Rebecca Bryan's Blog

Wow! I can't believe it's been two years since I've written on this blog. It feels that a lot of this blog business is going out of style as there are so many other platforms, but I still feel a slight leaning towards having a place to share some writing thoughts. I put down my "pen" or rather, "computer" for a bit to follow another passion of mine. Acting. So my writing has come in bits and spurts. Right now it is spurting quite well, which is why I am here. I wanted to share a little about my next book, title still undecided. It has taken quite a while, but that is because I have had to do some research, soul-searching, and of course, I've also spent time on the stage instead of the office. Or living room couch, or kitchen table. All places I have spent today as I've written. I need a change of scenery often!

I came to let you know that I am writing....drum roll please, a sequel to my first published novel, The Sand Bar! In this story we rejoin Marlo and Luke as they take on another challenge to help save an historic St. Anthony building, and save an unknown life. They travel back to 1927 to accomplish both these goals. I'm having such a blast writing this story that I thought I'd share a few photos of old time St. Anthony I have gathered on this journey. I better not say too much more about it, but I hope to have the story finished sometime in the next few months. Then it's on to editing for however long that takes. But hopefully it won't take more than a few months. So my goal is to have the book ready for publication by the end of the year. Sooner hopefully.  Happy February or whatever month it might be when somebody actually reads this! :-) I'll keep writing so that you can keep reading! Talk soon!

As March comes to a close I'd like to say thanks to all those who have supported me during the blog tour, the book signing, and my week long sale blast on Amazon. It's been a very busy month, but also a lot of fun. I've added many friends on facebook, and splashed my blurb about my book all over the internet. I've met  fellow writers at the book signing, along with Idaho Falls patrons who were willing to take a chance on an unknown writer. Thanks to all of you! I really had a great time.

I'm excited about the future. I love writing and I hope that you enjoy reading my stories. And the best part is I have an idea for my next story. The wheels are turning! The best advice I heard this week was from new friend and fellow writer, Phillip Nolte. "The best ideas come from the crumbs you left in a previous book, little things you added to make the story more interesting. Go back and pick up those crumbs. They have the power to lead you in a whole new direction. "

And that is just what I'm about to do! Thanks Phillip! Thanks everybody and happy spring cleaning to you all!

March is almost here and that means it is time to celebrate my dear friend Constance's birthday.

Constance Fenimore Woolson was born March 5, 1840 in New Hampshire. Even though I've never met this wonderful writer, I've done enough research on her and read enough of her letters to feel that she is a kindred spirit. So in honor of her birth and her life,  I've chosen to push my novel, Becoming Fenimore, in the month of March.  And though my husband has suggested I simplify my life, I plan to officially celebrate her 176th birthday with cake and everything. Boy you say it like that it makes her seem kinda old. 

To start it off I'll be on a blog tour from the 29th of February to the 18th of March. the first stop on the tour is with Megan Morgan. Her link is here. https://meganmorganauthor.com/blog/ Throughout the tour you can enter to win a 20 dollar gift certificate to Amazon. So please check out the blogs as the month moves along. I'd love it if a friend actually won.

One last thing. A big thank you to those who have read my book. And an enormous hug to those who have taken the time to write a review. That means so much to me, you have no idea!

Much love friends and happy March,

Becky

Hello friends!

I have so many exciting things in the works! First, my website is finally up. 
Here is the link.

http://beckybryan1.wix.com/rebecca-bryan


From here you can find out all about my books and order them! Pretty exciting to have it all in one location.

Secondly, I have a blog tour scheduled from the middle of February to the middle of March. During that time you can enter a drawing for a 20 dollar gift certificate to Amazon.com! Cool huh? So keep your eyes open for that.

Thirdly, I have a book signing scheduled for March 26 at the Barnes and Noble in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Inside the Grand Teton Mall. Please, if you know me at all be sure to stop by and say hi. I will have physical copies of all three of my books. I'll be the person at the table that everyone else is avoiding. :-)

Lastly, I am planning at least one author reading at the St. Anthony library. Date still  pending. I will let you know as soon as that is scheduled. I need to schedule a few more of these things. Anyone have suggestions?

Have a great day and be sure to check out the website!

Becky

Becoming Fenimore is available on Amazon and other retailers. So excited to share this story with all my friends. Planning book signings and blog tours etc in the near future. It's hard when you are doing everything yourself. It's also fun. If you would like a book signing party in your area please contact me through email at becky.bryan1@gmail.com

Have a great day!

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Fenimore-Novel-Rebecca-Bryan/dp/0692581359/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452537920&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+fenimore

I am excited to announce Becoming Fenimore is now available on Kindle, and will soon be out in hard back form on Amazon, and other fine retailers. Get yours now! And Merry Christmas. And Thank you!

