Author: J. Robert Matthewson

Gone, but never forgotten…

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on May 24, 2025

Author Douglas Adams holding a copy of his novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" which simply has the words "Don't Panic" inscribed in large, friendly letters on the cover.

This month marks the 24th anniversary of the death of Douglas Adams (May 11th, 2001). I acknowledged Adams at the end of my debut novel because he is a literary, well, for lack of a better term, hero to me. He wrote the books that made me want to be a writer and while my first novel may not share a genre with Adams’ most famous works, I like to believe his influence on my own writing style put a tiny bit of his voice into my first novel.

In particular, a passage like this was heavily influenced by Adams’ style of taking ordinary ideas and making them sound ludicrous to a grand extent.

Text that reads:

Mer cheeks reddened and she laughed awkwardly. Oh, yeah... that.
I took gymnastics when I was a kid. The first time around, I mean. I
guess the muscle memory was still there even if they're not my muscles.
It probably helps that this body doesn't have a spine and joints that have
been totally wrecked from almost a decade of sitting on a crummy o6ce
chair in a kubickle."
"You've mentioned that word before, 'kubickle.' What is that?’
She gave that Question some thought and said with a playful twinkle
in her eye, Okay, imagine a box."
"Okay."

Text that reads:

"Now, imagine taking all your bitterness, resentment and regret about
every wrong life decision you've ever made and putting them into that
box"
Uh, okay, sure,’ I said, trying to imagine demon-like creatures representing those negative feelings being released from my head and put into
such a container.
"Now, imagine that for five out of every seven days you have to go
inside that box, where you'll have to sit on a wobbly, uncomfortable chair
and stare at a glowing square for nine hours a day, all the while those
unpleasant things are constantly yelling at you for not going to grad
school."
"That sounds terrible."
She shrugged. "It wasn't all bad. Sometimes someone would bring you a piece of cake because it was someone's birthday or because someone
managed to escape from their box to go work in another box, or better
yet, to stop working in boxes altogether.’
"Cake,’ I mumbled as I began to eye her skeptically. "Is all that really
true”’
She frowned. "Okay, I might have been lying about one thing. They
stopped giving us cake a few years ago. Management said it was a cost-saving measure.’ The frown slowly turned into a mischievous smirk.
I responded with a flat, annoyed look in return.

I still hope to one day write a fantasy or sci-fi comedy more akin to Adams’ novels, but for now, I’m satisfied that I was able to add a dash of Adams to my Ghibli-inspired stew.

I’ve been thinking about Adams a lot recently, now that I finally can call myself a published author. Adams died at 49. I’m about to turn 46 and while I have no plans for an early checkout from this mortal coil, I look at the short amount of time Adams was creating and am in utter awe of what he managed to put out into the universe is such a cosmically brief period. I can only hope that when I do check out, I’ve managed to put out 1/100th of the amazing he brought to our vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big universe.

Adams also died four months before September 11, 2001, and I do wonder about how he would’ve written about the world of the last 25 years. Between both the UK’s and US’s shenanigans on both the domestic and global stages, I have to believe he would have had fascinating, if not hilarious opinions on all if it. But a part of me worries that the sheer absurdity of the world we live in might have made a master of absurdist humor such as him obsolete. Moreso, as a conservationist, Adams might have simply been too dismayed at the rapid destruction of our world and its natural treasures to find any humor in this modern world as a whole.

Sadly, or maybe fortunately, we’ll never know. We can only look at the wonderful work he left behind and speculate at what he might’ve created had he not waved his towel, stuck out his thumb, and flagged down the first teaser leaving sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

So, please allow me a moment to lay flowers at the feet and to raise a cup of tea to the man who taught me to never panic and that the two most important things you can take with you out in a cold and uncaring universe are a towel and a book.

And I always know where I can find both.

