Nonfiction
Date Published: 06-15-2021
Publisher: Burning Soul Press
Jillian Bright has lived and loved the world over, wild and free, her soul awakened and destroyed, mended and strengthened. From empowering women through custom-made bikinis in Costa Rica to listening to a Bulgarian astrologer predict her son’s unplanned birth, her journey took her from country-to-country, unveiling passion and purpose. But it was the various crossroads along the way that taught her the most meaningful lesson: It’s never the first step off the cliff that’s the most terrifying. It isn’t even the free fall that happens afterward. The scariest part is the crash landing when self-doubt makes you think that maybe you can’t actually fly. That’s when you begin to understand that you have to grow your own wings. That’s why when Jillian found herself in South America, robbed of everything that mattered most and facing the biggest crossroads of her life, she went all in—and dived off the cliff. The Trouble with Wings is a deeply honest and stirring memoir about living life from your heart and trusting yourself to say yes—even when it means you have to risk it all. Jillian Bright is an award-winning travel writer, author, copywriter, retreat leader, and mother whose mission is to empower women, especially other moms by telling stories, amplifying voices, and creating sacred space and community. She is originally from Northern California and now lives in the Italian countryside with her winemaker partner and their son.
Interview with Jillian Bright
What was the hardest scene from your book to write?
Definitely the end! I had this idea that my book, my memoir, had to be my whole story and the ending I was trying to write just didn’t fit the story arc of the book. So after talking to my book coach and my publisher we all agreed that it would be much better to take the ending off and make it into a second book. So that’s what we did! I’m currently about a quarter of the way through the follow up and I’m so happy with the way The Trouble with Wings ends.
Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?
Good question because I don’t read a whole lot of memoir myself. I’m a bit of a historical fiction and fantasy nerd as a reader. As I was living these things, I wrote about them at first as a travel writer so description and setting were super important. But then after I got robbed while traveling and all my unpublished articles were lost then got pregnant a few weeks later, it felt so important to dig to uncover the deeper themes and publish all these travel stories as a memoir. I wanted to inspire people to take heart-led risks, but also to be honest about the very real consequences that do happen when you take risks.
If you write in more than one genre, how do you balance them?
I’m working on a historical fantasy right now, it’s just in the research stage with very little writing so my two memoirs (travel and then motherhood) have taken center stage on my calendar. I also run a copywriting business so time-wise I have a lot to balance out. In the end, I look at the market and see what’s best to push ahead with and what could go slower and what’s on my heart to get into the world.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Definitely reliving the places I’ve traveled to and the can’t-believe-that-actually-happened adventures, especially in the small town I lived in in Costa Rica and the lifelong friendships I made there. A lot of my friends there were my beta readers or were on my launch team so it was so encouraging to hear that they were transported right back there with my writing too.
What book that you have read has most influenced your life?
Wow, how on earth does anyone pick just one??
Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?
I’m a big Lord of the Rings nerd. I watch the extended version of the trilogy pretty much every winter with a mug of herbal tea spiked with whiskey. Also, I’m a world traveler but I’m also a total homebody and a terrible tourist. I’ll travel somewhere and then spend days just in my room or at the beach reading. I really hate sightseeing.
Can you tell us something about your book that is not in the summary?
I think some of my favorite parts of the book are actually when I’m not traveling, first when I was running a custom bikini business in Costa Rica and then when I was managing cannabis farms in the Northern California hills. Those two experiences helped me be a better, more interesting human and a way better writer. Plus, I think as a reader those parts are really fun because they’re experiences a lot of people will never live first-hand so it’s a glimpse into completely different worlds than the one most of us live our daily lives in.
About the Author
Jillian Bright is an author, award-winning travel writer, ghostwriter, copywriter, retreat leader, and mama on a mission. She wants to empower women, especially other moms, by telling stories, amplifying voices, and creating sacred space, community, and a vision for a better future.
She believes that when we truly listen to each other, connect, collaborate, and organize, we WILL create a better world for our kids and our future generations.
Jillian has lived in California, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Italy and traveled throughout the world. She was the founder of a custom swimwear company that existed to empower women to embrace who they are rather than who they’re told they should be and organized several fundraising efforts to fight destructive, irresponsible farming practices in one of the Northern California cannabis communities.
She’s currently working on a historical fantasy trilogy series set in the ancient Mediterranean and organizing retreats and travel adventures for women in Italy, Argentina, and Costa Rica. She hopes her retreats will inspire women to come together, claim their passion for life, and collaborate with each for lasting change.
Rising Sisterhood is her second book as a contributing author and her memoir, The Trouble with Wings releases June 15, 2021 from Burning Soul Press.
Jillian donates a portion of her book and copywriting revenue to women and women-led organizations creating change for women, girls, and mothers across the globe.
Jillian is originally from Northern California and now lives in the Italian countryside with her winemaker partner and their son where she eats as much gelato as humanly possible and is determined to learn to sail.
Contact Links
Instagram: @wildbrightandfree
Purchase Link
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