VAPARAQUEST

VAPARAQUEST was Out of This World!

Speaking at the VAPARAQUEST in Lynchburg this past weekend was an experience to be remembered. Also on the program were a witch, a hypnotist, several groups that use electronics to locate spirits, another writer who speaks frequently to her deceased son, and a host of other paranormal experts. I felt like the new kid on the block with my paranormal fiction A RED, RED ROSE since I made up my spirit as I went along...or so I thought!
Second-guessing myself, I began to wonder how, never having experienced a spirit presence, I managed to create a "family ghost" that exactly fits the official definition of just that--a family ghost. Was my 6th sense actually engaged and I just didn't know it?
One thing is for sure: There are a whole lot of folks out there who have experienced the paranormal and I, for one, believe their stories.
These guys also have a wicked sense of humor. One of the participants left what appeared to be a very dead body in the bed of his or her room at the Holiday Inn where Paraquest was held. The hotel staff was certainly impressed by the pillows under the sheets shaped like a body. "It" even had a belt around its waist.
We were also treated to a hilarious mystery play where we were to guess who-done-it. One clever observer wrote: "Colonel Mustard, with the candlestick, in the library."
Anyway, I had a blast and I hope to attend more of these weirder than weird conferences. I learned a lot!
On a more sober note, I am pleased to report that A RED, RED ROSE has been nominated for a Library of Virginia Literary Award (fiction category). What an honor!
I'm looking forward to presenting ROSE at several Lake book clubs this summer--certainly my idea of fun.

History Research for A RED, RED ROSE

The Bedford Friends of the Library sponsored a speaking event for me Tuesday night at the Central Library. I detailed my research process for historical events in SW Virginia that provided the background for setting, characters and plot, not to mention theme, in my cozy mystery/Southern Gothic A RED, RED ROSE. What a responsive audience! The Bedford Museum was the source for much of my findings, so I was gratified that an employee there attended my talk. And...I've been invited to speak before their geneological society in July!
My thanks and gratitiude to all the folks who make the arts real and accessible in our wonderful community.

The oldest book club in Bedford, Virginia

What a thrill it was to share a RED, RED ROSE with one group of snazzy ladies yesterday. To begin with, being present while a book club discusses your very own book is surreal. To top it off, this is The Friday Book Club, the oldest book club in Bedford, which just celebrated its 75th anniversary! Folks, the original members were reading Hemingway when he was a budding writer!
Yesterday's event was just plain fun! The ladies asked good questions and told me how they really felt about my book, which warmed the cockles of this old writer's heart. The meeting was held in a lovely house and home-made refreshments displayed fetchingly on an autumn-themed table included apple cider, home-made brownies and pumpkin-shaped chocolates.

Wow! I felt like Queen for a Day! Thanks, Friday Book Club. You know how to treat a hard-working author.

"Lisa's Walk the Talk" BBS Radio Show link

Anyone who'd like to hear my BBS radio interview with "Lisa's Walk the Talk" Show can tune in by clicking on this link. Be warned: It's an hour long but you can listen to however much you like! I had a grand time doing this and love the idea that people all over the world could have heard my interview. Here's the link: http://lisalc.tv/jukebox2.aspx.

Interview with the Bedford BULLETIN August, 2012

Check out this wonderful article Tom Wilmouth, editor of the Bedford BULLETIN wrote about our interview:

Moneta author pens ‘cozy mystery, Southern gothic’ novel

-A A +A

By Tom Wilmoth

Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at 4:31 pm

Years ago when Susan Coryell lived in Northern Virginia, she started writing a novel about a haunted Revolutionary War era estate nearby.

Author Susan Coryell of Moneta.

