Leigh Ann Thomas on encouraging women

Leigh Ann Thomas is passionate about encouraging women to seek God’s best. She has penned four books and is a contributing author in twelve compilations. A staff writer for the parenting sites, InTheQuiver.com and Just18Summers.com, Leigh Ann has also contributed to Southern Writers Magazine, Power for Living, Charisma Magazine, and others.

She is married to her best friend, Roy, and they are thankful for the gifts of three daughters, two sons-in-law, three amazing grandsons and a grand-princess.

Tell us about your newest book.

Smack-Dab in the Midlife Zone—Inspiration for Women in the Middleuses scripture, prayer, and the power of story to show women in midlife how being smack-dab in the middle of God’s plans and purposes is the best place to be!

I am thankful for the Lord’s work in my life and for the privilege of walking in step with Him, each day an adventure. But a few short years ago, this was so not the case. I was grieving an approaching empty nest, a changing body, and an uncertain future. Through my struggles, God showed me that even though life was packed with change and transition, He did not change, and His call to love and serve continued in all seasons of life. This book includes my journey, as well as the stories and insights from over a dozen women I interviewed concerning their midlife years. I pray it will be a fun and meaningful mosey through the midlife zone!

What genre do you focus on and why?

I’m drawn to inspirational nonfiction as a way to encourage and motivate women to seek God’s best and to live with joy. For pure fun, I write short stories and drama sketches (a creative rest for my brain).

Why do you write? What drives you?

I feel God’s pleasure as I brainstorm, write, and edit. Being on mission with Him is the greatest joy of my life. The years I wasted running from this calling, are my motivation for writing with an intense urgency.

What does a day in your writing world look like?

An ideal day includes: an early start, breakfast, quiet time, calendar review, writing until early afternoon, lunch, editing, then a few minutes dedicated to the business end (marketing and such). If I’ve walked by a work-in-progress countless times to engage in “busy work,” I know the day is in danger of losing “ideal” status. And yes, it happens. I try to show myself grace and to move on.

What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?

Everything beyond the quiet working moments with me and the Lord. I’m a typical introverted writer, and social media, marketing, and public events are way out of my comfort zone.

What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?

The beautiful moments walking with God—as I learn, grow, laugh, and cry. These times are precious because I ran from it for so long.

What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced as an author?

I get tickled when anyone assumes I’m wealthy or well-known because of being traditionally published. I tell them, “Sure, I’m loaded. I’m laying up awesome treasures in Heaven!”

What are you most proud of?

This is more like what I’m grateful for, but that I stopped running and surrendered to God’s plans and purposes.

What is your favorite pastime?

Traveling with my sweetheart, hanging out with family, and being silly with my grandbabies (did I mention them yet? Big smile.)

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

I’m also the author of Ribbons, Lace, and Moments of Grace—Inspiration for the Mother of the Bride(SonRise Devotionals—2017). I have two older books, Time Out—A Quiet-time Devotional for Busy Moms, and Go Ye Therefore: Dramas for Today’s Church.

What are you working on now?

I’m smack-dab in the middle of a book launch (see what I did there?) so that’s absorbing my working hours. But I’m excited about the next steps as I listen for my Lord’s voice and stay ready to respond to His direction. Quite the adventure!

Website: LeighAThomas.com

Link to book: https://amzn.to/2IAEUVd

Social media links:

Twitter: @LThomasWrites

Instagram: @LeighAThomasWrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leigh.nallthomas

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/785810.Leigh_Ann_Thomas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Susan Meissner on WWII

Susan Meissner is a USA Today bestselling novelist with more than half a million books in print in fifteen languages. Her novels include The Last Year of the War, a Library Reads and Real Simple top pick, and As Bright as Heaven, starred review from Library Journal. She attended Point Loma Nazarene University and volunteers for Words Alive, a San Diego non-profit dedicated to helping at-risk youth foster a love for reading and writing.

Tell us about your newest book.

