June 30, 2008

My running buddy!



If you have never seen an Italian Greyhound in action, you have missed out! Tootsie aka Tootsie Roll, aka Toots, aka SKINNY puts me to shame when we go on our runs, but it is fun to try to keep up!

June 8, 2008

My Garden Visits in Japan


One of my books in Japan. Pretty cool, eh?

June 7, 2008

Ever wondered what would happen if you planted catnip?


Baby Ruth has found her favorite summer hang out, watching me pounding out words on the keyboard!

June 3, 2008

Miss Spell



Hi, I wanted to share a book I am working on right now. The title is Miss Spell (pictured at left), it is about a girl who has some magical powers to grant wishes. She lives on a tall hill overlooking a wonderful little hamlet below. One day Miss Spell gets a brilliant idea. She pedals her rickety little bike down the long hill and posts notices all about the little village, stating that she will grant the wish of those who send her a letter detailing something fun. The first letter is from a little girl who writes that she has always dreamt of having a giant aunt farm in her backyard. Amused at the slight Misspelling, Miss Spell grants her wish the way she wished for it. The next letter she grants is for a boy who wishes for a new Toe truck for his dad.

While visiting schools, I asked children to share their homophones (words with multiple meanings) with me via email and I have had a flood of emails from them. I also told them I would use their name on the letter to Miss Spell and send them a first edition, autographed book when it publishes. If you have any great ideas that I use, I will do the same for you, but hurry, I only need two more homophones to complete this work. A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose (flower) and rose (past tense of "rise"), or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or two and too. A short example of a homophone is the words "know" and "no". Note that they are pronounced the same but have different meanings

The illustration herein is done by the very talented David Schiedt, who illustrated my book Drinking Fountain Joe. This book is going to be fun, educational and whimsical!

Cheers, Justin M
send emails to me at justin@justinmatott.com

THE MAN IN THE WOODS - A story of scare that will be coming to a bookstore or library near you soon... BEWARE!

THE MAN IN THE WOODS
By Justin Matott

A long time ago
or was it just last night?
I heard a scary story
You’ll want a nightlight
Don’t read this if you’re squeamish
Or if you scare or start with fear
None of this is made up
the story real you will hear
Beware what lurks under your bed
go nowhere near your screen
Because the window is where he comes
It’s the last place he was seen
He waits until the nightfall
And then he’ll come to call
With intentions none too good for you
What was that noise out in the hall?
They call him simply The Man in the Woods
Because no one’s lived to tell
What happens if you meet him
In the forest where he’ll dwell...

June 2, 2008

Summer time and the living is easy...


Hello my fellow summer readers, even though summer is officially still several weeks away, it feels like summer here in Colorado. I have planted my vegetable gardens, weeded and replanted our front flower gardens, pruned about a million branches and a ton of other yard work and in between have drunk gallons of "Arnold Palmers", a mix of lemonade and iced tea and have sat under a large shade tree in my backyard writing and reading, ahhhhhh.... I love this time of year!

I have been listening to my ipod and find that I keep going back to summer oriented songs, lots of California songs (looks like I need a beach fix) and TONS of Beach Boys!

Oh yeah, and that cool cat you see basking in the summer sun? That is my constant companion Baby Ruth, but best known as PWOWIE, THE CAT THAT SAYS "CAROL". She and Tootsie Roll, best know as the hyperactive greyhound we call "Skinny" shadow me as I work in the yard.

I hope your summer is beginning in a wonderful way too!

JUNE IS HERE! TIME TO READ! TIME TO WRITE!




I want to tell you something I am very excited about; I have decided to push forward with a larger publisher, which will give me a chance to spend more time writing and will expand my current audience dramatically!

I am very excited about the prospect of my main character, Gabriel Peters, meeting a wider audience.
When I set out to publish Go Ask Mom, I did it with a BIG expectation. I wanted people to meet a boy who is quite special, funny, warm-hearted and very, very adventurous. I have just this morning finished the third book in the series and have about 1/4 of the fourth book underway. In addition, I am at work right now on another chapter book (not a Gabriel Peters book) a novel for adults and a picture book and look forward to lots of summer writing time.

Now, something I should mention. There are about 600 copies of the original first printing of Go Ask Mom left. Once I sign a deal with a publisher, I am sure I will be unable to sell this particular book again, meaning Go Ask Mom will be out of print for an undetermined amount of time until my new publisher brings it out again in a new version, with possibly a new cover and design as Random House did with my first book, My Garden Visits.

SO, thinking ahead for birthdays, holidays or any other occasion that might warrant a book as a gift, I would recommend ordering it now. I will send them signed and personalized if you order them off my website: www.justin.matott.com. I know that someday these original books might be worth a little bit if my character catches on in a worldwide fashion the way I am expecting him to. If you order 3 copies, I will send you a 4th free of charge (or any of my other children's titles). If you don't use paypal or credit cards online, you can mail an order and check to my PO box at Justin Matott - PO BOX 631183 - Littleton, CO 80163