An interview with author, Alec Greven

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Alec Greven is going to periodically guest blog here. I have been asked so many times by students in schools I visit about getting published. I am all about encouraging people to follow dreams. There is no better way to show the possibilities than to show one who is doing it. Alec is not only a best-selling author, but a darn nice person. I look forward to seeing what he can offer here.

This is what is found on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Greven about him:

Alec Greven is a New York Times bestselling child self-help author. His first book, How to Talk to Girls, was published when he was nine years old. He has subsequently published two additional books, How to Talk to Moms, and How to Talk to Dads. He is slated to release a fourth book, How to Talk to Santa, in 2009, and a fifth book How to Talk to Grandparents in reportedly in the works.

He appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in February 2008 and April 2009, and on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien in December 2008. On February 12, 2009 he also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Greven appeared a second time on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in April 2009 to promote his two new books, How to Talk to Dads and How to Talk to Moms.

How to Talk to Girls

Greven's first book, How to Talk to Girls, started as an elementary school project and ended up on the New York Times' best sellers list. He wrote the book after observing boys in the playground and their mistakes when talking to girls.

Alec's book How to talk to Santa is available now and I personally recommend it!

What books have you published?

I have published 4 books called How to talk to Girls, How to talk to Moms, How to talk to Dads and just in time for Christmas my newest book How to talk to Santa.

How many books have you written?

I have written 5 books. Four are published and one is in the publishing stage. It is called Rules for School and it will come out next year for back to school time. It’s like a big guidebook to school and talks about the first day, where to sit, what bugs teachers and much more!

How old were you when you started writing?

In third grade when I was 8 I wrote my first book How to talk to Girls. Then when I was nine, Girls got published and then I did a lot of publicity. When I was ten I wrote How to talk to Dads Moms and Santa.

How many times do you rewrite a story?

I only rewrite a story when I don’t really like it or I might stop writing the story. But usually when I like a story I might just do some editing modifications.

Do you know other authors?

The only author that I really know and have met is you!

Do you plan to go to college?

Yes I want to go somewhere like Harvard or Columbia or some schools like those.

Have you always lived in Colorado?

No. I was born in Washington State and after a few years I moved to Colorado and have lived here for the rest of my life so far.

What experiences as a published author have you enjoyed the most? Least?

Sometimes it is hard when people ask me the same question over and over again. But going and doing the TV interviews are really fun and the people are really nice so that is a great experience.

What was your biggest challenge in writing?

I think revising and editing because it is very hard finding and correcting your own mistakes. That is the part that I usually take the most time on in my story.

How did you overcome that challenge?

I try to ask other people to read my writing because it isn’t very hard to correct other peoples mistakes. It also gives me good feedback that I can use to make my story even more fun and exciting.

How would you end stories?

I usually like ending my stories with the reader asking a question and waiting for the next story so my reader can get interested in the next one.

What is your favorite writing subject?

Well, I like writing about mysteries and adventure. I also like to write guide books and really any idea that pops into my head. I think that the more you read the more that you write. And to keep in the spirit of writing you just have to read a ton.

What other subjects in school do you like?

I love reading and writing. I also enjoy book group and social studies and science. Pretty much I like all of school!

What is the best book you have written?

Well I can only say what I like. Right now it is pretty hard to choose, but I like Santa and also Girls because Girls started everything. I also like my new book Rules for School

What was the first book you wrote?

I wrote stories and stuff in school but How to Talk to Girls was the first book I got published.

Do you like reading?

I love reading especially about adventure and fantasy. They make you want to keep reading and itching for the next book.

What are some of your favorite books to read?

I love reading so it’s hard for me to pick a favorite. I like the Harry Potter series I also like the Warrior series and Wimpy Kid. Then I got interested in mythology from the Percy Jackson series.

What is it like to be on national television shows and to meet celebrities?

So fun!

How do your brother and sister feel about having a big brother on television?

