Today, we’re joined by Matty, the main character in Wendy Russo’s debut novel, January Black. Buckle up to learn more about this awesome novel.
Boyce: Hey Matty. Welcome to the blog!
Matty: Thanks. I like the colors. They’re pleasant.
Boyce: Well thank you. Before we get started, tell us a little about your century. What’s it like?
Matty: It’s not much different than yours, I guess. I’ve only seen pictures of the 20th and 21st centuries, but we have cities and farms, and villages in between. Bookstores with beverages. [shrugs] Do girls make fun of smart guys where you come from?
Boyce: All the time. Sorry buddy. Now, I heard you have to answer a deceptively simple question to get your school diploma. There’s a lot at stake! Can you tell us a little more about January Black?
Matty: January Black is a ship. That’s all I’m at liberty to say, except that you’re right. Deceptively simple. “A ship” is the only answer to be found in our databases, but it’s not the answer that Hadrian wants. Should have realized he wasn’t going to just give me a diploma.
Boyce: Would you have turned down the challenge? Was that an option?
Matty: It was an option, actually, and no. I like puzzles, and this is the first time I’ve ever been stumped.
Boyce: Impressive. That probably contributes to your mischievous sense of humor. What’s your favorite prank of all the ones you’ve pulled?
Matty: The prank that got me expelled. My civics master asked a rudimentary question about the Regent Assembly. A six year old could have answered it. So, instead of just writing 12…the number of Prime Regents…I drew the atomic model for magnesium. The Headmaster didn’t like the answer, but Hadrian thought it was hilarious.
Boyce: Tell us a bit about King Hadrian. He seems like a pretty neat guy to give you that second chance.
Matty: I don’t know. I mean, yes, he’s a great man. I’d rather spend time with Hadrian than with my own parents. But, I can’t help thinking the man has an agenda.
Boyce: I hear there’s a special someone in your life. What did you think the first time you met Iris?
Matty: [smiles] I thought she was cute. And she is the impossible girl. Sweet. Smart. Beautiful. She’s become my compass. I’m easily distracted and can obsess about things. She’s very good about setting me back on path. I don’t ever want to lose her.
Boyce: Then she’s a lucky girl. Thanks for stopping by.
Matty: Thanks for having me!
About January Black
Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma.
More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple.
What was January Black?
It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He’s been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost…or call the king’s bluff.
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About Wendy Russo
Wendy S. Russo got her start writing in the sixth grade. That story involved a talisman with crystals that had to be found and assembled before bad things happened, and dialog that read like classroom roll call. Since then, she’s majored in journalism (for one semester), published poetry, taken a course on short novels, and watched most everything ever filmed by Quentin Tarantino. A Wyoming native transplanted in Baton Rouge, Wendy works for Louisiana State University as an IT analyst. She’s a wife, a mom, a Tiger, a Who Dat, and she falls asleep on her couch at 8:30 on weeknights.