The Reading Frenzy: Search results for memoirs of an imaginary friend

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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Review of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend + Q&A w/author Matthew Dicks

New Release Feature Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Plus Q&A w/ Matthew Dicks

It is my pleasure to announce that Matthew has agreed to be my featured author in June of 2013 when the General Fiction Forum reads this incredible novel together.

Debbie - Matthew Welcome to the General Fiction book club forum at B&N.com

For those of you who don’t know Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is narrated by Budo who is the imaginary friend of an autistic boy named Max.

Matthew I have to admit that the premise of this novel grabbed me, can you tell me where the idea came from and tell us a bit about the novel too.

Matthew - The idea for the book originates back in in childhood.

When I was about ten years old, I was speaking to my mother about a trip that we had made to Roger William’s Park in Providence, Rhode Island. I was reminding her of an afternoon spent in the Japanese Gardens, and how Johnson Johnson and I played tag on the connecting islands in the middle pond.

“Matt,” she said. “You know Johnson Johnson wasn’t real. Right?”

“Huh?”

“You know Johnson Johnson was your imaginary friend. Right?”

“No,” I said, thinking my mother was crazy. “Johnson Johnson. The boy who lived with us for a while.”

“Matt, there was no Johnson Johnson. He was imaginary.”

“No. Johnson Johnson. The boy who lived with us. Like Jessica.”

Jessica was a foster child who had come to live with my family for about six weeks, and she was one of several children who my parents would take in from time to time when I was young. In my mind, Johnson Johnson had been just another one of these kids. The first of them.

But it turns out that Johnson Johnson was not real. I had made him up. Even with a brother and a sister, I had somehow needed someone else to keep me company, and so I invented Johnson Johnson, who my mother had always assumed was named after Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder.

I couldn’t believe it. Years later I would watch the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a story about technology that allows people to erase unwanted sections of their lives, and I instantly understood the concept and sympathized with the characters. In a single stroke, hundreds of memories of my childhood had been altered forever. The boy who I thought had accompanied me to all of my early adventures had suddenly been erased, and for weeks afterward, I would find my mind stumbling upon memories in which Johnson Johnson still existed. Memories in need of erasing.

I mentioned this to a fellow teacher a couple years ago, and she said it would make the basis for an excellent book. I thought she was crazy, but my agent and wife agreed, so I began writing. I have learned to always listen to my wife and agent.

What I ended up with is a story told by Budo, the imaginary friend to a boy named Max. Max is an unusual child who is operating somewhere along the autistic spectrum, and he has come to rely on his imaginary friend for many things. But Budo has his own life as well, separate from Max, in which he meets and befriends other imaginary friends, navigates the world of human persons and worries about his continued existence in the very tenuous life of an imaginary friend. When Max finds himself in great peril, only Budo can save him. In doing so, however, Budo must risk his own existence as well. It’s a story about friendship, courage, love and the power of imagination.

This is your third novel, did this release feel as exciting as the first?

Every release is thrilling, and it is my most sincere hope that they never begin to feel like old hat. I am continually stunned by the idea that something I made up in my head can take on a tangible form and ultimately end up in the hands of readers around the world. While this release is a little less nerve-wracking than the first because I know what to expect now, it is just as exciting as the first.

What are you working on now

I have a few projects in the works. I’m in the process of finishing my next novel, and I am also working on several children’s book and a memoir. I’ve also partnered with a musician to write a rock opera that was recently picked up by a Hartford playhouse for a two week run, so we are busy getting that script into shape as well. I have many irons in the fire at the moment, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When you research for your novels do you do it from a desk or do you go out in the field as well.

Most of my research takes place at the dining room table, which is where I do the majority of my writing. My process is to write first and repair later, so when research is required, I tend to make an educated guess rather than stopping the flow of the story in order to ensure that my facts are correct. I would much rather get the story on the page first before worrying about what details are in need to changing.

The exception to this rule has been my memoir. In writing it, I have begun investigating aspects of my own life to ensure that memory and reality are simpatico. It’s been an interesting process. I have found myself treating my former self as an entity separate from the current version of myself, and when I question old friends, relatives and former coworkers about my past, I speak about myself as someone other than me, which has brought about a number of odd stares.

Your bio says that you’re an active teacher, a published author of not just fiction, an owner of a DJ company, a husband and father and soon to be father again –congratulations, plus more. That’s a very active schedule, how do you fit it all in

I am not picky about the way in which I get things done. I like to tell people that I write in the spaces of my life. If my daughter is taking a bath and I have fifteen minutes to myself, I will try to write six good sentences in that time. I think that people are far too precious with their time, insisting on the right atmosphere, music, or beverage in order to write or accomplish a similar goal. I write whenever I can. Having the summer free from my teaching job helps, of course, but I have not missed a day of writing in at least seven years, whether that is ten minutes with a scrap of paper or eight hours at the laptop.

It also helps that I don’t sleep much. When you can feel good after just four or five hours of sleep, you have a serious leg up on a lot of people who require more time in bed.

It also says you’re a reader but doesn’t list your genre(s) of choice, so what kind of reading to you enjoy, do you have any favorite authors.

I read from almost every genre except romance, and I may give that a try at some point. I split my reading almost evenly between fiction and nonfiction. My favorite author of all time is Kurt Vonnegut, but some of my other favorites include Bill Bryson, Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Nicholson Baker, David Sedaris, Nora Ephron and (of course) William Shakespeare.

You said that you narrowly avoided dying twice by the age of 18, did these events change the way you live, the way you look at life in general, does it enter into your writing at all.

My two near-death experiences, in addition to surviving an armed robbery, have greatly dictated the way in which I live my life. Like it or not, there is not a day, and oftentimes not an hour that goes by that the thought of my mortality does not enter my mind. It is this mindset that propels me from bed before sunrise every morning wanting to make the most of my day, whether that is making time to play with my kids to working hard to teach my students, write my books, improve my golf game or grow my business. The awareness of time passing and the fragility of life are ever-present with me in a way that is difficult for most people to imagine, and for good or ill, this is the reason I manage to get so much done.

In terms of my writing, I think that Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend marks the first time that these experiences have impacted my fiction. It wasn’t planned when I began writing, but I quickly came to know Budo as a character who was just as concerned about his continued existence as I am, and for even greater reason. The lifespan of your average imaginary friend is frighteningly short, and Budo knows this. Many of the fears and anxieties over my own mortality are reflected in the way in which Budo feels about his own mortality.

Now for something unrelated to writing, what’s at the top of your bucket list

I’ve been fortunate in knocking off a few of those things recently, including becoming involved in the live storytelling circuit in New York City, primarily through The Moth. My goal was to someday tell a story for a Moth audience, and I was fortunate enough to win on my first try. Since then I have won twice more and competed in two GrandSLAM championship events, but I have yet to win one. That remains a goal.

I’d also like to give a TED Talk someday, and publishing a children’s book has also been goal for a long time. I’d like to write something that my three year old daughter can read sometime before she is a teenager. She is decidedly unimpressed with my books so far. I’d also like to find my way to teaching writing on the college level someday, though leaving my fifth graders behind is hard to imagine.

Matthew I know after reading your blog and website that I would love to meet you in person, do you tour with your books and do you have any specific B&N events or signings planned.

My book release will actually be taking place at the Barnes & Noble in West Hartford, CT, which is the town where I teach. They have always been great to me, and I am thrilled to be able to kick things off there. We are in the process of planning the rest of the tour, and I hope to include other Barnes & Noble stores as well.

Matthew thank you so much for taking the time out of your incredibly busy schedule to answer my questions and good luck with the sale of the book. I look forward to the next one too.

I urge my readers here to check out Matthew’s wonderful website, it’s an eclectic grouping of information that is fun, interesting and educational and his piece about this release day is especially poignant and a tribute to his wife.
And here is the address of the Barnes & Noble where Matthew’s book kick off will take place

Barnes & Noble

Blue Back Square
60 Isham Road
West Hartford, CT 06107
860-236-9900

Here is the code to listen to a sample of the audio book http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/MemoirsOfAnImaginaryFriend.mp3

My Review of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Matthew Dicks
St. Martin’s Press
ISBN13: 9781250006219
320 pages

Budo and Max are best friends, Max created Budo from his imagination. Budo is Max’s imaginary friend. Budo is different from other imaginary friends, he’s been alive for longer than any imaginary friend he knows and he looks more human than a lot of imaginary friends do, that’s because Max is different than most boys his age. Max lives inside himself a lot, he doesn’t like to be touched and sometimes he get’s “stuck” inside himself too, this makes him a target for bullies and the other kids don’t know how to act around him so they mostly avoid him. Imaginary friends can see other imaginary friends even though they are only visible to the friend that created them and Budo has befriended and lost many imaginary friends since he’s been alive. Budo loves Max’s mom and dad, he loves Max’s school and most of his teachers, but not all of them. Budo also hopes that since Max is different that means that he won’t “disappear” like other imaginary friends have done, maybe Max will need him forever or at least a long, long time, because the one thing that scares Budo is disappearing.

I have to admit that several things caught my attention about this novel, first the title and second the premise, so after being reeled in by those things I was totally hooked when I started reading the book.
The narrative is intelligent, witty, innocent and adult. The story is told by Budo the imaginary friend of an 8 year old suspected autistic boy named Max, we follow Max and Budo through their very interesting life and the lives of the people and imaginary friends around them, and then something happens which gives the novel a very different feel as they get caught up in a dangerous situation and how they go about getting out of it. It’s about life, it’s about death, it’s about being brave, being scared and doing the right thing even at the cost of your own survival to help those you love, it’s a journey into unknown danger and how to persevere. And if you’re anything like me by the end of the read you’ll have been dragged through the gauntlet of emotions and wish you had a friend like Budo too.
Thank you Mr. Dicks for this very impressive novel and I can’t wait until you join us for the month next June and I’m also looking forward to journey with you as I read another of your novels.

Matthew's other novels

Buy the book(s) here visit the author's website here

Friday, May 10, 2013

GIVEAWAY Announcing the June featured read Memoirs Of An Imaginary Friend

Hey peeps exciting news I just heard from my June author and he's all in for our new and improved month long feature here at The Reading Frenzy.
Now here's some great news I have a copy of the recently released paper back issue of the novel for one of you who'll be attending the monthly feature.

It's up for grabs starting today until May 24 th just follow the simple Rafflecopter instructions below for an entry

The Giveaway is courtesy St. Martin's Press

Here's Matthew's website-you need to check out his blog it's great.

Here's my review of Memoirs Of An Imaginary Friend from when it was first published- here's a link to his Q&A at the time

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Matthew Dicks
St. Martin’s Press
ISBN13: 9781250006219
320 pages

here are Matthew's other novels

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Interview with June Featured author Matthew Dicks who talks about his novel Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend–". In my initial vision for the book, the imaginary friends would comprise the bulk of the world and thought that the human beings would remain in the shadows."

Drum Roll Please and congratulate the winner of the paperback copy of the novel who is
JEANNE
Congratulations Jeanne. I hope you'll join us in the read.

________________________

If you missed the reading schedule here it is again:

Week one June 3-9 Chapters 1-21
Week two June 10-16 Chapters 22-42
Week three June 17-23 Chapters 43-end

Now I'd like to introduce all of my June readers to Matthew Dicks who has graciously agreed to join us in June.

It’s my immense pleasure to introduce Matthew Dicks whose novel Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is our June monthly feature.

