AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ryan Winfield

I'm beyond excited to welcome the super talented Ryan Winfield to the blog today. Before we dive into the interview, let's catch up on my history with Mr. Winfield.

First, I read and reviewed his debut novel, South of Bixby Bridge. Then, having been a tad bit annoyed, I called his bluff--which, much to my surprise, he answered. Later, he released the first two books in The Park Service Trilogy: The Park Service and Isle of Man. I also reviewed both of them here and here. And most recently, he released his newest novel, Jane's Melody, which, of course, I also reviewed.

It was this last book that prompted me to actually formally interview Ryan. Why? Well, because Jane's Melody is an adult romance, and I love romance. I knew before I even read this book that I was going to have some questions for Ryan. So, here they are...

1. Where did you get the idea for Jane's Melody?

I’m never entirely sure where a story comes from when I write. Jane came to me one night in a dream and I woke knowing her history and her pain and what she needed to heal it. But how that healing might find her was still a mystery when I began writing.

 

2. Did you find this harder to write than your other books? If so, why?

I never find it particularly difficult to write. It usually comes natural to me once I start a story. However, this was a very emotional book for me and it did sometimes take a toll on my heart. In the end, it was a cathartic and uplifting experience finding peace and love along with Jane.

 

3. First there was South of Bixby Bridge, which isn't really genre specific. Then there was The Park Service Trilogy, which is young adult dystopian. And now there's Jane's Melody, which is romance. What made you decide to branch out into yet another genre?

I didn’t decide. And I can’t imagine ever making that decision. I don’t consider myself a genre writer. In fact, I couldn’t really tell you what genre a story belongs in until it’s finished and someone needs to categorize it for readers. When a story comes to me I do my best to tell it the way it wants to be told. I would imagine that if I spent any energy at all considering genre when I write then other forces would creep in and tinker with the story’s structure or style and I’d end up with something that wasn’t pure.

 

4. Did you do any sort of research for this book? If so, what? Did you read any romance novels before writing this book? If so, which ones?

Yes and no. I’m always researching and sketching characters, often without knowing what story they will inhabit. Jane had been with me for a while, and Caleb too, through songs and poems I had been writing, and then their story presented itself and I had very little research to do outside of small bits of fact checking after I had written it. I did not read any specific books to prepare for writing this one.

 

5. I know the final Park Service book will be out later this year, but what else can we expect from you?

I wish I knew. I’m working on several things now but I never know which of them will take over and become the story I have to tell. I have some manuscripts hiding in drawers that I don’t think are ready yet to publish, and some of these other stories I’ve started might keep me from returning to them to make them ready, at least for now.

 

6. Is there a certain story or type of story you want to write, but haven't yet? If so, why haven't you written it yet?

I’m fascinated by the mind and how it works and how it sometimes works against us. I have a character that I love and continue to get to know and his story deals with mental illness from an insider’s perspective. I really hope to someday finish it.

 

7. Your books have been widely popular. Has this success changed you or anything in your life in any way?

I hope not. I’m still just as tickled when anyone reaches out to let me know that they enjoyed something I’ve written. I don’t think I’ll ever get over that. I feel a very personal connection to my readers—maybe because I spent so many years working without them and I had to imagine a friend that I was writing for. I think every reader I come across embodies that friend somehow. If anything, my work finding some success has made me more appreciative of the process. I can take very little credit outside of doing the work. The stories come from somewhere else entirely and I hope to never lose contact with wherever it is they’re born.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today, Ryan =) Be sure to check him out on Facebook and Twitter.

Ryan Winfield--One Fan's Perspective

Recently I read and wrote a post about my thoughts on Ryan Winfield's novel, South of Bixby Bridge. At first I had really mixed feelings about it, but after reading it a second time, I was thoroughly hooked.  In fact, looking back at it, I think I was a little harsh in my critique of his work. My apologies, Ryan. I truly did like your book and I've started to read it again (for the DM Book Club).

Anyway, after reading it the first time, I went back to Amazon and read other reader's reviews, I visited his website, and then I looked him up on Facebook. I promise I'm not stalking him--I do research on every author that elicits such a reaction in me. And it's purely research. I swear.

