Nevabryan’s Weblog

http://www.nevabryan.com

Reading Tall Tales to Children at Coeburn Community Library December 23, 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coeburn_community_library/4098605763/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coeburn_community_library/4098605325/in/photostream/

The Coeburn Community Library celebrated We the People with a reading of a tall tale by me.

This free event was open to children in grades 4 through 6, as well as their families. Library staff led a tall tale writing and craft workshop after the reading.

The event took place November 10.

We the People is a National Endowment for the Humanities program designed to encourage and enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history, culture, and democratic principles. The Coeburn Community Library received funding to participate in We the People.

The Coeburn Community Library is part of the Lonesome Pine Regional Library system.

 

Our Blizzard December 22, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — Neva Bryan @ 5:20 am
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A terrible snow storm ravaged Southwest Virginia Friday, December 18. As a result, Saturday’s book signing was cancelled.

On a personal note, we lost power and phone Friday night and, as of today, Tuesday, still do not have it. I am a snowstorm refugee, staying with relatives. I washed my hair at work this morning. We may not have power until Christmas or later.

Ah, a story must come of this.

 

St. Peter’s Monsters recognized for creativity and originality October 21, 2009

Independent Publisher Online has made St. Peter’s Monsters a highlighted title.

This means IPO recognizes it as one of the best of the books received and reviewed by its editorial staff.

These books are honored each month for exhibiting superior levels of creativity, originality, and high standards of design and production quality.

 

I’m now on Twitter October 21, 2009

Filed under: Writing — Neva Bryan @ 2:52 am

Check out my tweets here.

http://twitter.com/nevabryan

 

More Reader Comments about St. Peter’s Monsters October 15, 2009

Filed under: Writing, books — Neva Bryan @ 7:16 am
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“The book is wonderful!!! I started it Saturday night when I got home and was hooked. I should have been packing on Sunday but kept picking up the book instead!” – J.R.

“I have been reading non-stop (as much as possible with work and stuff to do.) I loved the story and was taken on a great ride trying to see if the characters were going to end up where I wanted them. . . The first pages just jumped at me mostly because you have not used the usual adjectives, the well worn metaphors! I found the poet in you. I fell in love with the words themselves …..NOT simply the great twisted story! I am in love with words. I love the way phrases sing and move, roll over and can turn belly up showing a fresh and new image. “By October, oaks and maples had erupted into gaudy harvest colors.” p.10 Ahhhhhhhh, nice, very nice. Using “gaudy” allows me to go further with the suggestion…..most would just tell the colors trapping me into a fixed color position. So, write on good woman! Now I shall start looking for your poetry. Thank you for such a wonderful story in which you so carefully created deeper individuals who had a chance to find Grace.” – L.S.

 

Martinsville TV interview about my book September 22, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — Neva Bryan @ 7:34 am
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Hal Hubener is an excellent interviewer. He actually read the book and asked in-depth questions. I was pleasantly surprised.

Cover to Cover 108:Neva Bryan
episode_url
Here’s the link: <http://www.channels.com/episodes/show/6345442/Cover-to-Cover-108-Neva-Bryan>

Visit Channels.com <http://www.channels.com> to subscribe to video feeds from all over the Web.

 

Enter my contest and win a basket of my favorite things September 11, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — Neva Bryan @ 6:08 am
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Enter my contest and win a basket of my favorite things:

A necklace hand-beaded and donated by Leah Lawson: natural stone, quartz, swaro crystals, and sterling clasp.

A Clinch River Farmers Market T-Shirt donated by Lou Wallace.

A music CD donated and signed by the artist, Charlie Engle: Out of the Groove.

A book of poetry donated and signed by the author, Rita Quillen: Her Secret Dream.

Scented soap, hand made by Chastity Jenkins, Scents & Virtues.

A book donated by Frank Kilgore and Stacy Fowler Horton called The Clinch River: A World-Class Treasure.

A Lord of the Rings movie glass goblet.

A $5 gift certificate for cupcakes donated by Babycakes Cupcakery in Abingdon, VA.

A sunflower and bee address book.

A gingerbread-scented candle in a tin.

A signed copy of St. Peter’s Monsters donated by yours truly.

How to Enter

I have hidden ten lines from my book on the pages of my web site (www.nevabryan.com).

2 are located on the Buy the Book page. 2 are located on the What Readers Say page. 1 is located on the Video Trailer page. 1 is located on the Author’s Bio page. 2 are located on the Appearances page. 1 is located on the Publications page. 1 is located on the Contacts page.

Copy and paste all ten lines in the body of an e-mail and send it to me at the following email address:

neva@nevabryan.com

Be sure to paste your answer in the body of the email and do not include it as an attachment. Entitle your message Neva’s Favorite Things Contest.

Include your name, working phone number, mailing address, and working e-mail address in the body of the message.

One entry per person per e-mail address, please.

One winner’s name will be drawn from correct entries.

I will accept entries through noon, September 30, 2009. Detailed contest rules are below.

Contest Guidelines

No Purchase Necessary.

The answers to Neva’s contest can be found on www.nevabryan.com.

Must be at least 18 years old to enter contest.

You must include ALL pieces of information requested, or your entry is incomplete. Winners will be chosen at random from all correct and complete entries. International entries are NOT accepted.

Only entries received through nevabryan.com will be considered eligible. Odds of winning are dependent upon number of eligible entries received. Drawing governed by laws of the state of Virginia.

Contest accepts only one entry per person and only one entry per e-mail account. Duplicate entries will be voided. In the event of a dispute over the identity of an online entrant, entry will be deemed submitted by the holder of the e-mail account.

