Susan Page Davis and Free Books!

Hiram Dooley knows everything about guns--and next to nothing about women.

Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the drawing for Calculated Revenge, by Jill Elizabeth Nelson, is:

littleronm@ . . .

Congratulations! I'll contact you today for your snail mail address, and we'll get your book to you right away. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right in order to participate in future book give-aways!

Now let's revisit novelist Susan Page Davis, author of The Gunsmith's Gallantry (Barbour, June 2010).

What's new with you, Susan?

After more than 50 years in Maine, I'm moving to Kentucky. I write this as my husband is loading the truck. It's going to be a big adjustment, but we're sure we'll love our new state.

I'm a mom and a grandmom, and I have about 30 published novels.


Please tell us five random things we might not know about you.

-- I am a stroke survivor (Jan. 8, 1997).

-- I am a certified farrier (horse shoer).

-- I'm a descendent of John Alden, of Mayflower fame.

-- If there's a spider on me, don't tell me--just brush it off, thank you.

-- And my appendix burst when I was 9 months pregnant (the baby is now a healthy 25-year-old).

Wow, you are full of surprises, Susan! 

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of The Gunsmith's Gallantry.

You've got to love Hiram. He's a very quiet man, but he thinks a lot. And right now he thinks his sister Trudy (Gertrude) is going to marry his friend Ethan and leave him all alone again. He also thinks his sister-in-law Rose is out to tie the nuptial knot with him, and the thought makes him shudder. The spinster schoolmarm, Isabel, seems to be in the marriage market too, when she's not worried about her father's odd behavior. But mostly Hiram thinks that Libby Adams is the smartest, prettiest, finest lady he's ever met.

What is it about your lead character that will make your readers care about him?

Hiram is a romantic soul whose true love died about ten years ago. He cries out to be coddled, though he doesn't ask for it. Though he's self-effacing, when the time comes for action, he's right there.

Why will readers enjoy your novel?

I hope they'll love the whole town of Fergus and the oddball people who live there. The Ladies' Shooting Club is on hand to help its members and serve the town. And there's plenty of conniving, deception, and mistrust going on. I hope they'll love the resolution to all this and stay with the folks at Fergus for another episode. So readers, grab your weapon of choice and saddle up!

Most writers struggle with the whole "show, don't tell" rule. For some, it can be difficult to even recognize when "telling" is happening. Please give us a brief example from your novel where you "show," and then write how that passage would have looked, had you "told."

Pow! Bang!

Girls screamed and jumped up, knocking books and slates from their desks. Isabel's chalk flew from her hand, and the book tumbled to the floor. Children scrambled in a tangle of pantalets and fallen benches away from the stove.

This scene is from Isabel's point of view. I tried to show what she saw and heard in those seconds after the noise. I'm not at all sure I've mastered show-don't-tell, but I try to keep the viewpoint and show only what that character senses.

Susan, I imagine readers who are in the early stages of their writing careers will gain some comfort in hearing a seasoned author like you say she isn't sure she's mastered show-don't-tell. I think we all slip into telling at times without realizing it.

What is the last book you read that moved you?

Mrs. Roberto, by Van Reid (Book 4 in his Moosepath League series, which I adore. I laughed, I cried, and shared bits with anyone who would listen. And I admired his skill with words and the brave ascensionist (in her balloon and her attractive pair of tights).

What are you working on now?

Moving. After we're settled I'll charge into writing Love Finds You in Prince Edward Island. It's set in 1860, when the Prince of Wales visited the island.

Oh, that sounds like fun! (Not moving--the book.) Where else can readers find you or your writing online?

My Website is www.susanpagedavis.com. You can see me on my Amazon Page or at Christian Book.

The book is available for purchase online via the following buttons:




CBD.com

Thanks, Susan, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel. Readers, Susanhas offered to give a copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Thursday, June 17. To enter, leave a comment for Susan, below. Leave your email address, in case you win, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.

Check out my interviews with Linore Rose Burkard and Nancy Mehl, below, and leave a comment under their interviews to be entered in drawings for signed copies of their books.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer HERE.