Matthew Lieber Buchman

-The Author(s)-

Getting Hooked

I picked up my first SF novel ("City and the Stars" by Arthur C. Clarke) when I was eight or nine and fell in love. For a decade, I read nothing but SF/F. Then for a decade, I read nothing but classics. For another handful of years, I descended down the pipeline of Cussler, Follet, Ludlum, and Le Carre. There I found a second love, suspense.

In 1996, my publisher for "Cookbook from Hell" (a fantasy) wanted to take a group of male authors to RWA National to make a statement. At that time, we were 4 of the 7 men to attend the Romance Writers of America National Convention. Seven of men, 1,800 women. Nope, it wasn't like you'd think. First, everyone just assumed we were someone's lost boyfriend or bemused husband. Agents refused to speak to us. Asking a question could bring a whole session to a halt because we were the outsiders. Second, these women were serious. They had come to the national conference to eat, sleep, and breathe their dream, becoming professional writers in the largest fiction genre there is. Thrillers? Feh! Mystery? Ha! Romance is far and away #1. I read my first romance novel (actually my first 3) during that conference. I was hooked, lined, and sinkered.

I set out on a quest. A quest to learn and to practice. A quest to write and hopefully to move people. It didn't take me long to pin down what I wanted to write about. It hangs right above my desk, right where my eyes drift when I look away from the screen to write.

"To champion the human spirit, to celebrate the power of joy, and to revel in the wonder of love."

I can only hope that you enjoy my attempts to achieve those goals.

The person behind the keyboard

I'm an East Coast refugee. At the end of college, I tossed a coin and landed in Seattle, WA. I have worked in fast food management, live theater (sound and lights), construction law, 15+ years in computers, publishing (pre-press layout), light manufacturing (roof trusses) and now I'm back in legal services. It's amazing what you can do with a degree in geophysics. At one point I burned out of my career, lost my business and my house. So, I did what made the most sense at the time. I sold my car, furniture, clothes. I put my library and my kitchen (I love to cook) into storage and spent 18-months riding a bicycle around the world. In 11,000 miles, I touched 15 countries and hundreds of amazing people. Since then, I've acquired a loving lady, the coolest kid on the planet (not that I'm bragging), and always find a corner to write in.