Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for The Spirit of Vanderlaan (The Samantha Hayes Series) by Susan Harris Howell. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
The Spirit of Vanderlaan (The Samantha Hayes Series)
by Susan Harris Howell
The Spirit of Vanderlaan (The Samantha Hayes Series)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting: This story is set on the fictitious campus of Vanderlaan University, in the Midwest or Midsouth region of the United States
Publisher : Wild Rose Press
Publication date : December 2, 2024
Print length : 370 pages
When beloved professor, Samantha Hayes, learns that her favorite four students live in as many of her old dorm rooms, she wonders how it happened and for what purpose. As she and her student entourage explore the possibilities, they uncover a death years ago and what appears to be the ghost of the dearly departed. All of this stirs up Samantha’s long-held fear that she was responsible for that death, challenging all she thought she knew about herself and the work she holds dear. They must figure out what happened before Samantha gets fired for “dabbling in the paranormal.”
My interview with the author
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a psychologist, speaker, and – most recently – a novelist! My debut novel, The Spirit of Vanderlaan, is a fun, cozy mystery featuring a professor and her lively band of students. This book draws on my teaching career of over thirty years to capture the camaraderie and warmth between a professor and the assortment of personalities which inhabit her office.
I have also published extensively on equality between women and men. My first book, Buried Talents, explores the subtle ways women are discouraged from entering male-dominated occupations. Buried Talents was named a winner in InterVarsity Press’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.
My husband and I have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc, who tries our patience on a fairly regular basis.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for decades, but all of it until recently has been non-fiction. As a college professor, my writing focused on translating psychological information into readable articles for those who aren’t professionals in the field. In fact, I never saw myself as a fiction writer, until a student challenged me to give it a try. I couldn’t be more grateful, because now I’m hooked!
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
I always thought it would be cool to write a book but didn’t make solid plans to do so until a few years ago. When I first started writing Vanderlaan, I honestly didn’t even know what genre the book would be. I just started writing to see where it went. Along the way, it took the form of a cozy. I wouldn’t mind branching out into other genres at some point but for now cozy, it is!
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
My favorite books to read tend toward those that are humorous and character-driven; and if they play with the paranormal, even better. Some of those are cozies, but I also enjoy literary fiction. As long as I feel like I know the characters personally and am invested in whatever situation they’re in, I’ll read it.
Some of my favorite authors are Ann B. Ross and Philip Gulley; I’ve read all of their novels. Recently, in literary fiction, I’ve enjoyed Nathan Gower’s work and several of Anne Tyler’s novels. As for cozies, I’ve currently begun reading D. K. Coutant’s Cleo Cooper series. I couldn’t resist picking up Coutant’s books since she is also a former psychology professor.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
I always write from my desk in my office and, ideally, in the morning. That’s when I have the most energy to get started.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
Too much, right now! In addition to my computer, I have a few pictures of family and about a million pencils, pens, cute notebooks, and a to-do list that never seems to end.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
I don’t know about the first, but I remember my best friend and I read every Nancy Drew book we could find. While they weren’t exactly literary masterpieces, there were enough of them that I always had a “go to” that offered me familiar characters in familiar situations. And I enjoyed that immensely. Come to think of it, they were cozy mysteries; maybe they were channeling my interest even then.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I prefer e-books. I love that I can take an unlimited number of books with me anywhere I go; I’m never without access to any book I want to read. I’ve used the audio format a few times, but it doesn’t suit me. I enjoy the process of reading something myself rather than listening to it. Plus, it’s easier for me to follow the plot and keep characters straight.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
Honestly, I can’t think of any place I’d rather write than in my own home. I live in a small town in Kentucky, and spend a lot of time in Louisville, as well. While I haven’t written a story set in either place, it might be fun to give it a go!
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
Ann B. Ross and Philip Gulley are two authors who have influenced my fiction writing. Like The Spirit of Vanderlaan, their stories humorously depict the warmth and complexity of relationships. By the end of their books, I feel like their characters are my new best friends. Ms. Ross and Mr. Gulley are also exceptionally good at the turn-of-phrase that keeps me laughing throughout. I hope my readers will feel that kind of warmth and familiarity with Samantha and her entourage of students.
My work has also been inspired by those who introduce paranormal elements into the realistic worlds of their characters, specifically: Jodi Picoult’s Keeping Faith, Emma Straub’s This Time Tomorrow, and Fannie’s Flagg’s The Whole Town’s Talking. The possibility that something beyond the physical world is at play, even in ways that go beyond religion, has always fascinated me. I hope my readers will find the same intrigue of possibilities in my novels.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
I have two author friends who read everything I write. They are a tremendous source of encouragement as I’m navigating this new career as a fiction writer. I also regularly attend conferences for writers so I can grow in the craft. I can’t imagine writing without this kind of support.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I’m currently writing the second book of the Samantha Hayes series. In book one, The Spirit of Vanderlaan, the protagonist, Samantha Hayes, has experienced several “coincidences” that seem anything but coincidental – all of which have stretched her thinking to include the possibility of the paranormal. The second book, The Hayes Spirit, will follow Samantha and her merry band of students through more hijinks, both on and off the campus of Vanderlaan University.
Specifically, in the second book, Samantha discovers that her grandfather lived under a different name before marrying Samantha’s grandmother. As she sets out to learn his motive for keeping such a secret, she must decide how much of his story she wants to uncover and how much is better left buried. Clues to this family mystery arise unexpectedly from seemingly impossible sources, including Grandpa himself who died years ago. With her lively entourage of students jumping in to provide help and humor, Samantha finds that life journeys are never taken alone.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
About Susan Harris Howell
I am a psychologist, speaker, and author of The Spirit of Vanderlaan, my debut novel released in December of 2024. This book is a fun, cozy, ghost story featuring a professor, Samantha Hayes, and her lively band of students who get caught up in solving a campus mystery. This book draws on my teaching career of over thirty years to capture the camaraderie and warmth between a professor and the assortment of personalities which inhabit her office.
I have also published extensively on equality between women and men. My first book, Buried Talents, explores the subtle ways women are discouraged from entering male-dominated occupations. Buried Talents was named a winner in InterVarsity Press’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.
My husband and I have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc. While Doc doesn’t understand a word I say, he fully supports my speaking and writing endeavors.
Links to My Socials:
Website: https://susanharrishowell.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/susan_h_howell/
Email List & Monthly Blog: https://susanharrishowell.substack.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/susanhowellwriter
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3Zp0OTN
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22175282.Susan_Harris_Howell
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/susan-harris-howell
Enter the Giveaway
The Spirit of Vanderlaan TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 21 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 22 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 23 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 24 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 25 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
July 26 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
July 27 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Deal Sharing Aunt – SPOTLIGHT
July 29 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 30 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 31 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
August 1 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
August 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 3 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
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Thank you, Christy, so much for hosting me today! I appreciate introducing Vanderlaan to your readers. I hope they will enjoy Samantha and her students as much as I’ve enjoyed writing their story!
You’re welcome! Thank you for stopping!