Email: matt@mattbloom.com
author of adult literary fiction and children's fiction books
"A rollicking, funny, surprisingly thoughtful sendup of the current climate of political discontent." Kirkus Reviews
About Matt
An author's journey
Matt Bloom has worked many jobs over the years to support his writing habit, including but not limited to kitchen hand, freight elevator operator, migrant laborer, truck driver, bartender, and currently as an anti-money laundering investigator. Matt grew up on Long Island and has lived briefly in Australia, Mexico, upstate New York, and Ohio. He now lives in Manhattan with his wife, Shelley Simmons-Bloom, and their cat, Bunny. Matt’s first published work of fiction was a short story in the Westside Spirit, a free weekly newspaper that still exists. His three previous novels are Blue Paradise (Red Brick Press 1998), A Death in the Hamptons (Hatherleigh 2002), and The Last Romantic (Hatherleigh 2005). His children’s books are the award-winning Hello, My Name is Bunny! (2016) and Hello, My Name is Bunny! London (2018). Matt has also earned fiction fellowships at Sewanee Writers’ Conference (1998), Breadloaf Writers’ Conference (1999), and a residence at MacDowell Artists’ Colony (2003).
Photo credit: Peter Meitzler
NEW RELEASE (2019)
Salt of the Nation (Adelaide Books, April 2019)
"A rollicking, funny, surprisingly thoughtful sendup of the current climate of political discontent." Kirkus Review
Salt of the Nation is the story of Harry McBride, a disillusioned gravel plant worker who impulsively slugs the Republican presidential nominee during a campaign photo-op and instantly becomes America’s most famous fugitive and newest hero.
Harry’s vicious punch is caught on camera and immediately goes viral as he flees the scene of his crime and heads for Mexico. While being pursued across the country by a zealous born again private investigator, Harry is taunted via the airwaves by Grover Budd, a Rush Limbaugh-like radio host who doggedly portrays Harry as a subversive agent of the "socialist" Democratic Party.
Despite Grover Budd’s efforts, Harry soon becomes a role model to working-class men and a sex symbol to disaffected women longing to escape their unfulfilling lives. To a single mother he meets, Harry is a healer with the power to cure her chronically-ill son. College professors start teaching ad-hoc courses on Harry, a song about him goes to number one, and radio stations stage Harry McBride Punch-Out Contests to raise money for the troops. That’s not to mention the Harry McBride Society, hastily contrived to cash in on the free-floating rage and frustration to which Harry has given a name and a face.
Set during the run-up to a pivotal presidential election, Salt of the Nation is more than a road story; it’s a novel about a land riven by broken promises, thwarted dreams, and populism gone awry. It’s the story of a contemporary America equally divided and galvanized by an ordinary man’s rash act and desperate journey.
Readers have called Salt of the Nation "smartly written and enormously enjoyable," "darkly comedic," and "a true page-turner."
Other Adult Fiction by Matt Bloom
Blue Paradise (Red Brick Press, 1998)
"...this novel introduces a talent whose ability to create interesting characters and drive them through a narrative marks him as an author to watch." Publishers Weekly
In a style reminiscent of James T. Farrell and Lawrence Block, Blue Paradise takes the reader into a lonely world of heavy drinkers, prostitutes, bar fights, scam artists, and losers…and to a world where the indomitable human spirit can always be redeemed.
From behind the bar at Blue Paradise, Nick Gallagher has seen it all. His one hope of getting away from the rundown tenements and grimy streets of Hell’s Kitchen is his next boxing match, the biggest of his career. Jimmy, the local bookie, has a different idea, though.
From Hell’s Kitchen to Times Square to the casinos of Atlantic City, this stunning literary debut delivers a knockout punch.
A Death in the Hamptons (Hatherleigh Press, 2002)
“A good read...Bloom captures both sides of the Hamptons brilliantly." Hollywood Insider
It’s getting hot in New York City, and the chic, elite, and well-to-do are headed to their favorite summer retreat on the East End of Long Island. But this year it’s not a celebrity or Wall Street mogul who starts tongues wagging and the scandal sheets rolling. It’s local fisherman, Andrew Kane, who has the misfortune of reeling in the headless body of a second-rate actor along with his morning catch. This is just the start of Andrew’s descent into the darkness, danger, and intrigue lurking just beneath the glitz and glamour of the Hamptons.
The Last Romantic (Hatherleigh Press, 2005)
"A highly entertaining read." Port Washington News
The Last Romantic follows twenty-one-year-old David Hirschberg on his journey through Las Vegas as he desperately tries to lose his virginity. One amongst thousands seeking sex, excitement, and easy money, David finds himself uncontrollably drawn to the wrong people and entangled in a web of danger and deceit that he must use his wits and a fair amount luck to extricate himself from.
Children's fiction by Matt Bloom
Hello, My Name is Bunny! NYC (2016)
"After finishing this book, I was immediately consumed with jealousy. Bunny had so many fun-sounding adventures, and now I have like 50 things on my cat bucket list." Thomas, That Cat Blog
Winner of a New York City Big Book Award, this enchanting children's fiction chapter book is inspired by Matt's real-life rescue cat named Bunny. Hello, My Name is Bunny! is the tale of a small kitty with a big heart who's finally found her fur-ever home. Yet Bunny can't seem to enjoy her good luck knowing other animals aren't as fortunate as she is.
This desire to help those in need compels Bunny to escape her safe, comfy apartment and embark on a wild adventure that takes her through Manhattan's busy streets and over its towering skyscrapers in a daring attempt to rescue a mistreated carriage horse.
Features 15 original illustrations by artist Pippa Mayell.
$2 from every book sold is donated to KittyKind, the group who rescued Bunny in 2014, and other U.S. rescue groups.
Hello, My Name is Bunny! London
"...this beautifully illustrated and equally beautifully written story will charm children and adults alike. I was pulled into the story from the very first page. As was the case with the first book, the antics of Bunny and her friends had me smiling throughout the book." Ingrid King, The Conscious Cat
Foxes in peril! No problem. Bunny Simmons-Bloom to the rescue!
Hello, My Name is Bunny! London is the tale of a small kitty with a big heart, who's finally found her fur-ever home and is on a mission to pay forward her good fortune. In this second story in the Hello, My Name is Bunny! series, Bunny teams up with 10-year-old Lily Hayward, Rocky, the lazy tabby cat, and Goldy, the adorable and mischievous golden labrador puppy, on a daring adventure that takes them through nighttime London in a bold attempt to save the city's foxes.
Features 22 beautiful color illustrations by artist Pippa Mayell. Suitable for ages 6+ and cat-lovers of every age.
$2 from every book sold is donated to KittyKind, the group who rescued Bunny in 2014, and other U.S. rescue groups.
Hello, My Name is Bunny! Paris (2022)
Mona Lisa—the world's most famous painting—has been stolen and is being held for ransom by a pair of dastardly art thieves. Never fear! Bunny Bloom and her loyal friends, Violette the lovable Jack Russell, Sam the Swallow, Spidey the Spider, Carl the Catfish, and a pair of ridiculously cute rats named Renoir and Renata are there to save the day!
Hello, My Name is Bunny! Paris is the third book in this illustrated chapter book series, which also includes Hello, My Name is Bunny! New York City and Hello, My Name is Bunny! London.
Features 22 beautiful color illustrations by artist Pippa Mayell. Suitable for ages 6+ and cat-lovers of every age.
$2 from every book sold is donated to KittyKind, the group who rescued Bunny in 2014, and other U.S. rescue groups.