#SaturdaySpotlight is on Susan Coryell and A Murder of Principle

Good Morning from Delaware!

Our East Coast vacation is going really well. I'll be sharing photos and memories later but today please welcome Susan Coryell back to our blog. Over the last couple of months she's shared thoughts and treasures with us but today we're getting a sneak peek into her latest novel, A Murder of Principle.

A new principal takes Harding High by storm, wreaking havoc with every executive order and every decision, tearing apart the stellar school tenet by tenet.

Teachers, other administrators, students, parents and the community at large increasingly react to the tremors shaking Harding High as Principal Wendy Storme churns a destructive path through their traditions, values and protocol. Everyone associated with Harding has a valid motive for murder.


Determined to save her school and friends, English department chair, Rose Lane, and her rookie sidekick, intern Penny Bright, vow to move the hurricane-force Storme out of Harding High for good…except somebody beats them to it with the decisiveness of murder.

Excerpt:

With a blast of nerves, Rose pushed open the door and moved inside the large, windowless room. Settling her eyes on the principal’s desk, she noticed that the woman’s position was oddly out of the ordinary; her limbs stretched unnaturally and her neck twisted away to the side. The desk itself was covered in a flurry of papers and every drawer had been pulled and left open. A mug of spilled coffee puddled down one side of the desk. Written on the mug was the word Boss.

Rose fought panic as she moved in and surveyed the surreal scene before her. Principal Wendy Storme had not moved. The face on the twisted neck was frozen in an ugly grimace of terror—with mouth and eyes wider than normal. Her swollen jaws and neck had darkened to a macabre blue. A thin stream of drool crept down Wendy’s chin and her eyes stared unseeing at the wall beyond. Without notice, Wendy’s body flopped to the floor with a flaccid thud, virtually at Rose’s feet.

Principal Wendy Storme was dead.

A Murder of Principle can be found at Amazon for Kindle and in Print.

A career educator, Susan Coryell has taught students from 7th grade through college-level. She earned a BA degree in English from Carson-Newman College and a Masters from George Mason University. She is listed in several different volumes of Who’s Who in Education and Who’s Who in Teaching.  Coryell belongs to Author’s Guild, Virginia Writers, and Lake Writers. She loves to talk with budding writers at schools, writers’ conferences and workshops. Her young adult anti-bully novel EAGLEBAIT is in its third edition for print and e-book, updated with cyber-bullying. EAGLEBAIT won the NY Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age," and the International Reading Association's "Young Adult Choice."

A RED, RED ROSE, first in a cozy mystery/Southern Gothic series, was nominated for a literary award with the Library of Virginia. BENEATH THE STONES, the sequel, was released in April of 2015. NOBODY KNOWS, the final novel in the Overhome Trilogy was published October, 2016. All three volumes of the Trilogy were published by The Wild Rose Press (NY).

The author has long been interested in concerns about culture and society in the South, where hard-felt, long-held feelings battle with modern ideas.  The ghosts slipped in, to her surprise. Also published by TWRP, A MURDER OF PRINCIPLE released March 12, 2018.

All novels are available at Amazon, B&N and all on-line bookstores.

When not writing, Ms. Coryell enjoys boating, kayaking, golf and yoga. She and her husband, Ned, love to travel, especially when any of their seven grandchildren are involved.

Find out more by visiting Susan's Website and Blog, Facebook Page, Amazon Page and connecting with her on Twitter @SCoryellAuthor.

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#ThursdayThoughts with Susan Coryell

Good Morning!

You'll notice there was no Tuesday Treasures this week. My scheduled guest could not make it and I was busy visiting with dear friends and colleagues and travelling that I did not have time to improvise.

Never fear though, we'll get back on track ASAHP.

Anyway, today's guest visited us last month to share her new book so please give Susan Coryell a huge "welcome back!"

Take it away Susan.....

“Something uplifting,” Pamela said. Oddly enough, I have just returned from my father-in-law’s funeral and I have to say it was amazingly uplifting. He lived past his 99th birthday, and even though he spent his last ten years in a “memory unit” at an assisted living facility, the man remained a full-on optimist. He once said, “Losing your memory is not so terrible; I have no recollection of anything bad that happened to me.”

At the celebration-of-life service in the chapel of the facility, speakers remembered him as loving, giving, hard-working, thoughtful and faithful to his beliefs. But I shall always smile fondly on his never-ending positive view of life. Days before he passed away, he had stopped eating. Looking at a care-giver who was trying to entice him to sample his lunch, he smiled and said, “You are a very attractive young woman, but I’m not eating that.” This is what I will remember about my father-in-law.

Fascinated by the grandparents I have known, I like to include older characters in my writing. In my Southern Gothic/cozy mystery Overhome Trilogy, I rely on my elderly characters to be archivists of the history that backs the contemporary action in an historic Virginia plantation. In A Red, Red Rose, http://a.co/5kbhtmD

Abe Murley and Miss Emma Coleville, both of whom have lived on Overhome estate most of their lives, are key to the young protagonist’s mystery solving. Both are active, canny seniors.