Matthew, welcome to my blog, I’m very excited to have your input while we read and chat about your novel. There’s nothing to fear my May author Lisa Verge Higgins paved the way to this my second feature on my blog.

As you know I raved about your novel to whoever would listen to me, it made one of my top 20 list of 2012 and I chose it for my feature not only because I love it but because I think it’s an important piece of literature that my fiction friends would enjoy too. During our first interview you revealed that the premise of the novel came about because of your childhood imaginary friend Johnson Jonson.
How did Max come about?

I originally thought that Max would be a character in the background of the story. In my initial vision for the book, the imaginary friends would comprise the bulk of the world and thought that the human beings would remain in the shadows.

I chose to place Max on the autism spectrum for two reasons:

Children with autism tend to have imaginary friends who last longer than typical kids, and I knew that Budo needed to be old by imaginary friend standards.

Our school has a program for special needs students, so every year I have autistic children in my classroom. I feel like I understand these kids better than the average person and wanted to take advantage of this unique knowledge.

Still, with this in mind, I planned on keeping Max’s role small, but Max wouldn’t allow it. Every time I tried to deemphasize his presence in the book, Max reared up and refused to be ignored. It sounds strange, but in many ways Max emerged on the page because Max demanded to exist in a way that I had not planned.

On your website you say that when your first novel was sold and published it was a dream come true.
Were you an overnight success or was it a bumpy road to becoming an author?

I had many false starts before publishing my first novel, but Something Missing was the first novel I completed, so I feel fortunate in that regard. But yes, it was a bumpy road indeed. After leaving my childhood home at eighteen, my life included years of managing fast food restaurants in order to put myself through college, a brief period of homelessness, an arrest and trial for a crime I did not commit, an armed robbery that left me with more than a decade of PTSD and much more. An interesting and often difficult path to say the least, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

You also currently teach elementary school.
Did being a teacher help you mold the characters of Max and Budo?

My experience as a teacher certainly helped me in creating Max, but Budo was more a product of my imagination. As a third and now fifth grade teacher, I never had a student who discussed his or her imaginary friend with me.

Your other two books have adult protagonists.
What are you working on now and is the protagonists a child or adult?

I just completed my next novel, tentatively titled The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs. It features my first female protagonist, a 40-year old woman who is unhappy with her life and the person she has become. She traces the source of her problems back to a bullying incident in high school and decides to return to her hometown after twenty-five years to do something about it.

Do you connect with other writers for critiquing/networking purposes?

I actually connect with readers for critiquing. I have a group of about 25 friends who read my work chapter by chapter and offer feedback as I write. After having grown up on video games, I require immediate feedback. I use about ten of these people for each novel and choose them based upon how their skills match up with the type of book that I am writing. For the book I just finished, I used more women than ever before simply because the book is comprised primarily of female characters. For Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, I chose more teachers and parents as readers than normal because of the nature of the story.

But in terms of networking, yes, I connect with writers constantly. They have become some of my closest friends. Being able to share the day to day struggles of being a writer with someone who shares the same struggles has been invaluable.

You also describe yourself as a storyteller and not just in print, you host many in-person and other media storytelling series including one that you and your wife host in Connecticut called Speak Up! Oral storytelling is an important part of our history.
Why do you think that oral storytelling is important today?

I think it’s important for people to look and listen more. With our heads buried in our phones and our computer screens and television programing available on demand, it’s easy to find yourself staring at screens more often than actual human beings. Storytelling requires you to put away the phone, step away from the computer and TV, and sit and listen to someone share a portion of their life with you. I can think of no better way to spend time.

Your blog (which I love and need most days for a huge bit of humor) is very entertaining.
Is it mostly an emotional outlet for you, a stress reliever or something totally different?

My blog is the space where I can express the random, incomplete, and inconsequential thoughts that I have on a daily basis. Whether I am bragging about my children, discussing my writing process, whining about my golf game or criticizing a piece of popular culture, my blog is the outlet for my unfiltered, unedited, often unwise self. I can’t imagine what I would do without it.

My wife is the only person who gets to tell me that I’ve gone too far and need to refrain from posting something. She is my filter. Fortunately, she only nixes posts once or twice a year.

Than you Matthew for this interview and for the opportunity to pick your brain for an entire month. I can’t wait to begin!!!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Week One Discussion of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

WEEK ONE
CHAPTERS 1-21

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Week One

Welcome to week one of our June featured read Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. I hope you enjoy this novel as much as I did the first time I read it.

So let’s get the month off to a great start with week one’s questions.

Remember as always just use these questions as reference points and I encourage taking it deeper or even in another direction.

In our first section we’ve met the main characters who impact the novel and have a pretty distinct feeling of the direction.

First thoughts

Characters;
feelings about
any favorites

Matthew’s narrative style- do you feel it’s effective as a means to tell his story

Check back during the week to see what others have said and also for additional posts about week one.

Let’s get started

In case you missed it here are both my interviews with Matthew
From August of 2012 Which includes my review is HERE
From May 25th 2013 is HERE

Don't forget to check out Matthew's website which has a link to his very entertaining blog.

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Monday, December 10, 2012

My 20 Best Books of 2012

20 Best Books of 2012

This year as most is a genre smorgasbord from contemporary to historical, from factual to fantasy and one non-fiction in this years group. So without further ado, let’s get to it. Number one means the best of the best, after that they’re in alphabetical order.
Click the links for the full review.

-BEST BOOK

Overseas, by Beatriz Williams is the best book I’ve read in 2012 and perhaps the best book I’ve read in a very long time. It’s epic, it’s historical, it’s contemporary, it’s fantasy, it has some of the most memorable characters ever and remember this is a debut. It’s simply amazing and I’m thrilled that it will be my March featured read at B&N.com General Fiction forum.

