Books with author Mary Matthews

My story starts the day that my parents told me we must leave our adopted home forever. Because of the soldiers and the drought we barely had enough to eat and we could no longer stay to help the people in our village.Right before we were leaving I saw a fish in a small brown puddle and I knew I had to take it with me. The journey would be hard to get across the mountains—to the safety of the border and the people there who could help us. Yet when I put the fish in the pot I never realized what we would have to face. It never occurred to me to leave Fish behind.A subtle and sophisticated exploration of life, the strength of humanity, and survival in an unforgiving world, Fish is a story that will teach those who doubt that, when hope is almost extinguished, miracles can happen.

This is the true story of the journey of John Hawkins and his dog, Mouse, from way up north to way down south. Mouse has been John and his brother Tom's dog for life. They got her as a puppy when they were just little themselves, and they very quickly discovered that they could understand everything Mouse said and she could do the same. She was just a person like everyone else--though maybe a bit cleverer than most.You've maybe heard that John "ran away with his pet dog." But the truth about this story is that John and Mouse made the journey to save Tom. It's hard to pinpoint when Tom became truly ill, but when the doctors said they had to send Mouse away for fear of infection, the boys knew they had to do something. Without Mouse, Tom would never recover. The journey began to find a temporary home for Mouse, but once they'd set off, nothing turned out the way they'd planned.

Set in a future where the effects of climate change begin to take hold, the story follows Jack and Michael as they try to cope with a new existence.After a dramatic escape from the approaching floods, Jack and his family relocate to the country, where they meet Michael, ill and cared for by his sister. United by their love for horses, Jack and Michael hatch a plan to save a wild young horse from destruction. But they're in for a rough ride ...Warm and full of heart, this is a hugely enjoyable story with a thought-provoking twist in its tail.

What if they just stopped? What if in a grand, scruffy stab at corporate disobedience, teenagers en masse simply stopped spending their money on the cynical crap that’s relentlessly mainlined to them: the addictive and deadly cigarettes, the hateful music, the crude and desensitizing videos and movies?What if they stopped buying that $#!%—just to cause trouble?That’s the radical notion behind Like We Care, a biting, clever, and hilarious satire in which two endearingly subversive high school seniors set out to monkey wrench the recording industry, the cigarette industry, the junk food industry – indeed, much of the American money machine. Marrying the internet to corporate America’s own schemes and weapons, they slowly, reluctantly launch a grassroots campaign, with racial, political, and cultural implications, that harnesses the awesome, untapped power of teenagers flush with cash and inflamed by adult hypocrisy. Drawn into their orbit are two key players: a beautiful but compromised executive for a contemptible music video network, who is torn between her career and the potency of the boys’ message; and an earnest, inspiring, but emotionally fragile social studies teacher. Can this odd foursome succeed? We’re not saying!But we will say this much: Like We Care encapsulates the youthful callousness and crudeness, the ersatz disobedience, and even the sheep-like tendencies of the current unrebellious generation. By contrast, the book’s two main characters, Todd Noland and Joel Kasten, prove themselves to be true individuals. They send a message to adults: that some teenagers are wise to their games; that, if they must, they’ll lead the less enlightened of their age group; that teenage herd mentality can be a dangerous weapon when in the “right” people’s hands; and that there’s a glimmer of hope that the current lost generation is redeemable. INSERT AUTHOR PHOTOTom Matthews wrote the original screenplay Mad City, which hit theatres in 1997. Starring Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta, and Alan Alda, it was directed by Costa-Gavras. He has also written scripts for Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Twentieth Century Fox, and Walt Disney Pictures, working with such producers asSteven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brockovich), Steve Tisch (Forrest Gump), Hunt Lowry (The Last of the Mohicans), and Lynda Obst (Sleepless In Seattle).Prior to launching his screenwriting and novel writing career, Matthews spent fifteenyears working in the motion picture industry as a journalist, film critic, and studio publicist. He’s done freelance work for national and regional publications that include L.A. Weekly, Marquee Magazine, Milwaukee Journal, and Creative Screenwriting. Matthews was also a managing editor for Boxoffice Magazine for six years.A Wisconsin native, he lives in Wauwatosa, WI with his wife and two sons. He is currently developing a documentary series about Las Vegas with George Knapp, the resort city’s leading investigative reporter.Like We Care is his first published novel.

