New Releases Archives - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Writers supporting Writers. (Really?)

Dear Readers and fellow-writers, I have received wonderful reviews for Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us and I am so grateful for the support.

However, one well-known author, who will remain unnamed here, chose not to support her fellow writer (me) after, literally, years of my supporting her work. She cited the reason was, she objected to the language I used when relating to black folk. She seemed to forget my historical novel takes place in the early 1950’s. When language was far different than what is acceptable and respectful today.
Trust me, I researched it heavily and then asked some of my African-American friends to be beta readers and their feedback was favorable. In the end, I tried my best to write a thoughtful and true depiction of the deep South in the 50’s.

Here’s what others thought of my new story:

“What a wonderful coming-of-age story. In Ain’t Nothin’ Gonna Separate Us both Hannah Mae and Jerry will grab hold of your heart and not let go, long after their story has ended.” Kathleen Grissom, author of The Kitchen House

“Sugarek’s outstanding, realistic portrait of the 1950s South and the forces that buffet two children reaching for more than rote safety creates a memorable tale. It will reach a wide audience, from those interested in Southern settings and portraits to readers of coming-of-age stories and sagas of survival, musical growth, and foster care struggles.” ~ Diane Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“The story is very well written, including the poetic moments in the language that gives the narrator a meaningful and convincing voice.” An Educator, Pace University

“Ain’t Nothin’ Gonna Separate Us is a vivid and powerful coming-of-age story that is both compelling and uplifting. I loved it – I couldn’t put it down – I love Sugarek’s writing.” ~~ Donna Ashcroft, author of Christmas in the Scottish Highlands

“A yummy read.” Atia, about Ain’t Nothin’ Gonna Separate Us
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Book Review ~~ Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us

D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review~~

(Warning! Spoiler alert)

Hannah Mae stepped past the gunny sack that acted as a door to their shack and walked into the yard. A heavy-set woman in a hideous polyester suit struggled up the dirt path. “Can I hep’ y’all? Ya lost?”
“I’m looking for the guardian for the children of Daisy McAllister. Name’s Betty Jones. I’m from the St. Charles Home’s Ladies Auxiliary, St. Vincent De Paul Society.”

When almost adult Hannah Mae and her younger brother are left orphaned upon their mother’s death, they find themselves at the mercy of the St. Vincent De Paul Society. With her brother young enough to be considered for adoption, Hannah Mae faces the reality that, at sixteen-nearing-seventeen, she is likely to remain under the care of the Catholic Children’s Home until she comes of age to make her own way in the world.

Hannah Mae clings to one mandate—remain at her brother’s side against all odds. And so Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us traverses the rocky world of older siblings raising younger ones sans any family support system, fueled by Hannah Mae’s determination to not let outsiders tear them apart.

Readers who anticipate that the story will revolve around this struggle alone will be pleasantly surprised to find more depth in these still waters, because Jerry is actually a musical prodigy. Hannah Mae finds herself fostering his talent as much as she reinforces his connections to her.

Despite the focus on Hannah Mae in the beginning, the limelight edges over to Jerry’s talents, achievements, and the many changes they portend as the two stand against a world that would divide, repress, or misunderstand them.

Trisha Sugarek cultivates the environment, feel, and culture of the South, setting her story in the small Mississippi town of Laurel in the 1950s. She reviews a lifestyle that opens with siblings threatened by separation, then grows the story to fully embrace the Southern milieu.

Early descriptions cement the story with a sense of place and purpose. This creates a compelling, thought-provoking examination of influences, both personal and cultural, that drive Hannah Mae’s determination to search for remaining family roots despite the risks she takes by evading the foster care system:

Hannah Mae’s reluctance to give anyone their last name and her fear of the foster care system was outweighed by her deep desire to have access to all these lovely books. She whispered, “Hannah Mae and Gerald McAllister.”Jerry, too, grows in unexpected directions as he receives musical instruction on the harmonica that allows his innate genius to blossom. As the tale evolves, its focus shifts between Hannah Mae and Jerry’s growth as each field both new opportunities and adversity.

