Matthew Alan's Blog: newspaper reviews...., page 4
April 10, 2014
New book out today!!!!!
Pick up a new read for the spring - and give back to two great charities!!!!!!!!
http://www.amazon.com/What-Leave-Behind-Matthew-Alan-ebook/dp/B00JIUQXYA/ref=la_B00D0C7YJ0_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397142456&sr=1-4
Synopsis:What We Leave Behind - A story about struggle, a story of hope, and mostly, a story about love. A journey with a unique young girl who is so sure of what is out there waiting for her, that she never compromises her belief in finding it.
Jane Rawley Solomon's humor, character, and passion for others, serve as a reminder that we choose our own path to happiness, regardless of the events that impact our lives.
From the Back CoverThough some lives are grand, and some small, all of them have an impact.
Fifty percent of the author's profits from the book sales of 'What We Leave Behind', will be split, and donated to the Ronald McDonald House charities (rmhc.org) and the ASPCA (aspca.org). In the names of my father - Will, Shelly and Lauren.
The reason I'm choosing these two charities are manifold, but knowing the individuals as I did, and understanding the benefits these charities provide for those in need, it makes perfect sense.
Anyone who appreciates the healing power of animals, will understand the ASPCA . And if the circumstances happen when long term care of a loved one is necessary - then you understand the financial burden incurred by traveling during these times. The support of family and friends becomes immeasurable during difficult times - and these amazing charities represent the ideals of the individuals this book is hoping to honor.
#whatweleavebehind #charities #giveback #newbook #ASPCA #RonaldMcDonaldHouse
April 5, 2014
Movie on 4 4 14 at 10 17 PM
First video blog for "The Hero".....download a free copy today and get ready for the April 19th release of "What We Leave Behind"
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1396663595&sr=8-1
#TheHero #Superhero #gay #Freebooks #kindle #promo #scruff
April 4, 2014
Free e-Book Weekends
Free Book Weekends -
As a lead up to the April 19th release of "What We Leave Behind", I'm going to offer free book weekends for my previous novels/novellas. Starting this Friday-Monday with "The Hero". Feel free to download and share...Happy Weekend and Spring!!!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/...
As a lead up to the April 19th release of "What We Leave Behind", I'm going to offer free book weekends for my previous novels/novellas. Starting this Friday-Monday with "The Hero". Feel free to download and share...Happy Weekend and Spring!!!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/...
February 4, 2014
One Degree - Giveaway- reviews needed!!!!!!
Hi all...
I'm running a giveaway for e-books on amazon next weekend (February 8-9) for my book "One Degree" and I would love new readers/reviews. Don't hesitate to e-mail me this week if you would like a free advance copy in e-book format to review! https://www.facebook.com/MatthewAlan412
Feel free to download and share with friends. Happy reading!
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0
Matthew Alan
#Onedegree #freereads #debutnovel #familydrama #freebooks #freebooksy #readit
I'm running a giveaway for e-books on amazon next weekend (February 8-9) for my book "One Degree" and I would love new readers/reviews. Don't hesitate to e-mail me this week if you would like a free advance copy in e-book format to review! https://www.facebook.com/MatthewAlan412
Feel free to download and share with friends. Happy reading!
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0
Matthew Alan
#Onedegree #freereads #debutnovel #familydrama #freebooks #freebooksy #readit
January 24, 2014
Cover for upcoming new book....
Excited for this final edit and release date later in February....to honor those friends and fmaily lost to cancer over the years.....Still deciding on the cover art...but this is one option for "What We Leave behind."
#Whatweleavebehind #charties #newnovel #ASPCA #cancersucks #RonaldMcdonaldhouse #cancerresearch #cancer
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0
#Whatweleavebehind #charties #newnovel #ASPCA #cancersucks #RonaldMcdonaldhouse #cancerresearch #cancer
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0
December 19, 2013
Wrapped in Read - pardon the pun..:)
Alright holiday readers.....from now until January 1st, all three of my published books are going to be 99 cents each...so yes...you can get all three for under $3.00.