Climbing the Boreen is the first book in a series of fantasy tales about two children who lose their parents and find themselves traveling the world in search of clues, to uncover what was once hidden in the bogs of Ireland. Written from the perspective that a single moment can truly change our lives and lead us to paths we could never imagine, the book also explores the magical world of children's play and imagination.Boreen, meaning driveway in Gaelic, compares to the steep path the children will climb in life. The incline and length build character, there are so many adventures along the way but there are also dangers that lurk beneath the surface like the stream that hides under the stones but can be heard with heavy rain along the eastern edge of the Boreen. We are never too young or old to experience life’s greatest gifts or challenges and sometimes the gifts are hidden within the challenges. We just do not have the ability to see the future and understand at that moment, the truth in the experience. Both young and old, may go through this. In the story, the two young brothers are left in the care of their loving aunt. But the past that consumed their parents, is never far away and the secrets they have yet to uncover, chase them away from their home once again.

In this second series of Bridging Worlds, the two children continue on their journey to learn, embrace change and adapt. Crossing Channels, takes the children away from their beloved Ireland and the care and kindness of their aunt, to their uncle’s retirement home in England. Sent away for their own protection, the children begin to understand the circumstances surrounding their parent’s death and how to survive and rely upon each other for safety and security.With all the challenges they face, the children try and accept their fate and embrace adventure. Along the way, they are exposed to famous philosophers that seem to weave from their mother’s past. As the children try and create a new home in England, the reader also journeys through the City of Birmingham, with its remarkable history. Clues are found hidden in the most obscure places and in the most benign locations. But the moment the children think they can relax, they are pursued by unknown figures that leave their world unsettled.

“… a compelling and eminently likable cast of characters.” –Authors Reading16-year-old albino Drake Stevenson lives a life alone in his world of video games and comic books, dreaming of one day saving a real princess. But fantasy becomes reality when his lawyer father suffers a heart attack, and the Stevensons are forced to move to flyover country in order to take up the family business: Stewardship of the oldest and largest cemetery in the state.There, among the weeping angels and willows of Centralia Cemetery, Drake meets Scarlet, an unusual girl who needs his help to find her killer.Complicated by his albinism, a mentally unstable sister bent on high school domination at any cost, and a jock with a deadly secret, Drake sets out to find the shattering truth about a murder no one will speak of, to help a girl no one can see.

After the death of their parents, two children are sent to Europe to live with relatives. But their world forever comes crashing down as they are pursued by an unknown past. They flee to Mexico. Feeling like orphans, alone in the world once again, they brace for an entirely different language and culture.Kevin and Sean have been through so much already and take their seat and wait to be called. They sit in silence. Kevin looks out at the sky with its dark clouds and a sliver of sun trying to poke through. And he hopes, against odds, that the sun may shine for them in Mexico.

Follow these investigators as they explore the murders and paranormal activity reported in a small town in southwest Georgia. Long described as evil and cursed the abandoned Akins' farm was infamously stained with blood, old and new. Dead people started turning up on or near the farm. The most recent was a local townsman which prompted an outcry for a more thorough investigation. Dr. Kirk and his team were called in after the local authorities hit a dead end. Sounds heard from angry and tortured spirits were not unusual, according to legend, but now the town was locking their doors and worried who would be next. How do you go about protecting yourself, your family and your town against murdering ghosts?Discover one family's secret, hidden and forgotten by generations of divided bloodlines. This twisted story becomes personal to one of the young investigators. Be part of the team as they attempt to solve the 'who done what to whom' mystery. Be prepared to stand with the family as they face the demons who have haunted the family cemetery for decades. Find out if the murder cases were solved, how Dr. Kirk and his team go about untangling the mystery and ultimately whether or not they are able to free the interned. Even though they find the key to solving this travesty, it's Beulah, the midwife. As it turns out Beulah is the linchpin in this clan and holds all the answers. All this team has to do is figure out how to tap into Beulah’s world. Will they be able to break through or will they be sucked into the dark, unknown spirit world to linger for eternity. Or at least until the next team of hopefuls comes along.Discover how one family stands as proof positive that blood is thicker than water.