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Contest Winners on both sides of the Atlantic

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on May 18, 2025

Okay, so first off, a big congratulations to the winner of my giveaway of a free Kindle copy of Tales of a Stranger Sister. The winner has been notified, and they seem excited to give my story a try. Running a promotional giveaway was an interesting experience. I believe I learned some things from my first attempt at it and am hoping to implement what I learned the next time I try it.

Speaking of contests, Today was the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest Grand Finals. I first learned about the annual European song contest, I think, around 2011-2012. A group of friends had stumbled upon videos from that year’s contest and some of the entries were so bizarre to our American musical sensibilities that we couldn’t help but fall in love with the whole concept.

Seriously, any contest that can produce this:

and this:

Is worth checking out at least once.

Since then, it’s become one of my house’s annual traditions to at least check out some of the entries while noshing on delicious eats and sugary cocktails. As we actually have access to Peacock at this moment in time, we were able to watch the whole finals this year.

I’m not going to get into the WTF-ery of the final votes (Seriously, that is a whole conversation that shouldn’t be within a thousand yards of this site. ) So, instead, I’ll keep things fun and just share my top five for 2025. I think only one of these finished in the actual top five, but these were the songs I enjoyed the most:

5. Ukraine

Ukraine’s vibe can be best described as 90’s anime about musicians trying to stop a space war by doing a homage to a 70s anime about musicians trying to stop a space war.

4. Latvia

Latvia’s entry looks like a group of Druidic familiars who have been summoned to perform the soundtrack for the next Ghost in the Shell reboot/remake/revival. It sounds awesome, but it’s not catchy.

3. Sweden

I love fun, goofy songs and Sweden’s was one of two that were my goofball favorites this year.

2. Luxembourg

I was honestly not expecting this one to hit with my brain like it did, but damn if it wasn’t so friggin poppy and catchy that I was honestly expecting it to win the whole damn thing and was legit surprised that it didn’t do better.

1. Iceland

I like fun dammit and this performance was fun, fun, and fun. Frankly, if Europe is gonna disrespect Iceland like it did this performance, then Ron Swanson was correct on his opinion of the continent as a whole.

So, that’s my very American coverage of Eurovision 2025. Congrats to Austria on winning and I’m sure I’ll be back again soon to talk about anything but the novel I should be writing but instead dedicated 6 hours of my weekend to a European song contest. 🤷‍♂️

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Now with 5% more website content!

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on May 10, 2025

Illustration of Fraceska Kristavale. A girl in a yellow dress and wide-brimmed sun hat reading a book

Al Illustration of Samantha Robertson. A woman in professional attire holding a cup of takeout coffe while holding a tablet computer

Well, as promised, I’m back with some new website-exclusive content. This time, I wanted to give a little background on not only why I even attempted to write a novel in the first place, but why I wrote the novel that I did. You can find all the riveting details in the Trivia and Miscelania page for Tales of a Stranger Sister.

Honestly, I pretty much spent all my energy tonight on finally putting this all together as a webpage, so I’m just gonna cut things short here. I’ll try to come back in the next few days and provide some thoughts on whatever I’m having thoughts about at the moment. Probably after I actually manage to get some words down for the next book.

Take care of yourselves, folks.

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It’s the First of May…

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on May 2, 2025

Welcome to a brand new month. A month when some people like to start doing certain things outdoors…

…by which, I mean taking books and reading them outside, of course! Yes, outdoor reading season is officially¹ upon us! Grab a book or two or ten and take them with you to the park! Or the beach! Or in a peaceful woodland clearing next to a gentle mountain stream under a canopy of verdant, green leaves.

Say, that last visual reminds me of something…

Cover for Tales of a Stranger Sister. Cover features a girl, boy and cat sitting along the edge of a stream. In the water's reflection, a different woman sits where the girl is, holding an e-reader and coffee cup.

Okay, got the self-plug out of the way, so let’s plug some other writers! Like, for example, my amazingly awesome and talented spouse has a book as part of a collection of bundles on Itch.io in support of Mental Health Awareness Month. Please check out this and the other bundles if you like new reads and mental health representation.

