Fans of the 1980s daytime soap opera “Santa Barbara” can relive the escapades of the Capwells and Lockridges in a new e-book by Georgia author Billie Rae Bates.
April 9, 2005 (Press Release) --
Fans of the 1980s daytime soap opera “Santa Barbara” can relive the escapades of the Capwells and Lockridges in a new e-book by Georgia author Billie Rae Bates.
“Send Me to Santa Barbara” is designed to be a companion to the cult-popular NBC show, created by Bridget and Jerome Dobson of Atlanta. Robin Wright Penn, A Martinez and Marcy Walker were among the stars of the soap, which focused on two wealthy California families and a middle-class Hispanic family, and featured a comical edge and sharply written wit that earned the show numerous Emmy Awards. The soap, which ran from July 1984 until January 1993, still repeats in many countries such as Indonesia and Macau and has aired in as many as 40 countries at one time, according to Soap Opera Digest.
“The fans are out there,” says Bates, 37, who’s written three other companion guides to classic ‘80s TV shows under the series name of BRBTV. “The ‘Santa Barbara’ book is actually one that I was determined not to do, for years, because of the amount of work involved, until I saw all the fan websites out there, and the fact that the show still lives on in other countries.”
Like her books on the TV shows “Dallas” and “Dynasty,” “Send Me to Santa Barbara” features a cast list that includes even minor roles, a character guide that shows how the major and minor characters relate, an episode guide, trivia information and other features. Bates interviewed stars of the show, such as Nicolas Coster, who played the enigmatic Lionel Lockridge and now lives with his family on the West Coast.
“That was the greatest part – tracking down some of the stars,” Bates laughs. “Much more fun than digesting and compiling mountains of information! The actors were very cordial and had fond memories of the show.”
Published in an electronic PDF format, the BRBTV books feature hyperlink chapter navigation throughout, as well as hyperlinks to celebrity websites and email addresses. Bates hatched the idea for the e-books in 2003, after originally developing her research of the TV shows into websites in 1998.
“It seemed like a natural evolution,” she says of the books, which are carried through the BRBTV.com website and eBookAd.com. “There are tons of TV show fansites out there, but they come and go so rapidly. I’m thankful to have been able to sustain BRBTV continuously for seven years, an eternity in Internet terms.”
One of the four BRBTV books has been released in print, as well: “Dynasty High,” a celebration of the wildly popular nighttime soap that gave Joan Collins, Linda Evans and John Forsythe superstardom, was published by BookSurge of Charleston, N.C., and sells on Amazon.com, the Barnes and Noble website and many other “e-tailers.”
Bates, a longtime writer and editor who worked in journalism for 10 years at papers like The Detroit News and The Saginaw (Mich.) News, has also written two novels, both based in Detroit. Originally from mid-Michigan, the author moved to Metro Atlanta last year.
“Send Me to Santa Barbara” is 225 pages in a full-color, printable, 8.5” by 11” format. It sells for $5.
For more information about Billie Rae Bates, check out www.billierae.com.
“Send Me to Santa Barbara” is designed to be a companion to the cult-popular NBC show, created by Bridget and Jerome Dobson of Atlanta. Robin Wright Penn, A Martinez and Marcy Walker were among the stars of the soap, which focused on two wealthy California families and a middle-class Hispanic family, and featured a comical edge and sharply written wit that earned the show numerous Emmy Awards. The soap, which ran from July 1984 until January 1993, still repeats in many countries such as Indonesia and Macau and has aired in as many as 40 countries at one time, according to Soap Opera Digest.
“The fans are out there,” says Bates, 37, who’s written three other companion guides to classic ‘80s TV shows under the series name of BRBTV. “The ‘Santa Barbara’ book is actually one that I was determined not to do, for years, because of the amount of work involved, until I saw all the fan websites out there, and the fact that the show still lives on in other countries.”
Like her books on the TV shows “Dallas” and “Dynasty,” “Send Me to Santa Barbara” features a cast list that includes even minor roles, a character guide that shows how the major and minor characters relate, an episode guide, trivia information and other features. Bates interviewed stars of the show, such as Nicolas Coster, who played the enigmatic Lionel Lockridge and now lives with his family on the West Coast.
“That was the greatest part – tracking down some of the stars,” Bates laughs. “Much more fun than digesting and compiling mountains of information! The actors were very cordial and had fond memories of the show.”
Published in an electronic PDF format, the BRBTV books feature hyperlink chapter navigation throughout, as well as hyperlinks to celebrity websites and email addresses. Bates hatched the idea for the e-books in 2003, after originally developing her research of the TV shows into websites in 1998.
“It seemed like a natural evolution,” she says of the books, which are carried through the BRBTV.com website and eBookAd.com. “There are tons of TV show fansites out there, but they come and go so rapidly. I’m thankful to have been able to sustain BRBTV continuously for seven years, an eternity in Internet terms.”
One of the four BRBTV books has been released in print, as well: “Dynasty High,” a celebration of the wildly popular nighttime soap that gave Joan Collins, Linda Evans and John Forsythe superstardom, was published by BookSurge of Charleston, N.C., and sells on Amazon.com, the Barnes and Noble website and many other “e-tailers.”
Bates, a longtime writer and editor who worked in journalism for 10 years at papers like The Detroit News and The Saginaw (Mich.) News, has also written two novels, both based in Detroit. Originally from mid-Michigan, the author moved to Metro Atlanta last year.
“Send Me to Santa Barbara” is 225 pages in a full-color, printable, 8.5” by 11” format. It sells for $5.
For more information about Billie Rae Bates, check out www.billierae.com.
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