The Last Year of the War is a WW2 tale about an ordinary American teenager named Elise Sontag whose German immigrant parents have lived in Davenport, Iowa, for years. The Sontags’ world is turned upside down in 1943 when Elise’s father is arrested for being a suspected Nazi sympathizer. Unable to convince anyone of his loyalty to the US, the family is sent to an internment camp in Texas. While struggling to hold onto the threads of her identity, Elise meets a Japanese girl from Los Angeles who, like her, was born in America to immigrant parents. They form a bond of friendship Elise will cling to, even when she and her family are repatriated to war-torn Germany the last year of the war. In the hell of warfare and its aftermath, where all Elise believes herself to be is called into question, the echoes of that  friendship will help her decide who has the right to declare to her who she is.

What inspired you to write The Last Year of the War?

I was on Ellis Island a few years ago for a book event related to A Fall of Marigolds, which takes place partly on the grounds of the Ellis Island Hospital. The guide who was going to be taking us on the hard hat tour of the hospital buildings asked me if I knew that Ellis Island had been used as a detention facility for German and Japanese-Americans during WW2.  That was the first time I heard of German-Americans being detained in the States at all during the war. He then told me that it wasn’t just Ellis Island; there was internment camp south of San Antonio, Texas, where hundreds upon hundreds of German-Americans – and their American-born children- had been sent, and that some of these people were actually repatriated to Germany in prisoner exchanges. As a writer always on the lookout for a historical event about humanity, I knew there was a story waiting for me here, and waiting for you, because it was largely an untold story.

How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?

At its core, this is a story about the quest for identity. Do I decide who I am or is my identity imposed upon me by others? Who decides who I am? The Last Year of the War deals with this question but also friendship and family bonds, fear and prejudice, love and acceptance.

What genre do you focus on and why?

I’ve written in other genres but I’ve stayed in the historical fiction lane for the last eleven years because I love how this genre allows us to learn history by experiencing it through the pages of story. It’s like being able to time travel without leaving your chair.

Why do you write? What drives you?

Like many writers, I understand life by writing about it. Writing is gift, I think. God gifts some people with the ability to paint; it’s in their DNA. I think writing is in mine.  I am motivated by hearing the real life stories of ordinary people like you and me thrust into extraordinary circumstances that force them to find strengths they didn’t know they had.

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

Elise is the main character and I chose this name first because I love the way it sounds coming off the tongue. Secondly, it’s derivative of the German name Elsa, which is a Sontag family name.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?

On writing days, I try to wrangle 1500 good words onto the page. Sometimes (on a really good day), I am done by noon. Other days, I am still at it at dinner time. Non-writing days are usually used for research or social media requests or handling the day to day business life of a freelance writer.

What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?

For me the hardest aspect to deal with — and maybe this is true for many other creatives who produce a product for the masses — is managing expectations and disappointment. It can be a challenge to refuse to compare myself and my books and their standing in the marketplace with other writers and their books. I try to begin each day with an attitude of gratitude. That seems to ward off envy and discontentment and anxiety.

What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?

Meeting people, making new friends, finding new kindred spirits. The reason it’s the best part is because people are the best part of any kind of existence. In the end, it’s the people in our lives that make life wonderful and purposeful.

What’s one unusual fact about you?

I don’t like escalators. I will ride them but I don’t like them. If we are walking together and approach an escalator, you have to go first. I am going to need a second or to count off a couple steps before I step out and commit.

How have you changed or grown as a writer?

I’ve learned so many things on this career path. I’ve become a better writer (I hope) with better insights on how we think and why we humans love what we love and fear what we fear and do what we do in response to these two universal motivators. I’ve learned writing doesn’t get easier, and that that’s okay. Feeling the challenge is part of the process of crafting a great book, in my opinion.

What is your favorite pastime?

Traveling to faraway places is always a treat. But as for everyday pastimes, I love to read what I want to read (not for work) in a comfy spot with a cuppa and with my dog curled up at my feet.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

I have about 20 other titles; the most recent are AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN, A BRIDGE ACROSS THE OCEAN, STARS OVER SUNSET BOULEVARD, SECRETS OF A CHARMED LIFE, and A FALL OF MARIGOLDS.

What are you working on now?

The book I am only a few chapters into doesn’t have a title yet but it’s set in San Francisco in the early twentieth century. The lives of three women are going to converge because of the machinations of one man. Here’s my working premise: When the lives of three women collide in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a shared secret buried in the resulting dust and ash will bind them forever afterward.