They think it is fun to watch and they are happy when I bring them presents

What do you say to other people your age about following his or her dreams.

I think that it is really important because if you say you can’t do something you won’t be able to do it. I think that if you believe you can do something there is a pretty big chance that the thing that you want will happen.

Why I write books!

I have been spending a lot of time lately at meet & greet & sign & talk events. I enjoy it quite a bit, but no more than when I get to meet my readers or hear about the impact of my stories on grandma's and mother's special "offspring".

Full days of these fairs can be long and then there are certain things that make the day all worth it!

<---- This young man told me my book Go Ask Mom - Stories from the upper bunk - is his favorite book. I quizzed him a bit to make sure he wasn't just being polite and he even liked it better than The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid series, WOW, that makes a guy feel good!

How many people get the chance with their vocation to put this kind of a smile on a cool, young dude's face?


I can't wait to hear what he thinks about my third book in the series! By the way, look closely at the covers, Cole - my young buddy, could be the model for the main character Gabe. He is surely just as cool!


I opened up the invitation to have your reader on my blog and this very eager young man wanted to join. His family came to hear my talk at his school and their comments made me feel glad that I have the job I do. We all need to laugh, especially nowadays, and if my books or stories can bring some laughter and happiness then it is a job worth doing, yes?




If you would like to send a digital picture of your reader with one of my books to; justin@justinmatott.com, I will include them in my wall of readers! Thanks for reading at least this blog...

TOO FUNNY! LIFE IMITATES ART!

For years I have been writing about "misfits" and "weirdos" and have unintentionally become my own neighborhood's, just that.

Grizelda is a weird neighbor who the kids discover to be loveable as well. Drinking Fountain Joe (my newly christened H1N1 book because of the germs) is a funny little misfit who is paranoid about germs in his school and becomes a hero. Gabriel Peters, the hero in my Go Ask Mom series is a funny misfit kid, SO, wouldn't it stand to reason that the author is a bit of each of them?

On Halloween, I thought I would add some humor to the evening. So, I donned a makeshift costume (top hat & billy bob teeth) and grabbed a HUGE jug of Parmesan cheese and a big serving spoon. When I answered the door I offered to scoop some parmesan cheese into their treat bags and upon getting a few wrinkled noses said, "Oh, then would you prefer a package of Top Ramen?" and pulled a big bowl loaded with packages of the soup mix. A few confused moments later and with their parents standing off my porch laughing at my sense of humor, I then said, "Oh, okay, so you are candy kids?" and then dumped a handful of candy into each bag. The kids left slightly puzzled at "that author guy is kinda weird..." I overheard several saying. My wife just shook her head and implored me not to do that to the really little kids who wouldn't understand my sense of humor, which didn't actually deter me, heh heh...

Since then I have had three adults at my appearances mention the "Halloween gag" and prompted me to use that in a book somehow.

Several middle schoolers have passed my wife on walks in the neighborhood and mentioned that "Mr. Matott is a crack-up" and that they would actually have liked the cheese if it hadn't covered their candy and the fact is I actually had several kids return to my door that night asking specifically for some cheese or ramen...

ALL IN ALL I think my gag was a success. How many of those trick-or-treaters will remember that when the candy is long gone? Life is about adding interest, humor and fun. I don't mind being a tad eccentric, as long as they also remember that I cared enough to do something that would create a memory.... likely they will just think I was a "weirdo". BUT, ONE OF THE MAIN POINTS HERE IS; I HAD FUN!

One other thing I did on Halloween night was to have a reserve of my alien books right inside the door for any person who came dressed as an alien. Alas, no one did, BUT, as I mentioned this to a group of 4 middle school age girls, one who was dressed as a "Lady Pirate?" liked the idea so much, she whipped out her cell phone and called her mom, demanding green make-up and some other items.

About half an hour later she showed up on my doorstep in a new costume and received her copy of Aliens - all mixed up.

