Reviews Archives - Page 15 of 18 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

A Review…The Edge of Dreams by Rhys Bowen

Five out of 5 quills (ranking) A Review ** The Edge of Dreams

From the first page, I was back in Patchin Place (a tiny dead-end street in the back waters of New York City) with Molly Murphy (woman detective) and her two dearest friends, Gus and Sid. (actually Elena Goldfarb and Augusta Walcott). Two flamboyant, sophisticated, modern women who have had a long term relationship. Two that I would love to have as friends.

My only critique is the trade-off Molly has made to give up her independent life style and her newly flourishing detective career, in order to marry her love. Who happens to be a Captain with the NYPD. It’s 1905 so Molly’s career is frowned upon by not only her husband’s superiors but even her husband and she has promised to officially give up her detecting. But….delicious new mysteries keep cropping up!

Rhys Bowen’s plot is tightly woven and not until the last few chapters are we really certain who the murderer is. My favorite kind of mystery. As always the rich, intriguing characters are well thought out. There are strong story lines that continue from book to book so I highly recommend, even though each book stands alone, that readers begin with book one of the Molly Murphy Mysteries.

Did you miss my interview with author, Rhys Bowen? Click here
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DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! April’s author is Jodi Thomas. June’s author is mega-superstar, Dorothea Benton Frank.
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Calling All Writers!!!

Write, edit, PROOF and then….PROOF your writing AGAIN…and again!!

I believe in the old adage that if I can’t say something nice, then keep my mouth shut. Especially with other writers. But, (the BIG but!) I ordered a book with the intention of interviewing the author in the months to come, because he has lived such a fascinating life.

A few days later I sat down to what I anticipated to be an intriguing story. If you have been with me awhile, dear reader, you know my fascination with the transport, export of human beings, especially children. The story could have been a good one. I don’t know if the author is inexperienced but the story was so rushed, with little detail about what made the characters click and why they should win in the end. I didn’t care about the separated, young lovers. I didn’t care that the heroine was in shackles over a length of red ribbon. The author did not take the time to flesh out these characters. I can recognize this flaw as I am a ‘rusher’ too….but after I have ‘slammed down‘ the story outline, I go back and, slowly, create characters that matter to the reader. After the first draft of your story?….well, that’s when the REAL WORK begins.

the do's and don't's — the do’s and don’t’s

Format your book correctly. I never realized before how distracting poor or NO formatting can be for the reader’s eye. Subconsciously our brain and eye expect to see a well formatted book like the dozens we’ve read before. This book had ‘indents’ in the middle of dialogue, poor or no punctuation, and hundreds of typos’. Incorrectly capitalized words, and

no page numbers. Really? It appeared that NO ONE had proofed this book before publishing.

In no way am I saying that my books are perfect. We are human and we miss stuff as writers. But you, as a writer have got to do the work! Do I like reading and then re-reading my own work. Hell, NO! But it’s part of the job for a self published author. Your eye will get stale so have someone else proof your writing too. I am blessed with a friend in Texas, who is extremely busy, extremely smart and a writer too. He always takes the time to proof my work and act as my editor. Wow! He’s caught some of my worse doozies!!

And guard against Clichés, please! If you use them, use them sparingly.

This book really came alive in the last 50 pages when the author wrote about a sea battle and this is what I saw: (1786) A French frigate dashed out from the coast and attacks Her Majesty’s transport. The sloop, Sparrowhawk, light as thistledown, skipping across the waves, swooped in and drove the French away. This was the strongest part of the writing. Hence, what I have said time and again, ‘write about what you know!‘

Tip: When I moved from play writing to my first novel, I was self taught when it came to formats. I took a couple of books from my own library and studied the formatting of best sellers by traditional publishers. To get a very professional look, I employed the

Justify Key: Left and right margins are crisp and consistent.

‘justify key‘ for margins. (compare this sample to the left with the page above.) I counted out the indent spaces, made certain that my paragraphs were not too long, and above all I PROOFED the document and then proofed it again.

KEEP WRITING!!