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Fenimore-Rebecca-Bryan-ebook/dp/B018HOQLGM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1449033751&sr=1-2

Many people in literary circles have heard of Henry James, a famous nineteenth century writer with credits not limited to, Turn of the Screw, Portrait of a Lady, Daisy Miller and The Wings of a Dove. But few know one of his equals during his lifetime, a Miss Constance Fenimore Woolson, a writer with a list nearly as long of well-publicized novels in her time. In fact, many, including James himself, agreed that in the late nineteenth century Miss Woolson was a greater success than Henry. So what made her nearly obsolete while Henry went on to become one of America's most respected writers?

I first learned about Constance while researching on beautiful Mackinac Island in Michigan. She not only had lived on this island as a girl, but had based one of her first major successful novels, Anne there. I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I dug deeper into the history of Miss Woolson and learned of her close friendship with Henry James. I grew more curious as to why I'd never heard of her only to come across an article explaining her suicide in 1894 from a third story window in Venice.  I went on to read that after her death Henry tried to drown her dresses, and I knew that I had to write about this person. 

So that's what I did. 

Yes, my third novel, Becoming Fenimore, a paranormal historical romance, will soon be published! I am so excited for you to read it. While not strictly about Woolson or James, their story is important to the main character so I wanted to give you a little history lesson and a couple pictures.

Henry James
Constance Fenimore Woolson
Stay tuned for a cover reveal, and publishing date! I'm so excited!!!

There are a few movies that I can watch over and over again and I caught a part of one of those today with my daughter who is home sick with a pretty nasty cold. We settled down on the bed and  channel surfed until we fell upon one particular favorite. It was near the end, but I love it so much we stopped and watched it anyway.

The movie is all about this slightly dim, but lovable guy who discovers that his whole life has been a lie and that he is the subject of a TV reality show. We started watching where our protagonist, Truman, comes to the conclusion that there is no way to escape except by sail boat. (His biggest fear being water.) By now you've probably guessed that we were watching, The Truman Show. You're brilliant. Really.

Jim Carrey gives an amazing performance in this wonderfully written script, doesn't he?  Anyway, as Truman attempts to escape in the boat, the director, or "father figure" above, whose watchful eyes are impossible to escape, turns the storm up to an insane level that would appear unsurvivable. At first, Truman taunts the powers that be to "pump up the juice" so to speak, which the man upstairs-- obsessed with the story and with Truman's hellbent desire to survive--obliges. The waves crash over Truman, sending him overboard while the whole world watches, glued to their television sets, cheering him on with tears, screams, and broken shower curtains. It's insane, but it makes for good TV and the director knows it. Just when it seems like Truman is done for, the director, with perfect timing, calms the storm, and Truman, soaked and shivering, but with a look of wonder on his face, climbs back on board. The music rises, the camera cuts from Truman, to the director, to the people watching, to the sky and back to Truman who appears to be reborn. The clouds part, the sun begins to shine, Truman, realizing he made it through the storm, see's life differently now. 

My daughter said, "I love this part." I agreed and felt tears sting the corners of my own eyes. Darn that Jim Carrey and the beautiful music of Phillip Glass! 

Then like a slap, or an abrupt slam on the brakes, what might be called the boom of the boat rips dramatically through an invisible wall, poking a huge hole in the illusion that is his life. The music stops, the crowd stares open mouthed.  To finish out the story watch the clip below as everyone roots for him to find the stairs that will take him out to the real world. Anticlimactically, people turn off their TV's and look for something else to do. The end.

As I watched, I was reminded of an interview on Charlie Rose recently with Ethan Hawke. He was talking about how difficult it can be as an actor to make things beautiful in a scene that would be particularly difficult in real life. He was talking about working with Robin Williams and with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and the toll it takes on real people to make something that looks real, but isn't. Great artists both of them, by the way. The difference between movies and real life is that real life is not pretty. It's rough and scratchy and regular. It doesn't always end well, and never with an award winning score tied to the dramatic scenes. The good guy dies early or worse, stops being the good guy for a bit. Families fall apart, people get fat and old, and seldom do we truly forgive and love others, much less ourselves. And rarely do miracles happen just at the right time.  Real life lacks the grace of a movie. 

Hawke remembers Williams doing a big scene in Dead Poets Society, (Another favorite of mine) and when the scene was over, everybody headed for the craft services table, but Robin sat on a chair, his head down, totally depleted. Hawke said, "It comes with a price, this ability to take the harshness of real life and make it pretty and inspiring."  Wrapped up in a climatic bow. 

