BONSUE BRANDVIK PRESENTATIONS
Author BonSue Brandvik is willing to provide Book Club/Book Store presentations,
either in person or via Skype. In addition to discussing what motivates her to write and
where she finds inspiration, she is willing to discuss the various elements of her books
with attendees in a question/answer format, or as a presentation. She is also willing to
sign paperback copies of her books for attendees who purchase her books following a
presentation, or who bring along previously purchased copies.
The author is also available to speak to social groups on a variety of related topics,
listed below. Depending on the needs of your group, her presentations can range from
thirty minutes to two hours and, if your facility possesses computer projection
capabilities, can include a photo montage of the historic Belleview Biltmore Hotel and
surrounding areas.
The History of Florida – The history of Florida is a fascinating topic, sure to contain surprises even for those who have
lived in the state their entire lives. BonSue takes a chronological look at the state she calls home, via bullets of interesting
information placed on a timeline. This presentation is so packed with material that it takes a minimum of 60 minutes
(preferably, 90 – 120 minutes ) to complete, but because it contains so many curious tidbits about the people who made
Florida what it is today, audiences never complain about its length. This program can be presented in segments, and/or
breaks can be scheduled, if desired.
The Historic Belleview Biltmore Resort – This historic wonder closed in 2009 and despite heroic efforts to save it, the
building is currently being demolished. Still, the historic significance of the Belleview Hotel (later renamed the Belleview
Biltmore) cannot be denied. An architectural marvel, the hotel was built in 1895-6 and opened in January, 1897. It served
as a winter residence for some of the most famous and wealthy persons in the world. At 820,000 square feet, it was
arguably the ‘largest occupied wooden structure in the world.’ BonSue takes audiences through the golden years of the
hotel and discusses present efforts to save at least a small portion of the hotel. This presentation length can be adjusted
from 30 to 90 minutes.
How to Weave Historic Facts into Works of Fiction – In her historic novels, BonSue tries to write in a manner that leaves
the reader uncertain where the path turns from fact to fantasy. In this presentation, she explains how she researches
historic documents in an effort to create realistic characters to populate her storylines, as well as how she uses her
imagination to fill-in missing historical information and resolve conflicting historic data. This presentation length can be
adjusted from 30 to 60 minutes.
The Twenty Ghosts of the Belleview Biltmore – When BonSue began hosting a website to follow both the renovation of
the Belleview Biltmore hotel and her attempts to write novels with storylines that take place at the hotel, she began to
attract a fan-base of persons who share her love of the historic hotel. Although BonSue only intended to use spirits as a
way of demonstrating the wisdom and courage of women who lived in the past, people who had stayed or worked at the
hotel often wrote to her, relating personal stories about what they believed were interactions with the paranormal at the
hotel. Over time, she realized some people, who were strangers to one-another, provided identical reports about
paranormal encounters. In this presentation, BonSue discusses stories of twenty identical encounters, told to her by at least
two people who didn’t know anyone else experienced the same phenomenon. This presentation length can be adjusted
from 30 to 60 minutes.
Contact the author directly to discuss terms and/or reserve dates: BonSue@BonSueBrandvik.com