Website: susanmeissner.com

Link to book: IndieBound

Social media links:

www.facebook.com/susan.meissner

https://twitter.com/SusanMeissner

On Instagram as @soozmeissner

 

 

 

Carol Ashby on Roman-era historical fiction

Carol Ashby grew up mostly in Idaho, but she’s worked and raised her family in New Mexico. After a career in research, she now works full time writing stories about difficult friendships and life-changing decisions in dangerous times, where forgiveness and love open hearts to discover their own faith in Christ. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching birds and other wildlife, playing piano, sewing, and traveling with her husband Jim.

Tell us about your newest book.

True Freedom is the next in the Light in the Empire series of stand-alone novels set in the Roman empire between AD 114 and 122. Enslaved as a youth when the Romans conquered his homeland, Dacius has grown to manhood as a Christian slave, trying to serve his masters as he would serve his Lord. When he overhears his owner’s son planning to kidnap the owner’s daughter Julia to get the ransom money to pay a gambling debt without his father knowing, Dacius risks his life to save her. Can his sacrificial service earn the freedom and love he never dreamed possible, or will it only end in his death?

What inspired you to write True Freedom?

Carol loves thinking about how living faithful to God can impact the people around us. Some people get to do big things to help others, but more often it’s the little things in the way we live our daily lives that draw people toward our Lord. While writing The Legacy and Faithful, two earlier novels in the series, she learned a lot about the social dynamics of the Roman world, split between free people and their slaves, who were legally “living things” and considered as disposable as a piece of furniture or some livestock. That raised the question of how people with no power over their own fate could live a life faithful to God and how that faithfulness could change the ones with power over them.

How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?

It’s a story about a man staying true to his faith in Jesus even after being made a slave and losing everything and how his faithfulness opens an unexpected future for both him and the woman he was bought to serve.

What genre do you focus on and why?

Carol writes historical romance: adventures with a challenging romance threading through the plot. Her stories are tales of dangerous times, difficult friendships, and the power of forgiveness and love to transform lives. The early Roman empire is the perfect backdrop for being a Christian when it might get you killed and for nonbelievers who get to know a believer well to wrestle with whether following Jesus is worth the risk. It’s the forgiveness and friendships, romantic and otherwise, between characters of different faiths that open hearts toward God.

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

Carol is obsessive about getting the history right in her novels, and that limits the names that can be used. There were only twelve first names for citizen men in common use, and four of those made up sixty percent of the names. Names in Roman society followed very strict conventions if you were a Roman citizen. The lead female character is the daughter of an ex-consul of Rome and governor of Sicily, so she used the feminine version (Julia Secunda). The hero (Dacius/Leander) is a slave who’d had his name changed each time he was sold, which was common practice in those days.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?

Carol writes full-time, and spends eight to ten hours every day writing her novels, working on her websites (she’s her own webmaster), interacting on social media, and working on marketing activities. She’s an energizer bunny who naturally runs on six to seven hours of sleep, so writing at one or two in the morning isn’t uncommon when she’s in the flow of a scene.

What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?

The hardest part of being an author is marketing. Even the biggest traditional publishers today expect their authors to do most of the marketing of their work. The stories come and are a joy to write, but figuring out the business aspects of being an author and spending the necessary time are not sources of joy.

What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?

The best part of the author’s life is hearing from a reader that they found their own faith encouraged by the faith of the characters in one of Carol’s stories.

What’s one unusual fact about you?

Carol worked in semiconductor research for many years, and that meant a lot of writing using a formal English style. It took her months of writing fiction before she would write “But” at the beginning of a sentence instead of “However,” without cringing.

How have you changed or grown as a writer?

After so much study of the advice of experts on how to craft tightly plotted stories that set a hook and won’t let a reader go, it’s become much easier to capture the emotion and action in the first draft. She rereads finished scenes and edits as she writes, so there isn’t as much to change when the first draft of a manuscript is finished. That makes the total time to write a 100K-word manuscript much shorter than when she started writing fiction.

What is your favorite pastime?

