Stuart Brannon's Final Shot

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NOW AVAILABLE! -- hardback

Stuart Brannon's Final Shot
by Stephen Bly
with Janet Chester Bly, Russell Bly, Michael Bly & Aaron Bly
Finishing Dad's novel was a family affair.

It's 1905. Two orphans flee Oregon's Tillamook Head. One of them is branded a hero. Will 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.

Christy Award winning author Stephen Bly left us 7,000 words, a one-page synopsis, some penciled notes on a page and a long list of character names. Finishing Dad’s novel became a family affair. Could a committee write fiction? We had the passion and four months until deadline to find out. Here’s our thoughts on the process of completing Stuart Brannon’s Final Shot.


1) What did you like the most about Stuart Brannon: The Final Shot ?

Russell: Being part of the process of writing a book is exciting.

Michael: I love that Brannon has stuck to his principles and is still ‘fighting the good fight’ and ‘keeping the faith.’ His methods may be a little out of place in the modern world of the 20^th Century, but the same guiding principles apply. And, he golfs!

Aaron: I really enjoyed getting to not only re-introduce myself to the characters of the original novels but to also be a part of creating additional stories for them. It was empowering.

Janet: Getting Steve into the book through his sons, through using as much of his own writing as we could. Getting a more intimate look into Steve’s favorite character. The journey along the frontier of this man’s soul was like peering into my husband’s.


2) Any frustrations over the doing of it?

Russell: Of course the obvious one, not having Dad there.

Michael: I would have liked to be able to spend more time during the process (I’m pretty sure I’m not the first person to want more time!). With jobs and families and responsibilities, it isn’t easy to dedicate all the time you’d like to a project, even one as important as this.

Aaron: Only frustration was the fear that we wouldn’t be able to match the story writing ability that my dad possessed — that we’d let him down somehow. But I think we gave it our best.

Janet: The short length of time. We didn’t have ‘rest’ time to see the manuscript fresh. Had to turn it in after a frantic few days of critique and re-write. I was thankful that we were able to include some changes before the final print stage.


Find the rest of the interview at:
http://blybooks.com/wordpress/interview-the-stephen-bly-family-writing-team-part-1/

"Stuart Brannon's Final Shot delivers and reminds us what we'll miss most about the beloved author." Jerry B. Jenkins, NYT Bestselling novelist & biographer

"Bly throws his readers into the fray from the first page and never lets up...." Award-winning author Kathleen Y'Barbo

Michael Ehret, CWG editor-in-chief: "...unusual experience... I found it a fascinating look into the process (of the writing of Stuart Brannon's Final Shot)."