#IndieApril has come and gone and it was a mixed bag for me sales-wise. Like I said in my last post, I did manage to sell one more book than last month (that’s good), but none outside the US promotion (that’s… well, not bad, but disappointing.)

I know that it takes a while for any book to find an audience and I was prepared for things to go slowly. However, it is hard not to feel like I released this book at the absolute worse time for a Kindle exclusive. Between the general Amazon backlash and boycott and the mother-lovin’ ChatGPT Ghibli GenA.I.”Art” nonsense making everyone look any art done in the Ghibi style as sus (Including my cover, and I have had to tell one person so far that no, it wasn’t generated using GenA.I.), I’m beginning to wonder how many more shoes can drop.

In any case, I wasn’t planning to stay exclusive on Amazon forever. It was always my plan to ease myself into the self-publishing ecosystem, but the way sales have been for every indie writer these last couple months, I might be accelerating my plans to go wide. I will probably stay enrolled in KDP select for at least one or two more cycles (So, hey if you were thinking of reading Tales of a Stranger Sister on KindleUnlimited, maybe get on that sooner rather than later), but I might start looking seriously at releasing the print edition wide. It’s times like these I’m glad I have a self-publishing guru.

Moving on…

More website content will be coming soon. Working on some write-ups about the history of Tales of a Stranger Sister and the people, places, and things that inspired its inception. Still working on the next novel. About four chapters down, who knows how many more to go.

So, that brings this update to a close, but before I go, the month of May officially² marks 30 years since my favorite anime of all time (and one of my many writing inspirations) was released. Unfortunately, being one of the old Pioneer-produced anime of the 90’s, the license has fallen into many cracks and I don’t think the original 7-part OVA is streaming anywhere, but if you get a chance to see it on either DVD, Blu-ray or through… other means, please take it. It’s a wonderful story full of amazingly fun characters.

So, with grass below you and sky above, get out there and celebrates spring with a crazy little thing called… “reading outside.”

Not actually official. Like, at all. ↩︎
Actually official. May 26th, 1995 to be exact. ↩︎

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A little bit of catching up…

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on April 20, 2025

Nenene from the anime R.O.D-The TV. A young woman in her 20s sitting as a keyboard, staring blankly at her monitor.

Okay, so this update is gonna be a little all over the place, so please forgive the random jumps in tangents.

First off, what have I been up to since the release of Tales of a Stranger Sister? Well, besides constant promotion of the before-mentioned debut novel, and occasional posts here, I’ve been working on the next book. I’m about three chapters in, so that’s still a ways off. I prefer not to start talking about details of the story itself until I have an alpha draft complete, but the goal (absolutely not a deadline) is to have that step done by the end of the year. This one will likewise be a light fantasy, but also very different from Stranger Sister.

Writing on this new one has been slower than my debut novel for a couple reasons. First and foremost, I’ve spent the last two years in “Rewrite, Revise, and Edit” mode for my debut, so it’s been a while since I had to pen a true first draft. Second, circumstances occurred that forced me to change careers recently after nearly twenty years at my previous employer. Part of that entails adapting to not only a new work environment and new responsibilities, but also a new routine outside of work. Thirdly, my amazingly awesome spouse (and fellow author) has been dealing with some health issues, which has obviously impacted both of us as writers, if not to say as partners and human beings. Lastly, the world is on fire. I mean, it’s been on fire for a while now, but lately it seems like some people are breaking out the gas cans and marshmallow skewers. It’s… distracting.

I’m still getting in some writing every day (even if it’s something like these blog posts) but until I fully find that balance between work, life, and art like I had before everything went a little crazy, my output will be a little less than what I prefer. Still any output is better than no output, right? Right.

We’re two-thirds of the way through #IndieApril and my promotions have run their course. first, the positive: My 0.99¢ US promotion generated 5 sales, so that means I have now surpassed last month’s sales. *Tosses single handful of confetti in air* The negative: The 0.99£ UK promotion netted a big fat goose egg. I also haven’t sold any copies outside the promotions this month. *Sweeps up confetti and tosses it in the bin* Last-minute positive: Tales of a Stranger Sister received its first five-star rating and review on Goodreads. *Pick up bin and dumps slightly dusty confetti on self* Thank you, kind reviewer. I try not to attach the value of my work nor my own self-worth to outside validation, but still, it is nice to hear that someone liked what you put out in the world.