NOTE to trick or treaters in the Highlands Ranch area; next year come as a character in one of my books to receive a readable gift.... I just might give you some parmesan cheese or Top Ramen to go with it...

Life is short - ENJOY every day!

Happy Halloween!

Tootsie's new shoes

We got about 2 feet of late October snow. Tootsie tried some shoes and ended up walking about a block and then got in the back pack for the next miles.

Alec Greven will be sharing some thoughts here on my blog...

My blog is soon going to incorporate a new feature: GUEST BLOGGERS.

My first guest blogger is going to be Alec Greven who will be popping in periodically to share something of interest.

If you don't know who Alec is, please see this website:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbB76ejvAro


I personally am tired of "balloon boy" kind of news.

I am interested in people who make a difference.
I am interested in people who do wonderful things to change a small corner of our world.
I am interested in kids who encourage.
I know a young man who is making a difference, particularly encouraging others his age.
It becomes obvious when you spend time with his family that they are doing a great job with him.

As any teacher will tell you; family, and in particular the parents make all the difference in a child's success.

Alec is blessed with wonderful parents, who safeguard him and have poured great values into him. It shows when you speak with him, or them.

He also has very cute siblings, his little sister "laughs at things that are scary" and has loads of energy to keep up with her two older brother and his little brother is a cute firecracker with great questions and enthusiasm.

All in all, just a down to earth, great family.

What would it be like to be in elementary school and appear on national television shows and to accomplish a dream people many times your age aspire to?

What kind of boy has published four books before he's even hit middle school, with another one on the near horizon?

What person under ten years old already is in Wikipedia? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Greven

There are several reasons I want to include Alec in my small corner of the literary world; He is a terrific, unspoiled, unassuming young man.

He is NORMAL.

I meet authors all the time and some could take some lessons from him.

I get asked at almost every school I visit, "when could I ever get published?" by both students and teachers. I often point these aspiring authors to my buddy Alec's story.

There is more proof in the pudding than in talk.

Alec's new book, How to Talk to Santa, is available now at major retailers and on-line booksellers. It is clever, insightful and fun.
There is one chapter in particular that made me laugh out loud. It has to do with tricking your sibling to include items on his gift list that you actually want and might not have room for and a potential backfire.

It resonates with me, particularly because it was a trick I deployed on my older brother and it did in fact backfire. I still want that doggone train track and it was a tough thing to watch my brother and his friends playing with it in his room across the hall from me with a barricaded doorway!

http://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Santa-Alec-Greven/dp/0061802077/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256738403&sr=1-1

Alec and I will be doing a signing together in Mid-November at the Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch.

Please pass this on to your fellow emailers and bloggers and share this young man's story and watch for his postings.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/newsbeat/newsid_7887000/7887032.stm?lss

Sometimes you just gotta laugh!

This month has been rough, scary and very Halloweeny for me. I started with the intention to chronicle phobias and fears, one a day was the plan, but life sometimes jumps the tracks.

BUT, earlier on I posted my own personal fear, one of which is the fear of clowns.

EXCERPT FROM EARLIER POST: I suffer from something called Coulrophobia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulrophobia which is the fear of clowns. Could have been watching Blinky The Clown on television as a child or the fact that my brother tormented me as a small child with a Clown Jack In The Box or most likely the time my mom forced me to go the the circus and somehow ended up in the front row, where a clown plucked me from the crowd and before I could even get to the center ring there was a center ring on my trousers from where I, being so scared of the clown, wet my pants in front of a mere two million people crowded into the big top???


It is a deep rooted fear. I literally feel cold shivers when I see a clown nearby. I thought it was some of the experiences I chronicled earlier, BUT, while looking for some photos to share when we gathered to remember my dad, I came across this little gem. How fitting that in the month of costumes and dress up, there I am in my earliest get up (gee, thanks mom for testing my masculinity at such a young age), BUT the real kicker is the kid I am holding hands with. NO WONDER I am terrified of clowns! I mean, I was three years old!!! Sometimes, you just gotta laugh!

