Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Musings

Memorial Day at the Lake was kicky as usual. Great visit with our oldest son, his wife and the three oldest grands. Yeah, we boated and kayaked and skied, but the best fun? A hilarious game of Scattergories on our big new screened porch. I am sure our hysterical laughter was bouncing off the Lake.

I'm working hard to get the word out about Eaglebait back-in-print. Too bad the Internet provider is on vacation. No interest in sending out emails or replying to them. Sigh. Call it Murphy's computer law.

Some links to bullies in the schools that cite Eaglebait:
www.haledon.org/pdf/NJCAPResources.pdf
www.sync.dekalb.k12.il.us/schools
www.docstoc.com/docs/287009/english-1

Remember to order your copy of Eaglebait at any on-line bookstore. www.amazon.com delivers in only 2 days!

My first signing takes place Thursday, June 9 at the Franklin County Library Westlake branch at 6:30. If you're in the vicinity, come hear me read and discuss Eaglebait. Books will be available for signing. Hope to see many of you there, for moral support, if nothing else!

Friday, May 20, 2011

HALLELUJAH!

It took six months, but EAGLEBAIT reprint in soft cover is now available at all on-line book stores!! Originally published by Harcourt, the Young Adult novel won a number of awards, among them the International Reading Association's "Young Adult Choice," and the NY Public Library's "Books for the Teenage."

Theme: Bullies in the schools. My 14-year old protagonist, Wardy Spinks, has been a loser for as long as he can remember. Freshman year in high school he becomes the butt of malicious bullying. Eventually, Wardy's life begins to change. First, a charismatic science teacher becomes his mentor. Then, quiet Meg from biology lab seems friendly. And Big Vi takes on a life of her own. Most importantly, Wardy discovers his attitude makes a difference in how others treat him. If Wardy Spinks doesn't feel like a loser, maybe he won't be one.

One of my favorite national reviews is from BOOKLIST: "Wardy is a multidimensional protagonist whose misery, as he tries to find himself, is realistically drawn. His situation will resoonate with meaning for junior high students who may have experienced similar problems with self-acceptance."

EAGLEBAIT is cited as a resource on numerous anti-bullying websites. It is a great tool for educators, counselors and others who work with kids who might run into situations like Wardy's. Girls identify with the book as much as guys and adults frequently comment that the pace and style of EAGLEBAIT make for enjoyable grown-up reading.

I'm counting on lots and lots of my blog-followers to go to the Internet and pull up Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, Borders, Backinprint, or iUniverse for orders. Cost is $12.95 plus minimal shipping charges.

Thanks, everyone!! My website: www.susancoryellauthor.com

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Squirrels ate our truck.

Just when I thought I'd seen it all--we do live in Jurassic Park, for Pete's sake--we discovered squirrels have been living in the underside of our truck and, evidently, snacking on the parts. We are used to deer, moles, voles, raccoons, and crows sustaining themselves and their loved ones on every living green and flowering plant in sight. And a couple of years ago a gang of muskrats chowed down on our lake trampoline, creating a hole large enough to sink the tramp into flaccid floating flotsam. But the truck?? Is nothing sacred? The folks at the Toyota dealership were puzzled. "You say squirrels ate the part?" Well, in a word, yes. Evidently, the curly-tailed, cute little rodents were not satisfied with digging up all my potted plants in a futile effort to find nuts they did not plant there. The grape vines they ate through just didn't do the trick. No. The allure of plastic and rubber fittings in the truck engine was irresistible. Funny thing was, we thought we smelled nuts roasting on the engine. Only, we thought WE were nuts. So, I wonder. What's next? Will alligators crawl up the rip-rap and devour the neighborhood dogs? Shall we build fences high enough to ward off the wooly mammoths? Can the raptors be far behind? Who says country living is boring??

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Loving Lake Life

It's hard to beat spring at the lake. OK, the left-over leaves and the pollen are a pain, but the dogwoods and azaleas make yard work bearable. The lake itself never ceases to amaze. Canoes and kayaks sneak silently into the coves while bass boats zoom around in perpetual pursuit of fish beds. Ski boats and jetskis don't really crank up 'til after Memorial Day, so we have a little window for quiet meditation dockside. Ahhh. What fun to lounge with a lemonade and a book with nothing more than a cool breeze to disturb thought. It's hard to beat spring at the lake.