PA Author Suzanne Mattaboni and New Hope Winery to Throw

NEW HOPE, Pa., Nov. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Debut novelist and Newsweek Expert Forum contributor Suzanne Mattaboni and the New Hope Winery will host a meet-and-greet book signing party at the winery’s Tavern, at 6123 Lower York Road, in New Hope, PA. The party celebrates Mattaboni’s new novel Once in a Lifetime, which is set in New Hope in the vibrant 1980s. The event will take place Sunday, December 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and will feature ‘80s music, book signings, and two special video-based celebrity messages. One is from 1980s superstar actress Lea Thompson, the other is from Annabella Lwin, lead singer of the ‘80s new wave band Bow Wow Wow (respectively, pre-recorded courtesy of the “Cameo” platform). The Winery’s kitchen will be open during the event, offering a full menu of artisan appetizers or entrees for purchase—and of course, wine, beer, or homemade Sangria will also be available to buy at the bar.

Mattaboni’s book recently won honors in three separate award programs: The Paris Book Festival (Honorable Mention, General Fiction), The Pencraft Awards (Runner-up, Women’s Fiction) and the BookFest Awards (Second Place, Romantic Comedy). Currently available on Amazon in print and e-book versions, Kirkus Reviews called Once in a Lifetime an “ebullient and engaging story of youthful longing and independence” and a “starry-eyed coming-of-age tale.”

The novel follows the antics of four avant-garde, post-punk college girls looking for love, adventures, and tuition money during a wild, 1980s summer. It reflects the true-life zeitgeist of the New Hope of that era, depicting everything from the progressive town’s popular New Wave dance bar (a thinly-veiled Zadar’s); to its nearby punk boutiques; to various frantic restaurant kitchens, moody bars, buzzing late-night sidewalks, and volatile club performers--all of which attracted artistic and well-heeled tourists and celebrities from New York and other neighboring hot spots. New Hope has since become known as a country getaway for the rich and famous, in addition to serving as a dedicated homestead for long-time Pennsylvania locals. The New Hope Winery has become a favored venue, hosting acts like The English Beat and Fleetwood Mac tribute band Tusk in November.

The book also recalls moments from the post-punk, mid-‘80s music scene in Philadelphia, including incidents that take place on South Street, at the famous Zipperhead’s goth clothing shop, and in a semi-fictionalized version of the punk hangout of-old, The East Side Club.

Once in a Lifetime brings up themes of budding feminism as its headstrong protagonist Jessica, an emerging artist impatiently biding her time waiting tables along the Delaware Canal, is set loose in a world where women were finally told they could “have it all.” When a romance with a steamy New Wave guitarist threatens to derail her dream of getting into an exclusive overseas art program, she begins to wonder if her own ambition is hindering her ability to maintain a normal relationship. The novel takes the reader on an exuberant journey of self-discovery, friendship, and lust, peppered with musical references and pop-culture lexicons ranging from MTV videos, rubber jelly shoes, and slam dancers, to the looming fear of AIDS.

“I’m thrilled to come back to New Hope for this event,” said Mattaboni, “The town will always be special to me. It’s this beautiful, pastoral secret out there along the Delaware River, but it also always had a wild, creative side that attracted artists and free spirits. That’s what the novel and its main character explores. I’m not sure if my story could have played out the same way if it were set anywhere else. I look forward to meeting readers who are privy to the beauty and fun of Bucks County all year-round.”

ABOUT SUZANNE MATTABONI

Suzanne Mattaboni was named one of the Lehigh Valley Business Journal’s “2022 Women of Influence.” She’s a Pushcart Prize-nominated fiction writer, Newsweek Expert Forum contributor, blogger, essayist, and corporate PR consultant. A former community service reporter for Newsday, her work has been published in Seventeen, Parents, Child, The Huffington Post, Mysterious Ways, Guideposts, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She is also a host of The Banzai Retro Club podcasts, focusing on pop-culture of the ‘70s, ‘80s, & ‘90s. Suzanne is available for interviews, articles, guest posts, Q&As, and commentary. Email suzanne@mattaboni.com for a digital review copy of Once in a Lifetime. www.onceinalifetimenovel.com