Inspired by her son’s love for his car seat, long car rides, and most of all, their morning commute, New Jersey native Ashley L. Matias began to ask him, “What do you see?” That simple question transformed their daily routine into an adventure and created countless opportunities to interact. With a deep sense of empathy and a commitment to support her son’s speech development, Ashley turned to her love of poetry and songwriting to help her son find his voice. Drawing from her own memories of sitting in a car seat, she created The Ride Along Series to capture the world through a child’s eyes and encourage parents to slow down and narrate the often overlooked, yet meaningful, moments of childhood.
Q: What inspired the idea behind your book?
A: Helping my son overcome his speech delay was the primary inspiration for the book. Throughout early intervention, we were repeatedly told to narrate life.
Q: As an author, what tips would you give anyone who wants to get into writing?
A: Even the most ordinary things can make extraordinary books!
Q: What is your favorite book?
A: My favorite children’s book is The Hungry Caterpillar.
My favorite adult books are The Awakening and The Great Gatsby.
Q: Was your main character modeled after anyone in your life?
A: There is no main character in the book because I want all children to see themselves in the pages, but it was inspired by my son, Joey.
Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
A: Watching the ideas in my head come to life and turn into something tangible.
Q: Do you believe that being a “good writer” is a developed skill or a natural talent?
A: I believe being a good writer is a natural talent. My love for reading and writing came at such a young age. I’ve been writing poetry and songs since I was five to six years old.
Q: Do you have a favorite book, poem, TV, or movie quote?
A: My favorite quote and why I love to write is: “The unspoken becomes the unspeakable.”
Q: Would you write another book (or are you already writing another book)?
A: I absolutely intend to write more children’s books, as this book is the first in a series of five (maybe more). I also have outlined a memoire called “I Don’t Sip Hot Coffee.”
Q: Is there an author you look up to, and why?
A: Daniel Handler, the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events, was a huge inspiration to me growing up. I loved the series and would read the books out loud on my bed every day in grammar/elementary school.
Q: If there were an apocalypse and you could only take five books into your doomsday bunker, what would they be?
A: I will be honest: I gave up reading for pleasure when I started my legal career, so I wouldn’t even know! I think I would have to go with The Awakening, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, and The Catcher in the Rye.
Learn more about Ashley L. Matias and her new book, The Ride Along Series: My Hometown, here. Coming soon on September 30, 2025!