Episode 92: Denny S Bryce, author of In the Face of the Sun
Denny S. Bryce shares what inspired the plot as well as the title of her latest novel, In the Face of the Sun, about “a road trip, changing the path of life, how racism, prejudice, and other factors impact African American lives in similar ways in 1928 as they did in 1968.
We chat about how she sees writing as the common thread throughout her four careers, the books she’s managed to read in the midst of her busy writing schedule, and what she’s working on next!
Books Mentioned:
In the Face of the Sun by Denny S. Bryce (Bookshop.org/ Amazon.com)
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Island Queen by Vanessa Riley (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Connect with the author:
Transcript:
** Transcript created using AI (so please forgive the typos!) **
Ashley Hasty 0:00
Denny, I have been wanting to chat with you since your debut novel Wild Women and the Blues came out in 2020. You were high on our list of people to interview for this podcast. So I cannot thank you enough for joining me today.
Denny S. Bryce 0:13
Thank you for the invitation. I truly appreciate the opportunity to talk to you and also just in general to talk about books and fun things like that. So thank you for having me.
Ashley Hasty 0:25
Well, speaking of books, I am so excited for listeners to hear all about your latest novel in the face of the sun. So we you start by telling our listeners what the book is about
Denny S. Bryce 0:36
how sure if I can remember okay, like I wrote it that long ago, In the Face of the Sun is a book that I've been thinking about for a number of years. It's a story of a woman who in 1928 was chambermaid at a fabulous Hotel, which I will talk about more in a few minutes that impacted her 40 years later goes and but her niece needs to get out of town because her husband is abusive. So that story takes place, as I mentioned 40 years later in 1968. So it's a combination of a mystery. Why And What happened to Daisy Washington in 1928. That makes her the woman she is in 1968. And then in 1968, on Frankie Saunders managed to get away from her husband and really changed the course of her life. So it's about a road trip, changing the path of life. It's about how racism, prejudice and other factors impact African Americans lives in similar ways in 1928, as they did in 1968. So there's quite a bit brewing in the story of in the face of the Sun, which is inspired by the title I should say, is inspired by a poem by Langston Hughes, one of my favorite poets, called Dream variations, and in the face of the Sun is a line from that poem.
Ashley Hasty 2:18
Both of your books are written as dual timelines. Your first book was between the mid 1920s and 2015. And like you mentioned, this novelist split between the mid 1920s and the late 1960s.
Denny S. Bryce 2:31
That time period is I feel important to me because of my maternal grandmother, she was came to this country as a teenager from well, actually, she was in her early 20s from Montego Bay, Jamaica, Montego Bay or Kingston. I keep getting them mixed up. But I think it was she had to go through Kingston to get here because the ships depart from Kingston, and she arrived in New York City in 1923. And her dream, of course, at the time was to marry the man who paid for her ticket and live in New York during this bustling time. And, of course, leaving Jamaica and she was from the hill country of Jamaica. So she was not a super savvy gal of city life, and turns out that shipyard, and instead she ended up spending her life. In a small town in Ohio. She never got to live in New York City. She talked about New York City all the time, when I was a little girl, and and so I was really just mesmerized by the stories in the photo, she had a lot of photos everywhere in the house. And I was like, Oh, this time period is cool, because you get you had crazy looking clothes and crazy looking cars and things like that. And that's how I got interested in the 1920s. And of course, digging into the 1920s with a different perspective, because this is not what people typically think of in terms of the 1920s storytelling. And it's it you know, I'm exploring the African American experience, and show girl by the name of honor ray in that time period, and in the face of the sun, takes a look at a luxury hotel in the 1920s a luxury hotel built exclusively for African American clientele, and built by African Americans financed by African Americans. And the reason this hotel the hotel Somerville, which was on Central Avenue, is so significant, has to do with the fact that African Americans could not stay at any of the other hotels in Los Angeles, because they didn't allow black people to register or be guests. They could work the at the hotel, but they couldn't be a guest. So lots of factors that led me to want to explore the 1920s more deeply and in fact by next Kensington bar is also set in the 1920s.
Ashley Hasty 5:10
Next question,
Denny S. Bryce 5:13
okay, I'll slow down. Well, I'm actually I'm doing something rather, as they say cray cray. I am working on two books. And they're sort of almost do at the same time as always. So it feels. The first book that I'm currently working on is actually for William Morrow. And it's what is called a biographical historical fiction. I am writing about a historical figure by the name of Sara Forbes anetta. Sara Forbes Panetta lived in the 19th century, she was, how do I say this gift it and I put that in quotes to Queen Victoria after she was saved by Commander Forbes, from enslavement and execution in West Africa. And she ended up being the god daughter to Queen Victoria. So I'm writing about her. And then my next Kensington book, as I mentioned, would be set in the 1920s is called the trial of Mrs. Rhinelander. And it is based or a retelling of a true story, a woman by the name of Alice Rhinelander, was taken to court by her husband, Kip Rhinelander, who was an heiress or an heir to a huge real estate, who had married her. And then he discovered, and I use that in quotes, too, that she was black. She was a nick row, and he wanted out from that marriage in one of an annulment. And she fought, she fought the good fight the smart fight for six years. So I'm telling that story. Wow.