Catch Me, by Lisa Gardner is again featured here and again has another top pick. This novel features her protagonist D D Warren who’s just returned from maternity leave to face a case involving child predators. Lisa’s unnaturally expert at bringing the most heinous of criminals and this one is no different.

Edge of Black, is the second in the new Samantha Owens series by amazing storyteller and thriller writer JT Ellison. Samantha Owens, if you’re familiar with JT’s writing was a co-star in her Taylor Jackson series. She’s suffered a great loss and she’s picking up her life and starting over. In this novel Sam’s living in Washington DC, starting a new job and is caught in the middle of what looks like a terrorist attack, but looks can be deceiving.

Ember’s Kiss, by Deborah Cooke is #8 in her bestselling dragon shape-shifter series starring the oh so macho Pyr, only this dragon doesn’t really know about his heritage and thinks he’s more monster than man, who needs his mate and his brother Pyr to show him who he really is. If you know me you know how much I love this series, in fact anything by this wonderful author who’s way with words and worlds is in a class by herself.

home front, by Kristin Hannah is an incredibly hard story to read, but a necessary one. It deals with not only the soldiers “over there” but the realities they face when they come home. It’s touching, it’s dramatic, it’s a must read and a keeper for your shelves.

Illuminations, by Mary Sharratt is about a real historical figure, who’s just this year finally been canonized in May of 2012 and was raised in October 2012 to Doctor of the Church, it’s about Hildegard von Bingen who was an anchorage (click the link for more information). Mary has wowed me before with her historical research and what results in her novels. Whether you’re a lover of historical fiction or just great fiction this one will appeal.

King Of Thorns, by Mark Lawrence is the second in his fantasy trilogy featuring Jorg, the anti-hero, the very noir-ist of protagonists. Jorg has matured since we first met him in Prince of Thorns, he’s a King now and he’ll defend his throne any way he has to. (The review is courtesy of RT Reviews Magazine August 2012 edition)

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, by Matthew Dicks was a very refreshing change for me. The premise is quite unique as his protagonist is the imaginary friend of an autistic boy who’s job it is to be there for him in whatever way is needed. It’s a read that will appeal to a multitude of fans and genres. I’m pleased to announce that Matthew and his wonderful novel will be featured for the monthly read at B&N.com General Fiction forum in June 2013.

One Breath Away, by Heather Gudenkauf was a terrifyingly realist crime drama that will bring memories of Columbine and Virginia Tech and the Nickel Mines Amish school shooting. In a fictional Iowa town on the last day of school before spring break terror is about to unfold in a K-12 school building when a gunman holds the entire population inside the walls hostage.

One Good Friend Deserves Another, by Lisa Verge Higgins is a testament to what being a friend really means, when this group of 4 cemented their friendship 15 years ago they made a pact. These 4 friends are as different from one another as dark and light but they have something special that shows through those differences. Friendship. Lisa is not a stranger to my B&N.com forum, she was with us in 2012 when we read and discussed her previous novel, The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship and will be with us in May of 2013 when we will read together her upcoming March release Friendship Makes the Heart Grow Fonder.( review is courtesy of RT Reviews magazine)

One Mountain Away, by Emilie Richards is all about forgiveness, redemption and hope. It’s also about loss and it reminds we mere mortals that we never know what lies ahead so if we have regrets we should take care of them. I also loved that the protagonist was a woman of a “certain age”, I love seeing an older, mature star of a story. This is the first of Emilie’s newest series entitled “The Goddess Anonyms Series” Emilie was our guest for the month of September at B&N.com when we read and discussed this novel as a group.

Paris in Love by Eloisa James is a novelty for me, it’s a non-fiction. A memoir of the year award winning, #1 NY Times Bestselling author and Professor of English Literature packed up her entire family and moved to Paris for an entire year, she fascinated and entertained her fans on FaceBook for the entire year with snippets of what was happening, the humorous, the sensitive, the sad, the happy and finally turned her experience into a book. Paris in Love is a 2012 Goodreads finalist.

Scorched, by Laura Griffin is #6 in her Tracers series, this time it stars forensic anthropologist Kelsey Quinn and her ex, Navy Seal Gage Brewer. It’s a web of intrigue of suspense and of ever loving terror which Laura is an expert at, it involves murder and mayhem and a huge who done it. It definitely needs to go on your read list.

Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness was definitely one of my most awaited reads of the year after the monumental first in the trilogy A Discovery of Witches from last year. It did not disappoint. It’s as epic as ever, it takes us to 16^th Century Elizabethan England where we knock elbows with all the name droppers of the time, where witch Diana and her forbidden vampire spouse Matthew go so Diana can be taught the art of her craft and to search for the alchemic tomb known as Ashmole 782.

The Book of Lost Fragrances, by MJ Rose who’s another of my favorite go to authors. Her newest in her loosely related series in this novel she takes us to France where perfumer Jac L’Etoile’s fragrance heritage can be traced back centuries perhaps all the way to the very first fragrance factory built by Marc Anthony for Cleopatra, she’s also haunted by glimpses of past lives. MJ mixes genres with mystery, romance, historical and a bit of non-fictional facts as well. If you’re a fan of any of these, this might be right up your alley. It was my pleasure to have met MJ in person last summer when she visited as part of the Atria Mystery Bus Tour.

The Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, by Kristina McMorris is a culturally beautiful piece of Americana and yet nothing this country has to be proud about. It’s a WWII piece involving the not so happily ever after of a Japanese American man and a Caucasian woman. What they went through for the sake of their love, what they gained and especially what they lost. It’s a look at the dirty little secrets of our nations history that they never taught when I was in school, that should never be forgotten and told often. I am lucky to have Kristina with us the entire month of January when B&N.com General Fiction forum discusses this wonderfully worded novel.

