Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest today the very talented David M. Matthews.

David is an Emmy award-winning composer/writer/producer and has served as Musical Director for 3 years on the CBS soap, The Young and the Restless, for which he won an Emmy for Outstanding Musical Direction & Composition.

During his tenure at "Y&R," he also executive produced a popular album containing performances by several of the show's stars, distributed by Nuance-MCA Records. He then moved on to sitcom writing, where he penned scripts for The Nanny and Living Single, as well as staff writing and producing gigs on For Your Love and Half & Half.

Subsequently he successfully teamed with filmmaker, Michael Bayouth, on the screenplays for A Howl In One and Kidnight, and helped produce the soon-to-be released documentary, A Musical Journey To Freedom. 

He has continued to write music for TV and film, composing the underscore and main title music for Valhalla, The Last Frontier, Western Avenue and Wave Babes, to name a few.

Recently he has authored Every Man Sees You Naked: An Insider's Guide to How Men Think.

Norm: Good day David and thanks for participating in our interview. How did you get started in writing music for TV and film and then sitcom writing?

David: My first music gig was on The Young and the Restless. I did about 750 episodes during my tenure there, and even won an Emmy. Soon after, however, I made the move to Primetime, and switched to the writing side, selling my first script to The Nanny.

Norm: Does your writing career ever conflict with your career as a music composer? As a follow up, how do you have time for both?

David: Since there are only so many hours in a day, I do have to choose how I’m going to spend most of my time. Lately, comedy writing has been getting the most attention. I still have time for music, but sadly, it often is forced to take a back seat. Whenever I can, however, I do like to incorporate my music into whatever show I’m working for as a writer/producer.

Norm: How was it like to write sitcoms for The Nanny and Living Single, as well as staff writing and producing gigs on For Your Love and Half & Half?

David: I’ve been very fortunate to have been affiliated with some very successful, long-running shows. Not that I’m taking any credit for their success – I was just lucky enough to have been in the right place at the right time.

I came onto The Nanny just after the pilot had been picked up to go to series. So I got to be in on the ground floor of that – which is always interesting. You know what you think the show will be, but you can never be sure until you start turning out weekly episodes. There’s an evolution that takes place. I was involved even earlier on For Your Love and Half & Half, having worked on the pilot of both those shows.

Again, it was fascinating to see those two comedies develop into the long-running series they became. On the other hand, I wrote my Living Single script after the show was already well-established, so all the creative parameters were already set, and I just did my best to contribute to an already-perfected, smooth-running machine.

Norm: How did you decide you were ready to write Every Man Sees You Naked: An Insider's Guide to How Men Think and what are your hopes for this book?

David: I seem to be the guy that women like to discuss their relationship problems with. I’m not sure why, but it’s been going on for most of my adult life – so I’ve just adapted to being the “guy expert” for female friends, relatives, co-workers, and women standing in line at Target.

Regularly, I found myself giving impromptu explanations about why men say the things they say and do the things they do. After observing this phenomenon for years, my wife, Carla, suggested that I write a book – as it was apparent there were a lot of women out there in need of instruction – when it came to their relationships with the opposite sex.

What I hope the book does – or is already doing – is opening up the lines of communication between men and women on their gender differences. I hope to, in a small way, contribute to the easing of tension, confusion, and frustration in male-female relationships through the use of humor and rather blunt and extremely candid explanations. You can’t very well teach somebody something by beating around the bush. No pun intended.

Norm: Could you tell our readers a little about your book and what would you say is the best reason to recommend someone to read the book?

David: The book, Every Man Sees You Naked: An Insider’s Guide to How Men Think, is written for women, so that they might better understand the men in their lives. It explains in a straight-forward but humorous way the inner-workings of the male mind.

Everything we like, hate, or are indifferent to is addressed to one degree or another. Why we ask women out, what we look for in a relationship, how we feel about romance, why we say we’ll call… and then don’t – are just a few of the topics covered in the book. So I guess the best reason to read the book is to better understand how your male significant-other ticks.

Norm: Did you write your book to express something you believe or was it just for entertainment?

David: While I certainly want to entertain, I do believe that this book has already helped people, as reflected in the many pieces of correspondence I’ve received.

Norm: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

David: I learned a tremendous amount about the book industry, which is currently in the midst of a huge transformation. I also learned that there are a lot of people who would rather deny the truth and live in ignorance, than accept the way thing really are and gain some necessary insight.

Norm: What kind of research did you do to write this book?

David: Mostly I utilized my experiences gleaned from many years of being a male (a condition, I admit, I was born with). I also gained wisdom from a lifetime of interacting with other men, who seemed to regularly confound, confuse, infuriate and frustrate their girlfriends, fiancées, and wives.

Norm: Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

David: I write a number of relationship advice columns, have done many call-in radio shows, and coach clients privately, so I do get a lot of “user” feedback. While I certainly have a few “haters,” overwhelmingly the response has been positive, with many women expressing how they now finally understand many of the behaviors that had mystified them for years.

Norm: Do you feel that writers, regardless of genre owe something to readers, if not, why not, if so, why and what would that be?

David: I believe a writers job is to entertain, inform, and to ideally cause the reader to think. If I’ve done any of those things I’m pleased. And if I’ve accomplished all three – beautiful!

Norm: What are you upcoming projects?

David: I recently finished working on the 3rd season of The Soul Man for TVland. It’s a very funny show, which I hope sticks around for many more episodes.

I also have a new relationship book coming out next spring, which will cover in greater detail that which I touched on in Every Man Sees You Naked. It will also answer many of the reader questions I’ve received since Every Man Sees You Naked hit the bookshelves.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Every Man Sees You Naked: An Insider's Guide to How Men Think?

David: The best place for readers to find out more about the book is to go to the WEBSITE. There they will be able to access my advice column, contact me with their own relationship questions, schedule a consultation, or buy a copy of the book.

Norm: As this interview draws to a close what one question would you have liked me to ask you? Please share your answer.

David: Actually, Norm, you were very thorough! Perhaps the only question I would have wanted you to ask was: Do I think there’s hope for men and women to be able to effectively communicate with each other and live blissfully together, understanding and accepting each others differences?

And the answer is: Absolutely – as long as they read Every Man Sees You Naked: An Insider’s Guide to How Men Think.

Now that’s a blatantly opportunistic plug, if ever I’ve seen one. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to make it. And thank you, too, for the interview!

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors

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