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Matthew Alan

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Matthew Alan

Goodreads Author


Born
in Canton, Ohio
Website

Twitter

Genre

Member Since
March 2012


Hello everyone -

My name is Matthew Alan and I just finished publishing my first novel entitled "One Degree". One Degree is a work of fiction that I started writing about seven years ago. I've worked on three other books during that time period (and the next will be coming out later this fall), but this is the story I kept coming back to. I hope you like it!

I am a college swimming coach/teacher living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and writing on the side. As a coach and educator, I have been fascinated in teaching and balancing learning with humor. These goals have sparked the passion in my writing for some time, and I hope to share that passion with other readers as much as possible.

All the best!

Matt
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Matthew Alan Hi Kristi.

I am working on that...I'm hoping by the fall I have something worked out.

Hope all is well.

Matt…more
Hi Kristi.

I am working on that...I'm hoping by the fall I have something worked out.

Hope all is well.

Matt(less)
Matthew Alan Red wine, coffee, and swimming (not in that order and usually not together)...

I usually get my best ideas in the pool, must be something about the ser…more
Red wine, coffee, and swimming (not in that order and usually not together)...

I usually get my best ideas in the pool, must be something about the serenity of it - the only challenge is writing them down as I'm trying to swim (I have a dry erase board on pool deck, that's been helpful)....(less)
Average rating: 4.03 · 256 ratings · 75 reviews · 15 distinct worksSimilar authors
What We Leave Behind

4.30 avg rating — 132 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions
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One Degree

3.58 avg rating — 55 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions
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Just Like You?

3.68 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions
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The Hero

3.62 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions
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A Day In The Life

4.22 avg rating — 9 ratings
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Cristman

3.29 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions
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A Day in the Life...

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Cristman: Book 1

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[(One Degree)] [By (author)...

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More books by Matthew Alan…

Paperback giveaway

Hi All -

I'm having an end of summer giveaway - any new likes to my page will be entered to receive a signed paperback of "What We Leave Behind"...

Two winners will be selected tomorrow evening (Sunday) at 10:00 pm...

www.facebook.com/matthewalan412

Thanks for playing and have a great weekend!

http://www.amazon.com/What-Leave-Behi... Read more of this blog post »
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Published on September 19, 2015 07:53 Tags: cancer, matthew-alan, romance, what-we-leave-behind
Quotes by Matthew Alan  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Plane Ride -


In our sport it is natural and necessary to set up goals to inspire us. We all want to achieve the next level, the break-thru performance. What we (all of us) must not forget is that the journey to these goals is the best part. The daily process of obtaining success takes up the majority of our time and effort throughout our lives. Remember to appreciate what you’ve done in the past and what you are doing in the present on your way to higher goals. This will allow you to always strive for something more without missing out on the fact that your path to success is as much a starting point as it is a finish line.”
Matthew Alan

“Sonya lays sound asleep, breathing deeply.
I brush a wisp of hair out of her face.
She’s twitching, gently snoring, and she smells of cigarette smoke from the bar and something else—cool ranch and toothpaste, I think. Regardless, she is more beautiful than ever.
I sit next to her and speak in a whisper. “You know I will always love you. Of all the people I’ve met in my life, you are the most exceptional, the most caring, and the most deserving of happiness. I wish I could offer you more, but the best I can do is leave you alone. If you can just stay out of this place, stay away from this town and all the things that have happened here, I know you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
I try to resist but I can’t help myself. I gently kiss her on the lips before going to sleep in the other room.”
Matthew Alan

“The morning was already setting up to be hectic, and Jon thanked his lucky stars that Jessie was so good at his job and a constant spark-plug of activity.
Oh god, you did not just think Jessie was a spark-plug? You really are getting old. Next thing you know you’ll being saying whipper-snappers and break a hip getting out of bed. He shook his head. I guess I had a good run.
Jessie quickly re-entered the office. “Alright. Elisabeth has her caffeine fix and said she’ll be down to say goodbye in a few. So let’s get this bad boy going for the week.
Travel plans are done for next month and meetings for the week are in you planner so I’m assuming they’ll be no more complaining about flying coach class this time?” Jessie gave a sly wink and kept organizing his desk.
“Yes. And for that I thank you for that my color-coding, hyper computer organized planner. We have to make sure the next presentation for Chicago is ready in three weeks; the storyboards for the new campaign ideas have to be finished by Tuesday the 16th so we can get them shipped before I head out there.”
“And let’s not forget our important morning ritual.”
Jon looked at Jessie with a question about to form before the realization hit him. His expression changed from confused to stern. “No cat videos Jessie. I swear. Enough of the cat videos.”
“C’mon. You know you love them and they brighten your dour moods. Look at this one.” Jessie turned his screen and Jon begrudgingly looked at the cute little puppy and kitten with captions over them. “How can you not love this?” Jessie smiled. “The cute little kitty tells the playful puppy not to do it and yet the puppy bonks the little kitty on the head with his little puppy paw. “Boop Boop.” And then the cat swipes at the puppy and it falls off the bed. You know this is internet gold.”
Jon smiled. “Can we get back to work?”
Jessie nodded and then walked up to Jon - without hesitating, he bonked him lightly on the head. “Boop.” He paused and added, “I think this puppy is onto something.” Jessie grinned ear to ear still. “I pledge, from now on if something makes me as happy as this bonking picture I’m just going to say Boop boop.”
Jon stood stone-faced but a second later, could not stop his smile. “I am not amused.” Jon shook the smile away. “Now, if you’re done boop booping me, there is something else I want to talk with you about.”
Jessie looked at Jon with a quizzical smile.
“Not to blow my own horn but I have a new and brilliant thought my young apprentice.”
Jessie opened his mouth to comment on the blowing horn, but Jon held up his hand and cut him off.
“Stop it.”
Jessie closed his mouth and swallowed the sexual innuendo-laced comment he had forming on the tip of his tongue.”
Matthew Alan