Oh yeah! If I can turn the conversation back around to my crazy-talented spouse: their own amazing books are currently either part of an awesome bundle promotion or will soon be on sale as part of another promotion. If you seriously want touching, heartfelt, and incredibly fun reads, this is a perfect opportunity to try their stuff.

Now, seeing as I had to install the air conditioner in our bedroom today to prevent it from becoming an unbearable sweat box, I will declare that spring is officially here. I hope yours is a season of renewal and new growth. Be kind to each other and to yourselves.

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Okay, but was it actually a “good read?”

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on April 13, 2025

Just a small update for today for a lazy, but not actually lazy Sunday. Added another social media icon to the menu. The book has finally appeared on Goodreads. There are no reviews as of yet (not surprising), but hey, if you were one of the few who both bought and read my debut, perhaps you’d be willing to leave a review there (or on the Amazon page for that matter).

And when I say review, I don’t assume to mean a positive one. If you liked it, great. If you hated it, that’s fine too. If you thought was good in places, bad in others, and “Meh” in chunks, then that’s fair. It’s not for me, really. Reviews are for other readers, so whether you loved it or loathed it, if you want others to find it or avoid it, those reviews matter.

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Non-book related content: Let’s talk anime (Part 1 of ?)

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on April 11, 2025

Okay, so I’ve not been shy about calling my debut book a “Ghibli-inspired fantasy” and indeed I have a deep love and respect for what Miyazaki as a creator and what Studio Ghibli has done for both animation in Japan and worldwide. It’s not a stretch to say that you don’t watch a Ghibli film but rather you experience it.

My first experience with Ghibli was in 1997 when Princess Mononoke was released. I was a freshman in college and my circle of geeky friends made the two-hour drive to the one small, independent theater (which ironically was in the neighborhood where I would find myself living with my then fiancé ten years later) to see the much-hyped cinematic experience. It did not disappoint.

And in years that followed, I tried to hunt down and watch every Ghibli film that was available, mostly through the Disney/Miramax releases, but a few were some truly awful lost dubs. Yes, the first time I saw Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was New Line Cinema’s Warriors of the Wind dub, which I would not recommend.

But my love of anime didn’t begin with Ghibli and it dates back much further. As a young child in the 1980’s, I was a die-hard fan of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, though 5-year-old me had no idea that the show originated from Japan or that it was actually called Beast King GoLion. As far as he knew, all cartoons were made in the same cartoon factory and they drew Scooby Doo & Inspector Gadget right alongside my favorite cat-themed giant robot.

My first true exposure to anime as a medium from another country and culture was in 1994 and my best friend brought over a VHS tape he’d recorded from what was then The Sci-Fi Channel during their special week-long “Animation Festival” hosted by Ralph Bakshi (of Cool World, Fritz the Cat, and Lord of the Rings fame). What the tape contained was four hours of Japanese anime that would start me on a 30+ year journey into a fandom that that has enriched my life in many unexpected and unusual ways. The specific anime that was that tape? Masamune Shirow’s Dominion: Tank Police.

Even 30+ years later, that dubbed opening still kicks seventeen kinds of ass and It’s one of the few titles in my collection where I prefer the English soundtrack over the original Japanese. Sadly, the series itself is badly dated in the sense that at the time it was created, over-militarized police who blatantly ignore both suspect’s and civilians’ procedural (and human) rights was supposed to be a dark satire. Now, it’s kinda… ugggggghhhhh.

