Matthew Arnold Stern

What a great resource for #authors who dread giving their elevator pitches…learn how to improvise and speak off the cuff, fearlessly!

Mastering Table Topics - Second Edition Buy Mastering Table Topics - Second Edition: Read Kindle Store Reviews - Amazon.com

Thank you, Jann. Here's the link: amzn.to/4aOR6A6

Should we tell the sofa he's cheating on her with the conference table?

Amiga- Matthew Arnold Stern ✨ Getting to Know the Author For readers who are just discovering you, who is Matthew Arnold Stern in your own words? [MAS] I consider myself an occupational fiction author because work plays a role i...

In my interview with Miranda and Ashleigh of @thebookmash.bsky.social, I talk about being a vocational author, using author feedback, and how a vintage computer inspired my novel Amiga and work in progress, Escape from Arzack's Castle. Read it here: thebookmashpodcast.com/blogs/spoile...

Don't forget: I'll be at The Open Book - Northridge tomorrow, Sunday, February 22 from noon to 3 pm. I hope to see you there!

Matthew Arnold Stern page: Newsletter The Matthew Arnold Stern newsletter is free and published monthly. It consists of news, featured books and posts, upcoming events, and interviews with authors and others in the book community. You …

My February newsletter has news about my upcoming events, including my author event at the The Open Book - Northridge on Sunday, and samples of my novel, Christina's Portrait. Subscribe today so you don't miss out, and look for my newsletter on Thursday. www.matthewarnoldstern.com/newsletter.h...

They quote from Psalms while they intend to do the opposite of what it says.

Matthew Arnold Stern post: Seeking justice through fiction As more horrific details emerge from the Epstein Files, we cry out, “When will these people face accountability for their crimes?” The sad and likely answer is never. Epstein and his as…

Steven Miller was inspired by an anti-immigrant French novel.
Tech bros use Atlas Shrugged as gospel.
The Birth of a Nation revived an infamous hate group.

If we don't use our writing to call for justice, we're ceding public consciousness to cruel ideas. www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affa...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl with Matthew Stern YouTube video by DrinksInTheLibrary

I got a golden ticket! I interviewed @drinksinthelibrary.bsky.social at Green Cheek Beer. Listen to my interview on YouTube as we discuss Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, changing books over time, media literacy, and more! www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MeO...

I'm coming back to the San Fernando Valley! Join me at The Open Book Northridge on Sunday 2/22 12–3 pm.

How I fit an inspirational song into my novel Kenny Loggins was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. I feel this tribute is well deserved, not just for his long string of unforgettable hits, but for one particular song that inspired me when I needed it the most. I wrote about "Keep The Fire" before and why it's more than yacht rock to me. Like everything else of importance in my life, I wanted to find a way to incorporate it into my stories.

Take a break from doomscrolling and hear about the song that inspired me the most and how I fit it into my novel. Here's the story about "Keep The Fire" by @thekennyloggins.

Matthew Arnold Stern post: “There are four lights!” It’s January 8, 2026, and I’m back to work on my writing. I got my beta review comments back for Escape from Arzack’s Castle from Entrada Publishing. I’m still searching for a publishing home for C…

By remembering writing is a form of resistance. #WeeknightWriters www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affa...

Matthew Arnold Stern page: Newsletter The Matthew Arnold Stern newsletter is free and published monthly. It consists of news, featured books and posts, upcoming events, and interviews with authors and others in the book community. You …

My upcoming newsletter has an interview with @authorbaileyjohnson, author of Don't Leave Me Behind, updates on my beta review, and upcoming events. Subscribe now so you don't miss out, and look for my January newsletter on Wednesday. www.matthewarnoldstern.com/newsletter.h...

Our cat Hansel with a cone and eating.

Our elder kitty Hansel had surgery last week. He's recovering well and back to his old self. He's eating his breakfast.

When this is all over When this is all over, historians will build careers studying this moment in history. When this is all over, a diary written by a young victim will become an international bestseller and translated into dozens of languages. When this is all over, Renee Nicole Good's poetry will be included in literature books. When this is all over, science fiction will depict brutal soldiers of a tyrannical regime with uniforms similar to ICE agents.

When this is all over, what will it be like?

Matthew Arnold Stern post: Cancelling Dilbert Do you hate “cancel culture”? So do I. I hate giving up on things because their creators have become so hideous and despicable that I can’t enjoy them anymore. I remember when the…

I used to be a big Dilbert fan. I even referenced it in my first novel, Offline. That was until Scott Adams fell so far down the far right rabbit hole that I couldn't support him anymore. Now, that he's dead, I'm looking back and reflecting. www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affa...

Matthew Arnold Stern post: Fear itself Halloween is this week, but we have more to be afraid of than ghosts and ghouls. We see real monsters on our screens every day. So we need to talk about fear and what we should do about it. Preside…

This is a frightening time, but such times are character tests, as I wrote at Halloween. Fear should drive us to action. www.matthewarnoldstern.com/insights/fea...

“There are four lights!” It’s January 8, 2026, and I’m back to work on my writing. I got my beta review comments back for Escape from Arzack’s Castle from Entrada Publishing. I’m still searching for a publishing home for Christina’s Portrait. My full request was rejected, but I still have submissions out and a fellow author who offered to look at my manuscript. And I’m facing a question: How can I write at a time like this?

How can we sit and write when the world is going to hell? The answer comes from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

It’s not a cheery book, especially with what happened yesterday. #WeeknightWriters

They will not stop with Renee Nicole Good.
They will not stop with Venezuela.
They will not stop until somebody stops them.

Greenland is as much of a troll as Sudetenland was for that Austrian painter.

Congress shouldn't wait when he's committed more than enough high crimes and misdemeanors to warrant impeachment and removal. They must start *now*.

All of us are the baddies Welp, it didn't take long for 2026 to 2026. When you look at the long, sordid history between the United States and its southern neighbors, the abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife isn't unusual. From the moment the Spanish and Portuguese fled this hemisphere, the United States replaced them as the imperial power. We took our neighbors' lands, plundered their resources, drove their people into poverty and dependency, and backed corrupt leaders.

Venezuela? If there's a country that has a corrupt, criminal tyrant that needs to be removed, it is ours.

I have these writing goals for 2026:

* Find a publishing home for Christina's Portrait. (It's currently out in submission with a full request out.)
* Incorporate beta reader comments for Escape from Arzack's Castle to prepare it for submission.

#WeeknightWriters #amwriting

The 50-year novel As writers, we're often asked, "How long does it take you to write a novel?" In the case of Christina's Portrait, it was nearly 50 years. That's how long it has taken me to find the words to express my feelings about the death of Mary Ann Henderson. If you've been following my website, you know that it was an event that shook our high school experience and forced us to look at mortality at a young age.

As writers, we're often asked, "How long does it take you to write a novel?" In the case of Christina's Portrait, it was nearly 50 years because that was how long it took me to find the right way to talk about a tragedy.

Matthew Stern's review of Don't Leave Me Behind (Kane Ridge Ranch Book 1) 5/5: If you like spice in your cowboy romances, you'll love DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND by Bailey Johnson. But it's not the heat that makes it a great read; it's the light. The romance between Eleanor "Le...

I ended 2025 by posting a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for an ARC I read. Check out DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND by Bailey Johnson when it comes out in February. Preorders are available now. #booksky www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Selfie with an Amiga t-shirt and big smile.

As 2025 ends, I’m grateful for:

1. I didn’t let fear take away my dreams.

2. The evil people in the world are incredibly stupid, and they’ll be done in by their own incompetence, greed, and selfishness.

3. I have the power to help shape a better world.

Bring it on, 2026. Happy New Year.

In the US, Valentine’s Day merch is already on shelves. It replaces the Christmas items that have been there since August.

Matthew Arnold Stern post: Lessons from 2025: “Wandering between two worlds…” In “Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse,” first published in 1855, Matthew Arnold wrote: Wandering between two worlds, one dead, The other powerless to be born, With nowhere yet to rest …

After despairing, I rediscovered my why and doubled down on my pursuit of my personal, professional, and creative goals. Today, I have a full request for one novel and another in beta. While times are hard, I won't let them destroy me. #WeeknightWriters www.matthewarnoldstern.com/insights/les...

Matthew Arnold Stern post: The real “War on Christmas” For around 25 years, we’ve been told there’s a “War on Christmas.” Supposedly, people aren’t allowed to say “Merry Christmas” anymore, and things like &#82…

They didn't just want to put the “Christ in Christmas.” They want to push everyone else out. “Merry Christmas” ceases to be an invitation to celebrate, but a demand for obedience. I talk more about it here: www.matthewarnoldstern.com/current-affa...

It doesn't matter how many books you've published. There's something wonderful about the words, "May I kindly request the full manuscript." #booksky