Spotlight on Susan Page Davis and her new novel Inside Story

I want to welcome one of my very favorite authors back on Write By Faith. I love her military suspense books and loved her latest one Inside Story. She writes with the perfect mix of suspense and romance. I'll post a full review next week but let me just say it keeps you flipping the pages and sleep meant nothing to me while reading Inside Story. Susan has offered a copy of Inside Story so if you are interested I have left instructions at the end of this interview. So without further delay let's meet Susan.

Susan, please tell us a little about yourself .

I’ve written stories since I was a girl, but my first novel was published when I was 50. I’m the wife of a newspaper editor, the mother of six children, (three are married and two are still studying high school at home), and the grandmother of five adorable little ones.

Susan, please tell us about Inside Story.
Inside Story follows upscale journalist Claudia Gillette as she chases intriguing stories all over the world. When she pulls strings to get placed in a military special unit in the Philippine jungle, everything goes awry. Lieutenant Bill White could fall for Claudia if she shared his faith and if she weren’t so pushy. Claudia likes Bill, but she won’t let his disapproval stop her from getting the story she wants. When she realizes she’s put several people in mortal danger because of her pride, Claudia’s facade begins to crack.

What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
Craziest? Hmm. . .maybe pretending to be running The Amazing Race with my three sisters when we weren’t really. Sounds like an interesting story.

Beside salvation, what is the best gift you have ever received?
My husband gave me a summer “off” (1999) in which to write a book. I haven’t stopped since.Wow, I had to have child #3 to get to stay home and indulge in writing and of course raising my sweet little dears.

Let’s pretend money is not a factor, if you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
Manchu Picchu

If you are anything like me you have books scattered all over your house. What book are you reading now?
I’m reading Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow. Recently read Under Orders by Dick Francis, The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner, Cozy in Kansas series by Nancy Mehl, Beach Dreams by Trish Perry, and Seventy Times Seven by Brandt Dodson. Also lying around: History of Idaho, Alaska for Dummies, Alibis in Arkansas, Civil War Weapons, and about 10,000 other books.

What is your favorite children’s book?
That’s hard to pick, but a few that I loved are Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher; The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene duBois; Gone-Away Lake, by Elizabeth Enright; and the Miss Pickerel books by Ellen MacGregor.

If your book was being discussed at a book club what do you think the focus of the discussion would be on?
Claudia’s antics, followed by her growth and change. I hope they end up liking her a lot. And of course, they will talk about the gorillas and Tommy’s troubles and the enemy attack in the jungle. I loved seeing her grow in the book. There were times where I really had a hard time liking her but by the end I loved her.

I love old black and white movies and the old musicals. What is your all time favorite movie?
Again, impossible to pick one. The African Queen, Buster Keaton’s the General, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, To Kill a Mockingbird. I love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. One of my all time favs. It is one musical my boys enjoy of course what isn't to like with men kidnapping women and dancing with axes. grin.

What would you like your readers to say about your writing?
It touched my heart. Inside Edition did that!

What are your dreams of 2009? What do you hope to accomplish this year?
I have at least three books to write this year, and I have a good start on those. I’d like to guide my two youngest children safely through the school year at home and help the next daughter up with her current project. I also hope to visit my eldest daughter’s family in Idaho. My second daughter and her husband plan to visit us from England. And I’d like to visit my elder son’s family in South Carolina. We’ll see. Sounds like a full schedule.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not slaving over the computer creating another wonderful novel?
I slave over a geometry book with my two high schoolers, or I drive my son to karate lessons, or I sew, or I read someone else’s wonderful novel. I think we are sharing the same life!! Except of course for the high schoolers.

I hope you will come visit me on my Web site, http://www.susanpagedavis.com/.

If you would like to win a signed copy of Susan's novel Inside Story please leave a comment and answer the daily question. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner. Also check out ways to earn extra entries.

Daily Question: What are your dreams for 2009?

1 extra entry: Subscribe to Write by Faith

1 extra entry: Follow me or twitter me "writebyfaith"

1 extra entry: Create a link to this post on your own blog and be sure to leave the direct link in the comments.

2 extra entries: Have a friend leave a message and be sure to have them leave your name so I know who to give the extra entries to. Your friend gets an extra entry too.