Matthew Norman's Blog, page 5

The Cover

Not sure if this counts as a big reveal, since Amazon has had it up for two days now, but I'm excited anyway. We're All Damaged officially has a cover, and here it is, courtesy of designer Joan Wong.

And, speaking of Amazon, the book is available for preorder now in three formats: ebook, paperback, and hardcover.

Stay tuned for information on promotions, appearances, and events as pub day approaches.

thenormannation@gmail.com

Don't Look At Me

For a number of silly, mostly irrational reasons, writers find everything associated with getting their author photo taken to be incredibly stressful. What do I wear? Should I smile? Do I appear to be trying too hard? Why does my face look like this? Etc.

I'm happy to report that I've found the cure for all of that insanity, and his name is Jason Rice.

A few weeks ago, Jason visited me in Baltimore armed with nothing but an iPhone. "Where's your camera?" I asked when I met him in my office park...

Things That Scream in the Woods

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Let's Get Damaged

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:ARMOUR; mso-font-alt:Cambria; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -805240837 40 0 511 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T8Akyni3epw..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T8Akyni3epw..." width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">Well, it’s finally happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2016 has arrived, and that means the year of my second novel, WE’RE ALL DAMAGED, is finally upon us. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">(I’ll pause here for a moment so you can finish freaking out.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">As the world collectively awaits the publication day in June, I’ve informed my imaginary staff of idiot interns here at The Norman Nation that I plan to be a lot more active. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">What does that mean? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">For starters, it means I’m going to actually write and post things to this blog more often than once o...</span></div><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:ARMOUR; mso-font-alt:Cambria; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -805240837 40 0 511 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style></style>

LET’S GET DAMAGED

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:ARMOUR; mso-font-alt:Cambria; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -805240837 40 0 511 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T8Akyni3epw..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T8Akyni3epw..." width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">Well, it’s finally happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2016 has arrived, and that means the year of my second novel, WE’RE ALL DAMAGED, is finally upon us. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">(I’ll pause here for a moment so you can finish freaking out.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">As the world collectively awaits the publication day in June, I’ve informed my imaginary staff of idiot interns here at The Norman Nation that I plan to be a lot more active. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">What does that mean? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: ARMOUR;">For starters, it means I’m going to actually write and post things to this blog more often than once o...</span></div><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 0 16778247 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:ARMOUR; mso-font-alt:Cambria; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -805240837 40 0 511 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style></style>

The Book Business

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And Sometimes You Just Feel Helpless and Wish Someone Was There to Tell You What to Do

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"Mad Men" Eulogies: The Jaguar E-Type

Last week, some of my friends at THE WEEKLINGS and I were asked to write eulogies for Mad Men characters in honor of the show's final season, which returns on Easter Sunday here in the U.S.

I suppose I could have written about anyone on the show. They'd all make good subjects. But, for some reason, I couldn't stop thinking about Lane Pryce's beautiful, doomed Jaguar E-Type. I kept asking myself, what would have happened to it? Would Lane's wife have sold it?  Would she have kept it? ...

New Year. New Book. New Movie?

One of the stressful things about writing a novel is that people often expect you to write more novels. This, I've found, is difficult. There's a great deal of typing involved, you have to drink more caffeine than could possibly be healthy, and you have to skip out on watching some pretty great TV. For example, I've never seen a single moment of House of Cards, Game of Thrones, or Homeland.

However, I'm thrilled to announce that my next novel is finally--FINALLY--done. It's called We're All Da...

Flash Fiction: Like Regular Fiction, But Shorter

A few weeks ago, my friends at the flash fiction journal SmokeLong Weekly asked me to be their guest editor for a week.  I've never been an editor before, so I said yes immediately. I figured it would be easy.  I'd read some stories, pick my favorite, and then I'd have a stiff drink. Because that's what editors do, I imagined.

Over the course of seven days, I read about 60 stories. And, unfortunately for me, a lot of them were very, very good. Some were funny. Some were weird (in go...