When I think about where I am in life today, I know I wouldn’t be here without my mom. She’s always been my number one fan and supported all of my ambitions, no matter how absurd they seemed at the time. “Hey mom, I’m going to play Division I football even though I wasn’t recruited by any schools.” “I believe in you, son!” And so, I walked on and earned a full ride scholarship and helped our team win two Big Ten championships. “Hey mom, I’m going to be an anchor in Kansas City someday even though the 50 stations I sent tapes too right after college graduation all declined to hire me.” “I believe in you, son!” I’ve been an anchor and reporter in Kansas City for the past 20 years. “Hey mom, I’m going to be an author even though I can’t get a traditional publisher in New York to look at my manuscript.” “I believe in you, son!” I’ve written five books so far, all to great reviews, and have worked with Reedy Press out of St. Louis for my last two. In every step of my life, even when the odds seemed stacked against me, my mom many times believed in me more than I believed in myself. And her belief in me propelled me to success.

Now don’t get me wrong. My mom doesn’t just tell me what I want to hear. She’s a pragmatist. A realist. She calls it like she sees it. If she doesn’t like something I’ve written, she’ll tell me. She doesn’t mince words. It’s not that she’s doubting me. She’s pushing me to be better. And I appreciate that. When I first told her I wanted to be an author and planned to write about my experiences as a walk-on football player at Northwestern University, she was the first to tell me she knew I would write a fantastic book. I sent her my initial manuscript and she pored over it with a black marker, letting me know what she liked and what she didn’t like. It’s been the same with every book I’ve written. She sends me her notes on every book, and I make the changes needed to make it better. Her honesty has made me a better writer. It’s helped me realize I need to work even harder to ensure every book is the absolute best it can be. And the proof is in the reviews. Every book I’ve written has received five star reviews. To me, getting five stars from an objective reviewer is important. If someone who doesn’t know me enjoys my writing, I take it as proof I am doing something right. And it’s all because of my mom’s notes. My mom is always willing to tell me her honest thoughts regardless of my feelings. My mom isn’t just trying to make me happy. She’s not just trying to make me like her. She’s trying to make me better.

Knowing I can depend on my mom to tell me her true feelings has helped me stay humble and understand that I can always be better. After Chrissy, she’s my biggest fan. I’ve always trusted her judgement because she’s always been an avid reader. When I was in high school, I would come home late at night to find my mom awake in bed with her bedside lamp on reading. Her love for reading influenced me greatly. She often took me to the library as a kid, and I loved finding new books to read. In the fourth grade, I begged her to let me read Stephen King’s “Pet Semetery”. She eventually relented, and I’m glad she did because it opened my mind to the possibilities of the imagination. Sure, I had nightmares about dead cats and kids coming back to life, but reading those types of books sparked my imagination to run wild. I wanted to write like Stephen King, and I try to emulate him today with his conversational style of writing. My mom was constantly reading and recommending new books to me. All that reading helped me develope my own style of writing. I write conversationally, not necessarily artistically, as I want you to feel as if I am talking to you.

With my new “The Kansas City Royals: An Illustrated History” book, I sent her the manuscript before it was published. I do that for every book. She read it and loved it. With each new book she reads, she has fewer notes. I’m getting better, she says. But whenever she sends me a note, I take it seriously. I consider her your average reader. If something bothers her, it’ll bother other readers. Her guidance helps me to create the best manuscript possible. So, in the end, I would say my mom has always demanded the best of me. Through her support and guidance, I’ve learned how to demand the best of myself. I owe her a huge thanks for helping me become the person and writer I am today.

So as we approach Mother’s Day, I challenge you to reflect on your mom’s influence on your life. How has she helped you reach your potential? How has she challenged you to be better than you would’ve been through your own devices? Our mom’s are the reason we are who we are today, and as we approach Mother’s Day, I hope you take the time to thank her for all the hard work she’s put in to raise you to be the best person you could ever be. I know I appreciate my mom. She is part of me, and I will forever be grateful for that.

