Writings

I'll be adding more information soon.

Marjorie Carlson Davis, Writer

Novels

STILL LIFE WITH COYOTE
(This young adult novel is currently with an agent seeking a publisher.)

Eighteen-year-old Carly Trevor learned what she knows about life, love, and photography from her older brother Andrew, who lived by the adages: "Let your heart be your guide" and "If you give something, give it wholeheartedly." But now Carly can't pick up a camera, much less see how to put these words into practice. First, her boyfriend took more than her heart. Then, Andrew died when his car plunged into Ice Lake near their family's vacation cabin on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Without Andrew, Carly feels as frozen as those wintery waters, and is left wondering if Andrew meant to drive into that lake. In summer, she travels alone to the island to find out what happened. There, she meets two people who knew her brother: Graham Marshall, an uptight wildlife biologist who appears to have stolen Andrew's photographs; and Moses, an Ojibwe artist, who might be the one to melt the iciness in Carly's heart. But when her two girlfriends arrive from the states to help, the three discover they must look beyond the surface to find the truth. Unfortunately, Graham and Moses complicated involvements with Andrew make the surface pretty murky, and Carly worries Moses is just another guy out to use her.

In STILL LIFE WITH COYOTE, Carly comes to understand some of Andrew's New Age beliefs through Moses' more practical Ojibwe perspective. At the same time, her encounters with coyotes, hummingbirds, and bears provide clues about Andrew's life and death. As Carly lets Andrew go, she must examine her own future. Can she find the courage to take up her camera again? Can she trust Moses and live her life guided by Andrews lessons of the heart?

Cages
(a middle grade novel)

Learning who you are at twelve is hard enough, but for Billie Erickson it seems impossible. Her mother is off meditating in Colorado, her father is traveling with his blues band, and Billie is stuck with her aunt on an organic vegetable farm in the middle of nowhereville, USA. To make matters worse, it looks like she’s going to have to start seventh grade at a new school.

Discovering a soda-pop drinking bear at Wild Al’s Animal Park helps Billie take her mind off her troubles. She also meets Puck, a dramatic, quirky, and wise-for-his-age boy, who challenges her to be herself. Together they embark on “Operation Animal Rescue” to save the bear and put Wild Al out of business.

Things get more complicated when school starts, and Billie is torn between her desire to fit in with other students and her friendship with Puck, who doesn’t mind that other kids think he’s weird. Her sudden popularity and a budding romance distract Billie from her important mission with Puck, and she makes a choice that leads to disastrous consequences. Ultimately, Billie learns about listening to her inner voice, daring to be different, and finding the courage to break out of the cages other people create.

Main Navigation