Interview with Australian author, Anne Gracie

TS: I have been reading Anne Gracie for YEARS…no, decades!!  I love her stories!  And I admit quite freely that I’m a junkie for historic romances.  Anne’s characters are rich and full and funny.  So I must tell my readers, fans, friends and tweeters that it is a thrill for me to now be able to interview her!

International best selling author, Anne Gracie
International best selling author, Anne Gracie

 

Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing?

A. I write in different places. I often go to my local library and write by hand. I write in my office, and sometimes in my bed on my laptop. I carry a notebook with me at all times, because sometimes a phrase or snippet of dialogue will come to me at odd times, and I don’t want to lose it.  I also go away once a year with a small group of other writers (eight of us) on a writing retreat… Continue reading “Interview with Australian author, Anne Gracie”

Prologue to a Saturday Post

Saturday I will post a nostalgic piece about my years living in the Vieux Carré of New Orleans.  Full time actress, part time day job (gotta pay the rent) radio and TV talent.  Hookers, mob bosses, millionaires all supporting our live theatre productions. Rehearsing in the cellar of the Performing Arts Building, where little beady red eyes watched from the shadows.   So we will start with a little poetry to wet your curiosity:

New.Orl.Mist.Adieux My Beauty  ©

Standing outside the gate,
eager to say goodbye, remembering
all the reasons to say hello

New Orleans, that witchy woman, whose song is
loved and never forgotten, whose taste
lingers on the tongue forever.
Where love bloomed on a rain slick night

Now, as I bend to kiss the powdered, rouged
cheek, my nostrils are assailed by
the sweet odor of rotting flesh eaten
away in the darkest recesses by a decadent,
self indulgent cancer Continue reading “Prologue to a Saturday Post”

Part 2 of my Interview with Peter May, best selling Author

Peter in France

Q. When did you begin to write seriously? (con’t.)

I wrote stories all through my teenage years and at the age of 18 I finished my first serious attempt at a novel. I sent it off to Collins Publishers and of course received a rejection letter. The editor who wrote to me took trouble and care to reply to me, saying of my writing: “…we do like it. It has a direct and emphatic narrative style and has an oddly memorable – even idyllic flavour about it. We feel you ought to go on writing, and would like to see anything you write in future – which may not sound very much, but is, I can assure you, a great deal more than we say to 95% of the people who send in their typescripts!”

Those words stayed with me all my life. And there’s an amazing coda to this story, because that very editor, a writer named Philip Ziegler, recently wrote the definitive biography of Lawrence Olivier which was published by Quercus, the publisher of my own books. My editor at Quercus was able to arrange a meeting for me with him, and 42 years later I came face to face with the person whose words of encouragement all those years ago, gave me the incentive to stick with my writing and keep trying.

Q. How long after that were you published? Continue reading “Part 2 of my Interview with Peter May, best selling Author”

World of Murder True Crime Series, The Reviews are In!!

  ‘Beneath the Bridge of Murder (Book 6 in the ‘World of Murder’ series) just goes to prove
several things: that a series of murder mysteries can each successfully hone very different settings, characters, and circumstances that join neatly together under a universal theme; and that an ability to build tight,
unpredictable characters is possible across a number of series titles, if the author is as skilled as Trisha Sugarek.

This mystery opens on the seedier side of life, with a homeless man who approaches an affluent couple on
the streets of New York and a civilian militia company member who rescues them from his unwanted attentions.

A prelude to the story then changes in the first chapter, which presents a closer inspection of homeless life under a
bridge; a setting which quickly evolves to a senseless murder that’s tied to the prologue.

Enter detectives O’Roarke and Garcia. Cops called upon to investigate the murder of a homeless man.  Beneath the Bridge of Murder uses many of the satisfying devices of Trisha Sugarek’s previous murder mysteries: solid characters, twisting stories,motivations that are anything but cut-and-dried, and a plot that, here,involves vigilante purposes and homeless issues.  It’s is a powerful true crime mystery that creates many disparate threads at first, but succeeds in weaving them together with the story of detectives O’Roarke and Garcia’s personal lives and concerns.    The series just keeps evolving and, cemented by these detectives’ personalities and approaches, keeps on getting better and better.It’s not easy creating book after book that both stand alone and interact well as a series. The ‘World of Murder’ series does just that, and its latest addition is a winning recommendation for both newcomers and prior Sugarek fans.‘ Midwest Book Review
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Taste of Murder is Book 5 in Sugarek’s ‘World of Murder’ series (previously acclaimed by this reviewer as a tight, compelling series that builds powerful scenarios and believable protagonists) and is especially recommended for prior fans of the books who want a continuation of the same successful devices employed in the previous titles: emotion-driven protagonists and a whodunit scenario that puzzles readers as much as the characters doing the investigating.

