Tag Archives: award winning novels

The Next Step for the “Dead Horse Canyon Trilogy”

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5

For those of you not familiar with The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon Trilogy, my latest books written with my Cheyenne co-author, Pete Risingsun, here’s an update I wanted to share. If you’re not subscribed to the books’ website, I encourage you to do so if you want to keep up with the latest developments which will hopefully lead to the books becoming a TV series along the lines of Longmire, Dark Winds, and Yellowstone.

You can also learn more about the stories, watch book trailer videos, and read the 5-star reviews each book received from Readers’ Favorite and see the other awards the saga has earned. I have numerous blogs on that site, too, which relate to Native Americans and other subjects that tie in with that series. This site is primarily for reviewing the books I read to relax along with an occasional rant.

The past few months have been busy as well as exciting. Back in October I seized upon an opportunity to pitch the Dead Horse Canyon Saga to producer, Lisa Bellomo. Lisa is a Creative Producer and Senior Production Executive based in Los Angeles who’s experienced in developing and producing critically acclaimed independent and studio feature films. Look her up in IMDB.

Bryan Reynolds

My meeting with her went very well. She was receptive, asked targeted questions, and offered the following comments on the story:

“The project’s blend of government conspiracy, murder mystery, and supernatural suspense gives it commercial appeal. The thriller aspects–high-stakes intrigue, a cover-up, and a protagonist caught between two worlds–make it attractive to financiers and audiences alike. The story’s pacing, tension, and sense of danger position it well within a proven genre that performs well across both streaming and theatrical markets.

“The story features two emotionally rich, complex, and heroic lead roles: Charlie Littlewolf, a 30-something Native American protagonist on a spiritual and moral journey of revenge and reclamation; and Sara Reynolds, a strong, resourceful woman grappling with trauma and lost memory while seeking justice for her husband’s murder. These roles offer depth and range–ideal for attracting talented actors–and allow for meaningful representation of Indigenous characters in a contemporary thriller setting….”

Charlie Littlewolf

Lisa provided a “road map” on how to proceed toward becoming a limited series. That is what I have been working on since our meeting. I have written what is known in the film and TV industry as a “treatment” that describes various elements of the story including a breakdown of episodes. I have also put together a synopsis and written the script for the pilot.

After these documents go through various review and feedback loops, then it’s time to find key creative collaborators, such as a director, lead actors, and producing partners. Needless to say, including at least one Native American filmmaker or writer will be essential for ensuring the retention of authenticity and cultural accuracy that Pete and I worked so hard to achieve in the novels.

Sara Reynolds

It has been quite a revelation switching from novelist to a screenwriter. The format for scripts is very different and well-defined with it not a simple matter of cutting and pasting the dialog from the book. Scenes need to be described, but not too much, since the producers and directors will have their own ideas, plus there may be budget considerations as well. While an author can describe what a character is thinking and feeling, in a script it’s far more succinct and left up to the actor to portray.

It has been an amazing adventure so far and I look forward to the next steps as the material makes it through the various hoops. I’m working with Voyage, an organization that helps individuals make the contacts they need for their work to be developed into a feature film or for TV.

I look forward to what the new year will bring as we move forward with the next exciting step for our multi-award winning trilogy! Stay tuned and wish us luck!

P.S. I used Photoshop to create the picture of our TV with the pilot’s opening screen for my vision board. I just couldn’t resist. Pictures of the main characters in the story are courtesy of Adobe Firefly. 🙂

“Flipping” by Eichin Chang-Lim: An Unforgettable Story in a Class by Itself

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5stars

flippingcover

5stars

This is, by far, one of the greatest books I’ve read in a long time. I’ve read numerous “good” books that I thoroughly enjoyed and awarded 5-stars, but this one went so far beyond that as to stand out in a class by itself. It truly is, as its subtitle states, “An Uplifting Novel of Love.” I wish there were a category above 5-stars because it deserves to be in that class. And that is why you see 10 stars above!

The story encompasses the multi-generational saga of two families whose destinies eventually become intertwined. It starts out in Taiwan where a young couple in love defy family wishes and flee to the United States, where they work hard “flipping” houses in California at a time when such an endeavor was very profitable.

Change scenes to another family who, as they prepare to welcome their first child into the world, wind up in a situation where they adopt the child of a woman who had been a Chinese foreign exchange student in their home years before. While the first couple defied tradition and family, this young girl honors it and gives up her “mistake” to the family she knows will give her child a loving home, after which she returns to her homeland, her secret intact. The couple’s natural born daughter, Christa, and adopted daughter, Jadelynne, are six months apart in age, and very different, yet close, loving sisters.

The developmental stages of the two toddlers contrast sharply, leading the parents to discover that their natural child, Christa, is deaf.  They proceed to get her a cochlear implant, which uses electronics to simulate the nerve and replicate hearing.

As it turns out, Christa has a natural talent and love for gymnastics. This is her sanctuary and escape, her determination taking her to great heights of achievement in competitions, and providing another perspective on “flipping.” The girls grow, eventually in high school, sharing friends, in particular a young man named Wynson. Who just happens to be the son of the couple we met in part one.

I don’t want to get into spoiler territory, so will stop there. The strength and beauty of this story lies in the underlying currents of love throughout and how it helps the various characters deal with the adversity in their lives and ultimately drive their decisions. And I must say, in this story, that’s Adversity, with a capital “A”. Yet the characters confront and ultimately prevail over the many unfortunate circumstances thrust their way.

The characters in this story were so well-developed as to virtually come alive. The prose was smooth, beckoning you into the story without undue distraction, showing the exceptionally strong writing skills of the author. This feat is one often unattained by even experienced authors, but considering that English is the author’s second language is absolutely mind-boggling!

Another dimension that made this story so real is the incredible amount of research involved regarding both the medical issues as well as the particulars of gymnastics competitions. These details provided authenticity, making it read more like a biography than a novel. Such facts were integrated in such a way as to increase the story’s credibility, but never slowed it down or felt cumbersome. The clever title is the coup de grace of this incredible story.

I found this story nothing short of a masterpiece demonstrating exceptional writing skill, creativity, impeccable character and plot development, as well as research. It has already won one award, but I hope the author submits this great story to the various other contest venues available, because it is deserving of additional honors which I know it can win effortlessly.

If you want to see what an exceptional, unforgettable story is all about, don’t miss it. In a word: Wow!

I was fortunate enough to be gifted a copy of this book, which in no way influenced my review. I would buy this book in a heartbeat. You can pick up a copy on Amazon here.