And from December 19-23rd, I'm giving "The Hero" away for free. I'm going to be pushing this promotion starting December 19th, but wanted you all the be the first to know.
I'm calling it "Wrapped in Read" - thank you Kelly Clarkson.. Give a copy to a friend as a stocking stuffer, or share the link!!!!! Thanks so much!
Matt
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1387228257&sr=8-1
#holidays #freereads #onedgeree #thehero #wrappedinread #freebooks
And from December 19-23rd, I'm giving "The Hero" away for free. I'm going to be pushing this promotion starting December 19th, but wanted you all the be the first to know.
I'm calling it "Wrapped in Read" - thank you Kelly Clarkson.. Give a copy to a friend as a stocking stuffer, or share the link!!!!! Thanks so much!
Matt
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1387228257&sr=8-1
#holidays #freereads #onedgeree #thehero #wrappedinread #freebooks
November 30, 2013
Excerpt - One Degree
This is the first excerpt from "One Degree" that is getting published next month in a local literary magazine...very excited!
I take the long way home that afternoon and continue to think about what Sonya said. As I approach Miami Court, I gaze down the tree-lined street. This is exactly the path Mark took on his bike three years ago. The curve of the brick road, the steep curbs, the battle-worn telephone poles—these are things I might never have noticed if they weren’t so tied up in all the changes that have taken place. Even our house looks different. It’s more beaten up and broken down than any other house in the neighborhood.
Granted, my parents are usually busy rushing here or there for Mark’s rehab or working to try and scrounge more money together, so that neglect is obviously going to take a toll on the house too. The lawn mowing and trash are supposed to be my responsibilities, but most of the time I don’t see the point. They never seem to notice whether I do the chores or not.
These days I can drift in and out of the house like a benign spirit, a being everyone is aware of but doesn’t quite register enough to be truly bothered with. It’s more than fair, though, after what I caused, after all I’ve put them through.
Without ever inviting it in, I also felt the weight of lethargic acceptance enter our lives: a house-guest that was quite noticeable upon arrival, that drove me to the point where I couldn’t bare it staying another moment, and yet now it feels as much a part of the family as any member does. It’s hard to imagine our family without this nameless presence. So the grass grows high and wild, the trash collects by the side of the garbage cans for a couple weeks at a time before dad finally gets angry enough to do it himself or the neighbors complain and do it for us.
Before entering, I pause on the front porch and take another good look at the neighborhood. I have lived here all my life, and my heart sinks whenever I arrive home.
I shake away that feeling and turn the knob to enter. I’m a professional at walking in and out without anyone ever sensing me. It’s usually easier to be invisible. The looks people give me, the sympathy or pity, even the offers of help or support only make me want to be farther from everyone. If I just stay away from people, just keep from contacting anyone else, maybe I won’t feel so bad all the time. Maybe my feelings will lessen if I’m not constantly reminded of what I’ve done. What I’ve caused.
Mom has tried to talk to me over and over about the accident and how it could’ve happened to anyone. “It wasn’t your fault, Karl,” she says. “You’re not to blame. You know we love you, and Mark still loves you too.”
I laugh inside. Mark does not love me, and her words only make me feel worse. The more she checks in, the more she tries to help, the more she just refreshes the images from that day. I used to wake up screaming Mark’s name as I relived the scene, over and over in my dreams. The crash, the hospital, that beeping, droning machine.
Silently, I drop my bag by the front door and walk into the family room. Mark is watching TV in the makeshift recliner Dad had modified to get him out of his wheelchair. I feel a strange tinge of excitement about the idea of Mark going back to school. The potential of some normal element returning to his life creates an almost unwelcome glimmer of hope that I can’t help but notice, regardless of how often these kinds of hopes have been dashed in the past.
I cautiously round the corner and, in a move that’s completely forbidden, I speak directly to my brother, standing between him and the television. “Hey, Mark.” The words barely escape from my lips. It’s a hoarse and timid sound. “Do you need anything?”
He just ignores me. We haven’t really spoken more than two-word sentences to one another in forever. I know I’m walking on dangerous ground, threatening the truce that keeps us in separate spheres even when we’re in the same room, but I need more information about what’s happening, what could be happening soon. A force stronger than my fear or guilt, the last shred of hope I possess, keeps me in the room.
Wheelchair bound or not, he still has a nasty temper, and his arms have gotten stronger and stronger. When he does lash out and get a hold of me, it leaves a mark. I warily press on. “Hey, I heard Mom and Dad are thinking about letting you start classes again in the spring? That might be pretty cool.”
Mark glares through me and at the TV. He begins muttering under his breath. His rant grows steadily in volume and intensity until he looks up and I finally hear, “Yeah, great times ahead in the cripple classes at junior high. No sports, no girls, no friends except the retards and rejects. That will be awesome! Maybe I’ll make it to prom and be homecoming king in high school as well… Fucking loser! Go waste your time somewhere else, asshole.”
I stand for a moment as the feeling that Mark has punched me in the stomach washes over my whole body, and then I slump out of the room.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Degree-Matthew-Alan-ebook/dp/B00CPS7MTW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1385824701
I take the long way home that afternoon and continue to think about what Sonya said. As I approach Miami Court, I gaze down the tree-lined street. This is exactly the path Mark took on his bike three years ago. The curve of the brick road, the steep curbs, the battle-worn telephone poles—these are things I might never have noticed if they weren’t so tied up in all the changes that have taken place. Even our house looks different. It’s more beaten up and broken down than any other house in the neighborhood.
Granted, my parents are usually busy rushing here or there for Mark’s rehab or working to try and scrounge more money together, so that neglect is obviously going to take a toll on the house too. The lawn mowing and trash are supposed to be my responsibilities, but most of the time I don’t see the point. They never seem to notice whether I do the chores or not.
These days I can drift in and out of the house like a benign spirit, a being everyone is aware of but doesn’t quite register enough to be truly bothered with. It’s more than fair, though, after what I caused, after all I’ve put them through.
Without ever inviting it in, I also felt the weight of lethargic acceptance enter our lives: a house-guest that was quite noticeable upon arrival, that drove me to the point where I couldn’t bare it staying another moment, and yet now it feels as much a part of the family as any member does. It’s hard to imagine our family without this nameless presence. So the grass grows high and wild, the trash collects by the side of the garbage cans for a couple weeks at a time before dad finally gets angry enough to do it himself or the neighbors complain and do it for us.
Before entering, I pause on the front porch and take another good look at the neighborhood. I have lived here all my life, and my heart sinks whenever I arrive home.
I shake away that feeling and turn the knob to enter. I’m a professional at walking in and out without anyone ever sensing me. It’s usually easier to be invisible. The looks people give me, the sympathy or pity, even the offers of help or support only make me want to be farther from everyone. If I just stay away from people, just keep from contacting anyone else, maybe I won’t feel so bad all the time. Maybe my feelings will lessen if I’m not constantly reminded of what I’ve done. What I’ve caused.
Mom has tried to talk to me over and over about the accident and how it could’ve happened to anyone. “It wasn’t your fault, Karl,” she says. “You’re not to blame. You know we love you, and Mark still loves you too.”
I laugh inside. Mark does not love me, and her words only make me feel worse. The more she checks in, the more she tries to help, the more she just refreshes the images from that day. I used to wake up screaming Mark’s name as I relived the scene, over and over in my dreams. The crash, the hospital, that beeping, droning machine.
Silently, I drop my bag by the front door and walk into the family room. Mark is watching TV in the makeshift recliner Dad had modified to get him out of his wheelchair. I feel a strange tinge of excitement about the idea of Mark going back to school. The potential of some normal element returning to his life creates an almost unwelcome glimmer of hope that I can’t help but notice, regardless of how often these kinds of hopes have been dashed in the past.