Carol’s favorite ways to spend her time when not writing include watching birds and other wildlife and playing the piano.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

True Freedom is the sixth in the stand-alone Light in the Empire series, all set in the Roman Empire between AD 114 and 122. The stories range across the Empire from Roman Germany to Judea and present-day Turkey. Each can be read independently so a reader can enter the series with any of the stories, but they share some characters. She tries for an exciting read with an “aaah” or two at the end. Sometimes that “aaah” is for a character the reader met in a different book but really got to know in the current one. The next book, Honor Bound, is going to be like that.

What are you working on now?

Carol is working on Honor Bound,which picks up a secondary character in True Freedom and makes him the male lead four years in the future. She’s also writing a novella focused on the sister who was separated from the hero of True Freedom twelve years earlier when they were both made slaves by the Roman army. Plus, she’s writing more articles for her Roman history website at carolashby.com

Website: https://carol-ashby.comis my author site.

https://carolashby.comis my Roman history site.

Link to book: https://amazon.com/dp/B07RWL15G1/

Social media links: https://www.facebook.com/carol.ashby.50

 

 

 

 

Sherrinda Ketchersid on medieval era historical romance

Sherrinda Ketchersid is a lover of stories with happily-ever-after endings. Whether set in the past or present, romance is what she writes and where her dreams reside. Sherrinda lives in north-central Texas with her preacher husband. With four grown children, three guys and a gal, she has more time and energy to spin tales of faith, fun, and forever love.

 

Tell us about your newest book.

Lady Jocelyn Ashburne suspects something is amiss at her family’s castle because her father ceases to write to her. When she overhears a plot to force her into vows—either to the church or a husband—she disguises herself and flees the convent in desperation to discover the truth.

Malcolm Castillon of Berkham is determined to win the next tournament and be granted a manor of his own. After years of proving his worth on the jousting field, he yearns for a life of peace. Rescuing a scrawny lad who turns out to be a beautiful woman is not what he bargained for. Still, he cannot deny that she stirs his heart like no other, in spite of her conniving ways.

Chaos, deception, and treachery threaten their goals, but both are determined to succeed. Learning to trust each other might be the only way either of them survives.

What inspired you to write Lord of Her Heart?

When I hit the age of forty, I decided I would write the book I always wanted to write. I didn’t want to come to the end of my life and regret not even trying. So that is what I did. I love the medieval era and began researching women during that time. That’s when I learned about rich women being sent to convents for an education. I began to ask the question ‘what if’. What if a woman was forced to remain? What if her family ceased to communicate with her? What if she found out she had to take her vows to the church or marry an old man? Those questions led to Jocelyn’s story and her escape from a convent.

What genre do you focus on and why?

I focus on historical romance for a couple of reasons. I love learning about the past and how people lived before all of our modern conveniences. When you couple that with romance and all that involves, it helps me to escape easier into another world. It is fascinating to me that people had the same goals and desires back then as they do now, yet had different constraints and societal structures they had to adhere to.

Why do you write? What drives you?

I write because the thought of bringing someone as much joy as books have brought me just makes my heart happy. I love happily-ever-after endings. I love romance. I love to live vicariously through the adventures my characters have (I’m not the most adventurous person!). And if someone catches a spiritual truth in the story, then … well, let’s just say that would be an immense blessing. I want to make God smile through my writing.

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

My main character’s name is Jocelyn Ashburne. I chose Jocelyn because it was a pretty name from the time period. So many names back in medieval times were like Mary, Matilde, Maude, Elizabeth, etc… I wanted something different and pretty, yet still true to the era.

What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?

So far, the hardest part of being an author has been the self-doubt. It is incredibly difficult to keep my focus on Jesus and not compare myself to other writers. When that happens, it is paralyzing and hinders my ability to create. I’m learning though. It’s a slow and deliberate process to daily give my time, energy, creativity—even success—over to the Lord. It makes all the difference.

What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?

One of the best parts of my author life has been making life-long friends in the writing community. There is such camaraderie and support from writers all over the world. Seriously, it is such a gift.

What’s one unusual fact about you?

An unusual fact about me is that I, and every female in my family, have scoliosis (curvature of the spine). It runs mainly in females. My mother, her mother, my daughter, my two sisters and their daughters have it. Out of the eight of us, three had to wear a back brace, including me. I had to wear a metal and leather brace during my freshman and sophomore year of high school. Think Joan Cusack in Pretty in Pink. Yes, I was that awkward! While I hated it at the time, I can sure laugh about it now!

