Jumping right off the pages of today’s news. This powerful, short play tells
the story of one couple’s struggles to keep a wanted pregnancy. Joe stands helplessly by as his wife miscarries and healthcare providers can do nothing until she is near death’s door.
3f. 2m.
Available now at your favorite store or
Amazon
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5 out of 5 stars ~~ Book Review
From the first page, the reader is captivated by the sultry afternoon in the deep South, the cotton fields, the red earth, and the narrative from one small girl.
Be prepared to be unable to put this magnificent story down. Sonny Creech and her family draw you in; sweating as they hoe the fields, worrying about where the next dollar is coming from, putting up with two crass brothers’ antics, and a sudden tragedy that rocks their family.
The characters are so beautifully drawn by this author; the reader feels they have known them their whole lives. Mr. Fowler was a superb villain. I loved to hate him and I was rooting for his downfall, which by the way, wasn’t assured at all.
I highly recommend this book to my readers.
Did you miss my interview with Donna Everhart?
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9/11 Memorial 2024 
We haven’t forgotten that day…we, each, know exactly where we were when that terrible thing happened. That horrific thing that we never imagined could happen here. I remember I turned on the TV at about 10 that morning, going to catch up on a little news…at first, I thought I was seeing a trailer for an action movie on the screen. Then I tuned my ears in and realized the disbelieving tone to the journalist’s voice, the horror at what we were all watching across our nation. And then the unbelievable on top of the unimaginable, another plane slammed into the second Tower.
Americans gathered today in NY City, at the Pentagon, D.C., and in Pennsylvania to pay respects to the heroes lost that day.
WE AMERICANS WILL NEVER FORGET!
9/11 Memorial (2014,) I’ve been watching those terrible days on TV, relived, from 9/11/2001. The release of new, sometimes grisly, information about that horrific, bright blue, autumn day when our beloved cou
ntry was invaded for the first time in our history, (if you don’t count the Brits). Over the years I have written some poetry of my reflections, my heartbreak as I visited ground zero and the firehouses [back in the early days], then observed the almost finished repair a few years back. It’s pretty for a cemetery. The building I’m not so fond of the architecture; for me, it resembles a middle finger thrusting into the same blue sky, daring them to try it again? I don’t know…………so here is my latest offering and a couple from other years on this anniversary of our souls weeping, forever changed.
the forever wound (Haiku)
A deep gaping hole
newly covered with scar flesh
a cemetery
the reflective pond
the bright thirteen year old trees
the lost souls still there
the money-men charge
fees to visit our worst time
Ah, America!
Anniversary 9.11.11
I wait to exhale
will terrorists celebrate
with their big loud bang?
walking among us
to celebrate what they did
murder innocence
today, a grief day
remember a bright, fall day
ten short years ago
Ground Zero 9.11.12
Heartache fills the chest
Terrorists murdered thousands
Pain is fresh and new
Haunts walk the gardens
Four hundred trees, firemen all
the fountain of tears
Green leafed trees stand tall
Names carved never to forget
Red, white, blue flies proud
(c) Trisha Sugarek
The question begs: Have we learned anything?
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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!
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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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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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My new book, Ain’t Nuthin’Gonna Separate Us is now Available 
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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All LUCKY writers have moments (or days) when they are totally immersed
in their writing of a new story. I am one of those lucky writers lately, and my blog posts have suffered for it. I came up for air to post for my readers and assure you I’m still alive.
86,000 words, 468 pages, FINISHED. I began writing it April 1st — 90 days. That’s fast by anyone’s standards. The story just gushed out and was told to me by the characters. Lucky me!
Now I’m slogging my way through rewrites…and more rewrites…and then more. I am reviewing it again and again.
I have a group of beta readers (people I trust) on board to read it as every-day readers of fiction. How do they like it as an average reader? Put fresh eyes on it.
The things I worry about:
1. I didn’t tie up the threads of the plot for a particular character
2. I didn’t explore the characters’ internal conflict enough or at all?
3. I explored the characters’ internal conflict too much.
4. My grammer wasn’t correct or true to the character.
5. My puncuation and formatting was distracting to the reader.
6. I DIDN’T TAKE ENOUGH RISKS? I TOOK TOO MANY!
….and the ALL IMPORTANT:
7. Did I tell a good story?
Back to work!
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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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Dear Trisha,
Congratulations, this is just a quick notice to let you know that your poem Heart is one of the poems being featured on the PoetrySoup home page this week. Poems are rotated each day in groups of 14-16 to give each poem an equal opportunity to be displayed.
Thanks again and congratulations.
Sincerely, PoetrySoup
heart ©
the heart
pumping, nourishing the body’s life
feeding life’s blood, glistening, pumping
pumping,
the heart
the largest vessel in the universe
it holds as much love and grief
as its host fills it with
its capacity never replete,
the heart
still there is room for more
joy, pain, love, grief, ache
bleeding out with sorrow
surfeit with joyous wonder
and still there is room for
more
and more
and more
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK
COMINGSOON! 
Q. and the all-important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like for you?
SM. It’s hard work, and I think it’s important to emphasize that because so often writing is seen as the ‘dream job’ and while in many ways it is (providing you love writing!) it’s also tough and requires bucket loads of resilience and determination. I write two books a year, summer and winter, which gives me little flexibility with deadlines. I start with an outline which I send to my publisher – not detailed, but a summary of the book showing the characters and the main emotional turning points. Then I start writing. And like all jobs there are good days and bad days, and of course in the middle of that life happens and you have days where you can’t
write, but I set myself a shorter deadline than my official deadline to give myself time for things to slip a little. Some writers produce a rough draft without once looking back, and then go back and edit in detail.
I prefer to edit lightly as I go along, although I’m careful not to spend too long ‘fiddling’ as an excuse to not push ahead! Once I have a full draft I read it on my ereader, because it gives me a more authentic reader experience and for some reason I spot things reading that way that I might not spot on my laptop. Then I send it to my editor. There will probably be a couple of rounds of edits, and then we’re done!
Q. How have your life experiences influenced your writing?
SM. None of my characters are ever based on me, but writers are great observers and I look around and see what people are dealing with and often those issues will find themselves in a book. It fascinates me that two people will deal with the same issue differently and that’s why every book is different, no matter how many you write. Because the characters are different. And writing is all about emotions and feelings of course, and all of us have experienced those emotions at one time or another. You might never have met a dragon face to face, but you know what it’s like to experience awe and fear. Those emotions are universal.
Q. What’s your downtime look like?
SM. I spend a lot of time indoors writing, so when I’m not writing I try and spend as much time as possible outdoors being active. I love hiking, and also riding my mountain bike. Writing is mostly solitary (and I’m an extrovert, which brings its challenges!) so I often meet up with friends and family.
Q. Have you or do you want to write in another genre?
SM. I certainly wouldn’t rule it out, although right now I’m happy writing women’s fiction and romance and I don’t feel as if I’ve finished in that space.
Q. Note to Self: (a life lesson you’ve learned.)
SM. Reflect before you respond. I’m impulsive and tend to jump in with an instinctive response to a situation and later I’ll sometimes wish I’d handled it differently. I’ve learned to pause!
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Did you miss part 2 of this interview?
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