But, what I found interesting was on his website at the top of the homepage it states: * I respond personally to all messages from readers.

My first thought: Yeah, right. Okay. A guy who is climbing up the Amazon best seller list, a guy who has over 18,000 fans on Facebook is not going to respond to every email personally. He must get hundreds a day. It's impossible. Then I visit his Facebook page and he has a post that states he's willing to attend any book club that is currently reading his book. I'm sure you can imagine what my reaction was to that.

So, I did what any self-respecting skeptic would do: I called his bluff.

I emailed him, introduced myself, told him what I honestly thought of his book, and then very politely asked him to join the DM Book Club to discuss his book with us. I hit send and that was that. Hours, yes hours, later I had a response. It wasn't one of those blanket/form emails either, but a certified personal email from Ryan Winfield himself. Needless to say, I was thrilled and even a little giddy. He said he'd love to join all of us--Unfortunately, he doesn't have plans to visit this side of the coast anytime soon. This part of the email really, really bummed me out. However, he is more than happy to call or Skype with the DM's. Yay!

Ryan Winfield - 2
Kara Leigh Miller - 0

Okay, at this point, I thought that maybe this was just a fluke because, come on, no author could be this involved with his fans. I know what it's like to write a full-length novel. It's a lot of work and doesn't leave much time for other things.

Deciding to test my theory, I wrote a blog post about his novel and posted a link on his Facebook author page. Guess what he did? He visited my blog and left a comment. Oh, he also liked me on Facebook.

Ryan Winfiled - 4
Kara Leigh Miller - 0

By now, I'm feeling like such a shit for calling him out on everything he's claimed. Of course, it hasn't stopped me. Recently, another of his Facebook posts was an offer to send an autographed copy of his book to anyone who recommended it to their book club. I didn't hesitate to step up and ask for one. (I did after all convince the DM's to read his book this month.) Ryan responded to the post asking me to send him a private message with my address. I did.

Look at what I got today:

It reads: For Kerry--I'll see you on the South side of the bridge.

                                                                               

                                                                                           

 

Ryan Winfield - 5
Kara Leigh Miller - 0

Well done, Ryan, well done. You have humbled me and inspired me. I hope to one day follow in your footsteps and be as awesome to my fans as you are to yours. And in me, you have found a lifelong fan.

South of Bixby Bridge -- A bait and switch?

I was on Facebook a few days ago and one of those annoying little ads on the side of my news feed caught my attention. Normally, I ignore them, but this one I couldn't.  It read: If you liked Fifty Shades of Grey, you'll love South of Bixby Bridge by Ryan Winfield. So of course I had to check it out. It was only $3.99 for the Kindle version. I bought it and started to read it the next day.

I finished within a couple of days and I have very mixed emotions about it.

First of all, I bought it because I was expecting it to be like Fifty Shades of Grey. I was expecting an intense love story with lots of graphic sex. South of Bixby Bridge didn't have any of that.  (I know, I know, shame on me for not reading the product description or any of the reviews before I bought it, but I'm really glad I didn't because if I had, I probably wouldn't have read it.)

Yes, it was a shocking, raw, gritty tail of addiction and the lengths one man will go to for a fix. Yes, there was a slight love story to it and yes, there was some sex in it. However, I didn't buy into the love story between the main character, Trevor, and his boss's wife.  I believe that Trevor had a physical attraction to her and that he was infatuated with the image she portrayed, but I just didn't find it believable that they loved each other enough to run away together.

As far as the sex goes, the author took a "fade to black" approach. He would clearly state that there was sexual activity going on, but he didn't give us any real descriptions. I found that to be a huge disappointment. Okay, I realize that coming from me, this is a very biased opinion. But seriously, considering how shocking the entire book was, a few really descriptive, hard-core sex scenes would've made it so much more awesome!

With all of that said, I'm glad I read it. I found myself both hating Trevor and rooting for him all at the same time. And even after having read the book almost a week ago, it still sticks with me. That's the sign of a great novel.

Now that I have an idea of what kind of novel this is, I'm going to re-read for what it is, which is not Fifty Shades of Grey, but that's okay. South of Bixby Bridge is a great novel by a very talented (and sexy) new author. I've already recommended it to a few people and I will continue to do so.