Fox 4 morning reporter Matt Stewart is a stalwart journalist—able to swoop in and cover anything from breaking news to fluffy features. And he does it with perfect hair. (PS. We hate him.) Earlier this fall, Stewart just unleashed his third novel, Tripp In Time. Seems when he’s not covering the city, he’s busy being an author. Who knew? “I pour my soul into every book I write,” says Stewart. “If they walk away a bit happier for the distraction, a bit wiser from the narrative, and more inspired to write down their own stories, then I will have succeeded as an author, no matter how many books I end up selling.”
Given that October was National Book Month and November was National Novel Writing Month, it only makes sense that December is coincidentally Buy A New Book Month. Why not? After all, reading is fundamental. Thus, it’s the perfect impulse buy, right? Right!
So—what’s the premise of Tripp in Time?
“A world-famous scientist receives a warning from his dying future self: a nuclear war will soon destroy the world. His future self sends blueprints to build a time machine, so he does. But when he goes through the portal, a killer along with his nephew and nephew’s date also go through. They arrive in 2001, each with their own goals. There are lots of twists and turns meant to get the reader thinking about the dangers of changing our past.
Dish! How long did it take you to crank this sucker out?
“Three years. I am very busy as a married father of three children, coaching their teams, being involved in their lives, while waking up at 2 a.m. for work every day of the week. It’s not easy finding time to write. But I love doing it so much, I make time for it whenever I can.”
What was the genesis of the book?
As a news anchor and reporter, I cover a lot of senseless tragedies, and my heart breaks whenever I see people killed in senseless acts of violence. From that spawned the idea, what if we could go back and change things? Prevent a tragedy from happening? Or is it something God always intended to happen? I wanted to explore the possible consequences of changing the past in a fun time-travelling adventure book for all ages to read and enjoy.
Is this more of a hobby or a side hustle?
It’s a hobby I would love to become a side hustle. To make a living as an author would be a dream come true, but it’s hard to get discovered today. If one of my books could one day capture the attention of the New York Times bestseller list and help me become a full-time author, I would take it!
Where can we find it, yo?
You can find the digital version on Amazon.com or you can buy the softcover from my website.