“Discouraged?


As I was driving home from work one day, I stopped to watch a local Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-baseline, I asked one of the boys what the score was.

"We’re behind 14 to nothing,” he answered with a smile.

“Really,” I said. “I have to say you don’t look very discouraged.”

“Discouraged?” the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. “Why should we be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet.”
Jack Canfield

“Plane Ride -


In our sport it is natural and necessary to set up goals to inspire us. We all want to achieve the next level, the break-thru performance. What we (all of us) must not forget is that the journey to these goals is the best part. The daily process of obtaining success takes up the majority of our time and effort throughout our lives. Remember to appreciate what you’ve done in the past and what you are doing in the present on your way to higher goals. This will allow you to always strive for something more without missing out on the fact that your path to success is as much a starting point as it is a finish line.”
Matthew Alan

“Sonya lays sound asleep, breathing deeply.
I brush a wisp of hair out of her face.
She’s twitching, gently snoring, and she smells of cigarette smoke from the bar and something else—cool ranch and toothpaste, I think. Regardless, she is more beautiful than ever.
I sit next to her and speak in a whisper. “You know I will always love you. Of all the people I’ve met in my life, you are the most exceptional, the most caring, and the most deserving of happiness. I wish I could offer you more, but the best I can do is leave you alone. If you can just stay out of this place, stay away from this town and all the things that have happened here, I know you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
I try to resist but I can’t help myself. I gently kiss her on the lips before going to sleep in the other room.”
Matthew Alan

“The morning was already setting up to be hectic, and Jon thanked his lucky stars that Jessie was so good at his job and a constant spark-plug of activity.
Oh god, you did not just think Jessie was a spark-plug? You really are getting old. Next thing you know you’ll being saying whipper-snappers and break a hip getting out of bed. He shook his head. I guess I had a good run.
Jessie quickly re-entered the office. “Alright. Elisabeth has her caffeine fix and said she’ll be down to say goodbye in a few. So let’s get this bad boy going for the week.
Travel plans are done for next month and meetings for the week are in you planner so I’m assuming they’ll be no more complaining about flying coach class this time?” Jessie gave a sly wink and kept organizing his desk.
“Yes. And for that I thank you for that my color-coding, hyper computer organized planner. We have to make sure the next presentation for Chicago is ready in three weeks; the storyboards for the new campaign ideas have to be finished by Tuesday the 16th so we can get them shipped before I head out there.”
“And let’s not forget our important morning ritual.”
Jon looked at Jessie with a question about to form before the realization hit him. His expression changed from confused to stern. “No cat videos Jessie. I swear. Enough of the cat videos.”
“C’mon. You know you love them and they brighten your dour moods. Look at this one.” Jessie turned his screen and Jon begrudgingly looked at the cute little puppy and kitten with captions over them. “How can you not love this?” Jessie smiled. “The cute little kitty tells the playful puppy not to do it and yet the puppy bonks the little kitty on the head with his little puppy paw. “Boop Boop.” And then the cat swipes at the puppy and it falls off the bed. You know this is internet gold.”
Jon smiled. “Can we get back to work?”
Jessie nodded and then walked up to Jon - without hesitating, he bonked him lightly on the head. “Boop.” He paused and added, “I think this puppy is onto something.” Jessie grinned ear to ear still. “I pledge, from now on if something makes me as happy as this bonking picture I’m just going to say Boop boop.”
Jon stood stone-faced but a second later, could not stop his smile. “I am not amused.” Jon shook the smile away. “Now, if you’re done boop booping me, there is something else I want to talk with you about.”
Jessie looked at Jon with a quizzical smile.
“Not to blow my own horn but I have a new and brilliant thought my young apprentice.”
Jessie opened his mouth to comment on the blowing horn, but Jon held up his hand and cut him off.
“Stop it.”
Jessie closed his mouth and swallowed the sexual innuendo-laced comment he had forming on the tip of his tongue.”
Matthew Alan

“Love can make even nice people do awful things.”
Jude Deveraux

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