Stephen H. Provost

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Timothy Savage, author of "Davey's Savior"

Stephen H. Provost

Timothy Savage has a couple of things in common with yours truly: He lives in Fresno, where I spent about 40 years of my own life, and his novel is set on the Central Coast, where I currently live. He sat down to answer some questions for The Open Book about his 2016 novel, Davey's Savior, which is available in paperback or Kindle form on Amazon. It's a work of literary fiction with a title that's really a question: "Who will be Davey's Savior?" You'll have to read the book to find out.

The Author

Name, age and occupation:  My name is Timothy Savage. I’m a just-past-50 curmudgeon, a full-time father, a freelance writer of business and marketing communications, and a nerd who’s graying badly. I’m the author of the novel Davey’s Savior.

Where do you live? I live in the Tower District of Fresno, California, where most of my energy goes to my 12-year-old son and our two cats. 

If you could co-write a book with any author, living or dead, whom would you choose? That’s a tough choice. Thanks to their mastery of satire, I’d love to have co-written a book with either Kurt Vonnegut or Douglas Adams, because it would be great fun to laugh at the world with those two. And while satirical science fiction is not my genre, I’ve learned a lot from reading both authors' works.

Why do you write? As a freelancer, I write to pay the bills, mostly dealing in marketing communications and journalistic storytelling. Because of that I’m always looking for the next project or opportunity. But my novel was borne of pure passion and deeply held convictions, as well as a bucket-list desire to add “author” behind my name.

Where do you write? Mostly at my desk in the very early morning, before family and household responsibilities devour the day. Write in morning, edit at night, mainline coffee in between.

What imaginary land would you choose as your home, and why? The 24th Century Federation. No money, no wants, no accumulation of material goods, virtually limitless exploration. Sounds good to me.

What animal, real or imaginary, would you choose as your constant companion? I’m a cat person. Which is good, considering that my two are already fulfilling the role of “constant companion” whether I like it or not. (What’s this cat hair doing on my laptop screen, anyway?)

Historical period you’d like to visit: I’d love to visit 50 years from now, just to see how we get out of the political and environmental mess we’re in. (And of course, I’d love to return to the present day with the answers…)

The Book

Genre and length? My novel Davey’s Savior is 340 pages long, and falls into the category of literary fiction.

When and where does it take place? Most of Davey’s Savior takes place over a four-day period, Easter weekend of 2010, next to the pier in the secluded Central Coast hamlet of Avila Beach, California. The final chapter resolves two decades in the lives of the main characters.

How did you come up with the title? The title Davey’s Savior could refer to the roles of any of the main characters in the story as they interact with Davey, a precocious four-year-old boy who lives in hiding with his fugitive father near the beach. As the story progresses, readers will learn what Davey is being saved from, and wonder which of the characters will in the end be Davey’s savior, and how it will be accomplished. Davey’s Savior explores what it means in the modern world to be “saved,” all while heading toward an unavoidable and moving conclusion.

What inspired you to write it? Most of Davey’s Savior was inspired by my experiences as a full-time father, as well the various prejudices I’ve encountered along the way. A lot of what’s in the book reflects my own closely held philosophy that actions matter more than beliefs, and that the heroes of any story are the people who “do.”

Is there a sequel in the works? Despite one reader’s insistence that Chapter 24 would make an excellent prequel, no sequels are planned. I have plenty of other stories to tell.             

Where, how can you get it? Davey’s Savior is available in print and for Kindle through Amazon.com, at http://bit.ly/DaveysSaviorAmazon. It’s also available through Createspace, and with a little luck I’ll soon have a few copies available in bookstores throughout Central California. (Stay tuned... distribution for indie authors is never easy!)

What would you select as your book’s theme song? Who would you choose to write the musical score? Theme song? A track called “Here For You,” by indie singer-songwriter Ben Justus, who I met a few years ago when he was spending time around Avila Beach and San Luis Obispo. It’d make a perfect song for the end-credits roll. Musical score? I’ll leave that to the filmmakers … with the recommendation that they hire K.T. Tunstall or Bruce Cockburn to record a few tracks.

Who would want to ban it? Well, so far no one has reacted that badly to Davey’s Savior. I’ve been getting great reviews, and in fact, people from all over the political and religious spectrum have come away with wildly differing interpretations, wildly varying meanings behind the events depicted. But I’d imagine that vocal defenders of prosperity gospel or those (ahem) “against equality” or with prejudicial tendencies might find something within to spur a “ban” argument.

The Hero

Name, age and occupation: The main protagonist of Davey’s Savior is Sketch, a 40-something fugitive and single father, who’s taken his son Davey from another city and gone into hiding. He spends some days as a sketch artist for his surroundings (hence his sobriquet), but the reality is he’s a full-time fugitive father under constant threat of discovery.

Where and with whom does he live? Sketch lives with his four-year-old son Davey, “hiding in plain sight” in the secluded hamlet of Avila Beach, California.

Who would play your protagonist in a movie? Sketch would be a great lead role for a character actor. The role calls for someone unassuming, but vaguely threatening and clearly under siege, who wants safety for his son despite his mistakes, and who won’t compromise his beliefs. If he were 10 years younger, I’d suggest Paul Giamatti.

What’s his biggest fear/phobia? Losing his son, in any number of ways.

On what TV show would he/she appear as a special guest? “America’s Most Wanted.” Maybe.

Weapon of choice: His own fortitude.

At the beginning of the book, our hero is … driving north on the 101 toward Avila Beach, at night in a rainstorm, heading for a painful moment on the Avila Beach pier.

Worst habit? He isolates himself and his son, and refuses to accept the help of others out of fear of discovery.

Best feature? He’s an amazing father, and will stop at nothing to keep his promises to his son.