Author of football murder mystery to visit Writers Museum
Aug. 22—EATONTON — Carolyn Curry, the wife of famed two-time Super Bowl champion and college football coach Bill Curry, is the author of the just-released novel "Sudden Death." Curry will be the Georgia Writers Museum "Meet the Author" presenter on Sept. 6 at noon.
Bill Curry will be at the event and interview Carolyn. Given the football theme of this murder mystery, the event will feature an old-fashioned tailgate party like fans enjoy on game day, complete with delicious food and favorite beverages. Tickets are $45 per person ($40 for two or more tickets). For more information or to register and pre-order a signed book, visit Georgia Writers Museum or www.georgiawritersmuseum.org.
Carolyn Curry is an award-winning author, historian and nonprofit founder and director of Women Alone Together. She holds a BA from Agnes Scott College and an MA and PhD from Georgia State University. In 2014, she published her first book, "Suffer and Grow Strong: The Life of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas 1834-1907." In 2015, it was selected as "one of the books all Georgians should read" by the Georgia Center for the Book. In that same year, Curry was named Georgia Author of the Year by the Georgia Writers Association.
"Sudden Death" is set in the world of football. More than a whodunit, the novel spans about 30 years from 1966 to 1997 in the life of one couple, who grew up half a world apart. Kendall Harris, a brilliant law student from Georgia, and Duke Astin, a star quarterback from Hawaii, meet at UCLA, fall in love, and marry soon after graduation. Kendall practices law and Duke plays for a decade in the NFL, then becomes a college coach. Juggling two careers and moving from state to state puts pressure on their relationship. But through the joys and stresses of life, they stay loyal to one another.
As this Southern saga continues, things take a troubling turn when Coach Astin is hired by a football powerhouse in the South. Immediately, an influential group, unhappy that Duke was hired, begins to undermine everything he tries to accomplish. The coach and his wife both receive death threats as they work to stay focused on their careers and activities in the community. But when the murder occurs, the story becomes a search for joy and goodness in life — and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit over unspeakable odds.
"I write about more than simply football," Curry said about her latest book. "And even though I do have a lot of life experiences being the wife of a football player and coach, this book is a work of fiction. As a historian, I have always been drawn to strong women who overcome great difficulty, so it was natural I created fictional females with similar characteristics.
"Ultimately, this novel tells the stories of brave men and women who try to do the right thing and make a difference in this world."
Find out more at www.georgiawritersmuseum.org.
