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WORK TITLE: Abigale Hall
WORK NOTES:
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenaforry/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:New York University, B.A.; Kingston University, M.A., 2011, M.F.A., 2012.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Southern New Hampshire University, Hooksett, NH, online adjunct English instructor, 2016–. Has also lectured at Harcum College and Lehigh Carbon Community College.
MEMBER:Horror Writers Association.
WRITINGS
Contributor of short stories to anthologies and journals, including in Brick Moon Fiction and Lamplight; also author of the “Design For Life” short story series.
SIDELIGHTS
Lauren A. Forry is a horror writer. She has worked as an online adjunct English instructor at Southern New Hampshire University for graduate creative writing courses since 2016. She also lectures in English at Harcum College and Lehigh Carbon Community College. Forry has published numerous short stories in anthologies and journals, including in Brick Moon Fiction and Lamplight.
Forry published her first novel, Abigale Hall, in 2017. Set in the years after World War II, the novel centers on Britain’s slow recovery, with high unemployment, ration books, and food shortages. Seventeen-year-old Eliza Haverford and twelve-year-old sister, Rebecca, are orphaned and living with their barely accommodating Aunt Bess. She sends them to Wales to work as servants, where they take up employment at a frightening manor house that hides secrets of its own.
In an interview in Crimepieces, Forry came to the idea to write this novel during a trip to Wales in 2008. She “thought about how difficult it would be for a girl born and bred in London to be suddenly transplanted to such a secluded area, especially in an era without the internet or smart phones that could help her maintain contacts with the familiar.” Forry also shared: “I knew I wanted my protagonist to be an orphan, but I also wanted her to feel a heavy responsibility towards someone else. Very quickly, the ideas of sisters and how they treated one another came into place.” Forry explained how her relationship with her own sisters influenced her characters. “Siblings have an interesting dynamic to write about—how you can both love and dislike this person who has the same parents and the same background, yet remains so different from you. Because my sisters and I have a healthy relationship, it’s fun to explore in fiction what the dark side of those relationships can be.”
Booklist contributor Becky Spratford suggested that those who enjoy reading “contemporary female-driven psychological suspense should be persuaded to try this historical setting.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly claimed that “Forry shows herself a master at seductive prose that keeps the reader turning pages.” A contributor reviewing the novel in Crimepieces called Abigale Hall a “deliciously creepy read with a strong sense of menace.” In a review in the Crime Fiction Lover Website, David Prestidge insisted that “this is wonderfully creepy and lurid stuff. By the end, though, you may feel like one of the voyeurs who has paid a guinea to go and stare at the unfortunate lunatics in Bedlam Hospital back in the 1700s. Even the comforting presence of a good old-fashioned serial killer might have offered some reassurance.” Writing in the Historical Novel Society Website, Clarissa Harwood suggested that “fans of gothic classics such as du Maurier’s Rebecca and James’s The Turn of the Screw will love this creepy, gruesome tale of terror.”
Reviewing the novel in the Night Run blog, William Grabowski mentioned: “I had thought it not possible for any contemporary writer to be able to retrieve the feelings of gloom and dread encountered in such iconic novels as du Maurier’s Rebecca, Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, and even the more jagged side of Shirley Jackson.” Grabowski conceded, however, that Forry offers the feel “common to these authors and folds in a harsher, yet equally atmospheric, texture.” A contributor to the Little Bookness Lane blog found that “without a doubt Abigale Hall is cloaked with an unnerving surrealness. There’s also the bonus of some terrifically sinister characters to question the motives of, much spittle to let fly from decrepit lips, and many, many bowls of congealed porridge that will remain forever undigested.” Reviewing the novel in the Meaningful Home Life Website, Sheri Joyce reasoned that “overall, this was a good Gothic tale to curl up with a blanket and a cuppa something good and let Lauren Forry spin a well-told tale for you.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2017, Becky Spratford, review of Abigale Hall, p. 25.
Publishers Weekly February 27, 2017, review of Abigale Hall, p. 77.
ONLINE
Crime Fiction Lover, https://crimefictionlover.com/ (April 24, 2016), David Prestidge, review of Abigale Hall.
Crimepieces, https://crimepieces.com/ (April 18, 2016), author interview.