You write a story. You take someone on a dramatic journey that will change their life and you need to do it in about 300 pages or so. There's a math equation to this. We see the same thing done over and over again, and if they follow the rules it should have all the marks of a good story. 

This makes me think about my own life. Let's be real. I am definitely rough around the edges. Sometimes, I'm not the hero but the antagonist. Sometimes, I hate myself for the things I do or don't do. Sometimes, I doubt the miracles will come and want to quit trying. Sometimes, I am on top of the world with endless enthusiasm. Sometimes, I am proud of myself. Some days are boring. Some are stressful. Some are fun. Especially those where I get to dance! Some I'd be ashamed for anyone to see. But so far none of it has followed this 300 page screenplay rule of thumb. 

And that's why I like stories, and movies in particular. I like to see a beginning, a middle, and an end. I like to see loose strings tied up neatly at just the right time. I like to see courageous people doing something well, courageous. I like to see the girl get the guy and vice versa. I like that everyone is beautiful and funny and they say the right thing at just the right time, not like me where I think of it two hours later and snap my fingers in frustration that I didn't say "that!" instead. I like that I can disappear from my own struggles for a couple of hours and live sympathetically in someone else's life for a bit. I like to cry at the sound of a violin piercing my heart with its haunting melody or the triumphant chords of an entire symphony pushing me forward to battle. Sometimes I want to cry, "Charge!" as I climb into my Suburban horse and roll down my window so the wind can whip through my hair as I march down the road to meet my foes. "Call me Joan of Ladyhawk Lane." I cry into the wind.

And then I go to the grocery store and pick up a frozen lasagne and a chocolate bar.

But in the end real life trumps movie life. Why? Because it's real. Because each one of us gets a piece of the action. We get to do the growing. It's so hard sometimes, but our rough edges are slowly smoothed out with each chapter of our story. 

I hope my story is a long one. I hope it has a few miracles and surprises in store. I hope it has you in it. My family and friends far and near that have touched my life in so many different ways.  I hope it's got some good comedy, but mostly, I hope it has a happy ending. I really love a good ending.


PS-- Book is on target. Publishing date to be announced very soon!

Hello, Welcome to my 101st post. Just thought I'd send a sneak peak look at my next novel called…oh wait. Maybe I shouldn't give that away yet. I'm so excited to polish this baby up, give it a name and a face.  So now I'm looking for a possible reader. Someone who knows what to look for in a story as far as pacing, character development,  dropped plot points, etc, etc, etc. 

If you are interested let me know.

Otherwise, just enjoy a sneak peak…My newest baby...

Hip Hip Hooray!!!



CONGRATULATIONS BECKY!

Why thank you.

Why am I so excited? Two reasons, actually:

This is my 100th post!

And…I finished my novel today!!!

 I was going to do a list of 100 books I loved, but that just seems long. Then I thought I would write about my favorite desserts, but that just has nothing to do with writing. So I bagged clever for just honestness.  Today was great, but then it turned out kind of crappy for other reasons, but I am not going to dwell on the negative. I am going to rejoice, hip, hip hurray for me.
Nobody is going to stomp on my party. Bring out the ice cream. I deserve it!

This novel was a long time coming. I restarted it three times, tearing it to pieces when it didn't do what I knew it should.  So I studied, researched a ton and wrote till my hands ached. Yeah, my hands and fingers ache. I'm worried it might be something more serious, but when I take a break (which I desperately need to do,) we'll see if it gets better. Let's just say that my fingers hurt all day long. And trying to open anything is almost impossible. Good thing I have strong boys around to help me out.

So here is my thought for today. I love to write. I may not be Margaret Mitchell, but I think I can tell a story. I'm grateful that my doubts and my weaknesses didn't hold me back from trying something scary. I am full  of self-doubt. BUT, I also have this incredibly strong drive to do and go and try when anyone or anything (my own mind) tells me I can't. I'm like a bull, digging my hoofs and snorting, angrily, minus the nose ring. And the horns, and the ability to buck people to oblivion, and stomp on them and stuff. You get the point.

So, I want to encourage you to do something scary.  I know I've said this before, but I look around and see people stopping themselves all the time. So if that is you…STOP IT. No matter your age, try something new this week. Go for a run if it's been a long time or try a new recipe, or learn a new song, or look for a play to audition for. I am in the craziest fun play right now and I am sooo glad I am in it. I have met the best people and had such a good time. It's been a blast.

I'm pretty darn satisfied with my life right now…minus a few glitches. After all, life is crazy, sometimes right in the middle of some pretty awesome stuff. So happy 100th post day. If you have read them all, let's go out for ice cream. You deserve it!