I cautiously round the corner and, in a move that’s completely forbidden, I speak directly to my brother, standing between him and the television. “Hey, Mark.” The words barely escape from my lips. It’s a hoarse and timid sound. “Do you need anything?”
He just ignores me. We haven’t really spoken more than two-word sentences to one another in forever. I know I’m walking on dangerous ground, threatening the truce that keeps us in separate spheres even when we’re in the same room, but I need more information about what’s happening, what could be happening soon. A force stronger than my fear or guilt, the last shred of hope I possess, keeps me in the room.
Wheelchair bound or not, he still has a nasty temper, and his arms have gotten stronger and stronger. When he does lash out and get a hold of me, it leaves a mark. I warily press on. “Hey, I heard Mom and Dad are thinking about letting you start classes again in the spring? That might be pretty cool.”
Mark glares through me and at the TV. He begins muttering under his breath. His rant grows steadily in volume and intensity until he looks up and I finally hear, “Yeah, great times ahead in the cripple classes at junior high. No sports, no girls, no friends except the retards and rejects. That will be awesome! Maybe I’ll make it to prom and be homecoming king in high school as well… Fucking loser! Go waste your time somewhere else, asshole.”
I stand for a moment as the feeling that Mark has punched me in the stomach washes over my whole body, and then I slump out of the room.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Degree-Matthew-Alan-ebook/dp/B00CPS7MTW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1385824701
November 10, 2013
Free Hero Sunday!!!!!
Hi all,
As a huge thank you for all of the amazing support during last week's promo, I'm doing a Sunday Kindle freebie for "The Hero" and listing One Degree and Cristman e-book editions at 99 cents all week long!
Thanks again everyone! Hope the week ends well!
Matt
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1383852438&sr=8-1
#freebooks #thehero #superhero #sale
As a huge thank you for all of the amazing support during last week's promo, I'm doing a Sunday Kindle freebie for "The Hero" and listing One Degree and Cristman e-book editions at 99 cents all week long!
Thanks again everyone! Hope the week ends well!
Matt
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1383852438&sr=8-1
#freebooks #thehero #superhero #sale
November 7, 2013
Free Hero Sunday!!!!!!!
Hi all,
As a huge thank you for all of the amazing support during last week's promo, I'm doing a Sunday Kindle freebie for "The Hero" and listing One Degree and Cristman e-book editions at 99 cents all week long!
Thanks again everyone! Hope the week ends well!
Matt
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1383852438&sr=8-1
#freebooks #thehero #superhero #sale
As a huge thank you for all of the amazing support during last week's promo, I'm doing a Sunday Kindle freebie for "The Hero" and listing One Degree and Cristman e-book editions at 99 cents all week long!
Thanks again everyone! Hope the week ends well!
Matt
http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Alan/e/B00D0C7YJ0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1383852438&sr=8-1
#freebooks #thehero #superhero #sale
November 5, 2013
One Degree promo weekend!
Thank you all for an amazing promotion weekend!
A peak at #50 on free kindle downloads (out of hundreds of thousands), #2 in coming of age genre and #1 in family life...with over 6000 books downloaded in three days! Hard to ask for a better weekend than that. :)
Thank you again for all of the support and shares!!!
http://www.amazon.com/One-Degree-Matthew-Alan-ebook/dp/B00CPS7MTW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383664639&sr=8-1&keywords=one+degree
A peak at #50 on free kindle downloads (out of hundreds of thousands), #2 in coming of age genre and #1 in family life...with over 6000 books downloaded in three days! Hard to ask for a better weekend than that. :)
Thank you again for all of the support and shares!!!
http://www.amazon.com/One-Degree-Matthew-Alan-ebook/dp/B00CPS7MTW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383664639&sr=8-1&keywords=one+degree
