{"id":159,"date":"2025-09-09T23:05:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T23:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/?p=159"},"modified":"2025-09-09T23:05:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T23:05:50","slug":"46502","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/?p=159","title":{"rendered":"The Partner Who Believed in My Novel Before I Did"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Partner Who Believed in My Novel Before I Did<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

Today, I celebrate 19 years of marriage to Matt Sirolly, my greatest champion, critique partner, and friend. Without Matt, The Last Letter from Sicily<\/em> might never have been completed. I might never have received the two-book publishing deal that also brought Beneath the Sicilian Stars<\/em> into the world.<\/p>\n

I started writing what would become my debut novel in a creative writing class, inspired by my grandparents’ story of being separated during World War II. After writing several thousand words, I shared with Matt that it might have the potential to become a novel. He agreed and encouraged me to keep going.<\/p>\n

I wrote on and off, but eventually, I set it aside. Who was I to think I could finish a novel, let alone publish one?<\/p>\n

Later, over our anniversary dinner, Matt asked, “How’s the novel coming along?” I shook my head. In my mind, there was no longer a novel. But he told me not to give up, and I didn’t want to let him down.<\/p>\n

So I picked it back up and returned to it in earnest. When I reached the part set in Cagliari, Sardinia\u2014where my grandfather had been stationed\u2014I struggled. I had never been there, and the scenes felt hard to bring to life. Matt suggested we travel to Sardinia and rent an apartment for a month. That trip turned out to be exactly what I needed. I finished the novel in a Marina District apartment, and we even toured World War II bunkers with a professor from the University of Cagliari.<\/p>\n

Of course, finishing a novel is only part of the journey. Publishing is another challenge. I queried a few dozen agents and received rejections because, as one agent put it, “No one’s buying World War II fiction.” I felt discouraged. Matt suggested we create our own press and publish it ourselves. I loved the idea.<\/p>\n

But then I discovered Storm Publishing<\/a>,\u00a0a UK-based traditional publisher that had just signed Lelita Baldock<\/a> for her heartwarming World War II novel, The Baker’s Secret<\/em><\/a>. I decided to pitch them. Within a week, I was able to share their enthusiastic reply with Matt. The commissioning editor loved the story’s angle, the Sicilian setting, and the fact that it was inspired by my grandparents.<\/p>\n

I had only one name in mind when I wrote\u00a0the novel’s dedication.\"Dedication-to-Matt\u2014-The-Last-Letter-from-Sicily.png\"<\/p>\n

\"Dedication-to-Matt---The-Last-Letter-from-Sicily.png\"<\/figure>\n

So today I raise a glass to Matt, on this special day and always. Everyone deserves someone like him. I just happened to be lucky enough that he chose me. I look forward to all the chapters ahead, knowing we are in this together.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Matt-Sirolly-and-Lindsay-Marie-Morris\u2014-wedding-day-July-2-2006-Temescal-Gateaway-Park.jpg\"Matt and Lindsay on their wedding day in Temescal Gateway Park, Pacific Palisades, California<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Matt-Sirolly-and-Lindsay-Marie-Morris---wedding-day-July-2-2006-Temescal-Gateaway-Park.jpg\"<\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to my newsletter<\/a> for more content and updates!<\/em><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Partner Who Believed in My Novel Before I Did Today, I celebrate 19 years of marriage to Matt Sirolly, my greatest champion, critique partner, and friend. Without Matt, The Last Letter from Sicily might never have been completed. I might never have received the two-book publishing deal that also brought Beneath the Sicilian Stars […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindsay.kobkob.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}