For the second novel of the series, Beneath the Stones, http://a.co/hPHeCNP Abe has passed away, but Miss Emma continues to guide protagonist Ashby in her quest to resolve the conflicts of dealing with an angry ghost.

Miss Emma appears in the third novel, Nobody Knows, http://a.co/46qyM2d to reveal a past Ashby had never considered possible.

The main character for my new release, A Murder of Principle, is a somewhat jaded, but still empathetic middle-aged high school teacher whom I contrast with her wide-eyed rooky intern. http://a.co/az2wMVN  

Though I read many books involving solely new-adult characters, I will always include in my writings those who have been tested by time and survived to live a rich and interesting life.

Thanks to Pamela for inviting me to share my thoughts on her awesome blog!

Thanks for sharing, Susan!

About Susan: A career educator, Susan Coryell has taught students from 7th grade through college-level. She earned a BA degree in English from Carson-Newman College and a Masters from George Mason University. She is listed in several different volumes of Who’s Who in Education and Who’s Who in Teaching.  Coryell belongs to Author’s Guild, Virginia Writers, and Lake Writers. She loves to talk with budding writers at schools, writers’ conferences and workshops. Her young adult anti-bully novel EAGLEBAIT is in its third edition for print and e-book, updated with cyber-bullying. EAGLEBAIT won the NY Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age," and the International Reading Association's "Young Adult Choice." Find out more by visiting her website and connecting with her on Facebook.

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#TuesdayTreasures Guest Post by Susan Coryell

Good Morning Friends,

Well, it's the last Tuesday of April and for many, spring is still wishful thinking. The weather here in SWLA is chilly evenings/mornings and beautiful, warm days. I'm good with that, LOL!

Today's guest has visited before but it has been a while, so please welcome Susan Coryell back as she shares something she treasures with us.....

Attributed to Mark Twain is the following saying: “Happiness is not having what you want but wanting what you have.”

At this stage of life, the quotation fits my persona perfectly:

I live in a charming cottage on a lovely lake—just what I always wanted.

I have a big extended family, every one of them most definitely wanted, especially the seven grand- children.

I am blessed with a wide and diverse circle of friends in my neighborhood and church who are always ready to go places and do things I have always wanted to be involved in and with.

As a full-time working mother with many responsibilities, I looked forward to a time to rest, reflect and write; now that I have retired after thirty years of classroom teaching, I cherish those minutes and hours of “free” time. This is something for which every writer yearns.

Over the last five years I have had the time and energy to write and publish four novels. The Overhome Trilogy is a Southern Gothic/cozy mystery with contemporary characters set in Southern Virginia against a rich history background: A Red, Red Rose; Beneath the Stones; Nobody Knows.

Just released March, 2018 is A Murder of Principle, inspired by my many years as an educator.

All of my books are published by The Wild Rose Press and are available at all on-line bookstores in both e-book and print.

Yes, I want exactly what I have. My life is full and fulfilled and I consider each day a treasure.

Oh wow, Susan what a lovely list and testimony to the power of unwavering faith and perseverance! Tell us a little about your new book, A Murder of Principle.

A new principal takes Harding High by storm, wreaking havoc with every executive order and every decision, tearing apart the stellar school tenet by tenet.

Teachers, other administrators, students, parents, and the community at large increasingly react to the tremors shaking Harding High as Principal Wendy Storme churns a destructive path through their traditions, values, and protocol. Everyone associated with Harding has a valid motive for murder.


Determined to save her school and friends, English department chair, Rose Lane, and her rookie sidekick, intern Penny Bright, vow to move the hurricane-force Storme out of Harding for good…except somebody beats them to it with the decisiveness of murder.

About Susan....
A career educator, Susan Coryell has taught students from 7th grade through college-level. She earned a BA degree in English from Carson-Newman College and a Masters from George Mason University. She is listed in several different volumes of Who’s Who in Education and Who’s Who in Teaching.  Coryell belongs to Author’s Guild, Virginia Writers, and Lake Writers. She loves to talk with budding writers at schools, writers’ conferences and workshops. Her young adult anti-bully novel EAGLEBAIT is in its third edition for print and e-book, updated with cyber-bullying. EAGLEBAIT won the NY Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age," and the International Reading Association's "Young Adult Choice."

A RED, RED ROSE, first in a cozy mystery/Southern Gothic series, was nominated for a literary award with the Library of Virginia. BENEATH THE STONES, the sequel, was released in April of 2015. NOBODY KNOWS, the final novel in the Overhome Trilogy was published October, 2016. All three volumes of the Trilogy were published by The Wild Rose Press (NY).

The author has long been interested in concerns about culture and society in the South, where hard-felt, long-held feelings battle with modern ideas.  The ghosts slipped in, to her surprise.

Also published by TWRP, A MURDER OF PRINCIPLE released March 12, 2018 and is available at Amazon.

