South of Bixby Bridge [Paperback]

Ryan Winfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 2011

#1 Bestseller 17 Weeks in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > United States

ADULT TOPICS (✓)  FINANCIAL THRILLER (✓)  CAUTIONARY TALE (✓)  REDEMPTION QUEST (✓)

***If you or anyone you know has struggled with alcohol, drug or sex addiction, you must read this!

2011 Breakout Novel -- About to turn 30 and being discharged from drug rehab, Trevor Roberts is sure he's hit bottom with nowhere to go but up. He soon learns that sometimes the "bottom" is just the beginning. With more twists than California's Highway 1, the intimate narrative follows a young man on a wild month-long ride to the dizzying, drunken heights of Napa Valley excess where he falls fast for his new boss's intoxicating wife and becomes entangled in a strange threesome affair. But things soon begin to unravel as Trevor is drawn into a secret world of sex and scandal, only to have his lust for success drag him down again through a phantasmagoria of hedonistic hell. "Shocking and unapologetic", South of Bixby Bridge barrels along with the "frenetic pace of a Hollywood blockbuster," delivering "poetic prose loaded with images". With gripping drama, witty dialogue, and sexy, jaw-dropping glimpses into the nouveau-riche underworld of California's wealthy elite, you won't be able to put this riveting new novel down. Buckle up and enjoy the read!  

Fresh out of drug rehab.
A young unemployed stockbroker, alone.
Struggling to survive the holidays on the San Francisco streets.
He wants his life back, he wants his girlfriend back.
Then his luck turns when he runs into just the right man--

A charming, sadistic hedge-fund owner with an intoxicating wife.
Success, money, a second chance . . .
But sometimes second chances come with a price.
Sometimes the price is your soul.

Warning: This novel is an unfiltered account of a young man's struggle to overcome addictions and it includes some graphic language, descriptive sexual scenes, and adult situations.
What readers are saying:

"Powerful, riveting, dark and haunting!" ★★★★★ 

"Sexy, funny, and poignant with fantastic prose, this book is impossible not to enjoy." ★★★★

"... the story barrels along, the characters jump off the page, and Winfield knows how to turn a phrase." ★★★★★

"I wholeheartedly recommend this novel; it's a no-holds-barred, uninhibited tour de force."  ★★★★★ 

"I couldn't put this book down. I was addicted; a reading-addict addicted to a book about addiction." ★★★★★ 

"Water for Elephants was my last favorite read and now I think this one has topped it." ★★★★★

Editorial Reviews

Review

South of Bixby Bridge by Ryan Winfield

I have to say that I became a bit addicted to this roller-coaster ride of addiction and temptation because it's not the predictable narrative of an addict who hits rock bottom. Five Stars ★★★★★ 
 
--Tari Gaffney for Ask Miss A

From the Author

A Q&A with Ryan Winfield, Author of South of Bixby Bridge
 
Q: South of Bixby Bridge is your first novel. Have you always wanted to be a writer, and how did you get your start?

A: I always dreamed of being a writer, yes. As far back as I can remember I have been interested in people--more precisely, interested in what it would be like to be other people. To see what they see, feel what they feel. Writing allows me to explore that.

Q: You explore some interesting characters in the book, but it's hard not to see similarities between you and your protagonist, Trevor. I'm sure you've heard the saying "Write what you know." Is Trevor like you in any way?

A: There's a Hemingway quote that I love and it goes something like: "All good books have one thing in common - they are truer than if they had actually happened." I believe that for fiction to be compelling, the characters must have flaws. They must have wounds that need healing, lessons that need learning. I certainly have many flaws and I put some of them into Trevor. In that way, the writing was very cathartic, but also very scary.

Q: That leads me to my next question. At the heart of the book is a story about getting sober. How much of that struggle does Trevor share with you?

A: And here I thought I was going to wiggle off the hook by quoting Papa. I guess I did do a lot of research without knowing I was doing research. My background and family of origin are very different from Trevor's, but we do share common struggles. I got sober when I was 29, just like Trevor. When I sat down to write about it, one of the things gnawing at me was this idea of hitting bottom. What if you discover this disease working in you, this thing that wants to destroy you, and what if that discovery is just the beginning? What if you think you've hit rock bottom but then a trap door opens and you plunge into even lower levels of living hell? What if treatment isn't the magic elixir but merely a warning sign you pass on your way down? And so it was for me, and so it is for Trevor.

Q: People have mentioned that you're really telling two stories here. The linier story as Trevor moves through time struggling with two antagonists, his sadistic new mentor Paul and the booze, but also the story of Trevor's childhood as he uncovers secrets too painful to admit. Is that what you intended?

A: Yes. But not by design. The linier story you mention evolved first, but as I wrote deeper, I hit resistance in me, an unwillingness to dig up some long buried bones. I knew then that I needed to go there, that I needed to find some courage, tear open old tombs, and let the light in. I discovered that early wounds, some as early as birth in the case of neglected babies, can scar over without completely healing. And so Trevor had similar wounds festering in him. The idea that these wounds could continue to work in us for a lifetime, motivating our behavior, fascinated me.

Q: Trevor has helpers in this book, including one who helps him afford treatment. Are any of those based on real people in your life?

A: Of course. There have always been helpers in my life. Usually women because they have a patience that goes beyond the masculine. Something from somewhere older. Writing Barbara, the girlfriend's mother, was very emotional for me. I think her character gave Trevor the courage he needed to finally mourn the loss of his mom.

Q: Let's lighten things up a bit and talk about your writing style.

A: Sure. I knew early on that I would write this novel from Trevor's perspective. There really was no other way to tell the story. To understand an addict, you have to be in his or her mind. As I found Trevor's voice, it became clear that he would not always be a reliable narrator--that his denial would work its way into his narration. As he moves through the stages of new sobriety, relapse, denial, self destruction, and ultimately surrender, the style and rhythm of the prose became an instrument to convey his state of mind.

Q: Why break the story into two parts?

A: Because there are two Trevor's--the sober Trevor and the using Trevor. This story is definitely not for the faint of heart. I mean, our protagonist makes some terrible decisions, as addicts do, and he makes them without excuse because of his denial. That can make the reading tough for people unfamiliar with addiction. But it can also help them understand addiction if they're able to suspend judgment and let the characters be human.

Q: You do deal with some rough content but it certainly pays off in the end as Trevor figures out what's really driving him. Switching gears now, I have to ask why you don't use quotation marks?

A:   I do use them, if I'm quoting something, like Hemingway above. I just don't use them for dialogue, at least not in this novel. Fiction writing is storytelling, and, for me, punctuation has no value outside of helping tell the story. A comma means pause, a period means stop. An em dash means take a breath but keep going--this train jumped the tracks but it's still moving. A colon connects things or sets off a list. I'll admit I have no idea what semicolons do. When I first read Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, my mind opened up. I heard everything every character said and my eyes weren't aching from chasing quote marks all over the pages. When I wrote SoBB, the narrative was coming straight from Trevor's mind to the page and it looked silly to have quotation marks there. I also think my screenwriting background prepared me for faster dialogue where it's clear who is saying what. But in the end, it's art. Writers write what works for them, readers read what works for them. 

Q: Well, it's clear what you write works for many readers because South of Bixby Bridge has already had great success. Why do you think your first novel has been received so well?

A: I think when a story is specific enough to the writer, when there is heart and soul in its characters, readers will respond emotionally as many have to SoBB. Almost every day I get messages from readers who are touched by Trevor's story, and I take time to respond to every one. Reading those messages, along with positive reviews, make every minute writing worthwhile.

Q: One last question then. What's next?

A: Lots of people ask for a sequel to South of Bixby Bridge, but I know I'd have to drag Trevor through the mud again and I'm not sure I can do it. Of course, there's always the chance that he turns up on my doorstep some stormy night with a new story to tell. Right now, I'm working on a new novel and outlining a third. I'd like to tell you more, but I'll just say that they're both very different from SoBB, and I think my readers will be pleasantly surprised.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Birch Paper Press (August 16, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615511600
• ISBN-13: 978-0615511603
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,217 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #635,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi, I'm Ryan Winfield. I'm a 38-year-old writer living in Seattle. If your book club would like me to attend your next get together, either in person or via Skype, please don't hesitate to ask. I respond personally to all reader messages and you can get in touch with me at www.ryanwinfield.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ryanwinfield.

I've been asked why I write. I write because I remember.

I remember waking up to snow. Great buckets of it poured from the gray skies and blanketing everything in quiet white. I remember racing to dress, struggling with my boots. "Here, don't forget your mittens." I remember the soft thump of that first footstep in the cold and virgin powder, the tracks looking back, foghorns blowing on the mist-covered bay. I feel the canvas paper bag cutting into my shoulders, the weight of Sunday's headlines heavy on my mind. I see the trees bowed with armloads of white, as if to curtsey my passing. I remember rubber bands and ink stained hands. A car spun sideways in a ditch. Always a car. Then barking dogs, a distant chainsaw. Freckles throwing fastballs that hurt for the cold of them on my neck. I remember snowmen, and igloos, and icy trails through the white and wondrous woods. And I remember sweet Mrs. Johnson waiting at her door. The smell of Avon powder, her thin smile, an envelope pressed into my palm--ten dollars and a peppermint candy cane thank you. Evening now. I remember running downtown--Salvation Army bells, white lights strung in sidewalk trees, bundled shoppers bent against the wind. I remember the heavy door, the warmth, the wood. The bookstore! Smells of paper and leather and ink. Walls of worlds bound and waiting for me to read.

