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! 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 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