With its dash of romance, culinary-based intrigue, and a New York City setting, The Taste of Murder is as riveting as its predecessors and offers much to newcomers as well as prior fans. And having the subject be a culinary competition mystery is perfect timing, by the way, given current TV viewer interest in cooking show competitions

Fans of mysteries in general will find Taste of Murder holds all the trappings of a good yarn, tightly bound with the personalities and motivations of the two investigators themselves. While old fans will find O’Roarke and Garcia’s methods familiar (and just as engrossing as in prior books), newcomers will find this book also stands well alone and assumes no prior knowledge of protagonists and past events to prove a satisfying, compelling mystery read.’ ~Diane Donovan, Senior Book Reviewer, Midwest Book Review 
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new.cover. angelofmurder_COVERREVIEW~~The Angel of Murder, Book 4 in the series, The World of Murder
Midwest Book Review~~  “…It takes a tightrope artist of a writer to create chapters that successfully delve into a killer’s thoughts without revealing his identity in the process, but Sugarek achieves this with a dance of introspection that reveals a killer’s …”

The Angel of Murder is Book Four in the ‘World of Murder’ sequence, and though it can easily be picked up by those with no prior familiarity with the series, it is (ideally) a choice for former fans of cops O’Roarke and Garcia, who face yet another puzzling murderer.  This serial killer is after children and leaves their bodies around New York, dressed up for communion.

If it’s one thing you can say about the murder mystery genre, it’s that it tends toward redundancy. It’s always about the crime, there are savvy investigators (either professional or unprofessional), motives tend to become clear as the plot thickens… and most of this is about as predictable as can be. In terms of a dance, it’s the type of ballet where the art lies more in conventional movement than surprising leaps of faith.

But the avid murder mystery fan keeps searching for those gems that offer something different, such as emotionally compelling and involving characters, events that don’t form linear patterns or move in logical, predictable paths, and conclusions that are satisfyingly unexpected. For this reader, The Angel of Murder is a winner.’ Midwest Book Review
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‘Time for Cozie mysteries to move over and make room for another writer who should also become a
Queen of the Cozies;Trisha Sugarek.’  N. Grainger~Saylingaway.com

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Act of Murder~~ Act of Murder is Book 3 of ‘The World of Murder’ series, and continues to explore the partnership and investigative skills of Detectives O’Roarke and Garcia, who once again have a healthy list of suspects to choose from in a murder case: this one revolving around a much-hated Hollywood director. Now, one might expect that it’s better to have too many possibilities than not enough; but as with their past cases, the detectives find this isn’t true. The theater world is simply packed with suspects who not only have good motives for murder, but more than enough resources to pull it off.

As chapters progress, murder mystery fans are drawn into an ever-complex, changing story that holds not just too many perps, but many twists and turns of plot; especially when an attempted suicide reveals even more dubious connections. It’s a convoluted web of intrigue that emerges as  Act of Murder becomes darker and darker and the investigators draw ever closer to a deadly truth that may in fact wind up fingering the wrong perp.
 The story marches deftly to a gripping, unpredictable conclusion, involving murder mystery fans every step of the way.’ Midwest Book Review
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DANCE OF MURDER  ~~~~  Midwest Book Review

‘Dance of Murder is Book 2 of ‘The World of Murder’ series and is recommended for fans of murder mysteries. It opens with murder cop Stella Garcia at her desk contemplating cleaning up another case in time to make her quota of resolved cases.  She’s solved many murder cases in her seven years on the job, and she and her partner O’Roarke, make a good team.

Some murder mysteries focus primarily on personalities and psychology while others focus nearly exclusively on sleuthing tactics. Much like a crossword puzzle,  Dance of Murder focuses on clues that successfully pair readers with Stella and O’Rourke’s thought processes as they work through a range of possibilities in their case. 