Historical Novel Society Website, https://historicalnovelsociety.org/ (May 1, 2017), Clarissa Harwood, review of Abigale Hall.
Little Bookness Lane, https://littlebooknesslane.wordpress.com/ (August 22, 2017), review of Abigale Hall.
Marjacq, http://www.marjacq.com/ (October 22, 2017), author profile.
Meaningful Home Life, http://meaningfulhomelife.com/ (April 10, 2017), Sheri Joyce, review of Abigale Hall.
Night Run, https://thenightrun.wordpress.com/ (March 22, 2017), William Grabowski, review of Abigale Hall.*
Lauren A. Forry
3rd degree connection3rd
Fiction Writer at Self-Employed
Self-Employed Kingston University - Company
Greater Philadelphia Area 141 141 connections
Send InMail
US-based horror novelist represented by Sandra Sawicka at Marjacq Scripts literary agency. http://www.marjacq.com/
Debut novel, ABIGALE HALL, is a Gothic thriller set in postwar London and Wales, out now in the UK from Black & White Publishing and the US from Skyhorse Publishing. German translation from Goldmann Verlag coming in August 2017.
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Experience
Self-Employed
Fiction Writer
Company NameSelf-Employed
Dates Employed2012 – Present Employment Duration5 yrs
-Novelist and author of multiple sci-fi and horror short stories
Southern New Hampshire University
Adjunct English Instructor
Company NameSouthern New Hampshire University
Dates EmployedMay 2016 – Present Employment Duration1 yr 6 mos
Online instructor for graduate creative writing courses
Harcum College
Adjunct Instructor
Company NameHarcum College
Dates EmployedAug 2014 – Present Employment Duration3 yrs 3 mos
-Teach Developmental English and Developmental Reading courses through a combination of live classroom instruction, one-on-one conferences, and supplemental online resources.
-Assist students in becoming strong, independent learners capable of writing and reading at a college-level by identifying an individual student's specific areas of concern and tailoring coursework and activities to meet those areas.
-Foster students' confidence in writing and reading skills by increasing student self-awareness of the learning process.
-Provide clear and appropriate oral and written feedback on students' work in a timely manner.
Institute of Reading Development
Teacher
Company NameInstitute of Reading Development
Dates EmployedApr 2013 – Present Employment Duration4 yrs 7 mos
LocationGreater Philadelphia Area
-Instill a passion for reading in students aged 4 to adult by teaching them experience of absorption and identification in imaginative literature via summer reading programs.
-Teach college-specific textbook and reading skills for college and adult students via fall double weekend seminars.
-Integrate reading skill development with an emphasis on independent reading.
-Optimize students’ learning through regular oral and written feedback.
-Intensify student learning experience through appropriate assessment methods.
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Writing Tutor
Company NameLehigh Carbon Community College
Dates EmployedSep 2013 – May 2016 Employment Duration2 yrs 9 mos
LocationSchnecksville, PA
-Writing Lab, Online Writing, and Study Skills tutor specializing in essay writing, reading comprehension, and organization.
-Assist students in becoming strong, independent learners by identifying key areas of student concern and clearly communicating appropriate problem solving strategies.
-Integrate outlining, thesis development, and essay writing instruction into classrooms to aid professors in addressing specific writing concerns.
-Provide clear and appropriate written feedback on student essays via the Online Writing Tutor program.
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Education
Kingston University - Company
Kingston University - Company
Degree NameMaster of Fine Arts (MFA) Field Of StudyCreative Writing
Dates attended or expected graduation 2011 – 2012
Kingston University - Company
Kingston University - Company
Degree NamePostgraduate Certificate Field Of StudyLearning and Teaching in Higher Education
Dates attended or expected graduation 2011 – 2012
Kingston University - Company
Kingston University - Company
Degree NameMaster of Arts (MA) Field Of StudyCreative Writing and Publishing
Dates attended or expected graduation 2010 – 2011
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Featured Skills & Endorsements
Creative Writing See 21 endorsements for Creative Writing21
Endorsed by CG FEWSTON and 2 others who are highly skilled at this
Endorsed by 2 of Lauren A.’s colleagues at Institute of Reading Development
Writing See 12 endorsements for Writing12
Endorsed by CG FEWSTON and 1 other who is highly skilled at this
Endorsed by 2 of Lauren A.’s colleagues at Institute of Reading Development
Proofreading See 11 endorsements for Proofreading11
Endorsed by CG FEWSTON, who is highly skilled at this
Endorsed by 2 of Lauren A.’s colleagues at Institute of Reading Development
Lauren A. Forry
Lauren A. Forry is the author of the Gothic psychological thriller Abigale Hall as well as multiple horror and sci-fi short stories which have been featured by Brick Moon Fiction and Lamplight Magazine, amongst others.
She is also the author of the “Design For Life” short story series, based on characters created by Jason T. Reed and Casey Wolfe, and has contributed to the new series of X-Files short story anthologies overseen by series creator Chris Carter and edited by New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, published by IDW Publishing.
She is a member of the Horror Writers Association and currently teaches graduate creative writing courses for Southern New Hampshire University Online as well as English courses for Harcum College and Lehigh Carbon Community College. She holds a BA in Cinema Studies with concentration in Screenwriting from New York University and both a MA and MFA in Creative Writing from Kingston University. She resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA with her dogs Harry and Gizmo.
Abigale Hall is currently available in the UK from Black & White Publishing and will be released in the US (Skyhorse Publishing) and Germany (Goldmann Verlag) in 2017.
Abigale Hall
Becky Spratford
Booklist.
113.14 (Mar. 15, 2017): p25.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Abigale Hall.
By Lauren A. Forry.
Apr. 2017.376p. Skyhorse, $24.99 (9781510717268).
WWII left many British children orphaned, and Eliza and Rebecca are not alone in being sent to live with relatives
who don't want them. But when the girls are shipped off to live at Abigale Hall, a remote and creepy home in Wales,
their situation goes from pitiful to horrifying. Eliza starts noticing terrible things from day one, including the evil
housekeeper, Mrs. Pollard, who is intent on keeping the girls isolated and under her control. The compelling narration
alternates Eliza, desperately trying to figure out why so many women associated with the manor have gone missing,
and her London boyfriend, Peter, risking all to track down his beloved and bring her home. Forry lulls readers into
thinking this is just a typical Gothic thriller until the increasing panic, merging story lines, and deadly secrets begin to
precariously pile up, ultimately crashing down in a dark and very sinister collapse. Fans of the recent uptick in
contemporary female-driven psychological suspense should be persuaded to try this historical setting.--Becky
Spratford
YA: With a teenage protagonist and creepy atmosphere, this should appeal to YA fans of psychological thrillers. SH.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Spratford, Becky. "Abigale Hall." Booklist, 15 Mar. 2017, p. 25. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA490998453&it=r&asid=b68e73c46076bf34f2e104ce0c524b16.
Accessed 7 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A490998453
10/7/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1507415492539 2/2
Abigale Hall
Publishers Weekly.
264.9 (Feb. 27, 2017): p77.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* Abigale Hall
Lauren A. Forry. Skyhorse, $24.99 (384p)
ISBN 978-1-5107-1726-8
From the first paragraph of British author Forry's debut, readers know they have entered a splendid gothic novel, with
dark shadows and a disturbing creep of horror. It then comes as an intriguing surprise that the book is set in the years
following the end of WWII. London is a city still suffering the aftereffects of the war: food shortages, ration books,
unemployment, and the collective memories of bombings and blackouts. Seventeen-year-old Eliza Haverford and her
12-year-old sister, Rebecca, have lost their parents and are now in the care of their sullen Aunt Bess, who's more than
willing to ship the girls off to Wales to work as servants. They therefore find themselves escorted by dour Mr. Drewry
to Thornecroft, an isolated and dilapidated manor house, whose grimy, shabby interior and labyrinthine layout provide
the ideal setting for exaggerating fears and hiding appalling truths. Forry shows herself a master at seductive prose that
keeps the reader turning pages, eager to discover the next shocking turn of events. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Abigale Hall." Publishers Weekly, 27 Feb. 2017, p. 77. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA485671167&it=r&asid=1dbc77f4210e0660737ead86860f0916.
Accessed 7 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485671167