Affected by Illiteracy? BUY THIS BOOK!

Dear Friends, if you have ever been affected by a loved one's illiteracy, if you enjoy great literature, if you want to be truly inspired—BUY THIS BOOK!

Several months ago I wrote the following review for John Atkinson’s TIMEKEEPER. I am now holding an advance first edition hardcover copy of Timekeeper, and in addition to this being a truly remarkable story, the cover art, The Dam Dancer painted by Sheri Mallory is something to behold. Since I have an advance copy in hand, this means that the books have been printed and are on their way to distribution centers throughout the U.S. and copies will be available to the reading public within two weeks, January 15th at the latest. And they are going to sell out fast, so don't miss out on this first edition hardcover. Don't wait—place your orders right away!

In addition to the following review, there is a link below to John Atkinson's blog site where you can read what other reviewers are saying about Timekeeper and sample chapters are also available for you to preview:

"Recently, I was privileged to preview a forthcoming title that is to be available in December of 2007. Within the first few pages, John Atkinson's Timekeeper had weaved its essence around my heart and refused to let me go. Written in the same spirit as Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, TIMEKEEPER is a magnificent tale of a young boy who can't read, or at least he hasn't found the means to do so up to this point in his life. Misunderstood by his teachers and elders, and physically beaten into the ground by his father, Johnnyboy runs away from home at the age of fourteen and sets off into the unknown to find himself. What he couldn't find in his own father, the universe provides for him in a multitude of miraculous ways. In spite of all his suffering and adversities, Johnnyboy's spirit remains intact... better yet, like a boxer taking a relentless barrage of punches, he spits his beating into the ringside pail and comes out dancing like never before into the next rounds/chapters of this magnificent tale of redemption. Readers, Booksellers, Journalists, Reviewers, Critics, and even you Movie Makers, about all I can tell you is, 'Better get ready 'cause the Timekeeper is coming to town!'"

I can’t brag about my novels, but I certainly can brag about John Atkinson’s Timekeeper! and I intend to do just this: In my (humble...ha) opinion you may soon find Timekeeper on the bestseller list. This novel is really something and I highly recommend it to all. It will be available in early January 2008. You can place an order directly from the publisher, Fisher King Press, or you can order it now from amazon.com, or ask your local bookstore to place an order for Timekeeper ISBN13: 9780977607631 Paperback or ISBN13: 9780977607655 First Edition Hardcover. Below you will find links to order directly from Fisher King Press or Amazon.com.

The first couple of chapters of TIMEKEEPER may be read at John Atkinson's blog site: TIMEKEEPER BLOG

If you would like to order directly from Fisher King Press and receive free shipping go their website: www.fisherkingpress.com

"Malcolm Clay is the story of everyman."

"Malcolm Clay is the story of everyman. He is every man who ventures into life and love. The every man who experiences the vicissitudes of the ecstasy yet fear and pain that life and love may bring. Author, Mel Mathews, brings to light the engaging energies of his novels' protagonist, Malcolm Clay, both in his external happenings and also in the soul making substance of his inner on-going life. He allows us to hear the inner dialogue, to touch the feelings, to view life as if an X-ray vision of a man's soul. In an appealing manner, a crisp and crusty narrative, we, as reader, also envision life and soul."

–by Nancy Qualls-Corbett, Jungian Analyst & Author of The Sacred Prostitute & Awakening Woman

Learn more about the Malcolm Clay Trilogy right here on this blog or by visiting www.malcolmclay.com

The Power of Creativity. . . a Jungian's Take.

"Mel Mathews' development as a person and a writer is a wonderful testimony to the power of creativity to shape our lives and connect us to our souls. His dream and the dialogue that flowed from it to create LeRoi is an incredibly rich and impressive example of active imagination, as I understand it."

"Mel’s experience of active imagination is one of the most powerful examples I have ever witnessed. His dialogue with Flo seemed to unearth for him a huge reservoir of suspended animation that poured forth into the world and continues to flow. Actually, 'Flo' and 'flow' do seem somehow related. Mel's experience is enough to encourage therapists not only to use active imagination with their clients but also with themselves."