Use of automated devices is not valid for entry.

Electronic entries must be received by deadline noted on specific contest page.

Winner[s] will be notified by e-mail within 30 days of the drawing and names may or may not get posted to this website. All winner name listings will be name and city of residence only so as to protect the privacy of the winner.

Neva Bryan will not share entrant information with any third parties, except as required by law. Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use the winner’s name, hometown, and any text submitted for purposes of Neva’s advertising and promotion without further compensation. Neva Bryan may contact entrants in the future with information she feels may be of interest.

Any prize or prize notification returned to the sponsor as undeliverable will result in the awarding of that prize to an alternate winner. Substitution for any prize may be necessary due to unavailability, in which case a comparable prize of equal or greater value will be awarded. Sorry, no cash equivalent.

Please note that while Neva does read all your entries, she is unable to respond personally to them.

Neva Bryan, nevabryan.com, Brighid Editions, or the web host shall NOT be held responsible for technical failures in entry transmission, or for any damage to participant’s computer occasioned by participation in this contest/promotion or downloading any information necessary to participate in the promotion.

Not eligible to enter contest: Employees and contractors of any of Neva Bryan’s/Brighid Editions’/nevabryan.com’s contracted publishers, agents, and/or hired contractors (web design, publicists, printers, distributors, etc.) and affiliated companies and members of those employees’/contractors’ immediate families; individuals and companies that donated items for the prize.

Neva Bryan reserves the right to cancel the contest/sweepstakes if it becomes technically corrupted.

Winner will be notified by mail, e-mail or telephone within 30 days of the drawing.

All prize winners will be announced on nevabryan.com within 90 days of the close of the contest. All winner name listings will be first name and last initial and city of residence only so as to protect the privacy of the winner. Winner[s] is responsible for all applicable taxes.

All entries comply with the following: in no way, straightforward or implied, does any written submission constitute or indicate any collaboration between entrant and Neva Bryan, present or future. All submissions become the sole property of Neva Bryan.

 

Appearances August 6, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — Neva Bryan @ 2:03 am
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Southwest Virginia Museum, Big Stone Gap, VA, August 8, 1:00 PM

YWCA, Bristol, TN, September 17, Noon

Coffee Depot, Christiansburg, VA, September 19, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Java J’s Downtown, Bristol, VA, October 1, 7:00 PM

Sundial Books, Chincoteague, VA (signing only), October 10, 6:00 PM

Wise Public Library, Wise, VA, October 15, 6:30 PM

Homecraft Days, Big Stone Gap, VA, October 17-18, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

J. Fred Matthews Memorial Library, St. Paul, VA, November 7, 10:00 AM – Memoir Writing Workshop

Tales of the Lonesome Pine Bookstore, Big Stone Gap, VA, November 13, 7:00 PM – Memoir Writing Workshop

Hearthside Books, Bluefield, WV, December 19, Time TBA

 

Where to buy St. Peter’s Monsters July 10, 2009

Filed under: Writing, books — Neva Bryan @ 8:31 am
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St. Peter’s Monsters is available at these fine booksellers and retail stores: Joseph Beth, Lexington, KY; Family Drug, Lebanon, VA; Coffee Buy the Book, Pulaski, VA; Wise County Historical Society, Wise, VA; Zazzy’Z, Abingdon, VA; Coffee Depot, Christiansburg, VA; Binding Time Cafe, Martinsville, VA; Kraftin’ Korner, Lebanon, VA; Appalachian Arts Center, Wardell, VA; and Tales of the Lonesome Pine Bookstore, Big Stone Gap, VA.

It is available on-line at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, Powell’s Books, and Target, as well as in some stores in the chains. It is available through nevabryan.com.


You may order a signed copy via snailmail. Send $14.00 (plus .70 tax if in VA) plus $3.99 for shipping and handling to: Brighid Editions, PO Box 1428, Saint Paul, VA 24283.

Books are always available during the author’s appearances. See her calendar for an event near you.

Publication Date: February 2009

Price: $14.00

Length: 294 pages

Cover Style: 6″X9″ Color Trade Paperback

ISBN: 978-0-615-26391-5

LCCN:  2008910946

St. Peter’s Monsters is the story of Peter Sullivan, a homesick college student teetering on the edge of alcoholism. He discovers bigger monsters than the bottle when a mysterious young woman enters his life. Wren has fled Peter’s beloved Appalachian hills and now he must find out why she is keeping secrets about her past.

As they turn to each other for comfort, they are linked together in a chain of love, tragedy, and murder . . . a chain that binds them when they find themselves back in the haunted shadows of the Virginia coalfields.

 

The downside of technology in literary criticism July 2, 2009

When author Alice Hoffman read Roberta Silman’s review of her novel The Story Sisters, the author was not pleased. The review wasn’t stellar but certainly it wasn’t crushing. Hoffman, however, chose to respond in less than gracious fashion.

She tweeted nasty comments about Silman and the Boston Globe, and published Silman’s e-mail and phone number. Apparently that last action was meant as a call to arms: Hoffman fans of the world, unite! Tell off this critic!

Having been a Hoffman fan for many years, I do not feel a sense of unity with any other fan who might have chosen to answer that call before the author withdrew the tweets and issued a tepid apologetic statement.

I’m more inclined to be less inclined to read any future Hoffman books. Had she played the proverbial wet duck, she would be a much more sympathetic figure. Instead, she comes off as a hothouse flower.

There’s a danger in using technology as reprisal. Sometimes it backfires. Anyone who’s ever made a drunken phone call to an ex in the middle of the night knows how it works. Technology used in the heat of the moment equals regret, regret, regret.