The Dog Who Danced, by Susan Wilson is an especially uplifting novel about the power of unconditional love given to us by our pets and one pet in particular that had a knack for dancing. No matter who you are, where you are in your life or what age you will find something to love about this story. Susan was my guest in November at the B&N.com General Fiction forum when we read this very inspiring novel.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy, by Margot Livesey is one of those novels that would have never crossed my path if not for the cover having inspired me to look inside where I found a work of recent historical fiction. Gemma Hardy was an orphan from the 50’s in Scotland where she went through some life trauma because of her status. The author tells a brilliant story of neglect, hardship and success. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming with characters who’re quirky to very realistic.

The Other Woman by Hank Phillipi Ryan is the first of Hank’s brand new series starring girl investigative reporter Jane Ryland. Jane’s been recently fired from the TV news because of not revealing her source of a particular story. She’s landed on her feet at the newspaper where she’s given the mundane assignment of interviewing a candidate’s wife. Well Jane smells a story and boy does she get one. Kudos to Hank for this fast paced new novel. Hank was my guest in October when the B&N.com General Fiction forum read this amazing new novel.

The Reckoning by Alma Katsu was a novel that my editor at LibraryJournal thought I might like, yeah she was right. I loved it. This is the second in Alma’s Taker trilogy and I was beamed right up into the plot, the characters and the amazing storytelling of this very talented fantasy author. The characters are very un-hero, very dark, very sensual, a very adult novel. But this adult can’t wait to get her hands on book three of the trilogy. (The review is courtesy of LibraryJournal)

Well that’s my list for the best of 2012, I hope you enjoyed one or more of the selections. I’d love to compare notes. Bring on 2013 which I’m sure will be a bumper crop of glorious new titles to pick from for next year.

Happy New Year everyone!!!!

Monday, October 12, 2015

GIVEAWAY Interview with Matthew Dicks The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs + review

I'm so happy to welcome back to the blog a favorite author, blogger, storyteller, Matthew Dicks. Today he's telling us about his new release The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs.
Enjoy our conversation and my review then stick around because his publisher St. Martin's Press is also offering one print copy US ONLY for a giveaway.

ISBN-13: 9781250006301
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 09/08/2015
Length: 224 pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible

Overview

From the beloved author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend comes a wonderful new novel about a broken woman who faces her past and, armed with the perfect comeback, finds a way to set herself free

The Giveaway is for one print copy US ONLY
of The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs
Please use Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!!

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER 1

Caroline Jacobs rose, pointed her finger at the woman seated at the center of the table reserved for the PTO president and her officers, and said it. Shouted it, in fact. In the cafeteria of Benjamin Banneker High School, surrounded by crowded bulletin boards, scuffed linoleum, and the lingering smell of chicken nuggets, Caroline Jacobs had shouted a four-letter word. The four-letter word.

The room fell silent.

This was the first time that Caroline had spoken up at a PTO meeting. It was the first time she had spoken publicly in any forum since high school, and the first time in her entire life that she had fired off an expletive in public. These were the thoughts racing through her mind as she looked across her trembling finger at the target of her scorn.

With that one word, Caroline Jacobs had been transformed, if only for an instant, into someone she was not. Someone entirely new. Someone she both wanted to be and never could be.

The silence that followed her outburst was filled with a palpable sense of discomfort. Several people turned their attention to the proposed budget, flipping through the stapled pages in an effort to avoid eye contact with either combatant. Eric Feeney, the father of twin girls and one of the few men in the room, bent over to tie his already tied sneakers. The women sitting beneath the "Race to the Top" bulletin board stopped knitting, their long needles frozen between stitches. Even the refrigerator silenced its thin rattle.

No one moved.

The woman to whom Caroline's four-letter word was directed, Mary Kate Dinali, recovered quickly, converting her initial reaction of shock into a prefabricated facade of disgust and condescension.

Caroline wasn't surprised. Mary Kate Dinali was well equipped for this sort of verbal combat. She had spent her entire life conquering sidewalk fiefdoms, forging parental alliances, and coalescing suburban power. This was her life's work. She was a master in the art of indignation and passive-aggressive backstabbing. She was a Navy SEAL of PTO politics. And Caroline, without weapon or training of any kind, had just stepped onto the field of battle. She had opened fire on a hardened veteran of many skirmishes, and while her accusation had been leveled with uncommon force and precision, it had bounced off her opponent's armor like paperclips shot from an elastic band.

Mary Kate — now fully recovered and back in control — rose slowly from her seat, her thin waistline and cashmere twinset on full display.

Standing up was good, Caroline thought. She wished she had thought of it first.

Instead, she was unable to move, frozen in place by the eyes of more than three dozen people who were shifting glances from Caroline to Mary Kate and back, awaiting their next move.

But Caroline had no next move. Her actions had been as much a surprise to her as they had been to everyone else. She had nothing left in her repertoire.

In truth, Caroline Jacobs had no repertoire.

Tom Jacobs rose from his seat and placed his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Maybe we'll just head home a little early," he said, giving her a gentle nudge.

Caroline still didn't move. Not immediately, anyway. Part of her appreciated Tom's attempt to extricate her from this disaster, but she didn't like the tone of his voice. Rather than sounding earnest or concerned, his statement had come across as ... relaxed. Yes, that was it. There was a nonchalant quality to his statement, a Whoa, where did that come from, little lady? tenor that she didn't like one bit. It was the voice of a man with a foot in each camp, a man who was straddling the fence separating opponents.

At this moment, Caroline didn't require the delicacies of fence-straddling. She needed her husband fully on her side. She was already regretting her outburst. And that's exactly what it had been. An outburst. An unexpected verbal explosion. A sudden loss of control brought on by a brief but unquestionable moment of insanity.

She didn't need Tom coming down on the side of crazy as well. Not even halfway.

