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No Matter What: A Short Novel
The revised edition for middle schools and high schools. Vetted by educators, principals and librarians. Safe for use in schools. Serious topic but no curse words or sexual content. Formerly titled: "Forever My Lady".
Unknown Binding
First published November 29, 2013
5 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Rivera
45 books70 followersJeff Rivera is an author and inspirational media personality. He has appeared on national television, radio and print in such outlets as Forbes.com, The Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Right On! Magazine, Rotarian Magazine, TMZ, WABC, WNBC, WCBS, SITV, American Latino and NPR.
He also writes or has written for Mediabistro, GalleyCat, Publishing Perspectives, Digital Book World, Examiner, American Chronicle, School Library Journal and the Huffington Post and has been invited to speak and inspire groups all over the world from South Carolina to Nigeria. He has been on panel discussions for The Library Journal, Authors Guild, the Harlem Book Fair and many others.
He is known to have broken the news that Seth Godin was ditching traditional publishing which lead to mentions on hundreds of blogs and media outlets including The LA Times, Fast Company, and New York Observer. His news break that Jackie Collins would be self-publishing the US-version of her eBook lead to mentions in The Bookseller, The Guardian, USA Today and hundreds of other outlets.
His humble beginnings of living in American poverty on welfare and food stamps as the child of a single mother, to his days living in his car and final rise to becoming a published author, journalist and media personality have inspired many.
Rivera created a massive online following before the eBook revolution even existed. He was able to land an agent and a book deal with Warner Books (now known as Grand Central Publishing) within 7 days. He has used the knowledge he gained from this experience to help coach his clients on social media campaigns and has helped over 100 clients take the first step in landing an agent too.
He also writes or has written for Mediabistro, GalleyCat, Publishing Perspectives, Digital Book World, Examiner, American Chronicle, School Library Journal and the Huffington Post and has been invited to speak and inspire groups all over the world from South Carolina to Nigeria. He has been on panel discussions for The Library Journal, Authors Guild, the Harlem Book Fair and many others.
He is known to have broken the news that Seth Godin was ditching traditional publishing which lead to mentions on hundreds of blogs and media outlets including The LA Times, Fast Company, and New York Observer. His news break that Jackie Collins would be self-publishing the US-version of her eBook lead to mentions in The Bookseller, The Guardian, USA Today and hundreds of other outlets.
His humble beginnings of living in American poverty on welfare and food stamps as the child of a single mother, to his days living in his car and final rise to becoming a published author, journalist and media personality have inspired many.
Rivera created a massive online following before the eBook revolution even existed. He was able to land an agent and a book deal with Warner Books (now known as Grand Central Publishing) within 7 days. He has used the knowledge he gained from this experience to help coach his clients on social media campaigns and has helped over 100 clients take the first step in landing an agent too.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 24, 2013
What path would you choose?
Another great work from Mr. Rivera.
The main character, Dio Rodriguez has lived the high life of gangster in Los Angles until he and his love, Jennifer, decide it’s time to leave the life and start over. But fate has a different idea.
Dio finds himself in a detention camp while Jennifer is fighting to survive multiple gun shots. Did that get your attention?
Will Dio learn what it means to be a real man under the tutelage of Sergeant Jackson, or will he only mark his times waiting to return to his former life. And, will Jennifer wait for Dio, or will she be forced to choose a different path with their shared child?
This is a great short story of hope and change.
Another great work from Mr. Rivera.
The main character, Dio Rodriguez has lived the high life of gangster in Los Angles until he and his love, Jennifer, decide it’s time to leave the life and start over. But fate has a different idea.
Dio finds himself in a detention camp while Jennifer is fighting to survive multiple gun shots. Did that get your attention?
Will Dio learn what it means to be a real man under the tutelage of Sergeant Jackson, or will he only mark his times waiting to return to his former life. And, will Jennifer wait for Dio, or will she be forced to choose a different path with their shared child?
This is a great short story of hope and change.
April 18, 2025
A well-paced story keeps the reader engaged without feeling rushed or dragging.
January 13, 2014
"A Very Moving Story"
This is a young adult story reflecting the hard times that a minority teen sometimes must face. Dio Rodriguez and Jennifer Lalita Sanchez have known each other since they were 13 years old at Clark Middle School in Las Vegas. Dio was one of only a few Mexican teens who lacks skills expected of him at his age. Often teachers and students made fun of him. He was unfortunate at home, also, as his mother was an alcoholic, one who would beat him, and provide little food. He knew all about discrimination as a Mexican, people often looked upon him as a thief. He becomes active in a gang, and when there was trouble, Jennifer was always there to support him. The both shared dreams of making it out of the barrio and living a good life. But he is too young to have a good life yet, and has been in and out of juvenile hall several times, as well as being bounced around in the foster home program. At 17 years of age, he and Jennifer link up again, falling deeper in love. Then one night as they try to make their final escape from the barrio and the gang, Dio and Jennifer are enroute to Los Angeles when suddenly the car swerves to the left with a flat tire. They slide off to the side of the wet pavement. A car is approaching and Jennifer stands on the road waving for help. There was no help -- only guns blasting at them from a racing car. This story tells of the ordeal that Dio works through while at a military-like boot camp detention center. It's an experience which many young adults go through when they lack family and friends who are able to offer them encouragement to stay on the right track. This story gives one solid information of how hard it is to redeem one's self and to think and react with maturity. A good story for teens and parents alike. Hopefully this short story will keep maybe just one teen on the right track...hopefully more. Good job, Author Jeff Rivera. Yes, I would like to read a sequel to "No Matter What."