Something my mom & dad left me with...

Dad, inevitably telling mom a story.

I lost my dad yesterday and my heart is heavy. My heart is also so full, because he was a good dad and a good man and in many ways believed in me and championed my life. My dad was an English professor for forty years and read many of my drafts and sent them to me with thoughtful, encouraging and great notes over the years (he also had a wicked, good red pen that he used liberally and gracefully to instruct).

I talked to my dad for hours every Saturday. He was literally one of the most interesting people I have ever known. It seemed he knew something about everything I mentioned. Well traveled, well taught, opinionated but willing to hear the other side too. I will miss our talks more than I even realize now.

My dad tried in vain for years to get published and wrote some four novels that have never been read. BUT, my dad was SO happy and proud of my success in the literary world, he felt as though he shared in my success and he did. Perhaps somehow my dad's work will get another look.

So what I do when I feel deeply is write, get it out, get it down and deal with it. My first published book, My Garden Visits, was a book I wrote after losing my mom. At first I wrote it for just me, to purge, to get my sorrow and memories down on paper and out of my body, my head, my heart. Soon the words turned into a book and traveled into many homes to help others to deal with the same. It liberated me to do what mom would have wished for my life. To use my passion and to live everyday as thought it might be my last. To leave a lasting impression, which I have tried and am trying to do daily.
Mom never got to see me as an author. She too was a professor of English and German and would love nothing more than to know her son went on in life to spread more entertainment, amusement and books into the world. I know she knows.

Last spring I was asked to submit the following for an anthology by authors. I haven't heard back from the publisher, so I can now assume they didn't choose mine. But, it seemed appropriate to post it, so someone could read it.

Mom, listening with rapt attention, or thinking, wow, when will this one end? Looks like she is asleep with her eyes open, lol. Dad could go on a bit... hmmm... is that where I get that?

Bit of enduring wisdom received as a child –
My Father had a mantra that he seemed to only repeat to me, never my brother who was a boy, and is a man of few words. My father would say to me, “There is a virtue in learning when to keep your mouth shut.” It took me a long time to understand what he was saying. I now know that when my mouth is shut others are open and with the ratio of two ears to one mouth I learn twice as much as I teach.

Most people like to be listened to and some tell the same story over and over, assuming everyone is interested. People simply want to heard and often tensions, stress and in the most escalated case wars are caused by parties feeling they aren’t being listened to or heard. Dad also said to leave the world much better than you found it. He did. He left me and I will go on trying to leave the world better.

“A laughing minute is one well spent, for time has up and gone and went...”

Wisdom to a child

Time is fleeting,
Time is short,
Laugh every day until you snort...
A minute gone,
And then another...
And soon your older;
A dad or mother.
You only get so many days,
So spend each of them well.
So you'll have stories
to someday, sometime tell.




Thank you Dad!
Thank you Mom!
Goodbye...

My cat chimes in about the phobia of felines... read her face, nuff said!

Lachanophobia - Fear of vegetables

While researching phobias to entertain all three of you who might read my blog if there isn't anything else to read or anything on television, or to have something semi-interesting to talk to your dog about, I have found that almost all things organic or inorganic have been labeled a potential phobia. Leading me to think about the famous quote that the greatest fear itself is fear of fear, yes there is a phobia of fear.

Lachanophobia, The fear of vegetables is one many kids fake having. Not so much a fear, but a dislike or preference for something else (like candy). I cannot for the life of me convince anyone that pickles count, I mean what is a pickle if not a vegetable?

