"Death by Computer," Linda Hudson Hoagland (Publish America, $27.95, 2010)
For a couple of decades, Linda Hudson Hoagland has served as a purchase order clerk for the Tazewell County School System. Now, without hesitation, the writer points to her latest novel and says, "It takes place at the school board office."
With that, people laugh.
But they also simply get a chuckle from the title of her newest book – "Death by Computer."
"Spending hour after hour in front of a computer at the Tazewell County School Board office," Hoagland said, "my mind turned to developing a mystery rather than absorbing more numbers."
This resident of North Tazewell, Va., came up with some fiction.
"A writer writes about what she knows," Hoagland said. "That’s why I chose the school board office as my setting."
The book follows the adventures of a character named Ellen Holcombe. The first chapter is called simply, "DELETE."
Another story follows the mystery of "The Can Man" – an elderly man who collects aluminum cans but then disappears without anyone knowing what happened to him. Comically, the local police think it’s odd that Holcombe, the character, wants to try to find him.
Hoagland laughed.
"As a warning to all who know me," Hoagland said, "you could end up as a character in one of my books. Again, I write fiction, and I really don’t know any embezzlers or killers – not yet anyway."
Linda Hudson Hoagland is signing copies of her books at the Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon, Va., on Aug. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Aug. 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., along Remsburg Drive.
She is also signing copies at the All Seasons Indoor Flea Market in Pounding Mill, Va., 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Aug. 7. To order the book, visit www.publishamerica.com.
"The Feud," Tobby C. Cantrell (Publish America, $29.95, 2010)
A native of Pound, Va., Tobby C. Cantrell has crafted a novel based on the controversial murders at The Killing Rock of Wise County in the 1880s.
From here, Cantrell takes the truth and stretches it into a feud of families, bent on revenge and settling scores. Then along comes more killings and raids.
Finally, some newspapermen intervene and try to calm everything down along the Kentucky-Virginia border. And, wouldn’t you know it – there’s also a romance between a young boy and girl as they come of age in "The Feud," Cantrell’s novel.
A married father of two daughters and three grandsons, Cantrell attended Pound High School, where he was editor of the school newspaper. Graduating in 1962, Cantrell moved to Northern Virginia and worked for the postal service at Annandale, Fairfax, Manassas and Front Royal.
Now a resident of Luray, Va., the retired Cantrell once served as postmaster at Linden, Va.
To order the book, visit www.publishamerica.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement