Wednesday, May 09, 2012

COWGIRL TRAIL - Susan Page Davis - Free Book


Welcome back, Susan. Why do you write the kind of books you do?
I write the kind of stories that I enjoy reading.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
Probably my wedding day, when Jim and I started our life together. We’ve been blessed with 36 years so far.

How has being published changed your life?
I used to work part time from home for a newspaper. Now I work full time at home writing fiction. Being published has opened a lot of doors for me, but it has also limited my other activities. For instance, I don’t spend as much time with my grown children and my grandchildren as I would like. Most of them live a ways away, and it’s sometimes hard to get together.

What are you reading right now?
Mostly research books at the moment, but recently Sixteen Brides, by Stephanie Whitson, and The Long Trail Home, by Vickie McDonough.

I’ve read both of those and loved them. What is your current work in progress?
I just handed in my manuscript of a book in the Miracles of Marble Cove series (from Guideposts), and I’m gearing up to write another Texas book and a new mystery.

What would be your dream vacation?
Tahiti, maybe. My older son is headed to Yap this week, on a mission trip. I didn’t know where it was and had to look it up. (It’s in Micronesia, “sort of near” the Philippines.) Sounds good to me—I’ve never been to the tropics.

How do you choose your settings for each book?
Sometimes they are chosen for me, but if not, I usually start with a story line and locate where it works best. Lately I’ve written books set in Texas, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona, and Oregon.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
My daughter Megan, and her husband, who live in England. Megan is co-author with me of a mystery series. She’s been over to the States twice since they married in 2008, but we haven’t been able to get over there yet, and I’d love the chance.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?
I enjoy needlework and logic puzzles. I used to do a lot of walk and horseback riding, but not so much anymore.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
Carving out time to create new proposals has been a problem lately. I need to be planning next year’s books now.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?
Read a lot, across genres. Write every day. And put some time in working on the writing craft—you never stop learning and growing in this field.

Tell us about the featured book.
I love this story, which is fifth in the Texas Trails series. These books are loosely connected through the Morgan family, but you don’t have to read them all in order. You can pick up any one of them and enjoy the story. Each of us three authors (Darlene Franklin, Vickie McDonough and me) focuses on a different branch of the family, so you won’t “miss something” if you skip around. Here’s a summary of Cowgirl Trail:

In 1884, Maggie Porter returns to the Rocking P Ranch. The sanatorium was not able to save her mother and now her father’s health is failing. When the cowboys walk off the job leaving no one to drive the cattle to market, ranch foreman Alex Bright cannot convince the men to stay. Maggie is desperate to save the ranch, and she turns to the town’s women for help. The new cowgirls must herd, rope, and drive the cattle to market. Unfortunately, some of the strikers resent their actions and want to liven up things on the cattle drive. Maggie can’t believe Alex, whom she always admired, would cause trouble for her family. Can she forgive him and accept his offer of help when trouble comes?

Please give us the first page of the book.
“The princess wants to ride this morning. Saddle up her horse.” Jack Hubble, the ranch foreman, clapped Alex on the shoulder and walked past him into the barn.

            Alex shot a glance toward the house, but the boss’s daughter hadn’t come out yet. “Uh. . .which horse?”

            “Duchess, of course. Come on, I’ll show you her gear.” Jack strode into the tack room, and Alex hurried after him.

            “That’s the chestnut mare out back?”

            “That’s right. Here’s Miss Maggie’s saddle.” Jack laid a hand on the horn of a fancy stock saddle with tooled flowers and scrollwork on the skirts.

            “She doesn’t ride sidesaddle?”

            “Nah. Maggie’s been riding like a boy since she was a little kid. Her father lets her get away with it, so don’t say anything.”

            Alex nodded. His own sisters rode astride around the home place, and no one thought a thing about it. Why should he expect the boss’s thirteen-year-old daughter to behave differently? But he had. Maggie Porter was a pretty girl, blond and blue-eyed. She’d looked like a china doll on Sunday morning, wearing a pink dress with gloves and a white straw bonnet when the family set out for church in the buckboard.

            “Here’s Duchess’s bridle.” Jack placed it in his hand.

            “Just saddle the mare and take it out to her?” Alex asked.

            “Get your horse ready, too.”

            Alex stared at him. “Me? You mean I’m going with her?” He’d been hired at the Rocking P less than two weeks earlier. Now wasn’t the time to argue with his foreman, but it seemed a little strange.

            Jack laughed. “You’re low man around here. Oh, the fellas don’t mind, but it gets kind of boring. It’s an easy morning for you. And Maggie’s a good kid. Let her go wherever she wants on Rocking P land, but make sure she doesn’t do anything dangerous. Where’s your gun?”

            “In the bunkhouse.”

            “You’ll want it today, just in case.”

