Sunday, September 30, 2012

A LADY IN THE MAKING - Susan Page Davis - One Free Book


Welcome back, Susan. It was so good to see you at the ACFW Conference last week. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?
A lot of my stories focus on forgiveness and reconciliation. It’s something we all can relate to, and most of us need.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?
I’m writing some mysteries for Guideposts, and you’ll see books from me in the Patchwork Mysteries, Miracles of Marble Cove, and Secrets of Mary’s Bookshop series. I’ve also written a murder mystery called What a Picture Is Worth for DRG, coming out in a few months.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?
I love animals, and I’d be delighted to spend an evening with the director of a large animal park, preferably at the park.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?
Captain James Cook, the great explorer. He’s a hero of mine.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?
Don’t give up! And don’t be discouraged by those stories about new authors who sell their first book to the first editor they query. That is SO rare. I wrote about a dozen books before my first one sold. (And that wasn’t the first one I had written.) If all the editors you THOUGHT would love your manuscript have rejected it, maybe it’s time to start something fresh, but put into it all the things you have now learned.

Tell us about the featured book.
The book is A Lady in the Making.
Millie Evans has changed, choosing to leave rather than join an outlaw gang with her brother. Hoping for a new future, she boards a stagecoach and finds that one of the passengers is David Stone—a man she and her brother once tried to swindle. As she tries to convince David she’s changed, her brother’s gang holds up the stagecoach. Fighting beside David goes a long way to softening his heart, but he’s still not convinced. Someone is trying to keep him from reaching England to claim his inheritance. Is Millie involved? Millie must trust God to show David the truth, but will he see before it’s too late?

Please give us the first page of the book.
1857   The Dalles, Oregon

Chapter One

“You lied to me, Sam.” Millie Evans peeked out the window from behind the half-yard of muslin that served as a curtain. Outside the shanty they rented behind the feed store, a tall man with thick, dark hair and a week’s growth of beard stood smoking a cigarette.

            Millie turned back toward Sam and glared at him. “You said you were looking for a job, but you went and found that despicable man and brought him back here.”

            “I was looking for a job,” Sam sputtered. “But I couldn’t find one, and then Lucky turned up.”

            “Oh, sure he did. Like a bad penny. I suppose you just happened to be in the saloon when he dropped out of the sky.”

            Sam cringed, and she shook her head in disgust. “I came to The Dalles because you told me we could make an honest living together. Big laugh that turned out to be. And now you’ve brought him here. I told you before, I will not go live with a pack of outlaws.”

            She stalked to the wall and pulled her apron, extra dress, and shawl down from where they hung on nails and threw them on her bed. She stooped and felt underneath the end of the bedframe for the handle of her worn valise. Listening to her half-brother was the biggest mistake she’d ever made.

            “Aw, come on, Millie. I just want to make things better.”

            “Better?” She pulled out the traveling bag and plunked it on the bed. “How is going into crime better?”

            “You can have better things. You know. Clothes and—and jewelry, maybe. Lip rouge, stuff like that. It’d be better than scraping by like we are now.”

            “Is that what you thought when you went with Lucky last year?”

            “Well, no.”

            “Exactly. But then two months ago, you wrote to me and said you were leaving the gang and you were ready to settle down in a nice little house somewhere with me.”

            Sam hung his head, and his face colored. “I’m sorry, Millie.” Neither of them had to speak of the money he’d earmarked to buy that little house. He’d lost it all gambling by the time Millie had traveled up here from Elkton. A woman who’d lived thirty years and more ought to know better than to trust a gambling man, even if he was kin.

I can’t wait to read this one. I’ve loved the other two in this series. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Come visit my Website at: www.susanpagedavis.com
We’re doing a giveaway here this week, and I also do one on my own site every month.

Thank you, Susan, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Lady in the Making (Prairie Dreams) - paperback
A Lady in the Making (Prairie Dreams) - 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

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

would love to win. angela from KY

Unknown said...

i am always glad to see Susan's new novel. i would love to win A Lady in the Making. Thanks for the chance, Lena and Susan. Each time i pick up a new tidbit of Susan. If she's looking for a park, may i recommend Out of Africa in Arizona? i love that place.

Marianne from Northern Alberta

mitziUNDERSCOREwanhamATyahooDOTcom

pol said...

Susan this sounds like a wonderful story, how will he ever be able to trust this woman and does he want to. I would love to read this one.
thanks for sharing your book and comments today.
Paula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)
a Ga reader

scottsgal said...

I really enjoy Susan's books. Love the old western romances
cheryl in IL

Wendy Newcomb said...

I've been wanting this book since I first saw it, thank you for hosting this giveaway.

Wendy in FL

wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

Susan Page Davis said...

Hi, everybody. Marianne, that sounds like a wonderful animal park! I hope to get to Arizona again (some year, ha ha). The last time I was there I got to see not only my aunt and uncle, but also Montezuma's Castle, which was a treat! You know I love history, and that place was awesome.

Susan Page Davis said...

It's great to see such a wide base of readers here at Lena's blog. Waving at Angela, who lives not TOO far from me. Thanks to all for your kind words.

Breanna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
collettakay said...

I love your book, Susan!

Colletta from PA

Melissa Jagears said...

throw me in the hat please. :) KS

Melody said...