–Lawrence H. Staples, Ph.D., Jungian Analyst, DIPLOMATE C.G. JUNG-INSTITUTE, ZURICH and author of Guilt with a Twist: The Promethean Way–ISBN 097760764X

LeRoi –ISBN 0977607607–is the first book of the Malcolm Clay Trilogy. Sample chapters can be read right here on this blog or by visiting www.melmathews.com

Emerging Anima/Soul

The Emerging Anima (soul) was painted in January of 2003 while I was living in Florence, Italy, on via della mosca 4, just a block from the Uffizi Gallery, Piazza della Signoria, and Palazzo Vecchio. This is a very busy painting, as you can see, full of life, a celebration of soul, you might say.

I was completing my first full year in Firenze. It was a very productive period. I wrote my fourth novel, Maria Novella as well as a fifth novel, The Reclaiming, during my first year's stay in Europe.

The Emerging Anima is. . . well, it is a rendering of my soul, of what was taking place in my inner world, new life or better yet, new lives were being birthed. A year earlier, I had turned my back to family and friends, walked away from my personal history/dream and set off in search of myself, the many cast aways that had been discarded along life's roadside while adapting to the conventional American standards that 'supposedly' defined what it meant to be a man, or better yet, what it meant to be human. Yes, having become disillusioned, I had finally found the courage to thumb my nose to the American Dream, the pursuit of material possessions and the proffered illusion of freedom. During this period, I was free to wander about without a plan, without labels, without all the 'have to's' and 'must do's' that had been loaded into my napsack over the years. I was no longer bound by an identity, tied to the patriarchal logically power-driven commercial standards. And during this unique period, I met Her . . .

Actually, I became reacquainted with many aspects of the feminine as you see their images emerging from this painting, but most importantly, I had finally earned the right to be graced with Her presence, the larger than life blonde woman who is emerging from the sea of the unknown with a flower before her mouth. For forty some years, I had searched for Her in the ephemeral world and it wasn't until I became lost to an image of myself and the many illusions that I once believed defined, fulfilled and sustained my existence. . . only then could I be introduced to my bride, my inner consort, the faithful one who all along has been right there within, silently bearing the brunt of my many infidelities as I turned the world upside down, searching for Her.

I often feel guilty, for having lived such a selfish life, for all of my vain and foolish pursuits. It has all been fueled by a vast emptiness, this wreckage left in my wake. Sure, mother and father, family, friends, lovers, and even my distorted images of religion and God have all failed me in many ways, as everyone is failed when the longing for one's desire is far more then human. No, this emptiness is beyond humanity's capacity to heal. And had I not been failed, I wouldn't experience the freedom to be living an authentic life today. Instead, I'd be stuck with the masses, in the Garden of Eden, blindly following and living a life void of authentic knowing.

When people ask what I do in life, most often I avoid telling them that I am a writer. My writing is harsh, it is crude, it cuts through layers of lies, the layers of lies that I was buried beneath for many years. I've had to write, I've had to expose these falsities, whether they were my own, familial, religious, cultural hand-me-downs, or the modern day zeitgeist. And I wouldn't go back and change that one bit. I wouldn't retract a single word that I've written, even after learning with the passing of time that my once expressed views and beliefs have been proven wrong. Writing, the recording of my work is simply my processes and I reserve the right to be wrong, make mistakes, and evolve as a human being. As harsh, exposing, and damaging as my work may seem at times, it is still about Her, it is about recovering what was/is rightfully mine, and if I must bear a burden of guilt for being true to self, then so be it. My life's calling, my writing, profane as it may seem at times, ultimately is about reclaiming soul.

Mel Mathews, is the author of several novels, including the Malcolm Clay Trilogy (Fisher King Press). His books are available from your local bookstore, a host of on-line booksellers, or you can order them directly from his website at: www.melmathews.com or www.malcolmclay.com

© 2007 Mel Mathews