All novels are available at Amazon, B&N and all on-line bookstores.

When not writing, Ms. Coryell enjoys boating, kayaking, golf and yoga. She and her husband, Ned, love to travel, especially when any of their seven grandchildren are involved.

Find out more by visiting Susan's Website, Blog, Facebook, Amazon Page and connecting with her on Twitter @SCoryellAuthor.

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check back weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time take care and God Bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Susan Coryell

Good Morning Friends and Welcome to the last Saturday Spotlight for October!

Yeah, I can't believe it either but you know what they say...."Time flies when you're having fun."

Maybe we should amend that to, "Time flies whether you're having fun or not." LOL!

Our guest today has visited before but it's been a while, so let's introduce her again.....

A career educator, Susan has taught students from 7th grade through college-level. She earned a BA degree in English from Carson-Newman College and a Masters from George Mason University. She is listed in several different volumes of Who’s Who in Education and Who’s Who in Teaching.  Susan belongs to Author’s Guild, Virginia Writers, and Lake Writers. She loves to talk with budding writers at schools, writers’ conferences and workshops. Her young adult anti-bully novel EAGLEBAIT is in its third edition for print and e-book, updated with cyber-bullying.

EAGLEBAIT won the NY Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age," and the International Reading Association's "Young Adult Choice."

A RED, RED ROSE, first in a cozy mystery/Southern Gothic series, was nominated for a literary award with the Library of Virginia. BENEATH THE STONES, the sequel, was released in April of 2015. NOBODY KNOWS, third novel in the Overhome Trilogy released October, 2016. All three novels were published by The Wild Rose Press in NY.

The author has long been interested in concerns about culture and society in the South, where hard-felt, long-held feelings battle with modern ideas.  The ghosts slipped in, to her surprise.

When not writing, Susan enjoys boating, kayaking, golf and yoga. She and her husband, Ned, love to travel, especially when any of their seven grandchildren are involved.

Please visit Susan Coryell’s website: www.susancoryellauthor.com and her blog: www.susancoryellauthor.blogspot.com or contact her on Facebook and Twitter: @SCoryellAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Susan-Coryell-Author-149075331807592/

JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!

Why do ancient spirits hover at the crossroads between two worlds: the living and the dead?

With a successful writing career and blissful marriage, Ashby Overton is fulfilled and content at historic Overhome Estate in Southern Virginia until a stranger walks into her life. The arrival of Professor Ellis O. Grady coincides with a violent and bizarre turbulence emanating from the dark world of Overhome's ancient spirits.

As paranormal events build into chaos, Ashby must use her sixth sense to sort out the real from the imagined in both the visible and the invisible worlds as, stirred into fury, the souls of Civil War slaves engage in a dangerous battle destined to reveal long-held secrets of the past.

What is the connection between the enigmatic professor, a slave-built chapel and a restored overseer's cottage on Overhome Estate? Ashby struggles to find the answers before the spirits destroy her family's heritage, and the lives of those she loves.

EXCERPT:
     Walking over the weedy ground, I felt the desolate abandonment of those long-dead. A few tilting gravestones, so blurred with time that their epitaphs were illegible, listed toward the ground as if sheltering from a punishing wind. Scattered among the patchwork grasses were small, thin stone markers set in the dirt, little more than raw rocks, though several bore the faint outline of initials which had been chiseled into them so long ago. Ellis and I surveyed the bleak cemetery, each harboring our own thoughts.  I don’t know how long we stood there breathing in the silence. Then, I heard the voice.—so clear, so distinct, that I startled and almost fell back. Did my companion hear it, too? I darted a look at him. He stood with eyes closed, evidently completely lost in his own reverie. I held my breath and listened with all my senses on alert. The voice wavered this time, as though trailing away, but its repeated message was identical to the one I had first heard at the Overseer’s Cottage when the candlestick went missing. I had thought, then, that I heard “red apple,” which made no sense. Now I understood. “Jared Chapel,” the voice warned. Yes, its tone was severe. Demanding. “Jared Chapel.”

     I touched Ellis’s arm. “It’s here, Ellis. I know it is.” And when he blinked uncomprehendingly, I added, “You wondered if Jared Chapel offers anything in your search for your ancestry. It’s here—there’s something here. I feel it and I...I know it.”

     He blinked several times, a serious expression on his face. “You know because...”

     “Sometimes the past speaks to me. I can’t explain it, but I have to trust the voice that tells me things.”

     He rubbed his chin. “You know...this is odd. Really odd.”

     I raised my eyebrows in a silent question and he continued. “Because I thought I heard something. I definitely felt...a presence I can’t explain. Someone trying to get my attention. Someone very, very seriously trying to make me understand.” He shook his head. “Understand what? I confess, I’m baffled.”

     “It’s a sign,” I said. “Something I’ve learned over my years at Overhome. We ignore the signs at our own peril.”

****
Purchase Nobody Knows at Amazon.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.