Saturday Salon: Bringing Conversation and Community Back into Our Lives

by Valerie Davisson

A SATURDAY SALON is a fun way to create time and space for rich conversations, and a great way to connect with friends, colleagues, neighbors and family to talk about what's really on our minds. A unique and inspiring book, SATURDAY SALON entertains, educates and motivates the reader in every chapter with humor, research, personal stories and practical applications. First, SATURDAY SALON is a guide to hosting your own Saturday Salon, providing as much or as little detail as the modern host needs, from making their first guest list to closing the door on the last satisfied guest. Second, it s a tour through the history of conversation salons, from the Ancient Greeks and 18th century France, sweeping back and forth across continents, genders, and time zones, culminating in the well-muscled 21st century salons of today. Finally, using humor, scientific data and personal stories, SATURDAY SALON shows how the flexible, democratic format can be adapted to any environment, featuring Singles,

203 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2011

About the author

A book addict from way back, I cut my teeth on fairy tales and C.S. Lewis, skipping class to hang out in the library. Later, I moved on to Tolkein and Twain. During graduate school, I only had time to read Anthropology books, so it wasn't until later I got hooked on Mysteries and Thrillers. Michael Conneally's Bosch, Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone, C.J. Box, J.A. Jance's Sheriff Brady, and Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon. I don't know about you, but I burned through those books as fast as I could discover a new series. Still do!

But it wasn't until I had a serious back injury that I realized how important well-written stories were to me. I could get lost in a good book. They kept my mind off of things over which I had not control. And even though they were pure fiction, the ones with strong, female protagonists inspired me to overcome my own hurdles in life. I realized I not only enjoyed reading them, but I wanted to write books like that.

Somewhere during that time, the character of Logan McKenna began to take shape, eventually turning into my first book of the Logan series, SHATTERED. With 8 books and a novella prequel in the series so far, I am grateful readers have enjoyed getting to know Logan and friends and keep buying the books, allowing me to do what I love. I am rarely happier than when I am at my keyboard, headphones clamped on my head, listening to ocean waves crashing on rocks (my go-to white noise), allowing the story to flow out of my fingertips.

I also love to hear from readers. It may take a while due to my research and writing schedule, but I will answer!

My husband and I live in our dream forest cottage on the Oregon coast with our dog, Finn. We have six children and numerous grandchildren, grand dogs and a few grand cats. When I'm not at the computer, I'm usually out walking Finn or in the kitchen trying new recipes.