And a peck too from the entire US of A

USA Today included Hooked among the five summer books it singled out for "pure, heart-pounding escapism."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2007-06-27-summer-thrillers_N.htm

A sloppy wet kiss from California

The California report, a statewide public radio program, gave Hooked a sloppy wet kiss of a review this afternoon. Don't get no better than this.

http://www.californiareport.org/domains/californiareport/

Make Love, Not Phone Calls

Friends

Are you an OBSESSIVE technology user? Find out with this new quiz:

http://www.twelvebooks.com/books/quiz.swf

(And discover on the site the startling high percentage of people who say they've interrupted love making to answer the mobile phone)

 

Also, please accept my deepest thanks for your support over the launch of Hooked. The reviews have been great -- the most recent, which came out today, calling it a "page-turning thrill-read" and a "frighteningly current spellbinder." (see below).

But it's still early in the process so please continue your support (Pump up the Amazon ranking!). And if you've read and liked the book, please review it on Amazon. Finally, help me spread the word by passing this around. It's a huge challenge to let the world know about a first novel.

Happy reading,

Matt

This week's reviews:

- "A page-turning thrill read that manages to merge today's obsessions with love and technology. This is a frighteningly current spellbinder. -- Seattle Post Intelligencia (6/22)

"a brisk read filled with twists and turns and a leave-you-hanging feeling at the end of every succinct chapter, 'Hooked' is a cool, often funny, thriller...., despite the super contemporary themes, it's an old-fashinoned yarn with a likable hero that simply makes you want to turn the page to find out what happened next."" -- San Francisco Examiner (6/18)

- "an addictively intriguing modern thriller" - Santa Rosa Press Democrat (6/17)

- "rocking good fun" - New Orleans Times Picayune (6/15)

And, finally, in a GREAT honor, Hooked has been selected as a July selection of Booksense, a consortium of 1,500 of the nation's independent bookstores.

The Great Northwest and It's Fine Outdoors Reviews

A Rave From Today's Seattle Post Intelligencia:

"Hooked" by Matt Richtel (Twelve Books, 289 pages, $24.99). June release.
A lovesick Bay Area medical journalist escapes a bombing in an Internet cafe after receiving a cautionary note from someone he later realizes is his late lover. This powerful hook unleashes a page-turning thrill read that manages to merge today's obsessions with love and technology. This is a frighteningly current spellbinder by a New York Times tech journalist and syndicated comic-strip artist ("Rudy Park").
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/320777_summerbooksintro22.html

Sybil by the Bay

It is high time we addressed the book review process, the ups and downs, the rationalizations, and the comfort-food eating it provokes (mostly cupcakes and cheese).
What better to characterize the experience than the utterly conflicting reflections in the past two days of the San Francisco Examiner and its rival, the Chronicle. It's a story of Schizophrenia in San Francisco. Or --and we despise using this terminology, but what the heck-- a Tale of Two Cities. The Best of Reviews, the Worst of Reviews.

The Examiner's review, which ran on Monday, was glowing.

Wrote the reviewer:
"A brisk read filled with twists and turns and a leave-you-hanging feeling at the end of every succinct chapter, “Hooked” is a cool, often funny, thriller." And "Lovers of fiction simply will appreciate that, despite the super contemporary themes, it’s an old-fashioned yarn with a likable hero that simply makes you want to turn the page to find out what happens next."

Full review: http://www.examiner.com/printa-785961~San_Francisco_author_'Hooked'.html

The Chronicle review, which ran on Tuesday, appeared to have been based on a read of a different book. The review said it fell short and would leave readers wanting. The reviewer didn't get invested in the character or find him imperiled.

Wrote the reviewer:

"Is Nat ever in actual danger? Sort of. There is a fire at a lab that he has to escape. And there's some gun pointing. But we're never really worried about his welfare, and that's what ultimately undermines "Hooked."
Addictions are exciting and alluring. They're also dangerous and, more than likely, self-destructive. By the time you put down this book, Richtel wants you to be glancing over at your laptop or BlackBerry with a new sense of wariness.
You might instead end up going online to see what else you can find to amuse yourself. "

On the positive side, in fairness, he also writes:
"One guesses that Richtel enjoys his Hitchcock, seeing how "Hooked" so clearly draws inspiration from both "North by Northwest" and "Vertigo." And there are numerous occasions in which Richtel makes good use of the suspense that comes with a story of this sort. "

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/19/DDGSVQGJHT1.DTL&hw=richtel&sn=001&sc=1000

On the whole, on this blog, I've posted mostly the positive reviews. There have been more of those than negative ones. But there have been negative ones too. The reason I am not posting those is not because I believe they are invalid or they anger me. Having written the book, I do think it is out of my control how it is perceived. And tastes are personal. But the bad reviews do disappoint me. The reason is because they can control whether people take a chance on reading the book themselves. If they don't buy, they may not have an experience like the one the Examiner reviewer had. And, plainly (and in turn), if they don't buy the book, the market may signal that it is not interested in what I write, thus making it hard for me to find a buyer for another book. It may sound clinical, but I think that is the only sane way to digest reviews, given the breadth of tastes of readers and reviewers.