This is a young adult story reflecting the hard times that a minority teen sometimes must face. Dio Rodriguez and Jennifer Lalita Sanchez have known each other since they were 13 years old at Clark Middle School in Las Vegas. Dio was one of only a few Mexican teens who lacks skills expected of him at his age. Often teachers and students made fun of him. He was unfortunate at home, also, as his mother was an alcoholic, one who would beat him, and provide little food. He knew all about discrimination as a Mexican, people often looked upon him as a thief. He becomes active in a gang, and when there was trouble, Jennifer was always there to support him. The both shared dreams of making it out of the barrio and living a good life. But he is too young to have a good life yet, and has been in and out of juvenile hall several times, as well as being bounced around in the foster home program. At 17 years of age, he and Jennifer link up again, falling deeper in love. Then one night as they try to make their final escape from the barrio and the gang, Dio and Jennifer are enroute to Los Angeles when suddenly the car swerves to the left with a flat tire. They slide off to the side of the wet pavement. A car is approaching and Jennifer stands on the road waving for help. There was no help -- only guns blasting at them from a racing car. This story tells of the ordeal that Dio works through while at a military-like boot camp detention center. It's an experience which many young adults go through when they lack family and friends who are able to offer them encouragement to stay on the right track. This story gives one solid information of how hard it is to redeem one's self and to think and react with maturity. A good story for teens and parents alike. Hopefully this short story will keep maybe just one teen on the right track...hopefully more. Good job, Author Jeff Rivera. Yes, I would like to read a sequel to "No Matter What."
June 17, 2013
No Matter What is the high school edition of Forever My Lady, which i have previously read and reviewed.
The story is about a young man, Dio, who has to serve a sentence in `Prison Boot Camp' while his girlfriend, Jennifer, recovers from a drive by shooting that she was a victim of. Their relationship struggles with getting over what happened, however not just the accident but everything else that lead them to that moment. Will Dio let go of his past and become the man Jennifer needs him to be?
This kind of story is something i would not generally go for however i really enjoyed it. It was well written with my interest being piqued from the beginning.
I liked Dio's character from the start and i enjoyed seeing his growth as the story progressed.
I did find that the intermingled Spanish interrupted the flow of reading for me as i am unfamiliar with the language, however i did get used to it and i understand that it makes the story more believable.
The story was well paced and unlike Forever My Lady, i felt the ending fitted in well with the rest of the book. I was not disappointed.
Overall i really enjoyed reading the book and i would definitely recommend it to both males and females, especially if you're looking for an urban kind of love story. I would definitely feel comfortable for my high schooler to be reading it.
This review is based on a digital copy provided by the author.
www.readingforthemasses.wordpress.com
The story is about a young man, Dio, who has to serve a sentence in `Prison Boot Camp' while his girlfriend, Jennifer, recovers from a drive by shooting that she was a victim of. Their relationship struggles with getting over what happened, however not just the accident but everything else that lead them to that moment. Will Dio let go of his past and become the man Jennifer needs him to be?
This kind of story is something i would not generally go for however i really enjoyed it. It was well written with my interest being piqued from the beginning.
I liked Dio's character from the start and i enjoyed seeing his growth as the story progressed.
I did find that the intermingled Spanish interrupted the flow of reading for me as i am unfamiliar with the language, however i did get used to it and i understand that it makes the story more believable.
The story was well paced and unlike Forever My Lady, i felt the ending fitted in well with the rest of the book. I was not disappointed.
Overall i really enjoyed reading the book and i would definitely recommend it to both males and females, especially if you're looking for an urban kind of love story. I would definitely feel comfortable for my high schooler to be reading it.
This review is based on a digital copy provided by the author.
www.readingforthemasses.wordpress.com
September 12, 2013
For Dio, being sent to boot camp is torture- he’s not allowed to use the phone to call his friends or girlfriend (who was shot multiple times in gang related violence), he’s sure the drill instructor is out to get him, he’s forced to constantly work or work out… Granted, things are bad but they could always be worse. When he finally speaks with his girlfriend, Jennifer, she breaks up with him because she’s decided she must leave the life of gangs and prostitution behind her, which includes Dio. Dio vows to fight for Jennifer, which involves changing his perspective. Ultimately, he realizes that boot camp has been a blessing in disguise for it forced him to grow up and break away from his former gang. He lost Jennifer but he gained self respect.
Rivera’s No Matter What is an excellent short novel. I enjoyed it so much that once I finished reading it, I read it again!
Rivera’s No Matter What is an excellent short novel. I enjoyed it so much that once I finished reading it, I read it again!
February 4, 2014
No Matter What is a great book for middle school kids. It's one of the few books I've taught that kids could not put down. They took the novel home and wanted time to read in class. They even got upset when others read ahead and wanted to discuss the ending. A great read.
May 12, 2014
Great short story..enjoyed it much..please continue to write. D.Valles Atl Ga
great short read, It has
the feel of youth struggle,pain with a touch of mature admiration. keep writing Jeff thanks!
great short read, It has
the feel of youth struggle,pain with a touch of mature admiration. keep writing Jeff thanks!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews