[Anne] Welcome Susan. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us today. Will you tell us how long you’ve been writing and how difficult your journey was to publication?
[Susan] Thanks, Anne! I seriously began writing fiction in 1999. It seemed like I would never be published. I sold a few short stories, and then in 2003 my first book was contracted. It came out in late 2004. It seemed very hard and frustrating at the time, but looking back, I can see that I was blessed with less hardship and waiting than a lot of people.
[Anne] You write in a variety of genres. Do you have a favorite in which you like to write?
[Susan] I love writing historical novels with mystery or suspense in them. These—with a little romance thrown in—combine all the elements I love.
[Anne] You and your daughter, Megan, have collaborated on an exciting mystery series from Heartsong Presents, will you tell us a little about them?
[Susan]Megan and I wrote the Mainely Mysteries series about two years ago, and it recently came out in a one-volume edition. We set the three stories in a fictional lakeside town in northern Maine. Emily Gray returns to the shores of Blue Heron Lake and finds mystery, romance, and a new direction in life.
[Anne] How does collaborating with another author work? Do you take turns writing scenes or chapters, or work together throughout the book?
[Susan] Megan and I alternated chapters at first, but the third book got a little crazy, as our deadline was the day before her wedding. So for Impostors at Blue Heron Lake, whoever was the least squeezed at the moment wrote the next scene or chapter. Overall, I think we still wrote about half each.
[Anne] You have a new release, The Crimson Cipher, will you tell us about it?
[Susan] Set in 1915, this book features a young woman recruited to solve ciphers for the government. Her father is murdered in his college office, and the Navy officer who had wanted him to join the Signal Corps in Washington instead invites Emma, who had been helping her father on a cryptography project. When she accepts the job, Emma does not realize that the people who killed her father now want her out of the way. As she fights the German-Austrian contingent that is promoting sabotage and labor unrest within the United States, Emma makes a personal enemy of the saboteurs’ leader—known only to her and her coworkers as “Kobold”—the German word for goblin.
[Anne] Ah, sounds intriquing. And I love the cover! So, how many books do you usually write in a year?
[Susan] About four or five. I am keeping pretty busy, and I’m thankful for that.
[Anne] Do you have a strict schedule to adhere to?
[Susan] No, I work when I need to and knock off for fun now and then. Right now I’m on a deadline for one book and doing revisions on another, so I’m at my desk nearly all day.
[Anne] I read that your husband, Jim, edits all your novels before you submit them. Do the two of you ever disagree on your work?
[Susan] Sometimes we’ll disagree on a minor thing—a word or phrase. Rarely on a plot point. He has said that a few things in my books made him uncomfortable. Usually I say, “Good. That was supposed to make the reader uncomfortable.” But I always consider what he says seriously and take a hard look at the passage he’s referring to. Sometimes it needs to be reworked.
[Anne] What is the best advice you’ve ever received from a publisher, editor, or fellow author?
[Susan] Don’t measure your success by that of the people around you.
[Anne] If your publisher agreed to send you anywhere in the world to research your new book, where would that be?
[Susan] Well, if it’s winter, how about Tahiti? Seriously, I’d like to see and write about Wales.
[Anne] Great choices! Okay, you’ve just woke in the middle of the night with a fantastic idea for a book, what do you do?
[Susan] scrawl notes I won’t be able to read in the morning on a notepad I keep on the nightstand.
[Anne] LOL. I suppose I’ve picked your brain long enough, Susan. I could go on you know. I have tons of questions I’d love to ask, but I’ve taken up enough of your time. I do hope you’ll consider coming back sometime. Thank you for allowing me to interview you. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks, Anne. I’ve loved visiting with you. We’re giving away a copy of The Crimson Cipher here today, and I also give away a couple of books on my website every month: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/. You can also find me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Page-Davis/139580589399172?v=wall
[Anne] How generous, Susan, thank you. Okay, friends, start commenting. And be sure to leave an email address or some way for us to contact you. The drawing will take place Friday, August 6th!
And the winner is....Carol Wong. Congratulations, Carol. I'm sure you'll enjoy The Crimson Cipher.
