Robin’s Comments (group member since Jun 14, 2009)

Robin’s comments from the Bryce Anderson group.

The book actually came out 7/25/009 - I've just now gotten around to updating Bryce's Website

Bryce Ander's Body of Knowledge was picked up by Ridan Publishing and has been re-released as Finding Reason. The story is the same, the name, interor/exterior design, and copyediting is all that has changed.

Bryce's website has been revised to reflect the name of his book. Click here to see the new site

Hope you all had fun at the book club - I wish I could have been there to join in the coversation ;-)

Welcome Donna and Yoda - wow you two make an interesting pair ;-)

I wish I lived in the area I would have loved to join the conversation.

Jason - you are too funny!!

I make great cookies Molly!! Glad to see the book made it "across the pond" as it were.

Lol - Bryce - you crack me up

A fantastic review on Body of Knowlege was posted on June 17,2009. High praise from it included:

I have no doubt that this is one of the books that will endure generations, as they say, one of the “Next Great American Novels”.

Nutshell view? I was not merely entertained; I was driven to devour this book. I needed to know how it ended. Now, I need someone to read it so I can talk about it. The drive to devour still exists, but is funneled into a need to discuss. This is a book club book, worthy of sitting down over coffee and biscuits and bullshitting. I have passed my copy over to my fiancé so she could read it. In the meantime, I am a knot… tied to ideas I cannot discuss. I am being tortured.

You can read the full review, or leave a comment to the author by clicking here .

Wave Heather - thanks for introducting me to Bryce's book ;-)

My name is Robin and I'm the wife of another Goodreads author, Michael Sullivan. A Goodreads friend of mine asked if I could talk a bit to Bryce about how to get the word out about his book. I've been "around the block" a few times so I said sure.

I got a copy of Bryce's book and was hooked at once.

-- Robin The Crown Conspiracy | Avempartha | Nyphron Rising (Oct 2009)

Use this folder to introduce yourself to the group.

The following is an author questionnaire that Bryce filled out to be interviewed by a national radio syndicate. He thought to post it just for the halibut:

1. What inspired you to write this book?
I have a brain that tends to ‘collect’ worthwhile information and retain it for quite some time (in this case, since about 8th grade). I had built up several themes that lacked a bonding idea. When I read ‘The Da Vinci Code’, I was inspired by the concept of short (very short) chapters – I had never really seen that before. Shortly thereafter, I read about a man (JP in my book) that provided that common link. “Body of Knowledge” then became a reality.

2. In general, how does an idea for a book come to you ~ does it perk slowly in your mind or does it come in a flash?
I ponder ‘imponderables’ constantly. The most commonly used term in most of my reviews (almost all of them really) is “This makes you think.” – I absolutely love that, because, sincerely, that’s how the book was hatched – through time, and LOTS of pondering.

3. Give us an idea of the plot/subject without giving too much away.
Interesting wording of the question – because it is a very difficult book to describe without giving the plot away. In general, as mentioned above, the bulk of the story involves revealing the true identity of my next door neighbor (JP), who is a genius, but claims to be someone that is impossible. My quest to [dis:]prove his identity leads me on a quest for knowledge, and discovery of the unknown.

4. What is the primary message you’d like your readers to take away from this book? (If a novel, is there an underlying theme?)
There is SO much knowledge that is out there that is fun to know. In addition, pondering the unknown (i.e. Death / God / Science) can make life more meaningful.

5. What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
My personal favorite, although almost all my reviews have varying scenes, is when the main character (JP) describes a ‘bet’ between a publisher and an author. The ‘bet’ involves the author writing an entire story using 50 words or less. The gist of the scene is that the word ‘genius’ sometimes has different connotations than we attach to it. (The excerpt for this scene can be found on my webpage http://www.bodyofknowledgeonline.com ). – The ‘author’ in this case, is Dr. Seuss, and the book is ‘Green Eggs and Ham’.

6. What was the most difficult scene to write? Why?
The scene where I have to say goodbye to JP. I cry when I read it.

7. Which character do you identify with the most in your book? How much of yourself did you put into these characters and did you realize you showed up in the book? If so, while you were writing or only afterwards upon review?
Bryce Anderson. In a very real sense, this book is an autobiography. I put 100% of myself into the character, and, as stated above, I really do cry when I read portions of it. This is definitely by design, from start to finish, of the book.

8. What are you reading right now?
‘Mere Christianity’ by C.S. Lewis – I love the way he leaves you to work out thoughts on your own. Also worthy of mention – I just finished ‘Life of Pi’ – a wonderful book that has thousands of little gems about animals in it.

