Press Release/Interview Availability

New Jersey Author Roller Skates Through Career Reinvention and Healing Through Fiction

Michael Blatherwick is a Bordentown, New Jersey, based author of Photograph and the Atomic Juggernaut, a fiction love letter to New Jersey and roller skating.

In his current novel, Michael Blatherwick weaves a young adult light science fiction adventure story about Dana Jefferson, a young woman searching to uncover her family’s secret military science project deep in the Pine Barrens, aided by “local boy” Nick Andrews and her two military grade roller skates, Laverne and Shirley. Through their friendship-based adventure, the two discover strength to confront their shortcomings as well as stay one step (or skate) ahead of a nefarious organization with ties to Dana’s family. Michael Blatherwick weaves a story based on the dark vastness and rich local communities in South Jersey, with some familiar and not-so-familiar sights and locations.

In the process of birthing the novel, the first in a trilogy, Michael walked away from a career in financial data during the COVID lockdown to pursue his dream, rebuild his career, and confront his diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptomatic.

“My father passed away in 2017, and as the first responder on the scene, I carried a lot of weight and feelings that made me reflect on my life goals. I found a support group after my diagnosis by a professional, and I looked at what my strengths were, what I wanted people to really know about me, and how I could use my skills to do good work. It was like being a super-hero with math skills.”

The development of the book came naturally on long drives through the Pine Barrens where his father grew up, seeking solace in the darkness and the comfy conversations in small towns. The idea dawned to create a character who could walk through his experience and become a deflection point for mental and emotional trauma. The titular Atomic Juggernaut became a walking embodiment of the “800-pound gorilla in the room”, a hulking radioactive opponent.

“I saw Dana as a way to introduce people to my journey. We don’t choose the experiences that life and our families put us through, but how we react to them can create clarity. Over the course of the books. Dana will develop and reflect my experiences with PTSD and that doubt that comes with ‘wandering’ through life choices. Even when we don’t feel like we have responsibilities, we still have to be responsible as individuals.”

While he worked on reinventing himself, working at a yearbook company, he learned the self-publishing process and financed his book costs with the support of his wife and his hobby of selling toys and comic books. With a stroke of luck, he was able to secure a freelance editor who also works at a major publishing company. He currently works in the finance department of a non=profit that provides housing and life assistance for people with disabilities.

“We all love a good hero story. There was no better way to make my dream come true than by selling the building blocks that enamored me with superheroes and pop culture.”

But why roller skates?

“There’s something wonderful about skating. My wife is a roller skater and we’ve gone to see roller derby in Asbury Park in the past. On one of my drives, I found the imagery came to me while the radio was blasting, just the sweeping graceful but powerful charge of a skater pushing against the pavement faster and faster. Each chapter in my book bears the title of a song to keep that soundtrack moving along. It’s a built-in playlist if the reader chooses to follow it, and there may be a few Easter eggs buried inside those lyrics as well.”

The sequel, Photograph and the Daughters of Invention, released in August of 2023. The third book’s draft is almost complete, with a release date of 2024.

“It’s important to really feed your readers and keep up with their expectations. It’s a bit of pressure, but I find that it keeps me on track and helps me work through my PTSD symptoms as I project them onto my poor protagonist through the series. It’s a hero’s journey for sure, but it’s also a happy ending.”

Photograph and the Atomic Juggernaut is available now in paperback and eBook on most major online booksellers.

For bookclub discounts, please contact me directly.

Michael Blatherwick
duckduckmike@gmail.com
www.michaelblatherwick.com
@Blatherwords on Twitter