Ashley Hasty 6:58
So I'm very excited about your new novels. But I want to go back to an abuse of the sun. It is so much fun to hear how an author takes that initial spark of an idea and turn it into a complete novel. So I want to know, we talked a little bit about what inspired the title, the poem, but what inspired you to write the story of in the face of the sun?
Denny S. Bryce 7:22
Well, it started in 2017. I am a old hotel buff, and love. I used to travel a lot before, you know pandemic and things like that. But during 2017 I was in Los Angeles for the LA Film Festival. And I was staying in Culver City at the Culver Hotel, which is a fabulous hotel. I think it was built in 1920. So I'm hanging out in their sort of their museum like room where they have facts about the history of the hotel, and I run to come across some information about the hotel Somerville. And this is a place I've never heard of that opened in 1928 in Los Angeles, and then it gave me a little taste of the history. And I was like, oh, so I immediately started googling. Then the next thing I did was jumped in my rental, I had a car I was rented car, drove over to Central Avenue and 41st street and there was the hotel Summerville, the building is still there was still there. And I believe I strongly believe it's still there. Now, in 2017. It was a senior living residence, it was no longer an active hotel actually hadn't been active hotels since probably the 40s or 50s 1940s, or 1950s. But anyway, the building is still there. And even the plaque on the front of the building that says hotel Summerville is still there. You know, so it has that, because it is a historic landmark I just was I took a lot of photos from the outside and wandering around. And then this lady comes out elderly lady and she's like what you're doing. And I was like, I'm taking pictures because I'm an author. And at the time, I had no books anywhere. You know, I was just riding away hoping to find an agent. I think I had an agent by then but I wasn't near to be published. She let me in and showed me around. So I have photos of the interior and the exterior and the space and the balcony where they had the orchestra, the registration area, the whole thing. So I must admit, cuz I'm rambling. But I must admit, I got so excited about this building and I said, what was happening in the 1920s what was happening in 1928. One of the things that was happening was this hotel the history of this hotel, one of the big African American movie stars as of the time was a man by the name of Lincoln Perry, also known as Stephen Fetchit. Stepping fetch. It has As a rather controversial as he should history in Hollywood and the black community, he was a comedian. And what his performances and his films were all about, was the portrayal of a very dim witted fairy, negative depiction of, of a black band, but very much in line with what was except by, I always have to do my quotes, because these words that come out of my mouth, are really not to be taken, as you know, acceptable at that time period characterization and humor that was allowed. So it was before Nikhil and very much, you know, there was a lot of negativity, even during the time period for his humor, but there was also the fact that he was the first millionaire, African American actor, millionaire. So he has a has a role in my story as well. Now 1968 Why did that matter? 1968 had so much going on in the world, from Vietnam to assassinations, assassination of Martin Luther King and April, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, other deaths. And, you know, night earlier in 64, the Civil Rights Act, you know, just so much was coming to a head in the summer of 1968. And that's the backdrop for a family drama, essentially, where you have a young woman who is like, I got to get away from this estranged husband of mine, I mean, this abusive husband of mine, and I don't know where I'm going, I don't know how to get there. But this gal, my aunt, Daisy,
there's a line that I think we use in marketing of someone that I the family talks about, but never, you know, well or something like that. Essentially, she's the black sheep of the family. But there's a line I can't remember if I kept it in the book. She said, I'm not even the black sheep. They at least invite the black sheep to eat meat and so to marriages and funerals, I don't even get invitations. So and then there's a murder mystery, because the first line of the book, where's my book? It's around here. Sometimes. I can't remember first lines unless I reach for them. So, so I think I can say the first line in the book. It prologue, Tuesday, June 12 1990, Los Angeles, the night Veronica Fontaine died, there was a black bird in the sky with a red and yellow triangle on its breast. It swapped like a crow, no song in its throat, just a curse. A string of damn nation's blast in my eardrums. A black bird in erupts the stillness of the sunset, slowly flapping its wings flying across the blue and crimson sky. The lone bird seeks its flock, but their numbers have dwindled, and the once abundant bird no longer blankets, the sky. And then it goes on. From there. So it starts with, well, the night somebody died. So what's that about? Because I'm rambling.
Ashley Hasty 13:35
No, not at all. I want to talk a bit about your research is a big part of writing any novel, of course, but especially from others of historical fiction.