Whether she’s navigating the foster care system or responding to racial inequalities, Hannah Mae keeps her eyes on the ultimate goal of not just survival, but family connections and growth.

Sugarek’s outstanding, realistic portrait of the 1950s South and the forces that buffet two children reaching for more than rote safety creates a memorable tale. It will reach a wide audience, from those interested in Southern settings and portraits to readers of coming-of-age stories and sagas of survival, musical growth, and foster care struggles.

Sugarek’s attention to probing the underlying responsibilities, choices, and consequences of not just individual action, but systems geared to provide support, is especially notable:

Now a white man, unknown to all of them, was threatening to take her baby brother away from this safe home they’d made for Jerry. Hannah Mae wasn’t certain she could make the right decision for anyone.

Sugarek’s research into blues music (Muddy Waters, in particular) lends realistic background and observation into this world as she spices her own memories of the times with intensive research. This reinforces both the atmosphere and facts about the entertainment industry which dovetail over the social issues of a changing South.

All these facets are why Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us is a thoroughly compelling read that’s highly recommended not just for library collections interested in powerful portraits of young lives under siege, but book clubs. These audiences will find plenty of fodder for discussion in the many ways Hannah Mae and Jerry cement their relationships, values, and life connections.
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

New Book! Now available in Paperback and eBook

My new book, Ain’t Nuthin’Gonna Separate Us is now Available

in eBook and Paperback

Synopsis:

1950. In a shack in the Georgia backwoods two siblings, Hannah Mae and Jerry, find themselves suddenly orphaned. The swift and unexpected death of their mother casts a long shadow of foster care, threatening to tear them apart. But fierce and resolute, Hannah Mae vows to keep the system from swallowing them whole.

In a desperate bid for freedom, they hit the dusty roads, aiming for the sultry embrace of Mississippi and an obscure auntie, a phantom relative who exists only as a whisper in their memories and a faded photograph in their father’s old Bible. She is their only hope, their sanctuary against the storm.

Amidst this turmoil, Jerry grows up fast, his soul ignited by the mournful wails of the blues. When he discovers the harmonica, nothing can stop him from mastering the instrument that fills his soul with song. Self-taught and brimming with raw talent, Jerry catches the ear of Jerimiah Johnson, a great ‘bluesman’ who had silenced his music a decade ago after a personal tragedy. Inspired by Jerry’s prodigious gift, Jerimiah takes the young harmonica player under his wing.
From the cotton fields in the Mississippi Delta, where the blues echo the heartbeat of the oppressed to the jazz clubs of New Orleans.

“Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us” is a symphony of hope and heartache, a story of rhythm and resilience. As Jerry’s music and fame rise it becomes a beacon of unity, challenging the status quo and inspiring those who hear it.
Join Jerry “Slide” McAllister on his odyssey through an era of transformation, as he seeks to harmonize a world out of tune, proving that nothing—not even the harshest discord—can separate us from the music that binds us together.

Go to the link above and “Read a Sample“. I hope you will support this author by buying the eBook or paperback. Enjoy!! Please write a review !
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

Book Review ~~ The Summer Swap

5 out of 5 stars ~~ Book Review

Sarah Morgan has really delivered this time! The characters are so fun and richly drawn. I had special empathy for the 75-year-old, Cecilia. A feisty matriarch, she gets a few surprises when she returns to Dune Cottage after avoiding the place for decades.

The writer’s imagery is powerful. You can smell the salty air from the ocean, hear the seagulls scolding.

Overall, it’s a great summer read and I highly recommend it to my readers.

Did you miss my interview with Sarah?
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

Coming Soon!

Book Review ~ The Physics of Relationships

2 out of 5 stars ~~ Book Review

Even though this narration was supposed to be from the Mom, the author’s masculine voice frequently leaked through. I can’t quite put my finger on the whys or hows but there is a definite masculinity to her/his ‘dry’, analytical tone. And I never discovered her name.

The narrator is the Mom figure in the story. Unfortunately, she is just that. A talking head. Her deeper feelings aren’t explored. The narrator talks at the reader with conclusions rather than a true exploration. Is Chas guilty of ‘man-splaining’?

Early on the family unit fell into being a clique. Two husbands, one divorce, 1 male child, 1 female child, 1 best friend.

Speaking of the BFF. Amy moves in with Mom for awhile. She also is having troubles in her marriage. They end up sharing the same bedroom and bed and eventually Amy makes tentative sexual ovatures to her good friend. (This is an 8 on the ‘ick’ scale.) First of all, middle-aged BFFs would not share a bed. Except at a hotel, on holiday, and there was only one room/1 bed available and they were desperate for lodging. (Guilty!)
Why do most men think that if two women are very close friends, they must have lesbian tendencies just under the surface of the friendship?

This might have been a better book if the author had written in his own voice (as narrator) and told the story from the three men’s point of view. Greg, Lawrence, and Phil.
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Book Review – Catherine Ryan Hyde’s latest book

5 out of 5 stars

One of the most delightful things about this author is the reader NEVER knows where she is going with her story-line. And A Different Kind of Gone is no exception.
Catherine Ryan Hyde starts us off with a search and rescue for a missing girl. And ends us…..well…….I’m not known for my ‘spoiler alerts’, am I?
“This was my favorite.” Wait! I say that every time I set one of her books down, finished. Until the next one comes out (grin).

I can’t give my readers even a short synopsis because no matter what I write, it would give something away. But the story has everything! Norma, Jill and Wanda are incredibly brave. The horses and dogs (two of my favorite things) swirl through the story and add such color and flavor.

I recommend all books by Catherine Ryan Hyde but my top three favorites are this one and Allie and Bea and Have You Seen Luis Velez?

Did you miss my interview with this author?
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Interview with Author, Donna Everhart (part 2)

Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?

DE. You’re “looking” at a procrastinator. I’ll come to my desk every day and have a word goal in mind (usually 1,000 words) and oftentimes do everything but start working toward that goal. What follows is GUILT as time ticks by. By the end of the day, if I haven’t made the word count because of lost time on something unrelated to my writing goal, there’s the inevitable slump in mood. My best days are when I make a concerted effort to get the word count in. Even if I don’t, and get, say, 500 words, I’m happier for it because I know the effort was honestly made. It takes discipline to not get onto social media or think of the other million ways to avoid doing what needs to be done to accomplish the end result – i.e., a finished book. What I’ve found works best, write first; everything else comes after – even laundry.

Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters?

DE. Usually through an idea for a story. Sometimes a name comes to mind first, and I start to think about who this person would be, and what is it they want, what they’re good at, what they’re bad at, and if they have any enemies. It’s kind of all over the place. A messy, messy process.

Q. What first inspired you to write?

DE. Reading stories that made a big impact on me were the main influence or motivator. The enjoyment I got from books where I wouldn’t stop reading for a long time, and when I finally took a break, I’d look around in a daze. I’d become so invested in that world, I think I was surprised I wasn’t “there,” instead of sitting on a couch in my living room. That kind of story made me want to create something similar. The idea of affecting a person’s mood, thought process, and emotions resonated for whatever reason.

Q. What comes first to you? The Characters or the Situation?

DE. It’s actually been both. It’s never always this, or that. For example, in my debut, The Education of Dixie Dupree, it was the character of Dixie. In The Road to Bittersweet, it was the situation – the 1940 flood in western North Carolina. It just depends. When I begin to search for a story, I’m often lookin g for a situation, but out of nowhere, a name will come to mind – and then I’m thinking, who is this? (I have to have a name before I can develop a character)

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

DE. Absolutely. When I’m really in that zone, hours can go by and I’ll sort of come out of it and realize, oh, wait. I haven’t eaten. I’m often shocked half the day is gone. It’s kind of scary sometimes!

