Stuart Brannon's Final Shot, by Stephen Bly - FREE BOOK

Tell us about your book.

Stuart Brannon's Final Shot by Stephen Bly is now available in both hardback & ebook. Finishing Dad's novel was a family affair. I and my three sons--Russell, Michael & Aaron--wondered if our committee of four could create fiction. We had the passion to find out.

It's 1905. Two orphans flee from Oregon's Tillamook Head. One of them is branded a hero. Dare they tell the truth and risk the wrath of a dangerous man? Meanwhile, a retired lawman searches for his missing U.S. Marshal friend while he grapples with the game of golf on behalf of a celebrity tournament.

Can you give us a sneak peek at your new release?

 You can read the first chapter at this link on our website: http://blybooks.com/wordpress/media-kit/stuart-brannon-chapter-one/

What inspired this book?

My husband Stephen Bly was an avid golfer. One time when we were vacationing on the Oregon coast, he played a full round at the Gearhart Golf Course and got intrigued with its history. Developed in the late 1800s, it is one of the oldest courses in the West. He determined to write a story about one of his historic cowboy protagonists trying to learn to play the game and all the complications that brought.

How did you know you were called to write?

After my husband finished seminary and began pastoring his first church, I sought what God's will might be for me in the way of ministry. I spent a couple years searching by trying all the opportunities in the church, taking classes and attending conferences of various sorts. One of these happened to be a writers' conference at Mount Hermon in California. An excitement and interest grew as I tried to follow the processes taught and gave myself to the disciplines of writing. With the affirmation of encouragement by other writers and editors who published my works, I began the journey of serving God through this means of communication. This led me to authoring the book entitled Managing Your Restless Search/Finding Your Place of Service in God's Plan, which is available at our website online bookstore: http://www.blybooks.com/

How long have you been writing?

The journey described above began in 1975. My first published fillers and short articles happened a year or two later. My first books happened in the 1980s. So, I've been writing for over thirty years.

What was the first book you ever wrote?

Actually two books were published at the same time. . .a devotional book for kids called Questions I'd Like To Ask and a devotional for teens entitled Devotions With A Difference which was later changed to Winners And Losers. Both of these books were co-authored with my husband in 1982.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

The main characters fight for justice and search for truth, while they struggle with the mystery of those who seem to show no mercy. We all know people we just don't understand and must leave them to God to judge. As the characters face the challenge to find meaning in the events that happen to their loved ones, the reader can relate and think through their questions with them.

What has been your most challenging experience writing a book?

This book just completed was definitely the biggest challenge. My husband left us 7,000 words, a one-page synopsis and a long list of character names. My sons and I had 70,000 more words to formulate. We had to re-do Steve's research of the times, the landscape, the history, etc, and take a quick scan of the general background material of western lifestyles he knew so well. We studied all the other Stuart Brannon novels much more carefully to know this character well. We tried to figure out what Steve would have done with the story threads and the character developments. All within four months. It's one thing to create and pursue your own project, quite another to do someone else's.

What book are you currently reading?

I'm enthralled with the thorough treatment of the subject presented by Randy Alcorn in his book Heaven. Because I know that's where my husband is right now and where I shall be someday, I'm keenly interested in knowing as much about that future life as possible.

What are your hobbies (besides writing)?

I love reading, especially all sorts of different genres of fiction. I also enjoy decorating my home for the seasons, leading music at my church, and mall walking (while window shopping).

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FINISHING DAD’S NOVEL: A FAMILY AFFAIR

Janet Chester Bly

Copyright©2012

Photo by Ridinger's, Lewiston, ID

from left, Aaron, Michael, Janet, Russell

My husband, Stephen Bly, hated half-done jobs. He couldn’t stand a ‘to do’ list without immediate action. One big project for 2011: complete his novel, Stuart Brannon: The Final Shot.

       When he passed away on June 9^th, 2011, my sons said to me, “Let’s finish that book.”

       The idea grew. They had their dad’s creativity and wit. They’d impart their father’s input. I also discovered the value of their feedback and encouragement. I couldn’t do it without them.

       The editor gave us a four-month extension. This incomplete project became a family affair.

       Can a committee write a novel? We had the passion to find out.

       Steve left us 7,000 words, a synopsis and some character names. We read over his sample chapters.

       “It reads more like a mystery than a western,” we four surmised.

       This book must resonate like a Stephen Bly novel and resemble the early Stuart Brannon Series. Yet, this story’s different. Brannon’s older. He struggles to fit into the 20^th Century. He also grapples with the game of golf on behalf of a celebrity charity tournament.      

       We immersed ourselves in the original series. We scanned other Stephen Bly novels for Brannon mentions. I scoured Steve’s resources for a basic grounding in the western world he knew so well. I also skimmed our fiction writing books for tips and printed out excerpts for the sons.

       We focused our main theme on fighting for justice, truth and mercy. 

       We met weekly to brainstorm and critique. We started with a cluster diagram of all the known factors. Spirited discussions stirred debate as well as consensus. 

       We assigned each other research topics, then talked through and roughed out random scenes. We drafted an outline and plot points to give direction for which scenes to create next.

       We tried to include as much of Steve’s writings as we could.

       To keep the constant additions discernable, I used a different color type each week that turned into a rainbow manuscript. Even with this trick and the outline, the key challenge was to keep the story’s timeline straight.

       Then I took a trip to Oregon, to discover and experience what Steve knew and we didn’t. This added much needed color and revealed critical mistakes.

       The deadline loomed as we aimed for 75,000 words. I struggled to eek out 2,000 words daily. When Aaron devised an adventure scene and Mike produced the golf tourney and poker game settings, I knew we’d hit the target count.

       After we exceeded our goal, we deleted scenes and characters that didn’t move the plot. The last days and hours were frantic with attempts to get it as perfect as possible.  

       At 10:36 a.m. on November 1^st, 2011, son Mike emailed me, “Well? Ready to push ‘send’?

       At 11:46 a.m., I did.

       We finished Steve’s last undone task.

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Janet Chester Bly has published 30 nonfiction and fiction books, 18 she co-authored with Christy Award winner Stephen Bly. Titles include The Hidden West Series, The Carson City Chronicles, Hope Lives Here, and The Heart of a Runaway. She resides in Winchester, Idaho. Her 3 married sons, Russell, Michael & Aaron, live down the mountain in Lewiston with their families.

The Bly Family has kindly offered to give away one copy of Stuart Brannon's Final Shot. At least 10 people need to leave a comment WITH an email address OR you can email me at srstormo@yahoo.com and put "contest - stuart brannon" in the subject line. Winner announced April 6th.