Denny S. Bryce 13:45
And you know, and she's like, she was definitely sent telling me, you know, you should be writing about this. Because she because she was, I'd say she was in her 80s. So at the time, I probably didn't ask the questions that I would would have asked a year later. Because it was, it literally was a world when I was there for one thing, and then discovered this and just jumped in my car and went and with my camera and just said, oh, oh, and so I didn't know a lot when I first visited. But the research path for you know, really, because what I do with my research is I typically start with the things that cannot be changed. When did the NAACP hold its annual its first annual meeting on the west coast at the hotel summer golf. That was documented that's in the book because it happened the week after the hotel opened, was, you know, WEB DuBois, people, just famous African Americans of the time from all over For the country, there was a parade down Central Avenue, the mayor of Los Angeles. Now my research to discover on Earth these facts and details. One of my first stops is always the African American press. It was a publication that their editor chief and owner at the time was Charlotte bass, B A S S. And so she has a walk on in the book as well. But her publication is important because another character in the 1928 storyline, who also is a part of the 1968 storyline is a character whose name I can't remember right now. His name is Harry. I know it's Harry. Yeah, there's Harry. Harry was inspired. I think his hair name is Harry Belmont. Because I love Harry Belafonte. So I named him Harry Belmont. Because the actual reporter who has inspired me to even put this character in the book was in a man named Harry look, look at Labatt le a Vitt. He was just a jack of all trades editor reporter he did covered sports, he covered news, he did all of this stuff for the California Eagle, then eventually ended up being an actor. In Hollywood, he was just jack of all trades kind of guy. And since you know, I didn't want to really dig into his life. So I just used him i He was an inspirational character. He became inspiration for a character in the story. And the circumstances that they are involved in are definitely part of his storytelling. But elements of every story that I write with historical fiction in this particular genres are inspired by events inspired by the way the newspapers, talk about films, talk about the hotel, talk about, you know, another historical fact that made its way into the 1920 storyline is the collapse of the St. Francis dam in March of 19 2008. Significantly bad it was built by their civil engineer at the time was who was Mulholland? Who is someone that everybody's heard of, if nothing else, you've seen the movie, the old movie, Mulholland Drive, so So all of these things that you dig up in history, can find a way to be reshaped or refashioned? Or told us they happened to enhance your story?
Ashley Hasty 17:54
Was there anything that you dug up in your research that you wanted to include, but couldn't fit it in the story or it had to be cut?
Denny S. Bryce 18:02
Yeah, that was a lot of the Lincoln Perry stuff because that was a different book. And maybe I'll come back to it. But Lincoln Perry was Stephen patch. It was quite notorious. He had I guess I can say this, he had a thing for 16 year old girls, and he was in his mid 20s. And he would propose and all of this information would be in the newspaper, because when you proposed, it would go into the newspaper as well. There's a commitment. And then he proposed to this and actually, this did go into the book, so I can't talk. Okay. The proposal that did not go into the book was, he was Nina may McKinney, an actress that I love from the 1920s just a beautiful actress who of course, as an African American female could not get any decent roles after a certain period of time or she only got certain roles, but she starred in a in King the doors film hallelujah, which was the first Hollywood made all black cast felt distinguishing it from an Oscar micheaux film for example, Austin the show of being an African American producer, director, writer, legendary gentleman, did not make Hollywood films out of Paramount or well at the time MGM or some of the other houses and King the door did that. And she was his star Nina McKinney and like and Perry actually proposed to her one of several of his proposals out there and but they're, they're just like and Perry handles so much that could be dived into,
Ashley Hasty 19:58
what have you learned about writing and or publishing between publishing your debut novel and your sophomore novel.
Denny S. Bryce 20:05
It's different writing, you have to write faster, because you're under contract. That is something that has impacted my strategy for writing books, because I have currently one, two, I'm very pleased with this number, but I gotta count 123. I have three books, I think I have four books under contract right now, maybe only three. But I feel like I'm writing for I think I am ready for 1234. Yeah, I got four books under contract, that means you're writing, and writing and writing. And so I'm a full time writer. And that's a lovely place. At the same time, I say that, writing a book, and you know, I'm working on my third book. And there are those out there who have written 20 books, and, or 100 books. And those writers, at least the ones that I know, and I know quite a few writers, they will all pretty much tell you that every book is hard. Every book has its challenges every book is is something that you're you know, blood sweat and tears over, I was under the semi illusion that it was going to get easier. You still are at the grindstone, figuring it out, coming up with the words, coming up with the story, developing the character, making sure that it's, it's rich in what you want to say, begging BETA readers to take a look. So it's it's the thing, you know, it's it's a wonderful opportunity in life that I'm very thrilled to have to be able to write books, and actually have them published, actually have people read them. But the process is, is one that you have to continuously fine tune. At least that's where I'm at in my growth cycle of being an author, professional author.