But then she moved to Smith Mountain Lake. Her address changed, but her desire to write didn’t. Coryell decided to continue working on her novel, "A Red, Red Rose," but move the setting to a lake. "I did the bulk of my research (for the book) at the Bedford Museum," she said. "It was just fascinating doing the research." Later this fall, on Oct. 23, Coryell is scheduled to talk about her book and the history she researched at the Bedford Central Library. Coryell calls her novel "a cozy mystery" as well as a Southern gothic novel. That means it is high on mystery and low on gore. She said the characters are ones "the reader might encounter in daily life anywhere and they are set in small, picturesque towns or villages." And the Southern gothic allows for a number of the region’s cultural issues to be explored. That’s certainly true of "A Red, Red Rose," which includes cultural clashes between Northern and Southern values, city and country living, wealth and attitudes about the Civil War, family ties and bloodlines, revenge and retribution as well as history and nature. "Characters have their flaws," she notes. The protagonist in the novel is 20-year-old Ashby Overton from New Jersey, who visits her aunt and uncle at their historic estate in Southern Virginia. She hopes to unearth her ancestral roots and the cause of a mysterious rift surrounding the horseback riding death of her grandmother many years ago. From the moment she enters her room in the oldest wing of Overhome, Ashby feels an invisible, enfolding presence. This was Rosabelle’s room, but no one is willing to talk about Rosabelle. As summer unfolds, so does the shroud of silence surrounding Overhome. Ever present is a force Ashby never sees, only feels. Thus the entrance of the paranormal: candles light themselves, notes from an old lullaby fall from the ceiling, the radio tunes itself each day. And roses, always meant for Ashby appear in the unlikeliest places. Notes Coryell: "Full of heartbreak and adventure, fear and passion, the summer leads Ashby on a suspenseful sometimes terrifying journey as she navigates centuries of family strife alongside the puzzling parameters of the spirit world. Ultimately she discovers that some secrets, even the most fiercely guarded, are destined to be revealed." Coryell has been working on her book for more than a decade. She said it appeals to a wide audience because of its

range of themes and characters. This is her first time to have a work available on E-book, which Coryell said is exploding. She said it’s been receiving positive reviews and has also drawn an audience from paranormal groups. "There is a lot of theme in this book," she said. "I like to keep people turning pages." Coryell said the history in her book is authentic. She said she’s never encountered a ghost but has friends who have. Some groups have said her version of a ghost have fit perfectly what their experiences have been. She is planning a sequel, based on Ashby’s life some three or four years later. She said it will "solve" one of the long-standing Confederate mysteries. Writing is nothing new to Coryell—a retired English teacher—or her family. "I always say writers know who we are and writers have to write," stated Coryell. Her maternal grandfather was a published poet; her brothers are both published nonfiction authors; all three of her children are writers and a couple of her grandchildren are also following in those footsteps. "My mother said I was born with a pencil in my hand," Coryell said. Her first published book was "Eaglebait," which took on the issue of bullying. Though published two decades ago, it has received renewed interest. "Eaglebait" won two awards—a national and an international one—and is cited on numerous anti-bullying Web sites. That prompted Coryell to bring it back out in softcover last year. "I do think that is an issue that isn’t going to die," she said of bullying. And Coryell is setting her writing standards higher, the more she writes. "I want to make my writing even better," she said. When not writing, Coryell enjoys boating, kayaking, travel, golf and yoga. Coryell notes that her book is a good choice for book clubs because of all the themes and layers. "My novel is not just a who-done-it thriller but a book based on multiple themes," she said, adding she would be happy to meet with book clubs that read and discuss the book. "A Red, Red Rose" is published by L&L Dreamspell: www.lldreamspell.com. It is available as a Kindle E-book at Amazon; AllRomance/omniLit; multi format Ebook from Fictionwise; iBookstore!; and Nook E-Book (Barnes and Noble) for $4.99. Print copies are available from Amazon and at Barnes and Noble bookstores for $13.99. Visit her Web site: www.susancoryellauthor.com and her blog: www.susancoryellauthor.blogspot.com. She is on Facebook and utilizes Jacket Flap, Linked In and She Writes.

A new Adventure!

I'm about to embark on a new adventure! Thursday, August 23rd at 9 PM Pacific Time (that's midnight EST), I'll be interviewed live on BBS Station 2 on "Lisa's Walk the Talk" show. It's a call-in venue and I'll be broadcasting over a large range of the world, so this should be interesting, to say the least. I'll talk a bit about A RED, RED ROSE and writing in general and read some excerpts. Then the call-in questions. The show lasts for an hour. Wish me luck, everyone!

Another great review for A RED, RED ROSE

Check out the latest review for A RED, RED ROSE posted on Paranormal Fiction Review: http://paranormalfictionreview.drupalgardens.com/content/red-red-rose-susan-coryell

I am loving the paranormal connection for my cozy mystery/Southern Gothic!