An Interview with Barbara Bryan, Author of ‘Topanga Canyon: Fire Season

1. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Logophile, Risible and Evolving.

2. Can you tell us about your earliest memory or experience with horses and how it influenced your lifelong love for them?

It was a pony ride in New York City’s Central Park when I was five. As I was lifted onto the tiny red leather saddle, the sweet, chocolate-colored pony turned his head, looked me straight in the eye, and whinnied – well, from that moment on, I knew I wanted to be around horses.

3. As part-owner of the Interactive Café in Santa Monica, CA, you offer a space for horse enthusiasts to share their knowledge and stories. What inspired you to create this space, and what kind of conversations or experiences have you had there?

One of the joys of running a café is being able to offer a meeting place for discussions and exchanging ideas with a myriad of people about many different topics, horses being one of them. Get-to-getters like these happened often before COVID-19; thankfully, we are headed in that direction again. Needless to say, when you get a group of people together who have a common interest, they usually end up talking shop – for horse enthusiasts, it is about the price of feed, who has an excellent vet to recommend, and the depletion of open spaces where one can ride.

4. “Topanga Canyon Fire Season” addresses some challenging themes, including family issues and animal cruelty. What inspired you to tackle these topics in a young adult novel, and how do you think they resonate with readers of different age groups?

I find it amusing that some people still want to categorize a person’s ability and maturity by their age alone. Young adults today face a world that is much more complex and daunting than before and, given the opportunity, are more than capable of understanding and correcting the failings of previous generations. Family issues and animal cruelty are things that hopefully anyone, regardless of age, can understand and wish to improve.

5. One of the central conflicts in the book revolves around the mistreatment of horses by a callous trainer. How did you approach the topic of animal cruelty, and what message or lessons do you hope readers take away from this aspect of the story?

Regrettably, any endeavor that includes animals and the chance of wealth is prone to unscrupulous individuals who will stop at nothing to secure a Winner’s Silver Trophy and the monetary prize that accompanies it. I have witnessed such behavior and could have picked any number of riding disciplines. Instead, I chose the Tennessee Walking Horse and the practice of soring because of the decades-long battle that ASPCA has waged to eradicate the practice. It was important to me that my readers could get more involved in the story by joining Matt and Ariel in their fight to end soring by contacting the ASPCA and learning about ways to stop this method of horse training.

6. Could you share a bit about the characters, Matt and Ariel in your book set in Topanga Canyon? How did you develop these characters, and what kind of adventures do they embark on in relation to the issue of soring?

I have always had an overactive imagination, and when I started thinking about the book, Matt one day materialized and offered his help in telling the story. Maybe all those tea parties I had as a young girl with my imaginary friends helped make Matt and Ariel so accessible. Or perhaps they are simply friends I wish I had had growing up. I tried to throw all sorts of obstacles in front of Matt and Ariel in their quest to stop soring at the ranch and to make the general public aware of the horrid practice, and it will be much more fun for you if you read about their adventures rather than me telling them to you.

7. As a writer, what do you find most rewarding about crafting a coming-of-age story, and how do you ensure that the narrative appeals to a wide range of readers, both horse enthusiasts and those less familiar with equestrian life?

Most young people have an enthusiasm and quest for learning about new things that unfortunately seems to dim as we age. They see the possibility of change and know they can accomplish anything. What better audience for an author to present their ideas. I tried to bring in just enough information about horses so that a reader would understand the various dynamics of Tenessee Walking Horses and Soring. Whether my narrative appeals to a wide range of readers, perhaps it’s best if you tell me.

8. Can you share any specific moments or scenes from the book that hold particular significance for you as an author?

Matt is frustrated at being at the ranch and doing too many chores. He vents his pent-up anger by kicking a wheelbarrow and, by doing so, falls into a water trough. He pulls himself out of the trough, dripping wet, and begins angrily stomping his feet on the hard ground. At this point, Esmerelda, the ranch’s house manager and a member of the Tongva Native American People,  happens upon the distraught boy.

“Matt, why are you pounding the earth?”, asked Esmerelda.”What?”, replied Matt.

“You keep telling me you are no longer a child, and here you are having a temper tantrum.” “I want to go home to my Mom.” “Acting like this will not speed your journey.” Esmelerda rests her laundry basket on a bale of hay. “You need to think about the path you walk each day. Each step you take echoes back to you like a drum beat. You need to listen to the song you are making.”

We all need to listen to the song we are making as we walk this earth.

9. Your writing style in the book is described as straightforward yet elegant. How do you balance the need for accessibility in a young adult novel with the desire to create literary prose?

Frankly,  when I sit down to write, I have never have the concept of creating literary prose. That is for writers way more gifted than I am. I am delighted when I can simply write a good story that is fun to read.

10. Could you provide some insights into your writing process? How did you manage to find the time and inspiration to write during the Covid lockdown, and what challenges or rewards did you encounter along the way?

Frankly, Covid 19 was the inspiration. When the Covid countywide “Stay at Home Order” took effect in Los Angeles, it turned my life and everyone else’s upside down. Santa Monica became a ghost town. Hours would go by before anyone even entered the café. And the continuing unknown deadly threat of COVID-19 and the sudden total lack of control over our future to me was frightening. During this seemingly never-ending downtime, I started writing a short story about a teenager whose life changed overnight and how he dealt with the terrifying new circumstances. The simple process of writing and being able to concentrate on an unrelated project allowed me to keep my equilibrium while keeping our friends and family safe and well and fighting for the survival of our business. Writing Topanga Canyon: Fire Season was a gift. Today, writing, like most things in life, is a matter of showing up. I try to honor my commitment by writing something, anything each day. I get up early enough to write for an hour before going to work and revisit the morning’s pages in the evening to make corrections in preparation for the next day’s early morning writing session, which is a daily joy for me.

11. Do you have other writers in the family and friends

I found this to be a rather strange question. You will undoubtedly run across a writer or two when one has a large family and a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. Similarly, one might come across an accountant, chef, or plumber.   Family and friends often start doing one thing and then end up doing another  –  I know a few people who started as one thing and have now morphed into writers, but I do not come from a family of writers.

12. As you continue your writing journey, do you plan to explore similar themes or genres in future works, or are there new storytelling directions you’d like to pursue?

I think the core of my writing will always be to help reignite the essential truth that we all intrinsically possess the courage to face the myriad of challenges in today’s world and to restore the knowledge that through us, change is possible. This allows me to create endless stories about an array of characters from different locations and backgrounds. Still deciding on the next tale, but I wouldn’t mind spending more time on the ranch with Matt.

13. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming an animal rights activist and making a positive impact for animals?

A great place to start is volunteering at one’s local animal shelter. Of course, one can always become a member of well-known animal rights groups like the ASPCA. But I think the hands-on approach is way better. Spending time at a shelter allows you to discover the greatest need for the animals in your neighborhood and maybe find out what kind of animal rights activist you would like to be. From there, you can join organizations with the same interests, or why not start one of your own focused on what you think the greatest need is – I know you’ll be great at it.

“Discover the gripping tale of courage, compassion, and the fight against cruelty in ‘Topanga Canyon: Fire Season’ by Barbara Bryan. Available on Amazon now – a must-read for those who love compelling stories with a powerful message.”