Q. What compelled you to choose and settle on the genre you now write in?

DE. I love, love, love reading stories set in the South where I’m from, and so I guess it makes sense I’d want to write about my culture and the region I love. Aside from the classics out there for Southern literature, like Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, etc., it was reading the more contemporary writers like Kaye Gibbons (Ellen Foster) and Dorothy Allison, (Bastard Out Of Carolina) that jumpstarted my urge to pursue it. After I read their books and I was on the hunt for more stories like theirs. This was around 1987, or so, and as I began to discover these Southern stories which really resonated with me, I knew if I ever wrote anything, it would be something like this.

Did you miss the start of this interview?
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

Author, Donna Everhart ~ Interview

Donna Everhart is a USA Today bestselling author known for vividly evoking the complexities of the heart and a gritty fascination of the American South in her acclaimed novels. She received the prestigious SELA Outstanding Southeastern Author Award from the Southeastern Library Association, among many others. Born and raised in Raleigh, she has stayed close to her hometown for much of her life and now lives just an hour away in Dunn, North Carolina.

Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, or special space for your writing? Or tell us about your ‘dream’ workspace.

DE. I have an office upstairs that’s pretty secluded, which I love. It’s actually the same office I used when I was working way back when in the corporate world. Since I left that occupation in 2012 to write full-time, the one big thing I’ve changed is adding bookshelves. Lots of them! These shelves hold my inspiration and of course, my entertainment. The books in the pictures were placed right after the bookcases were built when I was still organizing, and boy, that was a lesson learned. I must’ve moved my stacks at least three times until I finally settled on read non-fiction/craft books to be read and my own work.

Q. Do you have any special rituals or quirks when you sit down to write? (a neat workspace, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, a glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)

DE. We’re all so uniquely different with how we approach writing, so, I suppose you could say we all have quirks. I don’t necessarily need a completely pristine

workspace, but I don’t want it so messy it’s distracting. I like medium point pens, although I don’t (and never will) work in long hand. The pens are for taking notes when I have an idea I don’t want to forget. And, usually, around 4:00 p.m., I often need a break, and I’m prone to have some caffeine so I can catch a second wind. It’s usually coffee, but if it’s really hot, (I’m in NC – it gets pretty hot!) I’ll opt for slightly sweet iced tea with a squeeze of lemon.

Q. Could you tell us something about yourself that we might not already know?

DE. I found a body on the beach once. It was a young man in his early 30s who was pulled out by an undertow. It was right after 9/11 and eventually I found out he was fasting, and praying, and on that particular day, the day he was due to go back home to West Virginia, he went out for a swim and, sadly, drowned. I found out all of this through his mother who contacted me later. She was able to find my address from her other son who was a state trooper, and had access to information. She wrote to thank me for holding his hand until help came. Even though he was gone, I felt compelled to do that. It was kind of scary because his eyes were still open, and I SWEAR he could see me, but given other things going on with him physically, it was apparent he’d passed on. It was really tragic and sad.

Q. What tools do you begin with? Legal pad, spiral notebook, pencils, fountain pen, or do you go right to your keyboard?

DE. I go right to the keyboard. My writing is too messy, (note the remark about long hand above) and I think too fast (sometimes) to be able to write anything legible. I even have trouble with my grocery list and deciphering what the heck I wrote on it.

Q. Do you have pets? Tell us about them and their names.

DE. I don’t have any pets at the moment. I used to have Yorkies. First, we had “the girls,” Bella and Kiwi. We tragically lost them in the summer of 2012, within three weeks of each other due to that whole fiasco with jerky treats. (If anyone is wondering what I’m talking about, just Google dog jerky treats made in China and FDA.) About 4 months later, in December of 2012 we got another little Yorkie we adopted who was 3 years old. His name was Snickers, but we renamed him Mister. (close in sound) He was a mess, really quirky, was NOT food driven – at all. He had some health issues like IBD, and chronic pancreatitis. We also tragically lost him in the summer of 2021. I took him to get his teeth cleaned and he suffered a catastrophic event. It’s a long story, but it tore my heart to pieces. Right now, we don’t have any pups, but I keep going out to sites to poke around and look. I know one day we’ll have some again. I’m thinking of adopting a bonded pair, if I can. I think that would be perfect.