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DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! April’s author is Jodi Thomas.
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‘An Early Wake’…Review of Sheila Connolly’s latest release

Rated: 5 out of 5 quills+ A Review

This is my favorite to date from this prolific author. She writes an Orchard mystery series as well as a museum series but the ones I wait for are the County Cork (Ireland) mysteries.
Without the juicy murder, this book would stand just for the history of the musicians, young and old, that keep the music alive. Back in the day, when Old Mick Sullivan was still alive, Sullivan’s pub was known as a magnet for impromptu ‘jam sessions’ attracting famous and obscure musicians alike. In Connolly’s latest story fate brings the musicians back to the new owner, Maura’s, pub but murder is lurking in the back room.

This story has a tight plot with fully developed, rich characters that you will continue to love from the first two books. There’s Maura, the American, who has inherited the ancient pub from a life long friend of her grandmother’s. She’s not certain how she landed in the backwaters of Ireland and isn’t even certain she should stay. Old timer Billie, a fixture in the pub, who sits in ‘his chair’ by the fire and sips his pint while telling stories of the old days to whoever will listen. (Young) Mick, Rose, and Jimmy who work for Maura. All lovable characters that the reader will quickly care about. A must read!

I recommend that you read these in order, (#1-‘Buried in a Bog’) as there is a strong story thread.

Don’t miss my interview with Sheila coming soon!

http://sheilaconnolly.com/
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E. Van Johnson is our March author!

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Freshfiction.com reviews “Women Outside the Walls”

FreshFiction.com reviewed my book and I couldn’t be more delighted.

“Meet the heroines of WOMEN OUTSIDE THE WALLS.
These women are all brought together through one avenue: Their husbands are all in the same prison.

First, there’s Alma. Her husband, Charlie, is in prison for murder. At first that sounds terrible, but there’s a story behind this that makes you see that everything isn’t so cut and dried as it may seem at first. Alma has been in love with Charlie since she was 16 and he was 23. But he knew he was too old for her and he went away so he could avoid making a mistake with her. Abandoned by her mother in favor of a boyfriend that didn’t want kids around, she was taken in by a neighbor that helped her get through the next couple of years until she graduated from high school. That’s when Alma found that she had a talent for exotic dancing. It was at the end of one of her performances in a high end strip club one night that she was reconnected with Charlie, quite by accident. The next thing she knows, Alma’s pregnant and Charlie runs again, at least temporarily. They do end up together as a family and all is well until Charlie gets in trouble.

Next is Kitty. She’s a woman of wealth and social standing. Her husband, Edward, is imprisoned for a white collar crime and she’s simply not equipped to handle it. However, she does take herself to the prison on visiting day to see him. He agrees to see her once and that’s only to tell her to get a divorce and make a new life for herself and their children. After that, even though Kitty comes faithfully on every visiting day, he refuses to see her.

Then there’s Hattie. She’s a proud, African American woman with a talent for cleaning, a head for math and a heart of gold. Her husband, Joe, doesn’t belong in prison. He’s only there because he’s protecting his little brother. But Hattie is counting the days until her Joe gets out and can come home to her and their kids. Joe loves Hattie and they both look forward to that day.

These women all come together in the waiting room and then visitor’s room at the prison while waiting to visit their men. They all have one thing in common and that’s the fact that they love their men. In the process of this shared experience, they become connected in a way that no one else would ever understand.

Life goes on in this way until the day that a tragic event takes place that will involve them all even more. Things may not end as anyone expects.

Told in both the present and past tenses, WOMEN OUTSIDE THE WALLS offers a bittersweet look into the lives of women that love incarcerated men. There’s laughter and tears but, most of all, there’s the strong emotional bond these women share.

This is an honest book, which means that it’s not always a happy book. It will touch your heart in ways that you wouldn’t expect and is a book well worth spending the time to read. You’ll come away with a new respect for women in this situation and a bit more understanding of why they continue supporting the men they love, no matter what.’ ~~Review~Freshfiction.com

It Shouldn’t Work….A Review “Suspicion at Seven”

Rating: 5 out of 5 quills “Suspicion at Seven” by Ann Purser

These plots shouldn’t work……but they do in the most charming and understated way. The owner of New Brooms, Lois Meade is an amateur sleuth and has a team of ‘cleaners’ (merry maids) that keep their ears to the ground when foul play occurs. Cunningly simple and a delight for readers.

