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About Spirit Willing: A Savannah Haunting

by Susan B. Johnson
Hard cover fiction- June 2007
Bonaventture Books; ISBN: 10: 0-9724224-6-3 ISBN: 13: 978-0-9724224-6-8

Set in the sultry, moss-draped South, Spirit Willing: A Savannah Haunting offers a tale of conniving and greed. It concerns the extremes to which Charlotte Horner will go to oust her aging Aunt Olivia from her historic Savannah home, not only "to put it to better use" but also to exact revenge. With the help of Great Great Grandfather Cyrus, dead for 100 years, Olivia sets about to foil Charlotte's plans. In time this alliance causes Olivia's staunchest supporters—even the lady herself—to question her mental stability, a situation that plays neatly into Charlotte’s devious hands. The love between Charlotte's brother, a struggling artist, and his British model ultimately helps to resolve the conflict, but not before his avaricious sister has done her worst. Does Cyrus exist? Or does he live merely in Olivia's imagination? In this ghost story for non-believers, only the reader knows for sure.

Praise from the Pros:

"Make yourself comfortable, friend, you're in for the evening. Spirit Willing: A Savannah Haunting is a book you won't be able to put down.  Pour yourself a mint julep, open the book, and settle in.  This suspenseful Southern Gothic tale of romance and intrigue will have you spellbound. Susan Johnson is an enchanting storyteller who lifts you out of your world and drops you into the vivid world of these compelling characters.  Enjoy!" — John Dufresne, author of The Lie that Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction

"Susan B. Johnson is a natural fiction writer who has honed her craft to a jewel-like precision. Her novel, Spirit Willing: A Savannah Haunting, gives us a delicious tale that will undoubtedly please and entertain many readers, especially those who share her passion for Savannah. Indeed, for lovers of fiction, Susan B. Johnson is a writer worth watching!" — Rosemary Daniell, author of Secrets of the Zona Rosa: How Writing (and Sisterhood) Can Change Women's Lives

"In Spirit Willing: A Savannah Haunting, Susan B. Johnson offers her readers a splendid taste of Savannah's past and a generous helping of contemporary Savannah as she dishes out a ghostly tale filled with colorful characters sprinkled with a perfect dash of wit." —

Lisbeth Thom, author of Row Away From the Rocks

"A deftly rendered account of a family's fight to preserve its heritage and home in modern-day Savannah, Georgia. During the last days of the summer of 1859, Margaret Bisby is on her deathbed. With her last words, she makes her husband, Cyrus Morton Thornheart, promise that their beautiful Hibiscus House will always remain the family home. For over a century, Margaret's wish is fulfilled until 2004, when only aging Olivia Thornheart remains. Though she longs to live out her days at Hibiscus House and pass it on to her nephew Alexander, Olivia's niece Charlotte has other plans. The real-estate market in Savannah is booming, and the conniving Charlotte hopes to move her aunt into a local home for seniors so that she can turn the house into a highly profitable bed and breakfast. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that Charlotte has a powerful, if invisible, enemy. The ghost of the long-deceased Cyrus Thornheart I visits Olivia in hopes that she can help him keep his promise to his dead wife. Though Cyrus appears to possess remarkable powers, his presence becomes problematic when Olivia's belief in him convinces others she is becoming senile. Johnson tells this tale with much grace and wit. The portraits of the city are lovingly rendered, a nice touch that could only be created by a longtime resident of the South. Spirit Willing: A Savannah Haunting is a subtle and suasive ghost story."— Molly Brown, Kirkus Reviews

There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a Little Crooked House.
— by Anonymous

 

About Savannah's Little Crooked Houses: If These Walls Could Talk

by Susan B. Johnson
Paperback, non-fiction- February 2007
The History Press; ISBN 978-1596292260

Much has been written about Savannah's rich history and elegant old homes, but until now one unique aspect of that history—the story of the dozen or so antebellum cottages that dot the city's National Historic Landmark District—has been ignored.

In her new book, Savannah writer Susan B. Johnson explores the past of these architectural treasures and examines the lives of the families who called them home. Who built these tiny dwellings? Who lived in their 1,300 (or fewer) square feet of space? And what sort of world did they see when they gazed out their windows? This meticulously researched book answers all these questions—and more. 

Who, for example, can resist the story of Dr. Samuel Furman, who married sisters, first Lucy and then Henrietta Williams? Or the sad tale of Edward and Jane Harden, who both died of "bilious fever" in 1804—he on her birthday, she on his—leaving their minor children in the care of slaves? Or the mystery of lively and conniving Eliza Howell, whose three husbands all died under the same dubious circumstances? This charming book reveals secrets that have been held for over two-hundred years.

Buy Savannah's Little Crooked Houses You can purchase Savannah's Little Crooked Houses: If These Walls Could Talk from the following retailers: Online: Amazon.com Online: Barnes&Noble.com E. Shaver, Booksellers, 326 Bull Street, Savannah (912) 234-7257 Waldenbooks, 24 S. Cove Lane, Shelter Cove, Hilton Head, SC The Book Lady, 6 E. Liberty Street, Savannah (912) 233-3628 Davenport House Museum Shop, 324 E. State (912) 236-8097 Owens-Thomas Museum Store, 124 Abercorn (912) 790-8889