Nevertheless, she was grateful to him for conquering her inertia. She took his hand and a few tentative steps, but not before flashing him a glare, perfected during years of marriage, that conveyed a clear and pointed message. She dipped her head and stared at the tiled floor as they walked past Mary Kate and her PTO storm troopers. She cursed her inability to find a second sentence to follow the first. She hated herself for even saying the first.

Once they were clear of the school's double doors, Tom released her hand. "What was that?" he asked in a low voice.

For once, Caroline wished her husband would have used his own four-letter word — if not that very same f-word, something with equal force. Something other than his standard, modulated caution. But four-letter words were not in Tom's repertoire either.

"What was that?" Caroline shot back. "You heard Mary Kate. You heard what she said."

"I didn't hear anything that deserved a response like that."

"Then you weren't listening." She opened the passenger door to the minivan and climbed in.

Tom entered on the driver's side and started the ignition. Just as he was about to resume the conversation, press his initial point, perhaps approach it from another angle — all the things that he did so well — Caroline interjected.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. Okay? Let's just go home."

The gag order would frustrate Tom, and she was glad.

* * *

Mary Kate Dinali had it coming. Of this Caroline was certain. She only wondered why someone hadn't let her have it years before. The fact that it was Caroline who had said it — quiet, obedient, always ready to help, never rocking the boat Caroline Jacobs — had probably come close to knocking several of the PTO old-timers off their cafeteria stools and onto the floor.

To an outsider who wasn't paying close attention to the proceedings, Caroline's outburst might have seemed unwarranted. But context was essential. Mary Kate had just moved the discussion from next month's school fair to an item on the agenda that she had titled "The Spirit of Volunteerism."

"This is going to be a quick item," she'd said. "No biggie."

Like most bullies, Mary Kate Dinali liked to sneak up on her victims. Surprise them with false kindness, or in this case, misdirection. Before launching into the agenda item, she had smiled at Eric Feeney, who smiled back. He was wearing a New York Giants jersey, an intentional reminder to everyone present that the NFL now played games on Thursday nights. "I know the game starts in twenty minutes," Mary Kate said. "And people need to get home in time for kickoff."

Eric Feeney laughed. She had him, and with him, she had the rest. Just like that.

"As you know," Mary Kate continued, "our Election Day bake sale was a huge success, and our Feed the Teachers campaign was probably our best ever. How many schools offer their teachers sushi rolls and cappuccinos during parent-teacher conferences? In fact, I can't remember the last time we had a bad event. But here's the thing, friends: At both of these events, and at most of our events last year and the year before that, I see the same faces. The same people are giving their all, while so many others are sitting on the sidelines, relying on the good work of just a few of us to carry the day."

Caroline was already seething by the time Mary Kate had come to the end of what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech, but Mary Kate had been equally condescending on any number of occasions in the past. This was nothing new. Par for the course.

Then Jessica Trent spoke.

"It's not easy for some of us," Jessica said, her voice wavering. Jessica Trent was a thin, freckled redhead who had more fire in her hair than her demeanor. Caroline had spoken to the mother of two on several occasions, but being that she and Jessica were both fairly shy, they hadn't managed to connect. Shy people, in Caroline's experience, rarely forge successful friendships because they need an extrovert to make things happen. Someone to take the first step, make the first phone call, and assume the initial risk. Shy people like Caroline and Jessica require a facilitator of sorts to get things started, and there had been no one to bring the women together.

It was a shame. Caroline suspected that she and Jessica Trent had a lot in common. She was a smart woman who possessed a dry humor that Caroline appreciated. Her children were well behaved. She might speak as infrequently as Caroline at the PTO meetings, but in the few times that Caroline had heard Jessica talk to her kids, she had been direct and assertive. Funny, even.

But as she spoke now, Jessica's voice had an unusual bite, an edge that seemed to come more from anger than nerves. Jessica Trent didn't like Mary Kate's condescending tone, either, but unlike Caroline, she was willing to speak up about it. "I have to pay a babysitter just to come to these meetings," Jessica said. "And it's not like I can just leave work in the middle of the day to come to the school to help out."

"I had to hire a babysitter, too," Mary Kate said. "So did Pauline," she added, gesturing to the blond, bangled woman to her right. "I'm guessing that a lot of people here tonight had to do the same. We're all making sacrifices, and we certainly appreciate yours, Jess. I just worry that some are sacrificing more than their fair share."

What Mary Kate didn't say — what she didn't need to say since everyone in the room already knew perfectly well — was that she and Pauline needed babysitters tonight because their husbands were in Myrtle Beach on their biannual golf outing.

Jessica Trent's husband was a security guard in a downtown parking garage.

"I'm not saying that some aren't helping more than others," Jessica said. "Just that people might already be helping as much as they can, given their circumstances."

"I'm sure that's the case for some," Mary Kate said. "And I don't want this to go on too long or sound combative. I'm just saying that in the spirit of volunteerism, perhaps you should all ask yourselves if you could be doing more. And if you can't, at least offer a word or two of thanks to the people in the room who are bearing the heaviest loads. A little appreciation can go a long way. That's all. But thank you for the feedback, Jessica. Appreciated as always."

Mary Kate looked down at the agenda, ready to move on, when Jessica spoke again. "You're looking for a thank-you?"

"Excuse me?" Mary Kate asked.

"You want us to thank you?"

"No," Mary Kate said, dismissing the notion with a wave of her hand. "I was just saying that some people might be doing a lot, and I worry that they may feel a little underappreciated."

At this, Pauline cleared her throat. "If you're the first to arrive and the last to leave at every event, you start to wonder where everyone else is."

"But I also understand that it's beyond some people's means to do more," Mary Kate said. "I get that. We all have our own personal struggles. But giving a little more might not be beyond the reach for everyone. And we could at least make sure that those who are able to help out the most feel appreciated for the time that they give. It's not easy for any of us. I know. This is hard work."