The cucumber turns into a nice slice or chip that goes well with anything... A deep fried dill pickle chip is a wonder to behold and can be found at Cajun restaurants. Try it, try it... you will see, it is so wonderfully vegetabley...
For the record, I LOVE vegetables (except for turnips and that kind of thing...) but a garden grown tomato, pea, cuke and many more are the very best! The next best are the kind you find at places like Sunflower Market, sometimes SO close to home grown... I wonder what a deep fried tomato would taste like...?

Macrophobia - the fear of waiting, long waits.

Macrophobia - the fear of long waits and of waiting!

Nothing represents to me weirdness more than a drive-thru Starbucks, or more specifically the one in my 'hood'. I kind of get the one on Sante Fe and other pull offs on the way to a downtown or uptown destination, where there is no foot traffic and no lobby.

But this one is smack dab in the middle of suburbia.

Okay, the other day I pulled into the starbucks and parked. I walked in and got my coffee and walked out to sit in the sun on the patio. The car that was in line outside, parallel to the table I had set my laptop on to hold the table (afraid to wait for a table I suppose) was still behind ten other cars that had literally still not moved an inch.

The woman in the car had her window rolled down and was on her cell phone (and putting on her eye makeup and instructing an overly patient toddler who was fidgeting in her car seat), complaining to the unseen other side of the conversation person, about how long it was taking to get her coffee and how she cannot function in the morning until she has had it.

My fear of one-sided conversation CELLPHONEOPHOBIA started to take hold of me and the distraction of hearing her blow by blow frustration about the wait distracted me from adding to the next great American novel.

Finally she had moved up a car length and it had at this point been somewhere in the fifteen minute zone. Did I mention that her and now the other fifteen cars piled up in the line had their engines running taking what was a $4 cup of latte now to probably about $8 and likely one of those nifty little milks for her daughter which would run her another $3.


She would have done much better to have walked in, spent the time relaxing on the patio under the sun, with her daughter, than the half hour she spent talking, er complaining on her cell phone and waiting for her cup of latte (how did I know what she got? She told the person on the other end of the line maybe three times, info that wasn't interesting the first time. Perhaps Twitter would have enjoyed knowing it?)
So, I guess since I am unwilling to sit in "traffic" for a cup of coffee, I am qualified as a Macrophobic! And now with my iphone I can order my two favorite vices (Starbucks and Chipotle) from my phone and it will be waiting for me in the express lane! Ahhhhhh.....

Autumn in Colorado...

A run in the sun, then a bit of rain, a bit of sleet, a bit of snow... All on one October day. That is the beauty of Colorado. These pics are in my hood.


Spent a good part of the day writing and working on the edits my editor sent me for the Go Ask Mom series. I hope all this hard work pays off in happy readers. Sometimes kids don't believe me when I try to tell them you have to write, then rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite! This picture is taken from my window as I sit here on my laptop working. Enjoy the weather wherever you are!

dentophobia - Fear of the dentist

WATCH THIS VIDEO!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOtMizMQ6oM

Having logged many hours in the dentist chair over the years, I know that the fear of dentists is real. I included the video to bring levity to it. It is the drill that is the worst. I asked my dentist last time I was there, when, with all of the technology available to us today, will they make a drill that doesn't make that awful sound. He just shrugged and told me I didn't have to worry about it. NO CAVITIES!!!!!!!!!

An autumn walk with my pup and my iphone...

Is there a better time than autumn in Colorado?
I think not. I took my dog Tootsie aka Batman for a walk and took a few shots. Nary a cloud in the sky, colors all over turning and an underlying sense of cool on an otherwise warm day.

Feline phobia -Elurophobia

Elurophobia

Feline Fear
My Cat, Baby Ruth aka PWOWIE----->
Two times as many men fear cats as women, according to information available on the internet.



After interviewing 10 men about fear and loathing when it comes to cats, seven of the ten, or 70% said they weren't afraid of them, just that they didn't like cats. When pressed to tell me why they didn't like cats, only one, that is only 10% could give me a reason and that was allergy.