I do appreciate the difficult position reviewers are in. Their words often are taken out of context by marketers, thus forcing them at times to be more negative than they might actually feel. For isntance, a movie reviewer wouldn't want a review that said "A triumph of bad taste" only to have the movie poster reduce the sentiment to: "A triumph."

Still, I would hope for the sake of giving curious readers a chance that reviewers would include their positive impressions alongside their barbs.

With that, cupcakes and cheese.

Probably more than you care to know...

Q&A with Hooked author in today's Santa Rosa Press Democrat, which calls the book an "addictively intriguing modern thriller"

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070617/NEWS/706170362&SearchID=73284432444325

Public Reading (then questions, taunts and rock-n-roll)

Tonight, I'll participate in the ritual known as the book reading. It's my first -- a very exciting celebration that, as I understand it, usually transpires in three steps. I will first read, then take questions, then, after it's all done, call many friends who promised to attend and say: do you know what it's like to do a reading in front of just 4 people, one of whom is your wife and the other three who are passersby who thought Harry Potter might have gone on sale.
In short: COME ON DOWN, PEOPLE. Don't be shy. Join us at Borders Books and Music, San Francisco, 200 King street. 7 p.m.
it's across from the ballpark. NO game tonight.

I promise --all secrets will be revealed.

As a bonus, afterwards, we will convene at the nearby 21st Amendment Bar and Grill. Or we'll walk across the street to O'Neill's Irish Pub, where there is a special performance planned by famed Wall Street Journal reporter and rocker Don Clark and his band "Off the Record." They are playing a benefit for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Bay Area. They could use your support.


AGAIN, that's: Borders Books and Music
200 King Street
Across from the ballpark
NO game tonight
parking safe

A wardrobe for radio (TV sightings)

It's said there are people who have a face for radio. I may have that also. But can say definitively that my selection of shirts is not meant for television. On monday, I did a stint on NBC in the Bay Area. This morning, I taped an ABC show called News Now. Both instances demanded a frantic unearthing of closet for a shirt that is utterly food-stain free. Not "sufficiently free of spots" as in:
husband: This one looks sufficiently free of spots.
wife: Get a new one for our annulment.

Decent shirts having been discovered, the TV stuff was surprisingly comfortable. The key, I've learned, is to be gesticulation free. Keep your hands and arms from flailing about, smile, and act like you've been there before. Then they won't notice the Kung Pao Chicken Stain.

In other publicity news, I did KAZM radio in Northern Arizona at the crack of dawn on Tuesday morning. Talk there spilled over into the appropriateness of men wearing speedos. Friday is WISN Early Spin, the drive time show in Milwaukee. It's at 6:10 am pst. I may be groggy, but I promise not to wear a speedo. Not one with food stains, at least.

From the town that brought you Tipitina's...

As a huge fan of New Orlean's blues legend Professor Longhair, I am pleased to bring you the latest Hooked review from the New Orleans Times-Picayune. It called Hooked "Rocking good fun" and "terrific entertainment." (link and review excerpt below)
I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with Professor Longhair -- other than an oblique geographic connection -- but in the blog world, such tangents are unedited. What are you going to do?

From the Times Picayune:

http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1181712434149420.xml&coll=1

There's something different behind the jangling, "Vertigo"-like cover of 'Hooked,' (Twelve, $24.99), the debut novel by San Francisco-based New York Times writer Matt Richtel, who also draws the syndicated comic strip "Rudy Park."
Nat Idle is minding his own business, sitting in a cafe, when a woman leaves a note at his table: "Get out of the café -- NOW." He barely makes it to safety before the small place explodes behind him on what was looking like just another ordinary day in San Francisco. But what rocks Nat's world is that the note is written in his long-dead girlfriend's handwriting.
Nat is a science journalist, enough of a digger to know that nobody blows up a café without a reason, a suspicion that's confirmed when a blast victim's house catches fire during his memorial service. It all adds up to big trouble. Before long Nat, who teams up with a café waitress with dark secrets of her own, is hot on the trail of a conspiracy. He's a bit hampered in this because he can't trust the cops, having once sent one to jail as a result of an investigative series.
The plot hinges on high-tech secrets and the lengths corporations will go to keep them, especially one that involves using the digital environment to manipulate human behavior. And Nat's late girlfriend (or is she back?) was a venture capitalist who always had an eye on the Next Big Thing. The fast-paced plot has a serious underlay -- a sobering message about just how much we surrender of ourselves when we stare passively at a screen.
It's rocking good fun, although like many first novelists, Richtel wants to wrap up things too quickly at the end. But it's terrific entertainment, and Richtel's voice is strong and clear from the novel's opening: "I'm guessing that the moment that your life begins to unravel is often unceremonious -- heralded by a whimper. The bang should have told me something."
Nat Idle is another one of those good guys out there just trying to do the right thing, and in the process of telling his story, Richtel lets us know just how addicted we have become to technology -- at our peril.