Dance of Murder offers a strong focus on problem-solving and sleuthing. This allows readers to test their own skills in piecing together the puzzle, and to become involved in a story line that focuses on eliminating suspects and arriving at truth.  With its swift assessments of possibilities and motivations, it’s a satisfying murder mystery that deftly captures the interactions between murder detectives and their professional and political challenges in solving crimes. Any murder mystery reader will find Dance of Murder a fast-paced, involving read.’
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Brush with Murder is Book One in ‘The World of Murder’ series and tells of ‘Ben, a struggling, shy artist in Soho who admires his beautiful neighbor from afar, painting her image and dreaming about her. It all seems so innocent … until she’s murdered and the police turn up at his door, asking about his ‘obsession’ with his dream woman.  Now Ben is caught in a dangerous game he never asked for: one that involves proving his innocence against impossible odds.

 Brush with Murder is replete with emotionally-charged writing capturing not just the process of a murder investigation, but the emotions of all involved.  This focus differentiates Brush with Murder from other murder mystery approaches, adding a human element which, after all, is always a part of any murder scenario – but is too often under-explored in traditional murder mysteries.

 Billed as a ‘cozy’, this is a short, quick read; but don’t let that fool you. It’s also steeped in emotion, with a sensational cast of characters and interconnected circumstances that weave together to form a neat, involving story line with a tidy finish. The Art of Murder represents a satisfyingly rich story.’ ~~Midwest Book Review

 

 

Book Tour *** Best Selling Author, Peter May

LEWISScanTODAY begins Peter’s USA Book Tour in NYC.  Peter will be signing books and meeting his fans in NYC 9/2;  Boston 9/3; Minneapolis 9/4; Houston 9/6; Denver 9/8; Salt Lake City 9/9; Oakland 9/10 and Seattle 9/12 and 9/13.  For a complete schedule and more info go to:
http://www.ur-web.net/PeterMayMain/tour2014.htm

Did you see my Review of The Lewis Man?

 

Don’t Miss My Interview with Peter May starting September 6th.PeterMayPortrait1

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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!    Peter May will be my September author.

To receive my posts sign up for my blog, blogs, blogger, writer, author, playwright, books, plays,fiction  On the home page, enter your email address.  Thanks!

‘The Lewis Man’ by Peter May…a Review

reviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writing   reviews, authors, writing reviews, authors, writingFive 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 inLEWISScan 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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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!  

To receive my posts sign up for my blog, blogs, blogger, writer, author, playwright, books, plays,fiction  On the home page, enter your email address.  Thanks!

A Journal for Men Who Want To Write….

Neon.RMWO_cover_spine_REV84_copy   Available Now!   This handsome journal/handbook was created especially for men who want to write.

  ‘Real Men Work Out…on Paper’

The spirited journal/handbook, intended specifically for men and your creative writing, offers over 275 lined, blank pages. Each section has instruction on ‘where to begin’, storytelling, how to write a play, and developing rich characters. Nestled in the margins of each page are more tips about writing and quotes from famous writers, actors, playwrights and poets. The bold and masculine cover can be carried anywhere!  Great gift idea!

Available  at www.amazon.com or your favorite book store

REVIEW…’Queen of Hearts’ by Rhys Bowen

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

reviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writing  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”

A Review…The Forsaken by Ace Atkins

reviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writing  Five out of five quills!  REVIEW    ‘The Forsaken’ by Ace AtkinsAce.index

This author and I have much in common; we both have a collection of original paperbacks by John McDonald (Travis McGee) and we both love Robert Parker (Spenser). Where we differ is Ace has achieved perfection in prose writing which I aspire to….someday.

I strongly recommend to my readers that if you are going to read stories about Ace’s main character, Quinn Colson, that you do so in order.  There is a strong story thread throughout the series and you will enjoy these books so much more.

The Forsaken doesn’t disappoint. It’s my favorite to date.  As in his other books Ace gives his readers a strong sense of the old south, Mississippi to be exact.  How do I know this?  I lived there for four years in the 70’s and since then have moved in and out of the south;  New Orleans and currently Savannah, Georgia.  Without it ever seeming like a travel log, before you are many pages into the book, you can smell the dust of the back roads, the earthy slightly rotten smell of the bayous sticks in the back of your throat.  You may have never met the ‘good old boys’ but you know them and the women who follow along.  Continue reading “A Review…The Forsaken by Ace Atkins”