Welcome to Readers Write to Know! I asked you, my readers, what questions they would ask their favorite authors if given the chance, and the authors visiting my blog answered them! This week, I have Susan Page Davis as my guest. My family has been watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on our weekly family movie night, so her new book really resonated with me! It sounds very good! Plus – Susan has written more than 90 novels. NINETY. Wow! Read on to see how you can enter to win a copy of her latest release!
Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’ve published more than 90 novels and novellas, and I love writing. Before I became a fiction author, I worked as a newspaper correspondent. I’m married and have six adult children and ten grandchildren. I grew up in the state of Maine and spent most of my life there, but when my husband retired we moved to western Kentucky. Not only is the climate much friendlier, but we’re nearer most of our children now.
Tell us about your current release. In The Scottish Lass, sailor Fiona Campbell is captured and forced to accompany a band of cutthroats on their quest for a lost treasure. A shifty sailor turned pirate, Samuel Trafton, has betrayed his former sailing mate Elwood Stark and stolen Stark’s new command from under him. Fearing for her life, Fiona fends off her kidnappers and prays Captain Alice and her crew will come to the rescue. Meanwhile, sailor Tommy Mercer was also captured. He tries to help Fiona and suffers for his efforts.
Stark approaches Captain Alice Packard, hoping she’ll help him get his ship back. But Alice can’t trust him. Stark was her friend Josiah Howard’s first mate, but Josiah’s gone on business, and she can’t get his opinion. Alice has many lives depending on her, and she can’t afford to make a mistake. Could Stark be in league with Trafton to gain control of the Vera B. as well as Stark’s schooner? This is Book 2 in the Hearts of Oak series, another seafaring adventure with Captain Alice Packard and her crew.
If you knew ahead of time your book would benefit only one person on their spiritual journey, would you still write it? Absolutely. I write stories not knowing if they will resonate with people or not. Years later I might hear from someone who found encouragement or inspiration in one of my books. But I don’t hear from the majority of my readers. I might never know how the story affected them. I write what comes to me and leave that part up to God.
With all those characters in your head screaming to get out how do you write fast enough to get it all down? I don’t. There’s always more there to be told. Sometimes I write very fast, and sometimes more slowly, but I think I have more stories waiting than I will ever have time to tell.
Who was your first Screen/Musical Crush? Little Joe Cartwright for sure.
What inspired you to start writing, or did you always want to write? I have pretty much written since I was a child. I have copies of old stories I wrote in junior high. As an adult, I did a lot of newspaper and magazine articles before starting seriously to write fiction. For me, there’s something compelling and satisfying about getting it on paper.
Do you have pre-determined length in mind when you first begin a book? Usually. Well over seventy of my books were written for traditional publishers, and they all have general lengths in mind and put them in the contract. When I write something for independent publishing, sometimes I just do it and see where the length ends up.
What is one thing that you “never saw yourself doing” and either do it now or have done? Self-publishing. When I started writing novels, self-publishing fiction was declared “the kiss of death.” It was many years and many published novels later that I began to consider it. The publishing market and process has changed immensely in the past 12 years. Self-publishing is now a viable option for writers. True, because it’s so easy now, there’s a lot of poorly written and poorly edited material out there. But indie authors can make it on their own now, and many have. My first indie books were backlist books on which I had the rights returned to me by the original publishers. Since then, I’ve gone on to publish several original books, like the Hearts of Oak series written with my son, and the Maine Justice series.
Find Susan online:
Website: https://susanpagedavis.com
Twitter: @SusanPageDavis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor
Newsletter: https://madmimi.com/signups/118177/join
Susan is giving away a copy of her book to a reader! (Print US only or ebook) See below how to enter to win:a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Hallee, thanks so much for having me as your guest! I’m excited to add that The Seafaring Women of the Vera B. (Book 1 in this series) is also on sale this week. The e-book is only 99 cents, so people who don’t want to start on book 2 of Heart of Oak can start there. https://amzn.to/2AZwW8c
Susan Page Davis recently posted…May 2020 Winners
I love all Susan’s books and cant wait to read this one.
Thanks, Bobbi!
Susan Page Davis recently posted…May 2020 Winners
Thanks for interviewing Susan. She is one of my favorite writers, and I loved Seafaring Women!!! I have loved all of her books that I have read. I know I have many more to read, she is prolific!!! As well as terrific, lol!
And you’re a poet, Connie! Thanks so much for these kind words.
I love Susan’s Book’s!! So excited to read this one 🙂
Kimberly, I hope you love it!
Susan Page Davis recently posted…May 2020 Winners
A pirate story is one I need to add to my list!
Don’t you just love adventure stories, Deanna? Thanks for coming by!
Susan Page Davis recently posted…May 2020 Winners
I just love Kentucky… and Little Joe? Yes!
I cannot wait to read this one! My dream is to visit Scotland and Ireland someday. This sounds so good. I enjoyed this interview.
Looking forward to reading this new addition to the series!
I love Scottish romances! They are like a breath of fresh air!
Book looks great…. yup little Joe…. Blessings
Susan Page Davis is a new to me author , and her book sounds like a very good read, I love the cover , it is Beautiful!
This book sounds like a very good read, I love the cover , it is Beautiful!
Great cover. Terrific interview.
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Hey Hallie and Susan! I enjoy Susan’s stories. I’m looking forward to reading The Scottish Lass.
lots of books you’ve written
This is a gorgeous cover! I can’t wait to read this!!! Thanx for the giveaway!!!!
Great interview, Sue! I recently read the first book of this series and can’t wait to see the second! I love Sue’s writing and never get tired of her new plot ideas…..and adding son Jim into the mix helps make this series fascinating. Y’all need to read all the books by Susan Page Davis!
Can’t wait to get this one. Sounds great.