Blog

Please help me welcome Lucia N. Davis, author of The Baby on the Back Porch and The Charm of Lost Chances, to my blog. We connected via a Goodreads author group because of her Dutch roots! It’s been great getting to know her, her expanding family and her mysteries. I hope you enjoy the interview as well.

Please tell me a little bit about yourself and your writing career.

I grew up in the Netherlands, but now live in Michigan with my husband and two children. I have a great passion for traveling and learning about different cultures and places. I have always enjoyed reading; I love the way it can transport me out of a current mood, or situation, and makes me forget where I am for a while.

I have always enjoyed writing stories, but never really wrote anything “serious” until two years ago. I was always too busy. Then I decided to stay home more with the kids and somehow ended up writing in my free hours —and it eventually led to my first short story: The Baby on the Back Porch. I like the way writing makes me feel: free to explore different characters and places, wherever my mind takes me. So, I kept doing it…

If you were packing for a long trip, which book would you take and why?

Lord of the Rings. It is my favorite book. I always find something new whenever I read it.

Who would you like to sit next to on a long flight (up to two people, living or dead)?

Other than my husband? 🙂

Neil Degrasse Tyson. He is funny and smart. I like science and space. And I have hundreds of questions! It would really take the boring out of the flight.

Anybody from an interesting time period would also be great. I would love to hear some first-hand accounts. Cleopatra perhaps? Just imagine the stories she could tell…

Why do you write the kinds of books you do?

I love mystery stories, to be kept in some suspense. And I really like mysteries from the past, touching the lives of normal people that have been long forgotten. Most people never get to record their life story. I often wonder about the life of my ancestors, who they were as people and what they went through.

And even though I am a firm believer in science, I have a certain fascination with the unknown—the things we cannot see or explain—hence the paranormal angle.

But mostly, I write stories that I would like to read, I think. Which is also why I may very well cross over to different genres if I would feel like it. Time will tell…

What motivates you to write?

I like telling stories—it relaxes me, but keeps my brain active…and if my stories entertain people, even better!

What are you passionate about, aside from writing?

Many things. Traveling; I love going places and now being able to share these experiences with my children. Reading. Spending time with my family. History. Nature and the environment; I desperately want my children and future grandchildren to enjoy the wonders of this planet.

Do you recognize yourself in any of your characters?

No. I like to write about people that are not me. Far more interesting.

What are you working on now?

I am thinking about writing a last sequel in the Dunnhill series and have done some preliminary work on it. The story will actually take Sara back to San Francisco. There, of course, a number of unexpected events will start to occur…

I don’t have a good time frame yet on when it would be done. We are very close to expecting our third child, so I presume life will get a lot busier. There will be a new balance to find within all the craziness. And the time available for writing may just not be as much as I am used to, so it may just take me longer to get it done.

Has being an Expat / TCK had an influence on your writing?

I have lived in several countries, and it has changed me. I think it has made me a better observer than I would have been otherwise. You start noticing not only the obvious differences within cultures, but also the subtle ones. It is very educational to live in different places. It has certainly made me more open minded and less convinced there is one right way of doing things. But whether it has had a direct influence on my writing is hard to say. It has made me value being close to family more, and spending time with my family is not something I take for granted, because I get such few moments. This may have reflected in some of my writing.

Thanks for stopping by, Lucia!

Connect with Lucia on Facebook, Goodreads or via her website.

The Charm of Lost Chances

In Dunnhill, a quiet mountain village in the Northern Cascades, unresolved secrets from the past have a way of making themselves heard. In this sequel to The Baby on the Back Porch, Sara Eriksson returns to Dunnhill hoping for a second chance—not only at a scenic getaway, but with David, the landlord of the cabin, whom Sara had only just started getting to know.

Sara’s cabin in the woods is just as beautiful as she left it—but so is David’s new client, Taylor. Just as Sara is starting to come to terms with the fact that David may not share her feelings, her dreams return, setting a series of events into motion and leading Sara down a winding path to a new mystery that only she can unravel.

As Sara struggles to keep her wits—and her sanity—about her, she must decide which chances she’ll take, and which she’ll allow to be lost to time.

You can also read my 4 star review of The Baby on the Back Porch on Goodreads and Amazon.