9. What authors, books, or ideas have influenced your writing?
Dan Brown, C.S. Lewis, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein., Wilson Rawls. I enjoy any book that contains Entertainment, Education, and Enlightenment. If they contain all three, I will give it 5 stars with no reservations.

10. What is your go-to book–that one you’ve read more than once, possibly over-and-over? OR Who is your go-go author?
‘Where the Red Fern Grows’ (Wilson Rawls). – I’ve read it about 30 times, and read it to my kids twice. Just a great book for everybody.

11. Can you offer a glimpse into your “real life” and share with us a bit of your personal life—Outside of writing, what’s important to you (i.e., hobbies, passions, causes, family)?
I was raised in the mountains of Missoula, Montana, and have always been a ‘family man’ – including when I was a child. I hold the family to be the most vital unit to society, and, if we could all know that, and strengthen it, the world would be a better place. I love reading to my kids – I have 4 of them and they are all extremely smart. I attribute that to both the time spent together as a family, and the time spent reading and spending spare time with them.
I love sports, and participated in pretty much all of them until I blew my knee out in 2000. Now, I pretty much rely on my brain, and not my body.

12. Tell us something surprising about you and/or something very few people know about you.
I have 11 fingernails. (2 on my right thumb). Go figure! I also cry a lot, but almost always in private. I also laugh a lot.

13. What has been one of your biggest struggles and/or successes (professional/personal) and what have you learned from it?
Right now, I’d have to say finding a distributor for my book. I was under the assumption that, once you were done writing the book, the work was done. Sadly, writing the book seems like the easy part. What have I learned? – It sounds cliché, but I’ve learned to believe in myself and my work, and stick with it. I do believe there is a light at the end of this tunnel…

14. Have you ever had a nickname? Tell us about it.
“The Brik” – someone butchered my real name (Bryce) once when I was younger, and it just kinda stuck. I like it though, feel free to call me that if you’d like.

15. Who is your biggest fan?
I would hope that my kids are, although you’d have to ask them that. Outside of them, I have a high-school sweetheart that I met up with on Facebook about 3 months ago that seems to top the list. I have a ‘fan club’ (only because I applied for author status on Goodreads) that has 6 members currently. That flatters me – but I am really not in this for the accolades.

16. What was the best advice you’ve ever received—do you follow it?
When I was 12, my Dad took me to a movie. Kids under 12 were charged $2.00 instead of the normal $3.50. The ticket taker asked my Dad how old I was. He responded “12”. – After he had purchased the ticket, I asked him why he didn’t say I was 11 – and he could have saved $1.50. He replied: “My integrity is worth more than a dollar fifty.” -- That stuck with me to this day, and, yes, I try to follow it.

17. What is your favorite literary turn-of-phrase / quote / word picture?
“If you have trouble believing in me, maybe it would help you to know that I believe in you.” -God, (George Burns), from the movie “Oh, God!”

18. What did you learn about yourself while writing this book that you may not have expected?
I learned that I am a very sensitive person. It might have been my age, or just the phase that I was going through at the time, but that’s what struck me most about my ‘changing’ as I was writing the book.

19. What’s next for you ~ Anything else you’d like to offer?
I’m working on a sequel (entitled “States of Mind”), but what I’d really like to do is get “Body of Knowledge” ‘out there’ first.

20. How do readers get in touch with you? Website Address? Email?
Website: www.bryce-anderson.com
Email: author.bryce.anderson@gmail.com

Bryce welcomes ALL comments and will (if he has time) personally respond to all forms of media he receives.

I can't guarantee he'll answer all our questions - after all that's part of the mystery of Body of Knowledge, but it doesn't hurt to ask !! If you have a question for Bryce Post it here.

Bryce's new website is now up and running. Come by and take a look, read sample chapters, or see recent reviews by Clicking here

Did you know that when you buy a book from Amazon or the Bookstore that 50% of the proceeds go to the sales channel and not the author? Those wanting to support their favorite authors know that buying direct is the best way to make sure that those who create the book get the highest share possible.

You can buy the book directly from Bryce at his website for $9.95 + $3.00 Shipping and handling that's cheaper than you can get the book on Amazon OR the bookstore and help Bryce out a bit by letting him keep more money for all the hard word he did wrting the book.

Payment is by check or credit card, or through a PayPal account.

Click here to order

Have you read Body of Knowledge and want to discuss it without holding back spoilers? Well here is the place to do it!! Go ahead spoil away - those reading have been warned ;-)

Body of Knowledge is one of those books that really make you think and one that has an interesting twist. This is a place for readers to discuss the book, but please do not post any spoilers here - see the other post for that.