Q. Do you enjoy writing in other forms (playwriting, poetry, short stories, etc.)?
If yes, tell us about it.

DE. The only other form of writing I’ve done is a very short form of flash fiction. I used to write these one-hundred-word stories where five prompt words were

provided and the goal was to write a complete story (beginning, middle, end) in 100 words. I’m so consumed now with writing to contract that I’ve not done this in years, but it was fun, and actually really challenging – more so than you’d think.

Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?

DE. You’re “looking” at a procrastinator.

Don’t miss part 2 of this entertaining interview with Donna next week.

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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

Book Review ~~ Just a Regular Boy by Catherine Ryan Hyde

5 out of 5 stars ~~ Book Review

A Jewel. Flawless, as is the norm for Hyde.

A story of unconditional love and bottomless generosity of spirit.
The characters are so richly drawn that writers of lesser talent or experience have cause to weep.

This reviewer flirts with being bombastic, I know. But I know with each book, [like the last], I crack open to the first page of the story, and I am lost in Catherine Ryan Hyde’s world be it runaways, old crotchety men, strangers coming together in unlikely, but totally believable situations, or in this case a “wild thing”.
My readers know I abhor giving a synopsis of the story [ruining it for everyone] and I will refrain once again. I will say this, ‘Just a Regular Boy’ will uplift you and make you happy that this author created these characters and you got to meet them!

This book is a must on your ‘books to read’ list.
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom ~~ Review

4 out of 5 stars ~~ Book Review

A much-awaited novel by Kathleen Grissom, who is well known and touted for her two previous books, The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything. While she never mis-stepped when writing the latter and, as far as I could tell, got it mostly, if not entirely right, there were a few things that made me itch to correct her while reading Crow Mary. Maybe I’m overly sensitive as I myself lived on tribal lands (Makah Nation) as a young woman for over two years in Neah Bay, Washington. (Pacific NW.)

I had a problem with several nation lineage issues regarding Crow Mary’s knowledge of her own people. Wouldn’t Mary mention that the Crow People were originally a minor subset of the Sioux Nation and now were at war? The Crow had migrated from the Great Lakes area to the Dakotas and Montana. Know that in spite of the fact that the Sioux were now an enemy of the Crow People?

Secondly, Nakoda is spelled in the book with a ‘D’ when the correct spelling and the most commonly used name is Nakota with an ‘t’.

Mary is a proud Crow woman who really doesn’t take any guff off of any man, native or white. Yet she refers to herself and to her tribe as “Indians”, a derogatory term invented by the white man. I don’t know of any written history of where the People in question thought or spoke of themselves as “Indian”. I think the author also missed an opportunity to weave in Mary’s nation’s full name that the white man bastardized it to simply, “Crow”.

Please don’t misunderstand, this is a really, really good story, and maybe the average reader wouldn’t pick up on any of the things that bothered me but be that as it may…..I could not give the book the resounding 5 stars that I had anticipated doing.

Spoiler Alert: Don’t read the prologue. It’s a clear indication of how the book ends. (or one of the endings) Within the book itself once I read of the practice of the ‘wolfers’ using strychnine when trapping, I thought I knew how the book would end and that spoiled it for me somewhat.

Did you miss my interview with Kathleen Grissom?
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To receive my weekly posts, sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Watch for more interviews with authors. March-Apr: Joshua Hood, author of ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE TREADSTONE RENDITION April: Author, H.W. ‘Buzz’ Bernard May: Victoria Costello. June: Laila Ibrahim

A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

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