Writing tips from Susan Page Davis!

Susan, thanks so much for agreeing to be on my blog today. I picked up a copy of The Crimson Cipher at ICRS … let’s talk about that!

What inspired you to write The Crimson Cipher?
I had an idea of writing a wartime story about cryptographers. As I began to research, the women who worked on military ciphers during World War I grabbed my attention. The more I read, the more I knew I had to tell this story.

What tips do you have for those who want to write historical suspense?
This genre is different from others, and you have to focus on the action and the danger. You can’t include all the things you would in another type of story. It was a learning curve for me, and I can see mistakes more easily in others’ work than in my own. That’s where my critique partners have been a tremendous help.

How do you manage more than one deadline at a time?
Some weeks are horrible for me. Seems that as I’m racing toward a deadline, that’s when I get handed a galley to go over or a content edit on another project. Basically, I keep a writing calendar with the minimum that must be done on each project blocked out for every day. If something else is added, it goes on the calendar. I also talk to my agent every time we sign a contract about how much time I need for that project. I thrive on being busy, but there’s such a thing as overbooking yourself.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned so much about our country’s history. I believe this era (1900-1917) is an overlooked period. We study about World War I and how America was late to join the Allies, but we seldom see accounts of what was going on here in our country during that time. I was shocked when I learned how much sabotage, fraud, and outright terrorism was going on in the United States. I also learned about the many unsung heroes who helped protect us.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I haven’t had time to read a lot of fiction lately, but I recently finished Deeanne Gist’s Maid to Match (loved it). Dee isn’t really a new writer, though. I’ve ordered some of Tim Downs’s books because I want to read his work before I go to the ACFW conference in September, where he’ll be the main speaker. He’s new to me. A couple other CBA authors I enjoy and recently read books by: Nancy Mehl (Simple Secrets—very good) and Margaret Daley (Cowboy Protector—another great Love Inspired Suspense from Margaret).

What are you working on now?
I’m writing another book for Summerside Press (publishers of The Crimson Cipher). This one is titled Love Finds You in Prince Edward Island. It will be their first Love Finds You book set in Canada, and it’s set during the Prince of Wales’s royal tour of Canada and the United States in 1860. It’s a lot of fun, and different from my other books. My two teenagers and I spent a week in PEI in May while I did some on-scene research. It was wonderful to see the actual rooms where the prince’s ball and other events were held, and I must say, PEI is gorgeous.

Thanks for sharing Susan!

Susan Page Davis is the author of 30 novels in the romantic suspense, historical romance, mystery, and contemporary romance genres. After more than 50 years in Maine, she recently moved to Kentucky with her husband Jim, who is an editor, and the two youngest of their six children. Susan is a past winner of the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest and the ACFW Book of the Year. For more about Susan, please visit her website at www.susanpagedavis.com. To connect with her on Facebook, go here.