At Bear Pond Books, in Stowe, Vermont:
Jul 052011
Jun 272011
Maine Icons was reviewed/covered in Sunday’s Boston Globe Books section. Here’s what they had to say:
Maine By The Numbers
By Jan Gardner
Globe Correspondent June 26, 2011
Did you know that Maine’s moose population is second only to Alaska’s? Or that Chester Greenwood, at 15, invented the earmuff? This is the kind of education you’ll get from “Maine Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Pine Tree State’’ (Globe Pequot) by Jennifer Smith-Mayo and Matthew P. Mayo. It paints a picture of Maine by the numbers: 65 lighthouses, 4,613 islands, 80 million pounds of lobsters pulled from the state’s waters every year. And it is a love letter to what makes Maine Maine, from black flies and Stephen King to whoopie pies and the Big Chicken Barn, a favorite destination for book lovers.
Jun 132011
for Maine Icons appeared this weekend in the Portland Press Herald online and Sunday’s print edition. We’re quite pleased with it. Click here to give it a read.
Jun 022011
The Western Fictioneers 2010 Peacemaker Awards results are in:
BEST SHORT STORY WINNER:
Wayne Dundee, “This Old Star” from the anthology Bad Cop…No Donut (Padwolf Publishing)
BEST NOVEL WINNER:
Lyle Brandt (winner), Manhunt (Berkley)
My short story, “Scourge of the Spoils,” from the DAW Books anthology, Steampunk’d, was one of this year’s nominees—a big thrill for me. And best of all … submissions for the WF 2011 Peacemaker Awards open in July!
For more information about Western Fictioneers, visit:
http://www.westernfictioneers.com or http://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com
May 302011
Though not officially released until July 1, 2011, the astounding anthology, How the West Was Weird: Volume II, a collection of Weird Western tales from Pulpwork Press, was just reviewed at the always-excellent site All Pulp.
I’m pleased to report that the reviewer, Tommy Hancock, dug my story, “The Witch Hole,” and more importantly, he understood what I had in mind when I wrote it–that old 1950s and ’60s EC Comics/DC House of Mystery vibe! It’s a fuzzy, good feeling when that happens. Here’s what the reviewer had to say about “The Witch Hole”:
“Let me admit, this type of tale is not usually my favorite. I can’t really tell you why, except that I wasn’t the kid who was into the mystery comics and such when I was young. And this one reads as if it would fit perfectly in an old DC House of Mystery or an EC comic. That, however, is the reason that I liked it as much as I did–because as I read it, I could see the artwork, I could see the creepy green and black coloring. The set up, the premise, and the characters smack heavily and enjoyably of that 1950s and 60s weird tale comic story, even though it’s in prose. FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT.”
May 042011
Midcoast Maine news outlet Village Soup posted a write-up about Maine Icons! Here’s a snippet:
(Click on cover for larger image)
For Mayos, Maine a haven in world of headaches
Whoopie, check out Pine Tree State icons
What makes Maine Maine? In their book “Maine Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Pine Tree State,” photographer Jennifer Smith Mayo and writer Matthew P. Mayo have compiled half a hundred items that make the country’s 23rd state tick.
For the rest of this fine write-up, click here.
Apr 272011
Click on photo for larger image.
Yesterday my wife visited Longfellow Books in Monument Square in Portland, Maine and spied our Maine Icons book for sale on their Great Gifts shelf! Longfellow Books is a terrific independent bookstore, definitely worth a visit if you’re ever cruising around Portland.
And here’s some cool news: the Chicago Tribune posted a review of Maine Icons in their Travel Section! Check it out here.
Apr 182011
There’s excitement in the air here at Casa Mayo. We just found out that the first book my wife, photographer Jennifer Smith-Mayo, and I did together, Maine Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Pine Tree State, is no longer up for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, etc. … it’s available now!
Yessireebob, that’s 112 full-color, glossy pages of smokin’ fine photography and nifty words covering everything iconic in the Pine Tree State, from blueberries and lobsters to Raye’s Mustard, the Big Chicken Barn, and the humble spud — and so much more!
Look at that stunning cover image … you know you want a copy (or three)! Click here to fulfill your Maine desires….
Apr 102011
Building on the success of its superfreaky antho., How the West Was Weird, Pulpwork Press presents How the West Was Weird, Vol. II. That’s right, the Weirdest Western anthology of the year will claw its way through the saloon doors on July 1, 2011.
The book is filled to brimming with 21 outlandish tales of the most skewed mayhem and supernatural madness any side of the Pecos. One of them is my own story, “The Witch Hole,” a squirly little tale about Lacotah Sioux shamanism and other things too foul to mention….
How the West Was Weird, Vol. II will be available for pre-ordering soon, in print and ebook versions, wherever the finest in Weirdness is sold. Check back here for updates … if you dare. Mwahahahaha!
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at the weirdly dynamic cover, by the talented Jim Rugg:
Apr 062011
A few weeks ago, I mentioned I’d been invited to contribute to the new action series, The Dead Man. I know, talk about whippa! (That’s Maine-speak for “nifty beyond all reasonable belief.”) But it gets better….
I can hear you saying, “How, Matt? How does it get better?” We’ll get to that. But first, a recap: What is The Dead Man? It is, hands down, the most exciting new slice of manly/horror/action/adventure to come out since Don Pendleton first typed the word “Executioner.” Since Caine decided to roam the West, doling out his own brand of Kung Fu justice. Since Bruce Banner flipped up his collar and took to the road, trying to figure out the whole Hulk thing….
The first book in this series of short, gut-punch novels, The Dead Man: Face of Evil, came out little more than a month ago, and it’s been selling like hotcakes. The rave reviews are stacking up–which proves lots of things, among them: Your average Joe and Josephine want and need their quick-read, escapist fiction. And if traditional publishers won’t offer it, writers will. Ebooks rock.
So, back to the “even better” part: If you’re intrigued and you haven’t yet given the series a serious perusal, it just became more affordable than ever to do so. For a brief period, the first book in the series, The Dead Man: Face of Evil, is marked down to a meager 99 cents. That’s less than the price of a bear claw and a coffee (though no less tasty)!
The reason for the modest price? It’s to celebrate the release of the second book in the series, The Dead Man: Ring of Knives. And it’s a corker. Check it out here. You don’t have to read the first to enjoy the second, but at 99 cents, you’ll be crying the blues if you pass up this limited-time-only bargain….