I love Susans perspective if a western style story.

From Donna, TX

Melody said...

I love Susans perspective if a western style story.

From Donna, TX

Melody said...

I love Susans perspective if a western style story.

From Donna, TX

Melody said...

I love Susans perspective if a western style story.

From Donna, TX

Melody said...

I love Susans perspective if a western style story.

From Donna, TX

Shopgirl said...

This sounds like an exciting story! I'm in MN.

Norma S said...

Hi Lena and Susan,
thank you for giving me a chance to win "A Lady In The Making" the book sound like a fast pace story with a lot of funny parts.Can't wait to see if Millie did change. God bless and have a great week.
Norma from Ohio

regencygirl01 said...

I wondered if Millie was going to reform after the last book. Can't wait to read it.

Anonymous said...

Loved the exerpt from your book. Sounds really good. I would like to enter the drawing. My name is Pat Hines and I am from a small town in Western Illinois, Monmouth. Thank you for the chance to be drawn for your book.pshines@LIVE.com. God Bless!!

Melody said...

How in the world did my comment come up 6 times? I'm really not trying to be greedy!

Mary Preston said...

I would love to read A LADY IN THE MAKING thank you. It looks wonderful.

Mary P

QLD AUSTRALIA

rubynreba said...

I always enjoy Susan's books. Thanks for the chance to win this book.
Beth from Iowa

Amy C said...

My kind of read!
Amy C
VA

Susan Page Davis said...

Thank you, everybody. Lena does a great job of making new books available to readers. I had the privilege of eating lunch with her a couple of weeks ago. As always, it was exciting to talk to another author about her upcoming work and the struggles we both encounter in the publishing world.

Lyndie Blevins said...

Thanks for the opportunity to win this book!

Lyndieb from Duncanville Texas

Sharon Richmond said...

Enter me this book looks great!!
Sharon Richmond
Blanch, NC.

Patty said...

I read the first book in this series and loved it! I would love to add this one to my collection.

Patty in SC

apple blossom said...

thanks for the chance to win
live in ND

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

Sparks of Ember said...

What a fun plot! Sounds like a very good read.

From the black hills of SD!

Pam K. said...

This sounds like another great book. Does this complete the series?
Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of A Lady in the Making.

pmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
Kansas

Sarah Rebekah Richmond said...

I would love to win this book, Enter me!
Sarah
sarahrichmond.12@gmail.com

Sarah Rebekah Richmond said...

Blanch,N.C.

Susan Page Davis said...

Yes, Pam, this is the third and final book in the Prairie Dreams series.

Katie said...

Oh! This one sounds simply wonderful. Please enter me! I'm from NC.

Katie G.

ASC Book Reviews said...

OOOOO Looks like my kind of book! Please enter me!

Amada (pronounced: a.m.a.th.a), NM

karenk said...

thanks for the chance to read this novel.

karenk..from PA
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Ginger Solomon said...

I've read many of Susan's books, and loved every one, especially the Frasier Island Series.

I look forward to this one as well.

Ginger in AL

Susan Page Davis said...

Thanks, everybody. At last we get some sunshine today in western Kentucky! It's starting to feel like fall here, with the temp hovering at 68. That's a welcome respite after the heat we had this summer.

Patricia said...

Beautiful cover image. Love to win.
Thanks for the giveaway.

Patricia from Texas

Melody said...

I love your books Susan!

missionwife@hotmail.com

A Cooking Bookworm said...

Really enjoyed Lady's Maid, and Lady Anne's Quest is in my tall TBR pile! Would love to win the 3rd in the series!

Stephanie
Binghamton, NY

mybabyblessings AT gmail DOT com

Diana Gardner said...

Please enter me in the drawing. Thanks! Portsmouth, VA

Lady DragonKeeper said...

Thanks for the chance to win! My mom and I loved Susan Page Davis' "Ladies Shooting Club" trilogy --I need to get caught up with her new series!

jafuchi7[at]hawaii[dot]edu

(P.S. I'm from Hawaii

Ladette said...

Sounds like a great read. I really enjoy "western" books after having lived in the west for 10 yrs... boy do I miss it!!

Ladette in GA

Susan Page Davis said...

Ladette, I miss the west too. When I get to visit my daughter in Idaho or other relatives and friends in Oregon, I realize how much I've forgotten. But I think all westerners should come East once in a while too, just to understand how different our lives are. Lady Dragonkeeper, thank you for your kind words. I, too, love the ladies of Fergus and the illustrious Shooting Club. The best deal for that series, in my opinion, is the three-book collection, called The Bride's Prerogative. As an electronic book, you get all three for $9.99. The paperback version can be difficult to hold for hours, if I do say so, because it's pretty fat. Those books are also in large print hardcovers now. Anyway, I love reading all the comments and seeing where you all live.

Jes said...

Sounds like a great read!

Jes (CA)
jswaks at gmail dot com

Abigail Mitchell said...

Enter me! Thanks!

Blanch, N.C.

Kristie said...

It's interesting that the heroine was a "bad girl." And trying to reform. That's unusual and thought provoking. I'm always looking for a new author. I'm Kristie from Ohio. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.

Liz R said...

I'd love to win this one! This sounds like my kind of series!

Liz R in Al