This issue features my interview with Drinks in the Library, sneak peaks of Christina's Portrait, and upcoming events

I'm visiting the San Fernando Valley this week. This is the place where I grew up, and it inspired a number of my novels—including The Remainders. In this powerful contemporary drama, Dylan is a young man who finds himself stranded and homeless in Reseda after his mother and stepfather kick him out of their palatial home. In Orange County, his father Oliver is determined to find him. But first, Oliver must deal with a history of tragedy and abuse that's destroying his life.

You can buy The Remainders wherever books are sold, and it's available on Kindle Unlimited. I'll also have signed copies on sale at my upcoming events.

If you've read one of my books, please post an honest review. Any number of stars will do. (I'm serious. I'm not one of those authors who go after reviewers who post less than five-star reviews. Besides, if you don't have any one-star reviews, you don't have enough reviews.)

It's the number of reviews that push books through online bookstore algorithms. For indie authors like me, reviews are vital. So, let readers know what you think. I appreciate your help.

I was recently interviewed by Gigi Howard for her Drinks in the Library podcast. What better place to talk about enjoying books and beverages than at a brewery! I did my interview on location at Green Cheek Beer in Costa Mesa, California. Since I was driving, I chose their non-alcoholic beverage, Safety Jacket, which has full IPA flavor at only 0.3% APV.

Green Cheek Beer also has great merch, like this shirt repping Orange County baseball.

Gigi and I discussed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Our wide-ranging interview covered a variety of topics, including changes made to books after publication, problematic authors, and how this book inspired my work-in-progress, Escape from Arzack's Castle.

You can listen to the episode on her website, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app.

I'll be featured on The Weekly MAsh on The Book MAsh podcast. Miranda and Ashleigh asked me fascinating and thought-provoking questions about my writing and my novel Amiga. (They might share this picture of me with my Commodore 128 from 1985.)

My interview goes live on Monday, February 23 at 7:00 am PT. Don't miss it!

If you've been following me for a while, you know I'm looking for a publisher for Christina's Portrait. I haven't found one yet, but I won't give up on looking.

Here's a tip for my fellow authors: If you believe in your story, you'll be willing to go through however many revisions, submissions, and rejections it takes until you find the way to bring it to an audience. Besides, I've spent nearly 50 years writing this book. I can keep working for however long it takes to find a publisher.

The query trenches also helps you refine your pitch, which is useful long after you land a publisher. You'll need it for interviews and book events, like the ones I'll be doing soon. The more you practice and refine your pitch, the better it gets.

Here's my latest pitch for Christina's Portrait. (It's less than 500 characters so it can fit into a Threads post.)

Two teens—separated by 44 years—united by tragedy.

In Christina’s Portrait, Benicia copes with her mom’s death from COVID by making a video about a ghost haunting her school. In 1977, Noreen must conceal her passion for art and an uncontrollable desire for her best friend Christina, who is murdered on campus. As Benicia seeks the truth in this 72K YA drama, the now 60-year-old Noreen must reveal secrets she and her friends have hidden for decades.

Agents and publishers also ask for visuals, so I created this trailer. Click the video to see the full-screen version with sound.

If you'd like to experience Christina's Portrait for yourself, I have a PDF of the first two chapters you can download and read.

Please let me know you think about Christina's Portrait. If you're an agent or publisher who would be interested in my novel, contact me. 

I hope to have exciting news to share with you soon!

I'm back in the San Fernando Valley for an author event at The Open Book in Northridge on this Sunday, February 22 12:00–3:00 pm.

I'm also returning to the Commodore LA Super Show the weekend of April 25–26 in Burbank. I'll share more about my experiences with Commodore computers and possibly give some previews of Escape from Arzack's Castle. 

I'll have autographed books on sale at both events. I hope to see you there!

I've interviewed a number of authors including N.J. Mastro, Nicole Zelniker, Jann Alexander, Karen E. Osborne, Joseph Lewis, Bailey Johnson, and Lucy McLaren. Recently, I interviewed bookstore owner Lonnie Owens and school librarian Amanda Prosin.

If you are an author or someone associated with the book community who wants to be interviewed, send me an email to admin@matthewarnoldstern.com with the following information:

• Your name.
• A brief bio (100 words or less).
• Your books.
• What you would like to talk about in your interview.

By supporting each other, we can all grow!

I hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments and suggestions, feel free to email me at admin@matthewarnoldstern.com. 

If there is someone who you think would enjoy this newsletter, pass it along and encourage them to subscribe. A simple subscription form is on my website.

I'll be in touch again next month with more news and content.