Nothing has affected me as much as reading has. Dickens, Tolkien, and Lewis raised me. And while I've walked through my own hell, made my own mistakes, and found my own redemption, always there have been books. Books to help me escape, books to teach me when to stay and fight, books to help me see where I've been wrong and where I've been right.

I write because I remember. And I write because I still dream.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

422 of 438 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's pure fantasyland but the author makes it believable. December 28, 2011

By Linda Linguvic HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a Kindle book by a brand new writer that is a bargain at its $3.99 price. When I was making up my mind whether to order it or not, I looked at the reviews. Out of 117 reviews, 107 people gave it the highest possible rating. Naturally I was intrigued. And now that I've finished the book in just two days, I can understand what all the praise was about.

The main character is a young man who has trouble with drugs and alcohol. He's lost his house and his girlfriend, , has no money and has just gotten out of rehab. He copes the best way he can, resisting drugs, sleeping in his car and looking for a job. But soon, his life changes. He is given a job in a upscale investment firm by a very wealthy man and his life then takes on what seems to be in a positive direction. He is wined and dined and soon is earning an outrageous amount of big bucks and starts to live a lifestyle that is pure fantasyland. He is back on drugs and alcohol though and is even romancing the rich man's wife. Soon though, things start to fall apart.

The book is extremely fast paced. Something new happens almost every page. Once I started reading I was absolutely hooked. The young man's world became my own and I wallowed in the details of the over-the-top and decadent lifestyles of the characters. There is plenty of glitz and glamour and lots of titillation and the writing is so good that the reader cannot help but identify with the main character. There are twists and turns and lots of turmoil but in the end, things turn out for the best and the book ends on a positive and satisfactory note.

It's rare that a book captures my attention and holds so well. I literally could just not put it down. I am therefore happy to give it one of my highest recommendations.

117 of 121 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding debut May 21, 2012

By Robin Landry TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm going to run out of adjectives to describe this book before I run out of review, but here goes. This is the kind of book that totally captures your imagination. Trevor kept me up all night because I had to see if he could get to his demons before they destroyed him completely. His demons, being alcohol, drugs--anything to help keep the terrifying emotions he keeps buried from surfacing.

This is the story of the pain of addiction--it's a story of what it means to be human. Trevor is the son of an abusive, alcoholic father, and a mother who tries her best to protect her son, and finally dies of cancer early in her son's life. Ryan Winfield gives the reader an up-close-and-person view of what happens when we bury pain so deep that even we can't see it. We can feel something, like the effects of a body in space on a planet that we can't see. We see the planet's wobble so we know something's there, but it's invisible to our eyes because it's too far away.

Trevor's pain so consumes his life until it takes more, and more of any numbing substance to keep it pushed down and out of sight. Fired as a money-manager because of risky behavior with money and his health, Trevor seemingly hits bottom when he nearly dies of an over-dose in a hot tub. After a stint in rehab, paid for by his girl-friend's mother, Trevor leaves still not knowing what his pain is, so of course he finds it all over again. This time he gets a job with a billionaire fund manager who uses Trevor again, only this time in a larger way that finally shows Trevor where bottom is.

Winfield does an excellent job of showing how what we don't bring out of the depths of our subconscious can destroy us, but he does it without any preaching. He does it in a stark and honest way that has to hit home for anyone who's ever used anything to bury a hurt from the past. I love the way Winfield uses his character's car to parallel what's happening to Trevor himself. Just as Trevor was given the gift of his body from his mother, so too was he given the gift of a Porsche. Trevor lives his car at times and even as he has to sell it to live, and then has it taken from him by Paul, the car represents Trevor's body. Life bangs it up, but there are always people to help mend the car, and Trevor himself when he lets them.

This is a brilliant debut from an exciting new author and I'll be waiting anxiously for his next work, though I have no idea how he's going to top South of Bixby Bridge.

89 of 94 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars R-rated for violence and sex March 2, 2012

By N. Teeter

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a very well written book as indicated by the large number off 5-star reviews. The author made me like the main character, Trevor, and that was the only reason I did not stop reading half way through when the content became very graphic. Instead, I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened to Trevor in the end, and I'm glad I did; however, this is a very disturbing book and several days after completing it, I am still haunted by the horrific images. The message of hope and perseverance is a good one and it's worth reading, but the reader should be cautioned about the graphic content. If this becomes a movie, it will be R-rated. I also agree with another reviewer who found the lack of conventional quotation marks to denote conversation frustrating.