It's my authorversary!!

Bella Bryce's latest blog posts

It's my authorversary!!

20/9/2014

So....where is my party?
Presents?
Do I AT LEAST get a new dress and matching hair ribbon?!

Anyone?

One year ago today, my first book, 'The Solicitation', was published with Blushing Books. It rose to take the number one spot on the top 50 within a few days, and stayed in the 1,000's on Amazon.com for a few weeks. I was a brand new author, 26 years old and had just moved from England to the US. It was such a time of change and growth, and now I can't believe it's been a whole year.

I never planned to write full-time. I didn't think I could love writing as much as I do. Or that I could make it work to stay home full-time and actually do it. I never thought I would write five part series. I didn't even really know what I was doing when I wrote book 1 , only that the story was going to fall out of me if I didn't get it on paper. When I wrote close to 20,000 words, my husband said, 'you have to get this published.' I ended up adding another 49,000 words. I didn't think anyone would publish it, let alone read it. 'The Solicitation' is still my BEST selling book in the Waldorf Manor series and sells more every month than any of the other books. It's where everything began for both Alice and for me. Perhaps that's why it's been so difficult to finish book V. It's emotional to let go. Extremely.

But here I am, one year later. Working on book V to close the WM series before I move on to one of the other twelve standalone titles I have in process.

THANK YOU

Thank you to everyone who has purchased and reviewed my books. I'm so very humbled by the way you've commented or emailed me to tell me how my books
(oh gosh!) have:

- challenged you
- helped you heal
- given you a safe place to escape
- made you laugh
- and cry
- helped you reevaluate your manner of speaking or presenting yourself (wow!)
- touched you
- touched a nerve that led to reflection or healing

It's lovely to earn an income from writing. But lovely doesn't change hearts or impact lives. So, thank you for allowing my books into the deepest parts of you. The number of private emails from people who have opened up and shared their pain, their secrets - because they identify with one of my characters. It absolutely makes it all worth it. Thank you to the fans who have become my friends, thank you for the emails - keep them coming. Thank you to the readers who wait patiently for each book and come back again with reviews that encourage, inspire and sometimes, challenge me.

Celebrate!

If you're a fan of the Waldorf Manor series, I would love to hear what your favourite quote or chapter is, or which book you identify with best. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I will be giving away a small prize to a random commenter to celebrate my special day.

9 Comments

Didi K

20/9/2014 05:12:28 pm

I love you, B! :D

Congrats on your 1 year!! Thank you SO much for sharing your world with us - it's a lovely one. :)

Hmmm....

Alice: Then you won't get any snuggles.

Probably in my very top... I am trying to remember the others that really touched me or made me laugh. I could think of some of "He who shall not be loved" that made me react strongly. ;-)

*HUGS* *BALLOONS*

Tina s

20/9/2014 05:14:55 pm

Omg I loved all your books I can't just choose one. I love how Alice was able to heal from her childhood life and to learn to love and trust her new family. The books get more and more exciting and more healing and love is shown. I am totally excited and also sad for the last book. I have cried, sympathized, and escaped my own demons reading this series. Thank you Bella for you extrodnary writing. I hope more will come after the last book in this series.

Vera Dunn

21/9/2014 01:50:09 am

Congrats, Bella! A one year anniversary is a huge deal! (Actually, all anniversaries are!) I'm very pleased that you are pleased with how far you've come along, and I only hope you push it as far as you can! :)

Hmmm, I would have to say my favorite of the series, so far, is "The Glass House", mainly because of how much love and companionship the characters obviously show between each other. (That, and Damian is my favorite, and there was quite a good deal of him in it.) My favorite quote, surprisingly, is not much of a quote, but a description you gave inbetween dialogue:

'He wasn't as natural as Bennett or Brayden when it came to speaking to Alice. Damian wasn't as paternal or naturally dominant as they were, either, but he was genuine.'

I have always loved this line. It shows a great deal of his character, one of his better qualities versus his flightiness, and character is always lovely for me to see. :)

-Vera

Julia Zuniga

21/9/2014 04:12:27 am

Congratulations!! I'm trying to recall when I discovered your books - I believe it was just before the third one came out (I was lucky, I got to read the first three in succession!). Like Vera, my favorite character is Damian. I can't put my finger on exactly why this is so - perhaps because he is closer to my lifestyle than the other men in the series and so more relatable...or maybe it is his his innate kindness. One scene from the first book has stuck with me - it is when Alice is in his & Bennett's home (for the first time? can't remember exactly) but she is nervous and he pulls out a little picture book he drew to amuse her, and loosen her up. That one little act of thoughtfulness touched me deeply. He is a very special person.

JoAnna

21/9/2014 04:42:14 am

What a year you have had! Congratulations! I found your books this year and fell in love immediately with Bennett. So for me the first book is my favorite. You captured a complete longing and desire in these pages. Bennett's strong loving hand is demonstrated as he guides Alice in situations that she's not comfortable with. The short scenes with Alice and her mother are personally familiar to me. I needed a Bennett since I was 15. Thank the fates Alice found hers ;)

21/9/2014 02:43:12 pm

I meant Brayden where I put Bennett. Unfortunately I couldn't edit the post after it posted. Oh well lol

Ellienora

21/9/2014 11:31:15 am

My favorite is Elisabeth. And my second favorite is Brayden. I like how Elisabeth truly reacts to having her parents die. It's real, and it's raw, and she lashes out but she does turn to Bennett. She's so strong.

Lynn

21/9/2014 02:50:08 pm

Congratulations on your authorversary! I'm so grateful that you shared Waldorf Manor with us so thank you.

My favorite character is Brayden, he is just so...oh gosh I wish I had one of him. I loved his relationship with Alice. When I first started reading 'The Solicitation' I thought for sure they would end up together romantically like most one age play stories until there was that scene where they are in the car and Alice is chattering away and he says something like 'I love you as much as a father can love his daughter' and then my thinking changed and I'm so happy with the way it turned out. I love/envy their relationship.

Alice Briggs

5/10/2014 02:07:42 pm

I love The Courting when Brayden says "It's very easy to believe lies. It's harder to believe the truth. One tends to believe criticism quicker than compliments."
I love that because its so true!
Also I love how you meet Sally, Alice's mom.

Please make Alice have a little sister and brother. That would just be adorable!!!:)