My Cat, Baby Ruth aka PWOWIE----->










So, I pressed the issue and asked several of the guys if they also didn't like kittens. I got a few eye rolls and one said, "Well, who doesn't like kittens?"
And just for the record, I like cats AND I am a guy!

Illustratorbooknotcomingoutassoonasexpected phobia

It was announced earlier that The Gabriel Book of World Records was coming out Fall of 2009. SCREECHING HALT is what you just heard in the background...

Things are sailing along, book 3 is coming along well, editor is happy, I am happy, illustrations are looking great and then BAM! I got an email from the new illustrator of the Go Ask Mom series, who is working toward a past deadline, with the subject line: Take a deep breath, go to you're happy place then look at the attachments.

SO this one can be filed under Illustratorbooknotcomingoutassoonasexpected phobia

chronomentrophobia

chronomentrophobia- The fear of clocks

When I was a senior on high school my literature teacher assigned each of us to come up with a quote that defined us for the yearbook. Being a procrastinator myself at the time... I met the deadline with only minutes to spare by grabbing a reader's Digest on the way to class and finding this gem: "Time is Nature's way of preventing everything from happening at once."

After a search to find the author of this quote it seems it is attributed to UNKNOWN. Time is something only humans contemplate, or so we think. My dog doesn't watch the clock (or does she?) but she always knows when it is walk time, run time, dinner time, Mom's home time, etc..., but I am quite sure she never FEARS time.

Time adds the dimension of a clock ticking down the days and often reminds us of MORTALITY


While searching for TIME images, I found one with Dali's famous melting clock that caused me more fear than any I have seen.

Someone actually walks around with this tattoo of Dali's melted clock ALL THE TIME?????

The times they are a-changing.
Bob Dylan

October is the month of SCARY! I thought I would attempt to post a phobia every day...

31 DAYS of FEARS and PHOBIAS!

http://bbltwt.com/3biz9

First of all, a disclaimer, as we are all want to do these days: I know phobias are real. I am not making fun of people with phobias. Everyone has or has had phobias in his or her life. I myself have and yesterday spoke of my biggest phobia. There is a difference between a fear and a phobia: http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/fear-factor-phobias

Fear vs. Phobia

"Phobias involve the experience of persistent fear that is excessive and unreasonable," says Wilson, who is author of the book Don't Panic. "Phobias are cued when a person approaches a particular situation or object, or even anticipates the approach of it, and they understand the fear they will experience as a result of that situation will be unreasonable and excessive."

The key to distinguishing a fear from a phobia is that that while most people get the jitters if a spider crawls on their arm, people suffering from arachnophobia -- the fear of spiders -- are physically and/or psychologically impaired by it.

Today's phobia: Ablutophobia

This morning at the gym the guy next to me on the Stair master was a clear candidate for this phobia. He reminded me of PIGPEN from the old Charlie Brown comics (man I miss C. B.). Pigpen always had a cloud of dust surrounding him and like Pigpen this guy had an olfactory cloud that permeated the air five feet in all directions.

olfactory |älˈfakt(ə)rē; ōl-|
adjective
of or relating to the sense of smell : the olfactory organs.


I think many young teenagers (particularly the male species) suffer from Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing. At least that is what it seems like at times when I am doing assemblies for them. It could just be that they have just come in from gym class or recess.

I have one word for them: D E O D O R A N T!

SO, as a result of someone else's phobia: Ablutophobia, I have my own: Autodysomophobia which is the fear of people who smell bad.
http://www.fearofstuff.com/humans/fear-of-people-who-smell-bad/


So, what is YOUR phobia? Do you have a particular story about YOUR phobia that I might include in my blog and or book? I will not attribute it to you unless you want me to. It will remain private, but I would love to hear from you. I am making light of phobias to dispel the power they have over us, but they are real to the puppy and I recognize that. SO SHARE! Privately at justin@justinmatott.com or here as a comment for the world (my 11 followers and drop in watchers to see).