            “In case of what?” Alex’s first thought was Comanche, but the tribes were now confined to reservations—his parents had followed the saga of the Numinu with special interest.

            “You never know, do you?” Jack said. “Snakes, wild hogs, drifters.”

            “All right. How long does she ride?”

            “As long as she wants, but get her home by noon. Her mother gets fretful if she’s late for dinner.” Jack looked him up and down. “Oh, there’s one other thing.”

            “What’s that?”

            “Maggie’s young, but she’s starting to notice you boys. Don’t do anything to give her ideas.”

I love it. Can’t wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Come visit me at my website: www.susanpagedavis.com . I also have a FaceBook page that my daughter Amy and my husband maintain for me.

Lena, thanks for inviting me over!


It's always a pleasure to have you, Susan.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Cowgirl Trail (The Texas Trail Series) - paperback
Cowgirl Trail (The Texas Trail Series) - Kindle


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

28 comments:

Coolestmommy said...

What a great opening. "She's young, but she's just starting to notice boys." That's a theme in my life right now. :-)

Would love to finish reading her story.

coolestmommy2000 at gmail dot com
NE

Unknown said...

Enjoyed the interview and book preview. Thanks!

brendon8@bellsouth.net
Florida

Susan Page Davis said...

Thanks, Robyn and Brenda! This book was lots of fun to write. Maggie is one of my favorite characters.

regencygirl01 said...

Can't wait to read Cowgirl Trail.
catlover0112 at yahoo dot com

Jennifer said...

I already want to read more!!!!! Great entry!!!!!!

Unknown said...

i love how many cowboy/cowgirls stories are out there now! And i love Susan's novels. Thank you, Lena for including Canadians in your giveaway...Thanks for the great interview and opportunity to win.

Marianne from Northern Alberta
mitzi underscore wanham at yahoo dot com

Susan Page Davis said...

Great to see you all here! When my dad was a game warden in northern Maine, his mailing address was through a Quebec post office, even though he lived in Maine. Maybe that's influenced me to prefer allowing Canadians to enter, but anyway, be assured, Marianne and other Canadians, your entry will have the same chance as anyone else in this drawing. A bientot! (can't make the program make the accents in this box, I guess).

Anonymous said...

I am a big fan of Susan's. I would love to win a copy of this book. Thanks for the chance.
Angela from KY

Jo said...

Great interview and the book sounds great. Can't wait to read it.

Blessings,
Jo
ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

Krista said...

Ooohh... sounds fabulous! Please enter me.

Krista in Oregon

Liz R said...

Sounds like a really good book! It sort of reminds me of that John Wayne movie cowboys =) I'd love to win this one!

Liz R in Al

Katie said...

Hi! I've been wanting to read this book for a while now. Please enter me! I'm from nc. God bless!

Patty said...

Love reading books set in the west!

Patty in SC

Mary Preston said...

I love the idea of all the women helping out. COWGIRL TRAIL is now on my wish list.

Mary P

QLD AUSTRALIA

karenk said...

thanks for the chance to read this novel :)

karenk from PA
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Abigail Mitchell said...

Looks so interesting! Please enter me!
Thanks and God Bless!
Abigail
Blanch, N.C.

Diana Gardner said...

Would love to win a copy. Please enter me in the drawing. Portsmouth, VA

rubynreba said...

I would enjoy reading this.
Beth from Iowa

Susan Page Davis said...

Thanks, everybody! The winner can choose a paperback or an ebook for this one.

Sarah Rebekah Richmond said...

Looks interesting!
Please enter me in the drawing!
God Bless!
Sarah Richmond
Blanch,N.C.

Ginger Solomon said...

I've read a number of the books in this "series" and enjoyed each one. Thanks for the opportunity to read another.

Ginger in AL

EJ said...

Love Susan's books and am looking forward to reading this one. Thanks for the interview.

Elaine from Iowa

Lourdes said...

I love Susan's books would love to win.

Lourdes Huntington, NY

Joanna Richmond said...

it looks like a interesting Book,
enter me in the giveaway
Thanks
Joanna Richmond
Blanch NC

apple blossom said...

thanks for chance to win
i live in ND

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

misskallie2000 said...

Hi Susan, I love feisty women who fight for what they want yet still keep their feminine side. Women in the old west had to be both and I am looking forward to reading Cowgirl Trail and about Maggie. Thanks for stopping by to chat and share with us. Thanks for this opporutnity to enter giveaway Lena.

Brenda from Georgia

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

Mama Cat said...

Start of another awesome book, Susan! I appreciate the chance to win your new book. And, look forward to writing the next book for the Marble Cove series that I subscribe to. Your research shows your love of your craft, to bring authenticity, heart, and above all, Jesus, to your readers. Blessings to you!

Sharon Richmond said...

Enter me!!
Sharon Richmond
Blanch, NC.