In this email:
- Get JOURNEY TO LOVE for your book club/church/Halloween giveaway for less than $2.50 a copy
- “There’s nothing wrong with you wanting this lifestyle”
- THE STORY KING is now in audio!
- A little background on one of my new co-authors
- A project and cover reveal!
- A picture of Bruce as always
One of the most difficult parts of being involved in so many amazing projects, is that so often I can’t share about them even when I’ve known about them or been working on them for a long time… sometimes years!
Now I still have a few secrets up my sleeves, but they’re getting a little fewer and farther between. But hopefully in the near future I can tell you more about:
- My (two!) upcoming graphic novels
- Our TV show at AMC (me and my writing partner Hugh Howey)
- A secret novel (in process)
- And several almost-but-not-quite-yet projects at various studios
I think that’s everything that I haven’t been able to share yet!
Toward the end of this email I’ll share about my new co-author and our new book together!
There’s nothing wrong with you wanting this
Twitter, home of the Always Reasonable Discourse (TM) brought us this gem earlier in the week.
”Carnivore Aurelius” — a screen name that just screams I HAVE NO AGENDA WHATSOEVER — assures ladies that there’s nothing wrong with them if they prefer “this” over being a partner at a law firm (weirdly specific!).
What is “this” though?
Well, it turns out that this is a picture of Hannah Neeleman, former professional ballerina and beauty pageant winner, wife and mother of seven, married to Daniel Neeleman, whose father founded five airlines (including JET BLUE), and that stove behind her is worth about $30,000 dollars. They “bought some land” and started their own farm in the mountains of Utah (yes, they are Latter Day Saints).
She also has 6 million instagram followers over at Ballerina Farms.
So no shade at all for Hannah and family, good for them.
But to our friend Carnivore Aurelius I’d just say, yes, it’s okay to prefer marrying into a multi-multi-millionaire family and becoming an Instagram influencer over going to law school and working hard to become partner.
In other news (related?) my lovely wife and I just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this week.
I am so thankful for these twenty-five years together, and while we haven’t managed to become partners at the law firm or become multi-million dollar social media influencer ranchers, I’m so happy and satisfied with who we are: a couple who are still in love and blessed with three kids and an extended network of dear friends and family who love us, too!
We’re still saving up for one of those stoves, though!
JOURNEY TO LOVE for less than $2.50 a copy!
For a limited time, I have some cases of Journey to Love available at a much lower price than even I can usually purchase them myself.
There are 64 books in a case, and I can get a case to you (including shipping) for about $2.33 a book (that’s $150 for the case).
The idea behind this book was always to help us learn to give and accept more love in our lives. It’s a great book to read in book clubs, to give to friends or loved ones, or to… just have 64 copies of at your home (?!).
Seriously, if you’re looking for a book to share with others, this is one I really love.
These are being sold at cost, so no one’s making any money off this, it’s a gift from me (and my publisher) to get this book into more people’s hands.
If you’d like to order some books, send me an email BY WEDNESDAY AUGUST 30th with:
- Your name and address
- How many cases you’d like
THE STORY KING is now officially available as an audiobook!
I mentioned two weeks ago that this was coming, but THE STORY KING is officially loose in the world, narrated by the amazing Natasha Soudek!
My friend Aaron Burns
A few years ago, a mutual friend introduced me to Aaron Burns. Aaron was doing a movie about the life of St. Patrick, and our friend thought we’d enjoy meeting each other.
I was a little skeptical… I’ve read a lot of Christian movie scripts, and it’s not a genre that I always enjoy. But I read the script for Aaron’s film and I deeply loved it. I was crying as I turned the last page.
Then Aaron and I got on the phone to talk about it, and we really hit it off. We had a great conversation, and over the course of a pretty short period of time we became actual friends.
Aaron’s a gifted producer and director, and has worked on various Christian movies you may have seen or heard of: WAR ROOM, OVERCOMER, LIFEMARK.
He also produced and directed a little movie that he and I did the story on and I wrote:
He’s also just a really great dude. Kind, friendly, focused on the needs of others.
Early on when we were talking about his Patrick movie, I introduced him to some of my buddies over at Tyndale, and they all liked each other and decided to do a book together. Which brings us to —
INSERT TRUMPET FANFARE
Praying with Saint Patrick
PRAYING WITH SAINT PATRICK
One of Ireland’s most beloved figures, St. Patrick was a man who lived a life soaked in prayer. A risk-taker in the service of others—particularly women, enslaved people, and the poor—Patrick spent years enslaved, in which he found himself praying all the time—praying for freedom, for a warm place to sleep, or to return home. He never stopped. It was something he did with great intentionality, but also in the breath between one task and the next.
PRAYING WITH SAINT PATRICK is a series of readings on the life of Patrick, along with invitations to pray along with him about things in our own lives. Aaron and I both had a beautiful, meaningful time writing this book and exploring the story of Patrick, and we hope you will, too.
Coming February 6th, 2024!
And lastly, a word from King Bruce
In the winter, Bruce comes in at night and warms up before bedtime. This summer he’s been coming in after we let him out of his hutch, and hanging out for a while each morning. We leave the door open so he can hop in and out and say hello and maybe eat some pellets.
Here he is a few days ago doing his “seal pose” as he rests near his Cholula box.
Have a wonderful week!
Until next time,
Matt
It's always fun to read something Matt Mikalatos.