"Yes, it is," Pauline said.

The five women flanking Mary Kate nodded.

Caroline's gaze shifted to Jessica, who looked small and alone. "Sure," she said, her head hanging a little bit lower than before. "I just don't want anyone feeling bad about not being able to do more. Some people might not seem to be giving a lot, but they might be giving more than you could imagine. I'd hate for them to feel bad for not doing more —"

"Well, you know what Eleanor Roosevelt said," Mary Kate cut in. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Pauline nodded.

Jessica appeared to shrink on her stool. Her hands came together on her lap, like a scolded schoolgirl.

"Wouldn't you agree, Jessica?" Mary Kate asked.

That's when Caroline rose from her seat. That was when she lost her composure. That was when Caroline Jacobs said fuck.

* * *

By the time she and Tom were pulling into the driveway, Caroline was weighing her options. She knew she needed a strategy. Damage control, Tom would call it. It would require a formal letter of apology to the PTO for her "unfortunate, regrettable, and inappropriate language." Probably a personal apology as well. Caroline could do that. She could muster a face-to-face I'm sorry without much trouble. She'd been doing passive, disingenuous things all her life. What was one more?

It was true. Passive was the word that described Caroline best. It was almost her way of life. Avoid conflict at all costs. Be aggressively agreeable whenever possible. Fly under the radar. Don't stir the pot. Acquiesce and move on from difficult situations as quickly as possible, preferably with a smile. These were her mantras. Even her job as a photographer placed Caroline in a passive position, behind the lens, out of the shot, far away from the scene. Lift the camera, peer through the viewfinder, and be instantly transported from any uncomfortable moment to a tiny, encapsulated world. Caroline had been doing this her entire life. Dodging and weaving. Ducking and disengaging. Anything to go unnoticed. Unseen.

But now something else was happening that she didn't quite understand. There was something in the pit of her stomach that she had never felt before. Smoldering embers that had been waiting to be lit for years.

Fire.

Caroline knew that she should apologize. She knew that she would apologize. But a part of her was rebelling against this notion. Part of her — a new part — was almost refusing to even consider an apology. Part of her was still reveling in that PTO moment.

Tonight's events, and the confluence of circumstances that had led up to them, had ignited a fire within her that she didn't think possible. Yes, it was only a flicker, not quite a flame, nevertheless Caroline suspected that it wouldn't take much for it to burst into a roaring bonfire. She could feel it right there, just waiting to ignite.

She wasn't sure if she should be excited or terrified by the prospect.
CHAPTER 2

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tom asked, pulling back the curtains and letting sunlight fall upon the bed. Caroline turned away.

"Not now," she said. "Okay?"

Okay. Caroline had been using that word, phrased as a question, as a means of garnering approval for most of her life. It had become a habit of sorts — her mother had pointed it out on more than one occasion — and though it had never really bothered her, the word suddenly felt rotten in her mouth.

For the first time in her life, it felt wrong.

"I'll see you later then," Tom said. He leaned over and kissed her. "Have a good morning."

As she brushed her teeth and pulled her dark hair back into a ponytail, Caroline's thoughts returned to the events of the previous evening. It had been ages since she had allowed her emotions to get the best of her. She honestly couldn't remember the last time. This was in large part due to her desire to avoid or diminish any situation where she or anyone else might become emotional. Caroline specialized in the suffering of tiny indignities in silence. Not complaining when the woman in the drive-thru handed her a three-quarters-filled cup of coffee. Pretending not to notice when someone cut in front of her at the pharmacy. Never once sending a single food item back at a single restaurant for fear of upsetting ... well, anybody.

But there were big things, too. Like agreeing with Tom to have only one child when their original plan was for two. Deciding not to open a photography studio even though she always dreamed of a place of her own. Allowing people like Mary Kate Dinali to walk all over her.

Maybe all of this had finally led her to a breaking point. Maybe she had simply uttered one too many Okay?s

Pushing these thoughts aside, Caroline donned a robe and headed down to breakfast. Her heart sank halfway down the staircase at the tinkle of silver on porcelain coming from the kitchen. This was immediately followed by shame.

(Continues...)

Matthew, it’s been a while. Welcome back to The Reading Frenzy!
Tell my readers about your new novel, The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs.
At its heart, this is the story about how our past continues to influence our lives long after we thought those days were dead and buried. Caroline Jacobs is a 40-something woman who finds herself deeply dissatisfied with her life, and through a confluence of events, traces her dissatisfaction back to a moment in childhood that set her life slightly off course. A friend did a terrible thing to her, and even though she was 16 at the time, this slight deviation in course landed her in a far different place than she originally imagined over the course of a lifetime. This is the case for Caroline. So in a moment of unexpected insanity, Caroline decides to return to her hometown and confront the friend who she should’ve confronted so long ago.

Wow, Kirkus says“Heartwarming and often darkly humorous, this road trip for vengeance fairly cries out for filming.” What do you think about this possibility?

I love the idea! When I write novels, I see them cinematically in my mind’s eye, and right from the start of this book, my agent thought this book had film potential. Having all of my books currently under option for film or movie, though, I have learned not to hold my breath and just keep writing my books.

You’ve in fact received many glowing reviews, congratulations. And the NY Post named The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs one of their “must reads books” of the week. Do you like reading your reviews or do you cringe at the prospect?

I love reading reviews. The positive reviews serve as confidence boosters, which I always appreciate, but even the not-so-positive reviews are helpful, especially if I am able to detect a pattern in the criticism. My first two books were very well reviewed, for example, but when there was a complaint, it was that the books were slow to start. I learned that this is a problem with my writing and have sought to correct it as a result. I never understand authors who don’t read reviews. Ignoring data makes no sense to me, even if that data isn’t what you were hoping to see.