How well do you know your Kansas City Royals? I’ve created a fun quiz you can print off and share with family and friends to test their – and your – knowledge of Royals history. If you’ve already read my book “The Kansas City Royals: An Illustrated Timeline”, this will be easy! If not, well, good luck! The answer key is upside down at the bottom of the page. No cheating! Let me know how many questions you answer correctly by messaging me at facebook.com/Matt.Stewart.4. Have fun, and go Royals!

https://mattstewartbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/RoyalsTrivia.pdf

As part of the “getting my book out there” effort, I have scheduled a TON of public appearances over the next few months. I will be doing presentations at local libraries with special guests from the Royals, selling and signing books at Farmer’s Markets, and meeting people at locally owned businesses that support my writing efforts. Chrissy is going to make an effort to come to all of my events as she loves meeting you, too, considering how many of you have reached out in support as she battles cancer. We both appreciate your prayers and words of comfort. Thank you! If you look at the calendar on this page, you’ll see the date and place of all my events. Feel free to pick one close to your home. And don’t feel pressured to buy anything! Just come out and say hi. I will say, though, I am BLOWN away with how much you all love my new Royals books. I am continually getting messages and emails from people who absolutely love this book. And I’m telling you, just open up and take a look for yourself. Honestly, it is the most beautiful Royals book ever made. That’s intentional. Before writing this book, I read every Royals book out there. I was disappointed with how dull they were. Black and white photos. Long stories. I did the opposite. I filled it with large, beautiful color photos. I wrote a ton of shorter stories filled with interesting tidbits you might not know about great Royals players and moments from the past. One woman wrote, “Bought this book for my husband as a gift. He continues to go back to it and has commented how much he has enjoyed it!” And another fan: “This is such a wonderful book, rich with KC Royals history. It’s full of beautiful photographs and great stories. Our family have been lifelong Royals fans and love adding this book to our collection.” Or this comment: “We purchased Matt Stewart’s book The Kansas City Royals for our daughter, who’s the biggest Royals fan we know. She loves it! We are thrilled with all the information in this book along with the amazing photos! The in-depth information is amazing!! Thank you Matt for an amazing look into The Kansas City Royals!!!” Thank you all who are loving it, and thanks in advance for all of you who plan to get it for your family. I appreciate all of you!

I am so excited for all of you to get your hands on my new book, “The Kansas City Royals: An Illustrated History”. I grew up in Omaha a HUGE Royals fan. During my childhood, I listened to most games on the radio as only a few Royals games were ever on TV. If they were, you bet you’d find me in front of the television, watching Mark Gubicza strike out Don Mattingly. We didn’t go to a lot of games in Kansas City as my parents didn’t have the means, but we went to a few – and I went to a lot more once I moved to KC in 2004. My first year as a fan was 1987 – I was in seventh grade. I just missed their first World championship, but I’ve followed them religiously through the good times and the bad. I rejoiced in 2014 and 2015 when we went to two consecutive World Series, and now I am patiently waiting for the current Royals brass to turn this team around with young talent like Bobby Witt Jr. and give us a team to root for once again.

When Reedy Press asked me to write a follow-up to my “Unique Eats and Eateries of Kansas City” book, we discussed potential topics. I was interested in writing another restaurants book as I missed many great ones due to page constraints. They thought that might be a better book later. We then discussed sports. Reedy recently published a Chiefs Illustrated book, so I suggested the Royals. “But they aren’t any good right now. You’ll struggle to sell it.” “No, not at all,” I said. “If you know Royals fans, they a passionate whether the team is winning or losing. With the awesome history of this team, there are a TON of Royals fans who will want this book.” I spent hundreds of hours pouring over the team’s history to get every detail right. I fact-checked with Curt Nelson, the Director of the Royals Hall of Fame. I picked all the essential stories throughout the decades that truly told the story of this team. I approached it as a journalist. I write about the cocaine scandal of 1983, how hemorrhoids affected George Brett in the 1980 World Series, and how David Glass brought a Walmart philosophy to the team – and caused them to lose many games. I detail every single year and the important stories of those years. I profile some of the greatest players of the team – many who saw greater success elsewhere but got their start in KC. I even profile such Royals legends as Denny Matthews, George Toma, Art Stewart, and of course, Ewing Kauffman, the man who saved baseball for Kansas City. This is an essential read for all Royals fans, whether you are a die-hard or casual fan. There are more than 160 pictures, fascinating stories, and a fresh perspective on our team. I hope you give it a try!

