The Hot Author Report

Spotlight on Dot Ryan – Author of Corrigan’s Pool

Dot Ryan, born and raised in Bee County in South Texas, makes her home in “the sparkling city by the sea,” Corpus Christi, Texas, with husband, Sam. Corrigans’ Pool is Dot’s first novel. She is busy writing her second and third works of fiction. You can visit her website at www.dotryanbooks.com.

About Corrigans’ Pool

Bitter with thoughts of the darkly handsome stranger who promised to marry her and then left town without a word, Ella Corrigan hastily weds a neighboring planter—a man whose cold indifference is merely a disguise for cunning insanity. His cruelty to his slaves horrifies her and, even though her family has owned slaves for generations, she questions the concept of human bondage for the first time while desperately missing her cherished Greenpoole plantation and Corrigan’s Pool … a beautiful phenomenon of nature that the slaves call “Conjuring Pool” for reasons they cannot explain when asked.

The South is embroiled in a bitter Civil War by the time Ella Corrigan discovers that Corrigans’ Pool is much more than the exquisitely beautiful pond she had thought it to be all her life. But by the time she learns its dangerous secret she is deeply entangled in a secret of her own … one that has made her a virtual prisoner, hopelessly trapped in a world dreadfully different from her previous existence as mistress of her gentle father’s palatial plantation home along the Savannah River. Stunned by what she sees, she must harden herself to her new surroundings or perish … along with the cowed and scarred Negroes who toil in her husband’s rice swamps and cotton fields. Always in the back of her mind, are memories of the man who loved her and left her, the man she has long blamed for her misery.

Here’s what reviewers have to say!

“Upon finishing Dot Ryan’s debut novel, Corrigans’ Pool, readers will feel thankful that this remarkable writing talent has burst on the scene and chosen to share such a gem. Ryan’s storytelling ability and masterful use of setting, dialogue, and characterization add up to an exquisite piece of historical fiction.

The eldest of two daughters, Ella Corrigan rises to the challenge when a family tragedy results in an incapacitated mother and a father consumed by guilt. Despite the pressures of essentially running the family plantation on her own, she bears the burden of responsibility stoically, with kindness, efficiency, and little resentment for her lot in life.

Somewhat resigned to the possibility of never marrying, Ella is stunned by her reaction when she meets the dashing, if seemingly ill-suited, Gentry Garland. She repeatedly resists the attraction at first, resulting in moments both touching and amusing, until Gentry finally lays it all on the line: “One of two things is going to happen, Miss Ella Corrigan. Either we’re going to walk away from each other here and now, or we’re going to stop fooling ourselves and admit the god-awful truth.”

From there, it doesn’t take long for Ella to begin envisioning a different, more enriching future—at least until the Civil War lands on their doorstep and Gentry strangely disappears without a word. Devastated, Ella refocuses on doing the best for her family, making the fateful decision to marry neighboring plantation owner Victor Faircloth. Victor’s increasingly contemptuous violence toward those who serve his household sickens Ella, and a gripping mystery begins to unfold involving his rapidly disappearing slaves and the beautiful pool on Ella’s family property. As the Civil War rages on, Ella finds herself fighting a war of her own to save her home, her loved ones, and the innocent victims of her husband’s brutality. Villains and heroes are exposed in their true light, loves are lost and found, and the strength of human spirit ultimately prevails.

Corrigans’ Pool manages to blend romance, mystery, humor, and tragedy with flawless precision. Ryan paints a picture of the old South with a colorful palette of respectful admiration and stark reality, drawing readers into the beauty of the land as well as the horror of the war that threatened to destroy it. Each character is vibrant in their individuality, and every scene is drawn with a rich detail that engages the reader and evokes emotion without becoming cumbersome. The romance is moving but subtle, the mystery is suspenseful, and the story flows smoothly toward a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.

Readers are sure to be enthralled with this exceptional novel, and they will be pleased to know that Ryan is currently penning the sequel. Corrigans’ Pool is a superior achievement, and author Dot Ryan is undeniably a talent not to be missed. Highly recommended.”

–Jeannine Chartier Hanscom

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Dot Ryan’s CORRIGANS’ POOL VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘09 will officially begin on Dec. 1st and end on Jan. 30. You can visit Dot’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of December and January to find out more about this great book and its talented author.