Soprano's sex fantasy - LIVE

I blog now during the 4-minute commercial break on the David Lawrence Radio show. (www.onlinetonight.com) It's an hour-long show. We've just finished the first 15 min segment. It began with a discussion of Hooked, took a turn into television culture and wound up with Mr. Lawrence's theory that Tony Soprano is so sympathetic because he has the best sex fantasies of any TV character. This is way more interesting than my book. I feel filthy.
back at 30 past the hour...

And WE'RE BACK.

David Lawrence, culture guru and radio madman, has read the first page-and-a-half of Hooked in a rich, bass radio voice, and then lavished praise on its author as a brilliant writer. Or maybe he said great writer, or just writer. Maybe he called me an accountant. It all happened so fast. Hard to remember under the glare of the lights of the Los Angeles-based radio program. Glib mass media attention has confused our author (sufficiently that he now writes in the third person). Wife soon to be highly annoyed at his burgeoning ego.

And at 45 past, he'll be back...

And I'M BACK

And back to the first person, which is what I deserve after dipping dangerously into some faux substantive analysis of technology addiction. I started talking about compulsive technology use and how it impacts us on a daily basis. C'MON MATT, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN POP CULTURE RADIO (brief second person divergence). Segment saved at the end when host David returns to a fairly graphic discussion of Tony's sex fantasies. Actually uses the word "ejaculation." Doubtless the best promo thus far for Hooked. Will sell lots of copies. But can no longer look my grandmother in the eye.

Back at the end of the hour

And WE'RE BACK
little sweaty, drained, lifted up, twirled around in a high-flying hour of bells, whistles, sound effects and big fancy radio fun. Then dropped down again with a "thanks for being on the show. it went great. Click." I can say only this: I hope next week's gig on ABC News involves sex and the Sopranos. I'm finally prepared.

Don't take our word for it...

More Internet punditry:


excerpted from www.Nightsandweekends.com:
"Hooked is a chilling techno-thriller that’s guaranteed to make you just the teensiest bit paranoid. It jumps right into the action right away, and it keeps the story coming—in intentionally short chapters that compel you to read just one more. "

"The story moves along as a swift pace, thick with tension and anticipation. And the more the mystery unfolds, the creepier it is. At the same time, though, it’s also a light and entertaining read—the perfect summertime read for the electronically obsessed. Richtel clearly understands today’s addiction to technology—and the need to be constantly connected—not to mention the effect it has on our lives and our behavior. And once you finish reading this engaging thriller, you’ll think twice about your relationships—whether with people or with devices. You may never look at your computer the same way again. "

Read the full review at:
http://www.nightsandweekends.com/articles/07/NW0700261.php

Also please see reviews at The Mystery Site: http://www.themysterysite.com/showreview.php?r_id=184

And bookloons:
http://www.bookloons.com/cgi-bin/Review.asp?bookid=8046

Join us June 2 live on ye ol' radio device

I'll talk about Hooked on two radio programs on Saturday, June 2

- West Coast Live, broadcasting live: http://www.wcl.org/
Doors usually open at 9:30AM, the show finishes its set-up as you arrive, then we broadcast live 10am - 11:59am coast-to-coast.. You can hear us, too, on-line via many of the public radio stations that carry West Coast Live both on-the-air and streamed across the globe by KSJN, Jefferson Public Radio, KALW, and many other places, if you're outside one of our broadcast areas. Please see our affiliate page.


- at 5:10 pacific time Saturday evening on WGN's show "The Technology Tailor:

The Technology Tailor Show airs weekly every Saturday night, from 6PM to 8PM central time on WGN Radio. That's 720 on your AM dial if you're in the Chicago area or even in the Midwest. (The 50,000-watt WGN signal reaches 38 states and Canada!) If you can't catch it on-air, you can listen online here: http://www.technologytailor.com/wgnradio.php