Writing a book is one thing. Getting it into your hands is a whole other beast. Convincing you it is worth your time and money is a challenge I have taken head on. I’ve never really been a salesman. I hate trying to convince people to buy things. However, when I am passionate about something and believe in it with all my heart, then it becomes a lot easier to talk to people about it. With my books, I’ve put a little bit of my soul in each one of them. The first book I ever published, “The Walk-On,” is all about me. It took a lot of courage to put all my feelings and emotions to paper and then have you read them. As a journalist, I am all about honesty, and so I bring truth to all my books. I think people appreciate that. “The Walk-On” won top prize is the Reader’s Favorite contest in the the Nonfiction Sports category, telling me that readers also appreciate honesty. In “The Man From KNEW News,” I open up about the ugly side of the TV industry – albeit in humorous fashion. “Tripp in Time” gave me the chance to flex my creative muscles with an exciting time-travel story. And now, “Unique Eats and Eateries in Kansas City” gives me the chance to share the wonderful stories and food from many local chefs. I am so proud with how this book turned out! The pictures pop off the page, every narrative is intriguing and interesting, and this love letter to Kansas City cuisine gives you the chance to learn more about all these great restaurants. So many people are using my book as a guide on where to go out to eat on weekends, trying to break their habit of going to the same places all the time. I spent 18 months researching and writing this book, and I am proud with how it turned out.

I decided early on I needed to be relentless in my marketing efforts. On average, it takes 5-10 exposures to a product before a person begins to think about buying it. I try to be creative in my social media posts, and every time I post I end up selling books while gaining visits to this website. I try not to post about my book every day. I try to pace it out, reminding you that my book is out there. THANK YOU to all who have bought my books. It is an absolute pleasure knowing you are reading and enjoying it.

Whenever I finish a book and put it out there for you to read, there’s always a moment of hesitation. Will you like it? Will you recommend it to others? We all like different types of books and enjoy different styles of writing. I tend to write in broadcast style – short, to the point, with a creative flair. When I released “Unique Eats and Eateries of Kansas City” in October, my gut said people would love it. The color pictures pop from the page. The stories of these local restaurants and chefs are fantastic. But every writer still has a kernel of doubt in their head when their new book is released. Thankfully, all of you have destroyed that doubt with your positive comments. So many of you have reached out to tell me how much you LOVE the book. Thank you!

You get it – we have a vibrant and rich culinary scene in Kansas City and we SHOULD support our local chefs. Getting to know them and their stories only enhances our dining experience. It allows us to better appreciate the people who make the food and bring it to our table. The restaurant business is brutal. According to the National Restaurant Association, 30% of restaurants don’t survive their first year. One in three will close before they even get started. To see so many great restaurants not only survive the pandemic but continue to thrive today is wonderful. It means you – and the rest of our community – are going out to eat, visiting these restaurants, giving them your hard earned cash in exchange for a delicious meal so they can cook tomorrow for someone else.

I wrote this book to encourage ALL of you to eat local. That’s why I give you – for FREE – a restaurant checklist bookmark with every sale. I want you to visit every eatery in the book and check it off afterwards. People love a good checklist and become obsessive with checking off all the boxes. Good! Your patronage encourages other young chefs to start their own restaurants, hopeful they will be the two in three that survive that first year. I certainly hope you continue to encourage your friends and family to buy my book so they can get started on their own eatery scavenger hunt. Plus, you have to admit, many of these stories are fascinating! Be honest, you had no clue about the background for most of these restaurants. Reading how these chefs and their families overcame struggles through the years is inspiring. Thank you for your support, thank you for all your kind comments, and most of all, THANK YOU for eating local. I hope to see all of you at a book signing soon!

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes struggle to buy gifts for certain people in my life. Like my mom. She has everything she needs. She doesn’t need more stuff. She wants experiences. I believe that going out to eat at a unique restaurant is a great experience. You don’t have to worry about cooking. You get to try new foods. It’s an adventure where you learn to appreciate new tastes in our city. This is what makes my new book “Unique Eats and Eateries of Kansas City” such a great Christmas gift. You’re encouraging your loved ones to explore iconic eateries they’ve never visited before. And when you buy it here from me, you get a FREE restaurant checklist bookmark and I’ll sign the book for you. To impress your loved ones even more, get them a gift card or two to a couple of the restaurants in the book. Then there’s no excuse. They can try out a new restaurant – and take you along for the fun! As you head there to eat, you can read about the history of the place and the people who brought these unique tastes to Kansas City. It’s the perfect gift for the person who has everything. Plus, since all these restaurants are locally owned, it encourages your loved ones to support and take pride in the businesses in our city.

Being an author is all I’ve ever wanted to do in life. As a young boy, I wrote all kinds of stories on my dad’s electric typewriter, carefully painting whiteout on my mistakes and blowing it dry before resuming my typing. Tap, tap, tap, tap. I loved the sound of metal letters pounding black ink ribbon, leaving beautiful words on white paper. Those words ran together to turn my ideas into a breathing, living story. Wanting others to read my work, I entered Young Author’s contests and went to seminars to learn how to become an author. I read all kinds of books, from Stephen King to Dean Koontz to James Michener to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I loved how authors could transport me to a different time and place.

