Monday, September 26, 2016

Book Watch: Interview with Deborah Ann Davis, author of 'Fairly Safe'



DEBORAH ANN DAVIS has been writing since she was assigned to keep a Journal in her 5th grade English class. She began to look around for writing inspiration. Lo and behold, she found her world was full of funny stories just waiting to be told. As she grew older, occasionally she could manipulate one into some school assignment, but it never occurred to her to pursue writing, not even when she discovered her flare for telling stories at college parties.

After a string of college majors, she realized she could have a captive audience EVERY DAY in the public school system. As it turns out, teenagers love to laugh, and what could be more entertaining than Biology, Earth Science, and Environmental Science? Then there's the added bonus that once kids know you like to laugh, they want to make you laugh.

Go figure.

In addition to Writing, she is also an Educational Speaker and a Certified Personal Trainer. She taught for 25+ years, although somewhere in the middle of all that educating, she stepped out of teaching for 6 years to do the Mommy Thing, and run the office for their family construction company.

Even though they had followed separate paths, Deborah reunited with, and married her childhood sweetheart, twelve years after their first kiss.  Together they coached their daughter’s AAU Basketball Team, which swept States two years in a row. (Yay!) Then, for several years their daughter and their money went to college.

They currently reside on a lovely lake in Connecticut. She enjoys dabbling with living a sustainable life, writing novels for her Love of Fairs series, dancing, playing outside, and laughing really hard every day. She promotes increasing the amount of movement throughout your day via Wiggle Writer posts on Merry Meddling, her blog at www.DeborahAnnDavis.com. Follow her @DeborahAnnDavis.

Remember, you can do anything if you set your mind to it— including becoming an author at any age— but it’s way more fun if you are grinning back when the Universe smiles down on you.
For More Information
About the Book:

Title: FAIRLY SAFE
Author: Deborah Ann Davis
Publisher: D&D Universe
Pages: 356
Genre: New Adult

When Mistaken Identity collides with Secret Identity, who wins?

JACOB HAS COME A LONG WAY FOR AN ORPHANED FOSTER KID. He has a mentor, a great job, and has finally fallen in love. Granted, she mistook him for a stalker when they met, but every relationship has its little problems. Unfortunately, for the past few years, as the object of his affection pops in and out of his life, she has refused to share any personal info, like where she’s from, or her real name. Regardless, Jacob is ready to take their relationship to the next level. Now, if only he can locate her so he can tell her.

CASEY’S FAMILY IS IN THE WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM. Safety has to be their only priority. Their cover has been blown before, so Casey knows at any given time they could be forced to disappear again. Obviously, a shy young man with hopeful eyes cannot possibly be added to the mix. You cannot build a relationship like that. Now, if only she can stop thinking about him.

JACOB’S AND CASEY’S WORLDS UNEXPECTEDLY COLLIDE when Jacob inadvertently helps hide her family. Exposed to their 24-7 vigilance, Jacob realizes he must come up with a plan to keep them out of harm’s way, because this time if Casey disappears, she will be taking with her Jacob’s heart, and his hopes of finally having a family of his own.

For More Information

  • Fairly Safe is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.



Thanks for this interview, Deborah.  Can we begin by having you tell us about yourself from a writer’s standpoint?

The Writing Bug didn’t bite me until fairly recently. I took a time-out from my teaching career to deal with Lyme Disease, and made up stories as I recovered. Two years ago I stopped teaching entirely to write full-time, and while I miss it (a lot), I love writing, and learning about writing, and thinking about writing, and writing about writing.


When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?

I hang with the hubby. We have this routine where we get up early, go to the gym and then sit around an outdoor breakfast café for an hour. I’ve been travelling a bit this year, which is not relaxing, but it is fun. I love to dance but unless someone is getting married or it’s a holiday, there really aren’t any options for my age group.

Congratulations on your new book, Fairly Safe! Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