What is your favorite pastime?

I love to read, as does every writer, I’m sure. I also love to tend my flower beds, play with my seven month puppy Phineas, and play in my art room. Getting paints out and journaling in my Bible has become a special time of worship for me.

What are you working on now?

I am in the editing/rewriting phase of my second book, His to Keep. It is the story of Ian McGowan, the head guardsman in Lord of Her Heart. I fell in love with Ian and knew he needed his own story. He has a challenging road ahead of him, but faces each obstacle with courage and determination.

Website: www.sherrinda.com

Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q4R9L8Z/

 

Social Media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherrindaKetchersidAuthor/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sherrinda

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrinda

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sherrinda/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19022507.Sherrinda_Ketchersid

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sherrinda-ketchersid

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sherrinda-Ketchersid/e/B07Q5Y8QHF/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linda Shenton Matchett on WWII historical fiction

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII.

 

Tell us about your newest book.

Love’s Beliefis a modern retelling of the Old Testament story of Shiprah and Puah, two midwives who disobeyed Pharaoh’s laws in order to save Jewish babies. The story features Pia and Sabine Hertz, German midwives who go against Hitler’s Nuremburg Laws to save Jews and other “undesirables” during WWII.

What inspired you to write Love’s Belief?

As a former Human Resources professional I am fascinated by the history of women in the workforce. I love to read about ordinary women who end up being trailblazers in their profession (intentionally or unintentionally). I wanted to continue my Wartime Brides series, which thus far has included retellings of Ruth and Rahab. However, I wanted to go with a lesser-known Bible character and set the book in Germany. As soon as I read about Shiprah and Puah in Exodus, I knew I had my story.

What genre do you focus on and why?

I write historic fiction (romance and mystery) set during WWII. That era intrigues me because of the vast number of ordinary people who did extraordinary things during such a difficult period of time.

Why do you write? What drives you?

Writing fills me up, and I’m happiest sitting at my keyboard immersed in a story-any aspect: outlining, researching, writing, or editing. It gnaws at me when life gets in the way and I’m unable to get to the computer. I’m “destination driven” which means completing the manuscript is of utmost importance to me. I’m procedural about my writing down to scheduling word counts and chapters, so I know exactly when the book should be finished.

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

My main character is Pia Hertz, and I wanted to use a name beginning with P because of basing the story on Puah. I went to several sites that listed popular girl’s names during the 1940s.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?

My schedule doesn’t vary because I’m always working on some phase of a book, and I need to juggle that with my full-time day job. I’m at the computer by 6:00 AM and write until I have to leave for work at 7:45. After I come home I work for a couple of hours in the evening, creating memes, writing guest blog posts, book research, recording YouTube videos, and other non-manuscript related writing. I don’t have to be at my job until 1:00 on Wednesdays, so that’s my favorite day because I have so much time to focus on my writing. Saturdays I work on my blog posts, YouTube Scripts, and watching training videos or podcasts.

What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?

The hardest part for me is not having enough time to write and do all the associated aspects of my career such as marketing, etc. With working full-time, I only have about twenty-five hours per week to commit to my “writing life,” and that’s not nearly enough. I often feel I’m behind schedule.

What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?

The community of writers I have become associated with during my writing journey is like nothing I’ve experienced. I love the actual writing of a book, but it is a solitary pursuit, and I’m an extrovert. I love the interaction within the community as we commiserate, encourage, exhort, and celebrate together. My husband is incredibly supportive of my writing career, but he doesn’t “get” my need to write and hang out with other writers who talk to and about their characters as if they’re real. (Wait, they’re not?? J)

What’s one thing your readers should know about you?

For book research, I took shooting lessons from a New Hampshire State Police Officer. I was actually pretty good by the end of the afternoon.

What is your favorite pastime?

Being outside, no matter what the season or weather. My husband and I kayak during the warm months and snowshoe during the winter. Both of those activities immerse us in the beauty of God’s creation.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

I have six other romance novellas, two full-length mysteries, and a Word-Find book (WWII, of course!) My books are available at several retailers, but the best place to find them all is my website: http://www.lindashentonmatchett.com/p/books.html

What are you working on now?