But still, it was what kickstarted what would become a lifelong fandom for me, and I would spend the next three decades evolving from a teenaged Weeb (though that term did not actually exist at the time I was one) to a full-fledged Old-Taku. And if I hadn’t watched it, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch Princess Mononoke, and if hadn’t watched that and fell in love with Studio Ghibli, then I wouldn’t have written the debut novel that I did. So, to recap: animated movies about hyper-violent cops in tanks –> sweet, coming of age story about friendship, feelings, and food porn.

Hey, I never said it was a particularly straight path.

I’m going to end this little trip down memory lane here. I plan to pick this up again later to talk about some particular favorite anime series and films I’ve loved (and may have inspired my writing), as well as how this fandom has impacted my life. Hope you’ll come back for that next leg of the journey.

Webpage note: I have disabled comments on this and future posts. I was getting too many crypto spams, and when got one for a pro-suicide website, I was thinking that maybe there are better ways for people to tell me that they have thoughts about what I’m writing here. So, if you like my content, hit me up on BlueSky @infinitesquirrels.bsky.social.

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Happy Promo Day to All Who Celebrate!

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on April 4, 2025

The day is finally here! If you’ve been holding off on venturing into the world of Litia and meeting Riv and Sam, then now is your chance to do it at a great discount! The E-book version of Tales of a Stranger Sister is on sale for .99¢ USD from now until the end of April 10^th!

And to celebrate both the promotion and my first month as a self-published author, I’ve also published my first batch of BONUS MATERIAL for Tales! So, if you’ve bought (and hopefully read) my novel, and found yourself wondering just what the origins of that card game they all enjoy are, then check out the history and rules of Poor Man’s Fortune.

A Happy #IndieApril to one and all!

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Good news, everyone!

Published by J. Robert Matthewson on April 1, 2025

Welcome to April, folks! That means one thing! #IndieApril is here! Time to support Indie and Self-published Authors by loading up your various devices with the interesting and unique books. Warmer weather is almost here, so maybe grab a book or dozen to enjoy under a tree by a babbling stream, on the beach, or in a gently swaying hammock.

Like, for example, the awesomely amazing books by my amazingly awesome editor and spouse, S.E. Robertson/ C.A. Moss. They have created two wonderful and unique worlds that you will lose yourself in and love the experience. If you like character-focused stories about the people most fantasy novels tend to relegate to the background, then The Healers series is must-read. If you long for new take on the isekai formula with a diverse cast, fairy tale aesthetic, and not a single mention of levels or harems, then the How I Became a Therapist in Another World series is an absolute treat to read.

And that’s just one of the many Indie Authors out in universe putting out amazing work for readers like you to enjoy. Hey, wait a sec… I’M also an Indie Self-published author with a hopefully unique and interesting book, and it, coincidentally, just happens to be going on sale beginning this weekend!

That’s right! From April 4^th to April 10^th, the digital version of Tales of a Stranger Sister is only 99¢! That’s a 66% savings! If you’ve been on the fence about trying a debut novel from a new author, maybe now’s the time to give it a shot? Emotions and Feelings! Non-power-fantasy Isekai! Ghibli-vibes! Food Porn! All for the same price as an AriZona Iced Tea!

Okay, enough about the sale, let’s talk about… um, sales…

April 1st also marks one-month since I officially published my debut novel. So, how did I do as a newly self-published author with no promotional experience and a book in a unique genre niche? Well, let me pull out the ol’ TI-82 and crunch some numbers…

Four.

Four copies sold.

Futurama meme featuring Fru and The Professor. Fry seems disappointed that he only sold 4 books, but he's actually thrilled to have sold 4 books.

Look, from the moment I hit the “Publish” button, I was unsure if I would ever sell A copy of this book, and now, for reasons that still elude me, I’m averaging a book a week sold. In a world that loves to shit all over tiny achievements, I will treat this as the win it is. Feel free to laugh at the tiny writer and his pocket change, but I’m still gonna go buy me a sundae this weekend from the most awesome ice cream shop under an overpass and enjoy the F outta of the fruits of my labor.

Now, back to working on the next one. Maybe by this time next year, I’ll be able to get sprinkles on my sundae, too.

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