Pleased with the level of sleaze verified by her compact mirror, Casey’s entire eighteen-year-old body snapped with excitement. Time to try out her southern drawl.
“Okay, Clarisse, honey, let’s go do a little research.” Batting her makeup-laden, dark-brown eyes, she blew a kiss at her transformed self. “Or should I call you Mata Hari instead?”
She snapped the compact closed with a click. You sure don’t look eighteen anymore. Your own mother wouldn’t recognize you.
This was going to be as easy as pie. She had the perfect disguise, except for the itchy blonde wig. With one last check to make sure her dark locks were not exposed, she exited the public restroom and sashayed toward the convenience store exit. Two weeks of practicing maneuvers in spike heels had paid off. Judging by the double take from the young male cashier, she strutted like a pro. Enjoying the attention, she flashed him her most brazen smile and sauntered toward her car.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, she kicked off the uncomfortable designer heels. As the engine sprang to life, so did Blondie on the radio. Gleeful, she cranked up the volume.
 “Next stop, Lenny’s Livery!”
***
Jacob Kent glanced out the window of the employees’ workroom, catching sight of a frail, elderly man shuffling up the sidewalk. The movement of the old gent was so similar to his grandfather, even after so many years, his throat tightened.
Wow, where did that come from? Filled with nostalgia, he watched the guy make his way toward their entrance. I wonder if he wants a rental? Walk-ins at Lenny’s Livery were unusual. Most limousine bookings came by computer or on the phone. All the same, he was there as the driver on call.
Sighing at the pending interruption, Jacob closed his textbook. And then chuckled. Five minutes ago, he’d been wishing for an excuse to take a break. A healthy twenty-one-year-old male could only be so devoted to his studies on a warm September Saturday.
“Hey, Jacob, our last car rental for the day might be strolling in.” Rita Timmons, the office intern, poked her cheery face into the room. “Neville’s sure going to be happy.”
Clayton Neville—the sniveling, fawning, opportunistic branch manager—bore an unfortunate similarity to Jacob’s childhood caseworker. As the only chauffeur left, booking this last gig would mean leaving Rita alone in the office with their boss. Neville fancied himself a ladies’ man, and, on more than one occasion, had directed his unwanted attention toward her. Despite being rebuffed, he continued to bump up against her when he caught her alone. To Jacob’s annoyance, she clearly did not know how to put a stop to it.
He mentally shook himself. It’s not my job to watch over Rita. It’s not like she’s my friend or anything. He did not do friends at work. As a matter of fact, he didn’t do friends pretty much anywhere.




Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing?  Can you tell us about your journey?

It all depends on how you look at it. Because teaching is an all-consuming job, I could only write during the summers. To some, that might seem inconvenient, but I always considered myself lucky to have the concentrated time. Publishing had a learning curve, but overall it’s not difficult, however marketing and promotions have been sheer torture. People don’t know about your great books unless you can find a way to tell them.


If you had to summarize your book in one sentence, what would that be?

Mistaken Identity collides with Secret Identity when Witness Protection encroaches on Jacob’s world as he inadvertently helps to hide Casey’s family.


What makes your book stand out from the rest?

According to the reviews:
“[Fairly Safe contains] romance, humor, enigma, intrigue, human frailty and well intentioned deceit …but has the additional ingredients of a genuine criminal threat to the lives of three delightful young people and close knit family involvement. This is a powerful, well mixed recipe and the result is a disbelief suspending roller coaster romp of a read that grabs the reader on page one and whisks [him/her] on a thrilling super fast ride of highs and lows to a gloriously happy ending.”

“…the story-line was original and refreshing… I found her portrayal of family unity and love endearing and realistic. Come along on a roller coaster ride of love, security, and happy-ever-after in this wonderful fairy-tale of love, laughter, family and the Kissing Booth.”


If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?

The holiday would be Christmas because the sign over The Kissing Booth says “Birthday Kisses; Married by Christmas!” According to the legend of The Kissing Booth, “If it be the anniversary of your birth when you first kiss, that blessed moment over the ancient rune becomes your union of destiny.” Guess what The Kissing Booth is built out of…


Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?

The Love of Fairs series takes place in different times, with different characters, and different problems. However, The Kissing Booth and its legend sneak into each story, and of course, all of the stories feature a fair or two. The first book in the series, Fairly Certain, is about a computer geek from Connecticut who falls out of a tree, and wakes up in merry old England, complete with an archer outlaw.


What’s next for you?

I have two projects currently, one fiction and one nonfiction. Fairly Obvious, the third in my Love of Fairs series, should be out next year. It’s a story of a newly orphaned family trying to hide in a travelling carnival until the eldest turn eighteen so she can become their guardian. Visit my website at http://DeborahAnnDavis.com to be notified about its progress.

My current project is really cool. It’s a workbook called, Girl’s Guide to Good Guys: The Power of Being Patient and Picky, and should be out in 2016. After 25 years teaching high school, I’ve observed the angst of 1000s of teenagers. So many girls make bad dating choices. They’re afraid of being unpopular, afraid to be alone, and afraid they’ll never find a good guy.

I’ve created fun challenges to help girls become self-appreciating and independent. Now there is an entire guide that teaches them to become comfortable with being single, to live their lives more fully, and to be patient and picky until a healthy relationship comes along.  For more information, contact me at Deborah@GirlsGuideToGoodGuys.com.

Thank you for this opportunity! Make it a sparkling day.
Deborah

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