Sams Place tells the story of a small-town restaurant and its owner, Sam Davenport. We are invited into the lives of the people who live in Elkader, people who occupy roles familiar to anyone who has lived in a small town. The story is about the restaurant, and how the people who frequent it care for each other over several decades, serving as a model for the best life possible in every American community. About the author: Randy L. Quinn currently lives in El Dorado, Kansas, a much larger town than the setting for his most recent book, Elkader, Iowa. After serving as the pastor of several small-town United Methodist churches, he and his wife Ronda chose to live in El Dorado largely because it had a small-town feel. Randy grew up in military towns along the coast, following his fathers assignments in the US Navy. He graduated from high school in Oak Harbor, Washington, and earned his first degree at the University of Washington in Seattle. Having lived in several small towns, Quinn began to recognize common traits among them, almost as if the same people lived in each town but with different names. While he did not grow up in a small town, he learned to appreciate the values learned in these communities and the powerful pull they have to draw people back after they leave. When he retired, Quinn began writing for his personal enjoyment. Aside from writing, he follows the lives of his four children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren while keeping an active role in his church and community.
