Award-Winning Thriller Author Walter Sorrells to Speak at Ƶ 6/28
Edgar Award-winner Walter Sorrells will speak on “The Writer’s Life and Livelihood” Saturday, June 28, 2008 at Ƶ University. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. in Cecilian Hall on Ƶ’s Greensburg, Pa. campus. A book signing and reception will follow the lecture. Walter Sorrells’ lecture is sponsored by Ƶ University’s Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program. For more information please call 724-830-4600.
Edgar Award-winner Walter Sorrells is the author of over 20 novels. His most recent thriller for adults, “Blind Fear,” appeared this year under his pseudonym Lynn Abercrombie. Last year another mystery, “Feet of Clay,” appeared under his pseudonym Ruth Birmingham. “Feet of Clay” is the sixth novel featuring Atlanta private investigator Sunny Childs. The second Sunny Childs mystery, “Fulton County Blues,” won the Edgar Award for best original paperback and was also nominated for the Shamus Award. The first book in the series, “Atlanta Graves” was also an Edgar nominee. Sorrells also writes novels for young adults. His latest novel for young adults is “First Shot,” which just received a starred review in Booklist. His mystery “Fake ID” was named one of the 10 Best Mysteries of 2005 by Booklist. “Fake ID” features a girl who has to unlock secrets from her past in order to find her missing mother. The follow-up, “Club Dread,” was released earlier this year. Sorrells is a past president of the Atlanta chapter of the crime-writers' organization, Sisters In Crime, and a former member of the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America. Sorrells' work in both journalism and fiction has been published in a variety of national publications. He has written scripts for a number of National Public Radio programs, including the award-winning docudrama "The Three Governors." He is a 1985 graduate of Haverford College, where he majored in History. In addition to the public lecture at Ƶ, Walter Sorrells will serve as guest lecturer for two courses in the June 2008 intensive residency for Ƶ’s Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program.
Ƶ’s unique Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program teaches students to write marketable novels in popular genres like mystery, romance, science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Additional specialties include literature for children and adolescents, and cross-genre blends like romantic suspense or young adult mysteries. Students attend two weeklong, on-campus residencies each year to master the core elements of fiction writing and effective marketing and to gain inspiration from faculty mentors and special guests, all published authors in genre fiction. Established authors mentor students one-on-one as they work toward completing a market-ready manuscript from home. Readings, classes, and on-line discussion about the history, trends, and techniques of genre fiction add depth to the student's experience. For more information about the Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program at Ƶ, visit http://fiction.setonhill.edu or contact Ƶ’s Office of Graduate and Adult Studies at 724-838-4221.