But as I grew older, I became busier. I was busy playing sports and singing and dancing in high school. I went off to college and played football. I graduated and started my career in broadcast journalism. There, I wrote every day. But writing conversationally versus molding a creative story are two different things. I put my dreams of becoming an author on hold. And then, my wife and I had our first child. Holding my newborn son in my arms, I felt a new kind of pressure. I had to provide for him. I didn’t make enough money from my current job as an anchor/reporter at KCTV5 and I needed another way to make more money.

What if I published a book?

My first novel still sits in my basement, unpublished, but I love it. It’s a fun spiritual adventure that takes place in ancient Egypt. But the ideas I set forth within it are pretty radical and I knew I would upset some people if I published it. I decided to try again. One author said you should write what you know, so I took that to heart. I decided to share my journey as a walk-on football player at Northwestern University. My college football career was very ordinary. I was a backup. I finished my college career with 10 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery, and a pass broken up. Nothing to brag about. But the journey. THAT was something I could share and use to inspire others. I was an unheralded high school football player who earned a full-ride scholarship at a Division I school, helping Northwestern go from the worst program in the Big Ten to winning two Big Ten championships. We endured a gambling scandal, the violent death of one of our best players, and the doubts of a nation that never expected us to win. I spent a year writing it, and reveiwers and readers raved about it. It won an award for best nonfiction sports novel in the Reader’s Favorite Contest. It justified my desire to write books and validated my writing.

I sent the manuscript off to many publishers, but they weren’t interested. Being an unknown writer, I couldn’t get a publishing house or agent to bet on me, so I bet on myself. I self published. I went through Lulu.com, which made it easy to download the manuscript. I had a friend deisgn the cover. I printed off a bunch of books, created a website, and used my status as a news anchor and reporter to help sell books. I reached out to book stores in Chicago, which continue to buy and sell my book today. It took a lot of hard work getting my book out there, but it’s paid off in spades.

Afterwards, I decided to write another novel. Again, about something I knew. Television news. I made it a comedy, creating a fictional television station in a small town in Montana, and I centered the plot around a murder mystery. I LOVE how it turned out as it pokes fun at my industry, albeit to the extreme. I then wrote a time travel story. That, too, turned out better than I expected. Both books received five star reviews from Reader’s Favorite and Booklife. I then wrote two other books, books I haven’t yet published as I planned to clean them up. Then Reedy Press called.

This was March of 2021. They’d heard I was an author and wanted me to write a book for them. I could choose from a list of book series they offered. Reedy Press runs several series centered round specific cities. I noticed the Unique Eats and Eateries series and knew that would be perfect for me. As a weekend anchor at KCTV5, I often did restaurant segments. I knew many of the restaurant owners in town and wanted to share their stories with others. I went to work. Reedy Press gave me a year to put together 100 vignettes on 100 local restaurants. I needed to get pictures and write up their story. It wasn’t a food review. They wanted me to share the history of the owners and how the restaurant came to be. I went to work, tapping into my many resources to decide what restaurants should be in the book. They had to be locally owned. They had to be unique in some way. They had to have a great story. Most of the owners replied right away with enthusiasm. Others wouldn’t write or call back. Nine months later, I had 100 stories ready to go. Only, there was a problem. Reedy Press had changed the criteria for the book. They only wanted 84 stories. Eighty-four? How could I cut 16 of them? I negotiated to leave two more in there, so the book ended with 86. I now have 14 backups should a restaurant go out of business – which has already happened.

Incahoots was a cool coffee/donut shop located inside a train car in Parkville. I stopped by a few months ago to tell them when the book would come out. The owner told me he was selling it to another company. The name was changing, as was the food. I freaked out. What to do? I called Reedy Press and we decided to put in one of my backups. I did, and now we are all set to go. “Unique Eats and Eateries of Kansas City” officially comes out in October. I have more than a dozen book signings scheduled to begin on October 14th in Lenexa. I can’t wait to share this book with you! It’s the first Unique Eats book to have all color pictures. It’s gorgeous! I would love to see you at one of my events, and I hope you visit all the restaurants inside to support these local owners. We’ll also be selling “Kansas City Foodie” T-shirts (made of the softest cotten you’ve ever felt, very similar to Charlie Hustle shirts), and you’ll get a free bookmark listing all the restaurants in the book. When you visit one of them, you can check the box next to its name. I know you will enjoy my new book. You’ll learn about Kansas City restaurants you never knew existed while eating some great-tasting food along the way.