Ashley Hasty 22:19
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Denny S. Bryce 22:23
I my favorite word is be patient is patience. Be patient. Because so often I you know, this is like my fourth career, I like to say that, you know, I've been a professional dancer, I've owned a marketing and PR firm. I've been a PR spokesperson for major corporation, I've done marketing for a National Zoo. So I've done all these things, but always, under every thing that I was doing was writing, even when I was dancing, I wrote the newsletter for my, for the dance troupe I was with. And so my advice is definitely be patient, with your art with yourself. And with your timing. Some people I feel getting to such a hurry, they they feel the competition. Before they feel the the passion, you know, the passion gets confused with competition. And I'm like, yeah, there is no competition, the only competition you should. I don't even consider being a writer of a world of competition. It's a world of art. It's a world of craft. It's a world of telling stories, and doing the very best you can when you tell that story. And if you stay in that mindset, it gets less, there's less pressure to because if you're constantly looking over your shoulder, yeah, it just makes you makes it less fun.
Ashley Hasty 24:11
Absolutely. And I think that's a beautiful reminder for people who are in the trenches of writing. It's easy to lose track on that. Yeah. I think it's safe to say that writers are also avid readers. So I want to hear a bit about your reading world. What do you like to read and what books would you recommend right now?
Denny S. Bryce 24:28
Um, right now I, I read, I don't read as much as I want to read. And that is an interesting space to be in because of my heavy writing schedule. But I have read some fabulous books in the last few months. I'm going to throw out some titles. Well, first, I have to start with this bus. It is if I can get the thing. It's called The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, there we go. And the reason this book is so important to show is that it's a brilliant book, but it's 800 pages, and I read every word. So that is a. I also wrote a review for it for the New York Times for NPR. I put in jumping ahead of myself here a little bit. This book by Vanessa Riley is fantastic, Island Queen. She is also about to release. Well, she just released last week, because she also writes historical romances. She just released third book, a starred review in her series, and I don't have that title in front of me because there she has a lot of books. But the other some other authors, Nancy Johnson has The Kindest Lie. Fabulous book. Sadiq will Johnson yellow wife, fabulous book, a book coming out on Tuesday, my writing partner, Eliza Knight, is her new book, the Mayfair bookshop will be coming off from William Morrow on Tuesday. Check it out. It is wonderful. Let me see. Let me see. My I should mention that my writing partner Eliza and I just sold our book for called they were friends, a novel Ella and Maryland. And that is to William Morrow. And it's the story of the friendship between Ella Fitzgerald, and Marilyn Monroe.
Ashley Hasty 26:30
I'm very excited for that one,
Denny S. Bryce 26:33
you're gonna have to wait a minute. We're counting but some of my other faves is the scale right here. Lily Chang, my favorite book by her and one of my favorite books period is called euphoria. So this one I just got ahold of, and I'm just very excited about that. I'm just looking around because I usually keep these books nearby. Well, I just want to show the Mayfair book club. This is the licen knights. i This is about the backwards thing and I'm just like I can't figure it out. Another one of my favorite authors is Chanel cleeton. Love her books. She has a new one coming out in a couple of months. So anyhow, so those are some Oh, what am I talking about? I'm forgetting Piper hugely has a book coming out her first historical fiction from William Morrow called by her own design. And that one is another incredible incredible book. So there's so much reading so many good books and then you're sitting there going, Oh my God, my ears I audio I do this and then you have to write books too. So it's just busy. It's just busy. I wish I wish I was A Faster Reader but I am not. So I just
Ashley Hasty 27:56
read. I might start to I Wish I Were A Faster Reader. I am maybe the world's slowest reader, but I just saved her everything. Yeah,
Denny S. Bryce 28:04
I It's like, I really am happy with my reading pace. Because I really absorb. But at the same time I'm like, it takes too much time. I got to do it faster. So I'm getting into a love of good Nair audiobook. I you know, you get me. I listened to all of my Diana golden books. I love Diana Baldwin's Outlander series. I listened to that because it was like that was a patient.
Ashley Hasty 28:38
So many books, and so little time, it's a serious thing. Well, before we wrap up, I want to share how people can find you. Can you tell us where you hang out on social media and your website?
Denny S. Bryce 28:52
Absolutely. And I keep it easy because of my marketing background. It's the same wherever you go. It's s Bryce. no space, no period. It's right there on the screen. If you're watching, if you're listening, d e n n YSBRY C e.com. Or you go to Instagram, same thing at that's my handle. Go to twitter. That's my handle. You'll find me on Facebook. That's my handle. Eyes market people out there authors don't make it hard for the readers and the other folks out there in the world to find you. Keep it simple.
Ashley Hasty 29:35
Denny, it was such a pleasure meeting you. I've been wanting, like I said wanting to chat with you for years.