrived at my home today. My book! SOMETHING MISSING. The honest-to-goodness version of the book, the same that will be found in bookstores in two weeks. As required by my contract with Broadway, the publisher sent twenty-four copies of my novel to do with as I please. What that may be is still unknown, since most of my friends have insisted on making the trip to the bookstore and purchasing one for themselves, but to see and touch the book is just remarkable.
Truly a dream co
June 28, 2009
RJ Julia
My wife and I (and Clara, our five-month old daughter) took a trip to Madison, CT, the hometown of RJ Julia, an independent bookstore that has been remarkably supportive of me and my book. It's more than an hour away from my home, so up until now, we had never made the trip, but it was well worth the time we spent on the road.
The store itself is a charming, two-story, old fashioned shop with nooks and crannies filled with great books of varying genres. The displays are creative and well desig
June 27, 2009
Odd business combinations. Again.
In the spirit of odd but perhaps brilliant business combinations, The Spin Cycle Cafe in Newington is a laundromat/bar/restaurant. They advertise dry cleaning beside the lunch specials. Happy hour alongside wash-dry-fold.
I almost wish I didn't own a washing machine and dryer.
First a movie theatre/hotel. Now laundry, chicken wings, and beer. Ever since I began my new book, which centers on a combination chicken shack/funeral home, these unusual business combinations seem to keep popping
June 26, 2009
Product placement
In reading some of my Amazon reviews (I know I shouldn't, but they're still very good), I noticed that two people commented on the specificity to which I wrote about certain brand names in SOMETHING MISSING, wondering if I received money from the companies mentioned as a form of product placement.
Certainly a fascinating idea, and one that I wouldn't mind pursuing in the future, but the reason behind my specificity is two-fold:
Martin, the protagonist in SOMETHING MISSING, is more detail-orien
June 22, 2009
Writers Digest feature
An article about me and my book, SOMETHING MISSING, appears in the July/August issue of Writer’s Digest. It’s great. A full-page article that includes a photograph of me (27 pounds heavier than I am today) and the cover art of the book, which always seems to excite my agent.
The author, Jordan Rosenfeld, writes about the process by which SOMETHING MISSING originated, the process my which I write in general, and some of my personal history and how it relates to Martin and his story. I’ve had sto
