Susan Page Davis wrote the Blue Moon Bride for The 12 Brides of Summer
Blue Moon Bride is a sequel to last Christmas’ The Christmas Tree Bride, though it introduces two new characters who cross paths via the Union Pacific Railroad.
Susan explained how the stories are connected:
“In my Christmas novella, The Christmas Tree Bride, the main character, Polly, received a Christmas card from her friend Ava.
“The card had a colored picture of a Christmas tree and caused Polly to long for New England, the friends and family she’d left behind, and also for a yule tree.”
As Blue Moon Bride opens, Ava Neal is nursing a disappointment when her younger sister marries in 1871 New England.
When her father consoles her about her marital chances disappearing, she asks to travel to Cheyenne, Wyoming on the train to visit Polly.
The railroad has only been open four years, but her determination to travel it speaks of a strong willed young woman eager to see more of the world.
Along the way, she encounters far more adventure than she’d ever expected.
Joe Logan loves to draw, but he also need money to eat. When a courier opportunity arises to take a package–probably containing jewelry–all the way across country to San Francisco, he jumps at the chance to get ahead financially.
After the train crosses the Mississippi River at St. Louis and leaves a lot of civilization behind, he meets the fetching Miss Neal. They’re sitting together not far from Cheyenne when bandits board the train.
Joe manages to save Ava’s one piece of sentimental jewelry, while being deprived of his own package and the chance of further employment.
Stranded in Cheyenne without a job, the only consolation is he might be able to see Ava again.
But then he uses his drawing skill to help the local marshal and a surprising chain of events unfold for a young man without prospects from Hartford, CT.
How does a blue moon fit into the story?
English: The Union Pacific 618 at Heber Valley Historic Railroad. Photo by Evan Jennings,
You’ll have to read it to find out.
Susan enjoyed writing both novellas:
“They’re light and fun, and they speak to that romantic dream inside all of us.”
But they also broach interesting topics:
“The first story was more about Polly’s yearning and nostalgia. Blue Moon Bride is more about Ava’s independence.”
Susan approached the sequel with an interesting twist on research:
“When the editor asked for summer bride stories, I thought of the full moon, and then the blue moon. I looked up the years I could use on a historical calendar site, and I found that July, 1871 did have a blue moon—that is, a second full moon in the month.”
She also did a lot of research about early Cheyenne, Wyoming, and railroad detectives during the period.
Susan has written numerous projects over the years, in a variety of genres: children’s, mystery, historical, romantic suspense. She’s teamed with her daughter, Megan Elaine Davis to write Mainely Mysteries in the past, but in 2015, co-wrote with her son Jim.
In writing an historical novel set at sea in the 1840s and involving a trip to Australia, the Davis mother-son team is learning about each other, and how to work with differing schedules to put together a compelling story.
“So far, working together has been a joy. Yes, we’ve had some disagreements. This usually leads to both of us scrambling to research a term or event.”
Susan had a busy 2015, releasing a number of books including The Outlaw Takes a Bride, The Not-So Civil War, Lights and Shadows (both from Guideposts); and The 12 Brides of Christmas Collection (deluxe volume edition).
Who is Susan Page Davis?
Susan Page Davis is the author of more than fifty published novels and novellas. Her historical novels have won numerous awards, including the Carol Award, the Will Rogers Medallion for Western Fiction, and the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest.
She has also been a finalist in the More than Magic Contest and Willa Literary Awards. Susan lives in western Kentucky. She’s the mother of six and grandmother of nine.
Visit her website at: www.susanpagedavis.com
Susan blogs on the twenty-third of the month at Heroes, Heroines and History, www.hhhistory.com
In addition, you can find Susan on
The Christmas Tree Bride can be purchased here.
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Available here
The 12 Brides of Summer Collection can be purchased at all major booksellers, as well as here.
For those looking for a complete collection of The 12 Brides of Christmas novellas, you can find the book here.
Available here
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