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Sunday, November 08, 2009

WHITE MOUNTAIN BRIDES - Susan Page Davis - Free Book


We're featuring Susan with her New Hampshire series collection. Welcome, Susan. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take?

I’m very excited about a couple of deals in the offing. They’re not quite ready for me to talk about, but readers can look for more history and mystery from me! My Ladies’ Shooting Club series will debut in December, too.

What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?

I plan to attend ACFW in Indianapolis in September 2010. I don’t know yet whether or not I’ll be speaking. At the last one, I gave critiques, and I found that very rewarding. There’s a possibility I’ll be at a couple of others, but nothing definite yet.

If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why?

I’d like to hear acquisitions editors tell what makes them reject a manuscript, and also what convinced them they needed to buy the last five they accepted.

How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations?

I wouldn’t say you couldn’t succeed without it, but I know it was a tremendous help to me, and a great blessing to discover groups like American Christian Fiction Writers and Maine Fellowship of Christian Writers, where people support each other in ways I’d never dreamed. I met my critique partners through ACFW, for instance.

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?

I am my church’s financial secretary. Right now that’s the most of it. I used to lead a home school support group and take part in DAR volunteer efforts.

Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?

Definitely my parents. They were saved a couple of years before I was born, and they did their best to bring up their children in the Lord. My three sisters are high on the list, too. We are all very different, but when hard times come, we turn to each other.

Tell us about the featured book.


White Mountain Brides is an anthology of three stories. It begins with the 1689 massacre at Cochecho, N.H., and each focuses on a young woman who was captured by the Pennacook Indians and taken to Canada. One stayed with an Indian band for five years. One was married against her will to a French farmer. The third lived with nuns in a convent. When the three return to New Hampshire, the townspeople have trouble accepting them back into their circle. But in the Lord’s timing, each finds love and a new life.

Please share the first page with us.

chapter one
Cochecho, New Hampshire, 1689

Richard Dudley bolted upright, his heart pounding in the dark. The sound that had wakened him came once more—a distant but terrible shriek, splitting the night. Only an Indian out for blood could make that gruesome noise.

“Richard!” His father’s forceful voice came from below.

“I hear it.”

“Quick! Wake your sister. We must run to Otis’s.”

“I’m awake,” came Catherine’s voice from behind the half partition that separated their sleeping areas in the loft.

Richard scrambled to pull on his breeches and shoes. A moment’s hesitation could mean death in an Indian raid. He leaped down the ladder, pausing only to be sure Catherine made it safely down in her billowing skirts. His parents hadn’t built up the fire, and only a faint glow from the coals lit the room. Richard sensed movement and knew his mother was gathering emergency supplies. No doubt his father had dashed to grab his loaded musket that hung above the door. Richard groped his way to the corner where his own weapon leaned against the wall.

“Stephen,” his mother gasped, and Richard’s heart sank at the thought of his younger brother.

“He’ll be safe at Otis’s garrison,” her husband said. “It’s ourselves we must worry about. Catherine?”

“Here, father.”

“Come, then.”

“Take this.” Their mother’s voice was low and urgent. She pressed a sack into Richard’s hand, and he knew it held food. He suspected his mother and Catherine also carried food or blankets. They had discussed sudden flight many times across the supper table and practiced it once before when an outlying farm was raided and the warning came to fort up at the nearest garrison.

That would be Otis’s, the closest fortified house. The blacksmith and his large family offered protection for other settlers whenever needed, as did Waldron, Heard, and other prominent men in the struggling community. Their houses were fenced all around, and built of sturdy oak, with rifle loops for windows above and the second story protruding over the first, so that attackers could be fired down upon. Richard prayed the people within would be safe, as well as the other families that were certainly running toward them.

The four of them crept outside and headed silently across their newly planted cornfield, avoiding the path. Richard cringed with each step, knowing he crushed tender plants he and his father and brother had worked hard to nourish. Worrying about that was senseless. If they did not make it to the safe haven, the corn would not matter. His thoughts flew to the Minton family—Sarah and her parents. They were closer to Waldron’s garrison. Had they made it there in safety? He couldn’t think of her now. Distraction could mean death.

His mother stumbled, and his father reached to steady her. Richard hurried on, taking the lead and hearing Catherine panting behind him. Ahead, the savage screams increased, and a flash of foreboding told him they were running the wrong way, even as his feet took him onward.

They topped a rise, and Richard stopped abruptly. Catherine slammed into him, and the air burst from his lungs.

“Sorry,” she gasped, clinging to his jerkin.

“Look.” Richard held her arms and turned her toward what he had seen. A fiery glow lit the sky ahead.

His parents came up beside them and stood silent for a moment except for their labored breathing.

“Otis’s is burning.” His father’s voice quivered with hurt disbelief. The stronghold they had counted on, near the center of the settlement, had been attacked.

How did you get the idea to write this story?

I am a direct descendant of Richard Otis, the blacksmith who was killed in that raid. Several of his children and his wife were captured. His daughter Judith, my ancestress, was captured but rescued by men of the village. After visiting the Woodman Institute in Dover, N.H., where the last 17th-century garrison house is preserved under a pavilion, I knew I wanted to write about these people. Richard Otis’s house was burned, and 400 years later, archeologists dug up the site. My sisters and I were able to see artifacts including hinges and nails that were probably made by Richard Otis. This visit impressed me deeply, and I began collecting true captivity narratives. After several years, I felt I was ready to begin writing about it. My stories are fiction, but I believe they ring true to the times.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

Visit my Web site at: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/ . I’d love to see you there. I’ll also be reading and talking to people at the Lithgow Library in Augusta, Maine at 10 a.m. on December 5. If you’re in the area, drop in and say hi!

Thank you, Susan, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order the book. If you're going to order from Amazon anyway, using this link will help support this blog.


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.


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 6 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. Here’s a link.
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48 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:39 AM

    What a great interview. Please enter me. Blessinss.
    tarenn98[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  2. Enjoyed the interview and am anxious to read the book. Please enter my name in the contest.
    julhiebert@gmail.com

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  3. Anonymous8:25 AM

    This book looks wonderful. Please enter my name in your draw. Thanks. wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. connie e8:46 AM

    Please enter me! Sounds delightful!!


    connieed53 AT aol DOT com

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  5. WOW! What an enticing beginning. 'Way to go, Susan.

    I love the White Mountains, especially Franconia and Sugar Hill areas, though we haven't hiked there in years.

    Please enter me into the drawing.

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  6. Anonymous10:00 AM

    Great interview. Couldn't agree more about writer orgs. You don't have to be in them, but they really help :-)

    Kit

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  7. Casey H.11:00 AM

    Sounds great. I love the cover of the book!

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  8. Thanks for entering me!

    Blessings,
    Michelle
    scraphappy71 at sbcglobal dot net

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  9. Thank you for all the awesome giveaways and reviews. :)

    gahome2mom/at/gmail/dot/com

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  10. Sue, thanks for sending me the link to this interview. I just finished Snowbound Colorado Christmas, and enjoyed it. White Mountain Brides begins with a bang, and I know it'll be a good read. Coming from an Old New England family, I especially like the personal tie-in to your own family. Thanks again, and please enter me in the drawing. --Vicki S

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  11. Wow, what a terrific bunch here! I went to church and came home to find a party on Lena's blog! Kit, Julane, Vicki, Hope--so many friends came by! Thank you! And new friends, too. We got six inches of snow here in central Maine on Thursday night. It was unexpected, and it's melted down some now, but we are already looking like winter here. I hope you all have a terrific week and that it's warmer where you are. Oh, Vicki, I'll bet it's not for you! I know where you live! Ha! Lena, thanks for putting this in motion.

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  12. This book looks very good. I read Susan's Wyoming Brides, and loved it, so i know that i would enjoy this one. Please enter me.

    kefarley89(@)gmail(.)com

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  13. Wonderful interview. I love Susan's writing so I know I would enjoy this book. It sounds like a great book. Please enter me in the drawing.

    Thanks
    Sherry K

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  14. Sarah R1:53 PM

    Great interview! Please enter my name in drawing.

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  15. Thanks, ladies! (And Mark--you, too.) Katherine, I'm glad you enjoy my westerns as well as my "easterns." I'll be putting out more of each in 2010. The word is out that I'll be doing a Christmas novella next year, too (Christmas Mail Order Brides), with three other terrific authors: Vickie McDonough, Carrie Turansky, and Therese Stengel. It's a very good group, and I'm excited about that collection. And Casey, I love the cover of WMB too--especially that girl's dress!

