"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." Matthew 5:14-15

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Welcome Susan Page Davis

Today is a special day as we get to sit down and talk with Susan Page Davis, and I'll also be celebrating my husband's 50th birthday. :)

Welcome, Susan! Tell us about your new book. I understand you wrote it with your son, Jim. How exciting.

1854—With the captain dead in Melbourne, Australia, Alice Packard thinks the worst has happened, until she learns the crew has deserted her husband’s ship in favor of the goldfields. Only one old man, Gypsy Deak, sticks by her, but Gypsy alone can’t raise a crew from the depleted population. In desperation, Alice turns to the only source of plentiful workers: the women of Melbourne. In a bold move, she and Gypsy empty a brothel, promising the escaped women a new life. Her all-woman (save one) crew put their backs and hearts into the voyage, but Alice finds training her sailors much harder than she expected. Her faith is tested to the limit. With a cargo to sell, angry brothel and tavern owners in pursuit, pirates to evade, and a mysterious stowaway, will the seafaring women of the Vera B. survive to tell the tale of this
daring adventure?

How fun to write a book together. :) How did you develop a 'love of story'?

I was the youngest of five children, and my older sisters read to me a lot. I learned to read very early. I believe it was because I memorized so many of the stories they read to me over and over, and then I started figuring out which sounds went with the words on the page. As soon as I learned to write, I was putting down the stories that ran through my head.

Being read to as a child seems to influence many writers. :) What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?

I hope they will find wholesome entertainment in my stories. I like the idea of taking the reader away to a different place and time, where they can relax and recharge. I also hope they will find something to think about concerning how to live this life. I often write about relationships and forgiveness.


Sounds like some great themes. What is your 'how I got published' story?

I began seriously writing fiction with the hope of being published in 1999. The first several books I completed have never been published. Meanwhile, I also started sending out short stories. In 2001, my first story sold to Woman’s World. That was followed by several more, as well as stories published in GRIT and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. From then on, my fiction was self-sustaining so far as paper, ink, and postage went. My first novel was accepted in 2003 and published the next year.

I know I've read your books and really enjoy them. :) Who are your favorite authors?

I like to read mysteries, and Dick Francis is one of my favorites there. I also enjoy historicals. Janice Holt Giles was an early favorite of mine. I just finished Julianna Deering’s new Dressed for Death, which combines mystery and a historical setting. In fact, there are not many genres I don’t like, and I read widely in both fiction and nonfiction.

It sounds like you are well read. What are you working on now?

My son Jim and I are working on the sequel to our first book, The Seafaring Women of the Vera B. I’m also writing a new western for Barbour Publishing. Look for My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains next year.

Can't wait to see both of those. What is your most difficult writing challenge?

Time management is always a challenge for me. I usually rise early and spend the morning at my desk. If my schedule allows, I’m back there in the afternoon, either continuing to write books or working on the many writing-related tasks that fall my way nowadays.

Time management is my struggle too. Thanks for joining us today, Susan. Before you go, how can readers find you and your son?

Find us at:
Twitter: @SusanPageDavis

Buy Links:
Buy the paperback from Amazon: http://amzn.to/1LHmvoe
Kindle e-book: http://amzn.to/1SqaViY


Don't forget to leave a comment this month for your chance to win one of the books Susan is featured in. :)

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