The setting is a small village in rural England where Lois has lived most of her life. She has raised three children and now lives with her husband, Derek, and her mother, Gran, who rules the house with an ungloved hand. (no velvet gloves here!)

Village life and all the characters that make up a community are artfully woven into each mystery. Continue reading “It Shouldn’t Work….A Review “Suspicion at Seven””

A Review…..”Darling Beast” by Elizabeth Hoyt

Five out of five quills A REVIEW Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

There is nothing quite like reading a good, ole ‘bodice ripper’. 1741, London, a gorgeous hero who can’t speak (oh, were they all like that) and a noble, single mother who is reawakened by this handsome man. And this is another exceptional story from storyteller, Hoyt.

A MAN CONDEMNED . . .

Falsely accused of murder and mute from a near-fatal beating, Apollo Greaves, Viscount Kilbourne has escaped from Bedlam. With the Crown’s soldiers at his heels, he finds refuge in the ruins of a pleasure garden, toiling as a simple gardener. But when a vivacious young woman moves in, he’s quickly driven to distraction . . .

A DESPERATE WOMAN . . .

London’s premier actress, Lily Stump, is down on her luck when she’s forced to move into a scorched theatre with her maid and small son. But she and her tiny family aren’t the only inhabitants-a silent, hulking beast of a man also calls the charred ruins home. Yet when she catches him reading her plays, Lily realizes there’s more to this man than meets the eye.

I couldn’t find where Vauxhall Gardens ever burned down Continue reading “A Review…..”Darling Beast” by Elizabeth Hoyt”

REVIEW~~With Mother’s Approval by Mike Wells

Three out of five quills A REVIEW With Mother’s Approval
by Mike Wells

When the Seattle Police Department bumbles the investigation of a serial killer who has brutally taken the lives of five women, Detectives Allie and Jeremy Branson take over the case. The husband and wife team work out of the King County Sheriff Department’s Violent Crime Unit and have one of the best track records in the country. But this time around, the Bransons are tested to their limits. Will they catch “The Call Girl Killer,” or will the sadistic murderer continue his spree of horrific crimes unchecked?

If you like extremely incestuous, murderous, cra-cra.…you will love Mike Wells’ latest offering. I know his fans will be ecstatic that he has written another one. Stephen King is all this reviewer’s stomach can handle and With Mother’s Approval goes way, way beyond King’s warped world. I found it a little ingenuous that the Seattle PD was painted with such a broad brush as ‘bumbling’ and totally incompetent. And I couldn’t get my head around Jeremy giggling, given his physical description and demeanor.

It’s well written but not to my taste. I know his fans, old and new, will love it! Going on sale as an e-book TODAY!!!

Don’t miss my Interview with Mike Wells coming in December!
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DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS!

In addition to my twice weekly blog I also feature an interview with another author once a month. So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers’ special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create! Barbara Delinsky and Elizabeth Hoyt will be my October authors.

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‘The Lewis Man’ by Peter May…a Review

Five out of five quills
A REVIEW The Lewis Man by international best selling author, Peter May

Peter May writes in black and white. I rarely see ‘color’ in his books….and that’s high praise.

He plunks me down in the stark, forbidding Outer Hebrides, a group of islands northwest of Scotland and bared to the North Atlantic Sea.
“A sky torn and shredded by the wind. A sky that leaks sunlight in momentary flashes to spill across dead grasses where the white tips of bog cotton dip and dive in frantic eddies of turbulent air….” ( prose at its best!)

After reading about the people settled there one wonders why they stay. And that is at the core of why his characters are so intriguing and entertaining. There is little soil on these rocks jutting out of the sea. And trees for shelter and fuel? Forget that. But peat bogs flourish and provide fuel for heat in the oldest tradition of the Gaelic world. When a body turns up in a bog the remains could be a month old, several decades old, and in some instances, centuries old.

As I’ve mentioned before I’m not a reviewer who fills the page with a synopsis of the story. For me, the reader, it spoils it to be given the plot on a plate. Continue reading “‘The Lewis Man’ by Peter May…a Review”

The Reviews are in …Creative Writer’s Journal/Handbook

Reviews are in for my series of Journals/Handbooks for men, women, and students who WRITE!

‘I just got my copy and my first thought (after I need to start using this) is; What a great gift this would make for anyone who is a writer or who shows an inclination in that direction.

Trisha Sugarek gives you “permission” to scribble down ideas and not have to write the great American novel every time you put pen to paper. In the first couple of pages, she gets you going with examples and encouragement and she makes you realize that while writing is work, it’s not impossible work…in fact, it can even be fun work.

With tips for lots of different writing types and encouragement from writers across time and genres nestled in the margins, this journal encourages you to get those words down on paper.
Sure, you’ll use a computer for the final heads down working sessions to get a finished work done, but for day-to-day fun “I can do this” writing, this journal and handbook is a great motivator.’ ~~D. Johnson

and this from Midwest Book Review!

Creative Writer’s Journal and Handbook begins where so many writer’s guides should: with the basics of how to pursue a dream job as a writer. The problem with most writers’ guides is that they assume some prior degree of excellence or experience; but this handbook poses something different: the opportunity to begin with no prior skill level or experience. All that’s needed is the desire and passion to be a writer, and everything flows from there.
So if you ‘scribble’, if you like words, if your stories ‘find’ you, and if you aspire to be something more (say, a published blogger); then here’s the next step in the process. From how ideas begin to how they are nurtured and written down, there to be refined until they see the light of day (i.e. other readers), this journal offers support, insight, and ideas for jump-starting the creative process and linking it to action.

White, lined journal pages offer a workbook approach that augments white space with inspirational quotes on the process from other, successful writers. So while you’re staring at the usual journal blank pages, inspiration can spark from others’ experiences and insights.

This isn’t just about prose, either: Sugarek includes sections on different formats, from Haiku Poetry to writing a stage play. Each section offers inspirational insights into format, structure, and writing challenges – then uses the journal/quote format to encourage readers to put something down on paper. So if it’s nuggets of information spiced with the encouragement of fresh lined, white space that is needed, Creative Writer’s Journal and Handbook offers a success formula beginners can easily absorb, all packaged in a survey that assumes no prior familiarity with writing. ~~D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer for Midwest Book Review

and…….

‘….Before meeting and working with you, I had a very skewed view of what being a writer was. I thought you had to be independently wealthy, or somehow hypnotize the publishers into giving you a huge advance, or be a teenager still living at home, or do it on the “5pm to midnight shift” (meaning you get home from work and have no personal life).

But seeing your work, and seeing how you adapted to the web format and allowed that to become part your professional presence was a revelation. It allowed me to imagine a way where my writing would not just be for fun or some cool party trick that set me apart from the usual anti-social geeks at work, but the core of what I had to offer.

And if not for YOU, that wouldn’t have happened…’~~Leon Adato

‘This is a beautiful and sturdy book with some of the best quotes out there to motivate you to dream bigger and write better. It would make a great gift for your female friends and family. ‘ C.Strain

Purchase

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REVIEW…’Queen of Hearts’ by Rhys Bowen

mysteries, best sellers, Rhys Bowen, author — Rhys Bowen, Historic fiction

REVIEW 5 out 5 quills
Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen

I love my job! Especially when the best selling author and their publicist asks me to review the ‘new book’. Rhys’ newest book in the Royal Spyness series goes on sale today.

Lady Georgiana Rannoch is a cousin to the present King of England (1934) and umpteenth in the line of succession to the throne. Never able to keep a job for long and struggling to keep food on the table for her and her maid, Queenie, her (absent) Mummy appears and wants her to go to America with her. And that is where the style, glamour, decadence and fun begins. And the cherry on the top is a jewel thief and a nice juicy murder! Continue reading “REVIEW…’Queen of Hearts’ by Rhys Bowen”

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