Some of you may have noticed that we made changes to our monthly format, and we did. We now feature an author every quarter. These changes went into effect in January 2022 and were NOT COVID-related. :-)
These occurred because of a new blog I began. It was to be a book, but I felt God's leading to transform it a blog instead. It's called THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM: VIEWING THIS LIFE THROUGH THE EYES OF THE ALMIGHTY. It begins with my journey and the transformation that has taken place over the last few years (so if you want to get to know me better, this would be a great way to do so) in order to get a running start at the overall goal of the "book": focus on the Creation Account in Genesis and the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 for the purpose of seeing how God views life as King of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is at hand, I hear. :-)
We've posted the Introduction and some of "Chapter 1" thus far. Each section that was to be a chapter is being broken into blog posts, tying to the previous in some way, having a closing "Thought of the Week" section at the end, and being a standalone devotional at the same time. No small feat when these chapters were originally one cohesive whole. So far, the reviews posted on social media have been great. It goes live each Monday morning at 6:00 a.m. EST. Feel free to follow it so you can be alerted each time it goes live.
So, that's what I've been working on...along with continuing to write the fiction I love...and continuing this blog (oh yeah, and working that thing we call a J-O-B during the day). :-)
This blog has become, by design, a database of authors through which readers can learn more about said authors and find their books, if their genre interests them. There are other writings on here as well by yours truly, from my days of being a writer for Seriously Write (as well as some other musings).
However, the main impetus has grown to be the Author Behind the Story blog series, which I love doing too. That brings us to our next guest on the Florida front porch, where the temps have been more summer-like than spring. We really have not experienced spring temps this year. We went from winter to near summer (almost 90 degrees last Saturday!) and the season we call "The Pollenation."
Susan, in our traditional manner, give us a quick bio of who Susan Page Davis is...in fifty words or less. Go!
I grew up in Maine, but I now live in western Kentucky. I’ve authored more than one hundred published novels and novellas. I write in different genres—mystery, romance, historical, suspense, and even a few children’s books. Most have a faith thread, some romance, and some mystery.
Over one hundred books? Wow!
Before you ever got a notion of
becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that
time of your life?
I started writing stories as a child, but as an adult I seriously began trying to publish my fiction at about age 45. At the time, I was a correspondent for a daily newspaper, covering local news. My first published fiction consisted of short stories in Woman’s World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Then my first novel, Protecting Amy, was accepted for publication, and I haven’t looked back! Book #100, Cliffhanger, released February 1 this year.
Those are some pretty huge publications. That's awesome.
Sometimes our readers like to know about an author's personal life. Whether they are married...do they have children, etc. Are you married? Single? Have kids?
I’m married to Jim, a retired news editor. We have six grown children and eleven grandchildren.
Hmm....you're a former correspondent of a newspaper...he's a retired news editor...I'm seeing a connection here.
For all the pet
lovers out there (and there are many), answer this question: Do you have any? (And notice I didn't ask just about cats and dogs, which is what most people think of...I'm a fish tank kind of guy, myself.)
We have a very naughty cat named Arthur. He’s a short-haired orange street cat our daughter rescued and adopted. If a closed door exists, Arthur wants to be on the other side of it.
I'd say he was ill-named. Arthur sounds so proper. He sounds more like a Cool Hand Luke...
Besides
storytelling, what talents do you have?
I’m a former spelling champion, and I used to shoe horses. I also enjoy genealogical research, needlework, and logic problems.
That's quite the variety. I'm sure your readers would see those interests peeking out of the page from time to time, an I right?
Besides the usual things authors face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being an author?
I had a major stroke—a blood clot on my brain—at age 43. My oldest son was away at college, but our five younger children were at home. I believe my husband saved my life. He made me take two aspirin (NOTE: That could have been fatal if I’d had the other kind of stroke, an aneurism, so “don’t try this at home.” But in my case, it was the perfect thing to do.) and calling the ambulance. For two days I couldn’t read or write. We were home schooling, and our two youngest children had not yet begun to read. I wasn’t sure what we would do if I wasn’t able to teach them. But God restored all my faculties. After nine days of tests, I was released from the hospital, but they never found out what caused the stroke. I was a news correspondent at the time. A couple of years later, I started seriously writing fiction.
We are glad you have recovered fully!
As a writer, if you
had one thing you would do over again, what would it be?
I would start seriously trying to be published sooner. My first published book released when I was 50.
Amen. I'm right there with you.
Tell us about what
project you are currently working on.
The Sister’s Search will release July 19. It’s the third and final book in a historical series, Homeward Trails, set in the 1860s. A grandmother in Maine has hired an attorney and his investigator to find her three grandchildren. Twenty years earlier, they were abandoned by their father and adopted by three very different families. In the first two books, Ryland searched for and found the two boys and brought them back to visit their grandmother. Now he’s trying to find Jane, who was only an infant when she was adopted. His journey takes him to post-Civil-War Texas, where chaos and violence are the order of the day. Meanwhile, Jane (now Molly Weaver) is searching for her adoptive brother, who’s in a fix. Just when things are looking up, a stranger shows up claiming to be her “real” father.
What surprised you the most during the research for the book you are currently working on?
After the Civil War, Texas was not readmitted to the
Union until 1870, five years after the war ended.
No wonder Texans have always had a bit of a chip on their shoulders when it came to being part of the U.S. Now, it makes sense.
When you are looking for a book to
read, what are the things that are important to you?
I’m an eclectic reader. I love mysteries, but I also love history, intrigue, and a bit of romance. I listen to my sisters and close friends. If they say they loved a book, chances are I’ll try it. I also subscribe to several daily email lists of new and discounted books. The main character must be someone I can love, or at least someone I can cheer on. If the lead isn’t likable, I’m not interested. Of course, some characters start out unlikable and change along the way, and I’m open to that. And their goals and motivation have to make sense to me.
What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?
We’ve all had a lot of tough happenings in the past few years. A verse that I’ve taped to my monitor and reread often is Psalm 48:14. For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death. That reminds me that God doesn’t change. He’s our solid rock, and no matter how bleak this world looks, He is in control.
Amen. It's His Kingdom. His Creation. HIS-tory.
One thing that’s been a joy for me is visiting the settings of many of my books. A lot are set in Maine, where I grew up and spent most of my life, and a few are in Oregon, my husband’s home state. We lived there for a year. But I’ve also been able to visit places like Alaska and Arizona, where I was able to visit a lot of fascinating places and do research at archives, libraries, and museums. Texas and Idaho are other settings with fond memories for me.
I’ve now lived in Kentucky almost twelve years, and only in the last two years have I started writing books with this
setting. I felt that I wouldn’t sound genuine until I’d lived here a while. At
last I felt confident enough to write Blue Plate Special, the first book
in my True Blue Mysteries series, set in Calloway County. The reception has
been terrific, and I’m glad I took the leap.
Kentucky and Texas versus Oregon or Maine? Yeah, just a little different. :-)
Susan, it's been a pleasure having you on the front porch, sharing your personal stories with our readers.
Readers, if you'd like to find out more about Susan and her writing, you can find her at these "cyberspatial" locations:
Website: https://susanpagedavis.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-page-davis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor
Kevin