Holy Cow Matthew, you're a novelist, a playwright, a life coach, a blogger, a wedding DJ, a minister, and you and your wife run a storytelling organization.
My lovely daughter has a manic personality and she tells me the more she has to do the better for her. Does this describe you, or do you literally fall into bed every night from sheer exhaustion?
Your daughter and I would get along well. I am rarely tired, and I despise sleep. I don’t know if I’m manic, but I don’t stop moving. A couple of near-death experiences, combined with a horrific robbery, have left me with a persistent existential crisis and the need to make the most of every day. So I make decisions based upon what I think the 100 year-old deathbed version of myself would want from me.

So when a musician asks if I want to write a musical with him, I want to say no. I’m too busy already, and I don’t like musicals all that much. I wouldn’t know where to start. But the 100 year old version of me says, “Hell yes! Give it a try! Someday you’ll be stuck in a bed somewhere, and no one will want anything from you!”

Three years and a rock opera and two musicals later and I couldn’t be happier.

So many of the things I have done in my life began with grudging agreement and ended up making me happier than I ever thought possible. I don’t have time to watch much television, and I don’t sleep much, and I am often eating on the run, but those are things I can do when I’m 100.

When you last visited in 2013 when my on-line reading group read and discussed your novel, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, you said you’d just finished writing this novel. Does it always take so long from finished product to release or was there some other reason for the delay on this one?

It normally takes about a year from the finished product to publication. In 2013 I had finished my draft of the novel, but revisions slowed the process a bit. My previous novels were much closer to being ready for publication upon completion of the draft. This one just needed more work.

Matthew I love your blog and am in fact subscribed so as to not miss any posts because your humor, insight and Joie de vivre shine through every post and get me through not just the mundane days but the tough ones too. You mentioned in our last conversation that it's the place you use as an outlet for your random, incomplete and inconsequential daily thoughts. Does this still ring pretty true?

It’s still true. One day you might read a post about my writing process, and the next day you’ll read something about one of my children, and the next you could be reading an essay on the nature of religion. I use the blog as my dumping ground for thoughts, ideas, and pieces that don’t feel robust or compelling enough to pitch to a magazine or newspaper. It also serves as my warm-up every morning. It’s my chance to ease into the writing process before I turn to the book I’m working on that day.

It’s also a great way to stay in constant contact with readers. I publish a book every year or two, so in between those books, readers can drop by for my latest thoughts, adventures, or abject failures. I like to think that I’m remaining present in their minds until the next book arrives.

You not only tell stories on paper but in fact love getting up in front of an audience and tell stories and you’ve been doing it since 2011.
You’re performances are wonderful! Does being in front of a live audience make you nervous?
I don’t get nervous. I sometimes wish I would because nervousness is endearing, but the combination of a 20-year career as a wedding DJ and a healthy amount of self-confidence (occasionally bordering on arrogance) allows me to take the stage and feel great every time. I’m lucky. Most people are bravely conquering nerves when they take the stage. I’m just a guy who likes to talk.

I’ve included the one called No Santa for my readers to enjoy. To see more click the link to Matthew’s website below and hit the storytelling button.

Matthew what are you writing now?

I’m working on a lot of projects. When someone asks me how I handle writer’s block, I laugh. If you give yourself a bunch of projects to work on, then you’ll never suffer from writer’s block ever again. If I get stuck on one book, I just move to the next.

So currently, I’m working hard on my next novel. That’s my main thrust. But I also have another novel that I’ve been picking at for a couple years, and an unconventional novel that I’ve almost finished. I’m also working on a book of personal essays based upon some of the stories that I’ve told on stage, a memoir, a handful of picture books, and a book on storytelling.

There’s always something to write.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me today. Good luck with the new novel (movie?).

Are you attending any events/signings with this release?

Yes. Many. If you go to the appearances tab on my website, you’ll see all of the dates and places where I’ll be speaking, and I’m adding dates all the time. Come out for one if I’m in your area. I never read from my novel, because that’s boring. Instead, I tell stories from my life as an author, recommend books, encourage odd and inappropriate questions from the audience, give out prizes, and sign books. I promise that you’ll have a lot of fun.

My Review

In Matthew Dicks latest release he takes a mundane PTO meeting and turns it into a fantastic catalyst for his page-turning morality tale. He uses his brilliant sometimes acerbic, sometimes subtle humor, his insightful metaphoric dialogue and his amazing quirky characters to once again showcase his extraordinary storytelling ability. But what he does the best is to make his readers feel part of the story as we laugh, cry and empathize with the players in his adventure.

When mild-mannered, shy Caroline Jacobs dropped the F-bomb during the Parent Teacher Organization meeting no one was more surprised than she was. When the very next day her daughter Polly attacks another student in Caroline’s defense as a direct result of that outburst she knows she has to take action. And that action means her return to her hometown, her high-school nemesis, the foreboding event that changed her life and the experience that was ultimate reason for her unlikely behavior. Not sure she can keep the bravado she opts to take Polly along for courage and moral support and without so much as a change of clothes they head out on a nine-hour drive, Caroline hoping to put to rest the ghosts of her past.

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MEET MATTHEW:

Matthew Dicks is the author of the novels Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Something Missing and Unexpectedly, Milo, and the upcoming The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs. His novels have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide, and his most recent is an international bestseller. He is also the author of the rock opera The Clowns and the musical Caught in the Middle. He is a columnist for Seasons magazine and has published work in The Hartford Courant, The Huffington Post, and The Christian Science Monitor. When not hunched over a computer screen, he fills his days as an elementary school teacher, a storyteller, a blogger, a wedding DJ, a minister, a life coach, and a Lord of Sealand. He is a former West Hartford Teacher of the Year and a finalist for Connecticut Teacher of the Year.