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  16. Oops! My face is very red. I just realized I miscalculated when talking about the archeological findings at the Otis garrison. That would be about 300 years after the raid, not 400. I know it's fiction, but it's not SCIENCE fiction. That's what I get for writing something without an editor looking over my shoulder!

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  17. Anonymous4:41 PM

    I would love to win Susan's book.
    Please enter me. Thanks.
    jackie.smith(at)dishmail(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sharon Chadbourne6:36 PM

    Susan, great interview. I loved the part about your relationship with the Otis'.
    I was going to ask you if you were planning any Christmas stories and then I read you are for next year. Yea! Love you, Your friend, Sharon

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  19. Sounds like a good book. Count me in Thanks.

    ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

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  20. Anonymous2:08 AM

    Would enjoy reading this book...

    karen k
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'd like to read this book. Please enter me in the drawing!
    onepilgrim86(at)yahoo.com

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  22. Please enter me:) I love books by Susan Davis. Her writing is very original. Would love to read this:) Thanks!
    esterried[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous5:53 AM

    I would love a chance to read this book. Please enter me.
    blessed6mom at yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sounds like a great book!!! And a great 'new' author for me to try!

    Please enter me!

    Rae

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  25. Wow, this is dynamic, and you are a descendant of one of the families. Granted, you used other captivity stories. It thoroughly amazes me. Please enter me. Thanks.
    desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

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  26. I thoroughly enjoyed the research for this book and have been twice to look at the area. All of my characters are fictional except a few real villagers of the time that I mentioned--mostly the garrison owners and their families. Other characters are modeled on real people of the time. I didn't want to make mistakes in portraying real people, so kept their roles to a minimum in this book. Thank you all for such a great welcome here. Don't you just love Lena's blog? She has a great variety of guests and topics.

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  27. Great interview. Please enter me into the contest!

    dancealert at aol dot com

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  28. Page M. Davis8:05 AM

    I like books based on real events, and one about someone I am descended from sounds really cool. Keep it up, Mom!

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  29. Aw, that's my daughter,who lives 1200 miles away from me. Thanks for stopping by, Page!

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  30. Wow. I'm hooked and want to read more. Sign me up for a chance at a free copy.

    I love stories that are based on a true story. Thanks for sharing a bit of your personal history with us.

    Candee[at]CandeeFick[dot]com

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  31. Enjoyed the interview. Please enter me in the drawing. Thank you!

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  32. Sounds fun!! Thanks

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  33. Great sounding book. Thank you for the entry.

    koinonia572001@yahoo.com

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  34. This sounds fascinating. I'd love to read it.

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  35. Such a fun book, sign me up! And thanks again for the great interview, Lena!

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  36. I love romances set in New England and look forward to reading Susan's book. Thank you for the interview and giveaway.

    cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thank you for the terrific interview! I'll definitely be looking for White Mountain Brides!

    f dot chen at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous11:16 AM

    Ohh, it sounds really good. Please enter me in the drawing! ~Abby


    abster dot rose at yahoo dot com

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  39. Susan is one of my favorite authors, so I would love a chance to win White Mountain Brides. Thanks!

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  40. This book sounds absolutely delightful!!! The interview was great and the book sounds even better! :o)

    Please enter me!!!

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  41. donald lee10:45 PM

    Would love a chance to win this book for my wife for christmas....liked the interview.

    thanks

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  42. I appreciate all the comments so much--when you leave notes like this, it's a big encouragement to the author, so thank you all for blessing me today.

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  43. Anonymous2:49 PM

    great interview. Please enter me in the the drawing. Thanks. Esther
    faith4u7(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  44. Such a great interview! I would love to win the book!

    dancealert at aol dot com

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  45. wow, what a cool reason for writing this story! Please enter me, I'd love to win this.

    Gail
    bookwurm70 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  46. Jamaie W3:59 PM

    Hello..I love series books & would love to read this one(knowing there was more to come).

    hulahawaiimomma @ yahoo . com

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous8:03 PM

    Please enter me in the drawing,I'd love to read this book.thanks

    ReplyDelete
  48. Sounds interesting. Please include me in the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete