#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