I am currently writing Book 4 of the Wartime Bride series, called Love’s Allegiance.It is a retelling of the biblical story of Rebekkah and Isaac and will explore service by Conscientious Objectors during WWII. It is due out in August 2019. I am also finishing up two mysteries that will be out next Spring and Summer with dates to be determined.

Website: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Link to book: https://amzn.to/2V6ShRg

Social media links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lindasmatchett

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lindasmatchett

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Shenton-Matchett/e/B01DNB54S0

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15140007.Linda_Shenton_Matchett

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

 

 

 

 

Susan Page Davis on mail-order brides

Susan Page Davis is the author of more than eighty novels and a winner of the Carol Award, two Will Rogers Medallions, and 2 Faith, Hope & Love Chapter Readers’ Choice Awards. A native of Maine, she now lives in western Kentucky.

 

 

Tell us about your newest book.

“The Bride’s Dilemma” is part of the new Mail-Order Mishaps collection, about four mail-order brides whose plans went awry. Eve arrives in Cheyenne to learn that the man she came to marry is in jail, accused of murder. Should she get on the next eastbound train, or has God brought her here to save Caleb’s life?

 

What inspired you to write “The Bride’s Dilemma”?

When I was asked to be part of this collection, I thought about what could go wrong for a young woman in the nineteenth century who thought she’d found the ideal husband—a man she’d never met. Probably more than one mail-order bride learned her husband had committed crimes. But in my story, Eve’s intended is accused and she has to decide whether or not she really has faith in him.

What genre do you focus on and why?

I write a lot of historical romances, and many of them include mysteries. I also write contemporary mysteries and romantic suspense. I love the variety, and I choose the genre and setting that seems best for each story.

Why do you write? What drives you?

I’ve always enjoyed creating stories, since I was a girl. As an adult, I worked as a nonfiction writer, but once I tried writing fiction, I knew it was my niche.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?

When I’m on a deadline for a publisher, I usually write 2,000 to 3,000 words per day during the week. I start in the morning by eight o’clock. In the afternoon, I usually do writing-related tasks such as revising, interviews, and other promotion. This afternoon I’ll be preparing for a speaking engagement.

What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?

To me the hardest part is promoting my work. I’m a writer, not a publicist. I’m so thankful for companies like Barbour Publishing, who produced this collection. They do a wonderful job of promoting and marketing their books, and they help authors participate in the process. For books I produce independently, the burden is completely on the author.

What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?

It’s being my own boss and not having to deal with the hassles of working outside the home. I can keep my schedule flexible and work the hours that are best for me.

What’s one unusual fact about you?

I am a certified farrier. Although I haven’t shoed a horse in many years, the knowledge and experience comes in very handy for the westerns I write.

How have you changed or grown as a writer?

I can see a big difference in my work now from my early books. It’s a compilation of many small things I’ve learned over the years. I try to make each book the best it can be.

What is your favorite pastime?

I’ve always enjoyed handcrafts. I like making things. I also enjoy family history, and of course, reading.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

Yes, I have more than eighty published titles. They can all be seen on my website: https://susanpagedavis.com. Some reader favorites are:

The Prairie Dreams Series (The Lady’s Maid, Lady Anne’s Quest, and A Lady in the Making)

The Maine Justice Series (The Priority Unit, Fort Point, and five other titles, the latest of which is Ransom of the Heart)

Frasier Island and its companion books, Finding Marie and Inside Story

The Ladies’ Shooting Club Series (The Sheriff’s Surrender, The Gunsmith’s Gallantry, and The Blacksmith’s Bravery)

And the Maine Brides Series (The Prisoner’s Wife, The Castaway’s Bride, and the Lumberjack’s Lady).

My newest books are the romantic suspense You Shouldn’t Have and historical novellas in the Captive Brides Collection and Seven Brides for Seven Texas Rangers Collection.

What are you working on now?

I created the concept for the Tearoom Mysteries Series for Guideposts Books a few years ago, and they’ve recently decided to expand the 25-book series by two more volumes. Elizabeth Ludwig is writing book 26, and I’m now working on book 27. I’m also working on something new, a private detective series.

Website: https://susanpagedavis.com

Link to book: Find Mail-Order Mishapsat https://amzn.to/2H67vlT

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