new fiction Archives - Page 9 of 16 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Interview with Author, Dan Sofer (part 2)

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

DS. Fifteen years ago, I decided to take my writing hobby more seriously. I bought books on writing craft, followed blogs of authors and literary agents, and devoted more time to writing.

Q. How long after that were you published?

DS. About four years later, I sold a short story to a print journal in the US. That gave me the confidence to work on my first novel, which took another seven years.

Q. Do you think we will see, in our lifetime, the total demise of paper books?

DS. I don’t think paper books will disappear in the foreseeable future, but the bulk of readers might move to digital formats. Audiobooks are on the rise, and so I’ve produced an audiobook for my new novel, Revenge of the Elders of Zion, read by the insanely talented Audi Award-winning narrator, Tim Campbell.

Q. What makes a writer great?

DS. Writers can be great in many ways. I find the authors I love have emotional intelligence and a subtle sense of humor.

Q. and the all-important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like for you?

DS. First, I write the novel concept, or “premise”, as a single sentence. I list the ideas, memorable scenes, and themes I’d like to include. After some years of writing, I discovered that this is a good time to write the book description or back-cover blurb. This helps make sure the concept will grab readers.
Then, I plan the structure of the main story arc. At the same time, I sketch out the motivation of the characters, their flaws, and arcs. I flesh the story out into a list of scenes and a two-page synopsis. By the time I start writing, I have a good idea of the story content. The writing flows faster, but there’s still room for characters and events to surprise me. Once I’ve raced through the first draft, I take a break, put the manuscript aside for a few weeks, and then return to the “real” writing, the editing.

Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing?

DS. Life experiences have deeply influenced my writing, from generating story ideas, to identifying with character motivations and relationships.

Q. What’s your down time look like?

DS. When I’m not writing and working (still have the day job), I spend time with my family, exercise at the gym, and of course, read a lot!

Q. Have you or do you want to write in another genre`?

DS. My earlier novels are comedy thrillers with some magical realism: A Love and Beyond and the Dry Bones Society series (“An Unexpected Afterlife,” “An Accidental Messiah,” and “A Premature Apocalypse”).
My new novel is a comedy thriller without fantasy elements, Revenge of the Elders of Zion.
But I’m working on a psychological thriller and have story ideas for a bunch of other genres. So many genres, so little time…

Note to Self: (a life lesson you’ve learned.)

DS. Focus. Don’t spread your time and energy too thin. We don’t live forever.

Did you miss part I of this interview?
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer, May: Joram Piatigorsky
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Books by Trisha Sugarek

Interview with South African Author, Dan Sofer

TS. Born and raised in South Africa, Dan moved to Israel in 2001. Most of his novels to date take place in Jerusalem, where he lived for seven years. Dan now lives near Tel Aviv with his wife and two daughters. “Currently, we’re all isolated in our apartment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Wish us luck!”

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

DS. The short answer: wherever and whenever possible. I write at my laptop either in our computer room (otherwise known as our “mess” room) or at the dining room table. I’ve been known to jot down story ideas on my phone too. One day I hope to graduate to a coffee shop with good Wi-Fi and great coffee.

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, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)

DS. I start with a cup of coffee. On good writing days, the coffee is cold by the time I look up from my manuscript.

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

DS. I went scuba diving with Tiger sharks in Mozambique. (Unintentionally!)

Q. Do you have a set time each day (or night) to write?

DS. I’m a morning person. I get up early to write before life gets in the way.

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

DS. Write first, do the rest later.

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

DS. My characters develop along with the plot. I take my time getting to know them. Only rarely have I based a character on a person I know.

Q. What first inspired you to write?

DS. Imagination. My first novel, A Love and Beyond, developed from a first date in Jerusalem. The restaurant in a renovated Ottoman-era building had an almost mystical atmosphere at night, and I wondered whether a place could make people fall in love.

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

DS. The situation comes first, the characters develop from the needs of the story.

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

DS. Definitely! When writing, I shut out everything around me and often daydream about story situations and issues.

Q. Are you working on something now? If so tell us about it.

DS. My new novel, Revenge of the Elders of Zion, is releasing on May 12, 2020.

Synopsis: In Manhattan, David Zelig decides to create a Jewish secret society based on the Elders of Zion myth. The Gentiles already think the Jews run the world; at least now a Jewish cabal might prevent the next synagogue shooting. When older and wiser community figures reject his proposal, the restless young heir of Zelig Pictures moves forward on his own. Along with two of his childhood friends—a high-strung hi-tech entrepreneur and a self-centered playboy—David establishes The Trio. But running a clandestine organization is harder than David had expected. And far more dangerous. Soon, the fledgling covert group falls into the cross hairs of some very real and very ruthless secret societies. And when law enforcement gets involved David’s well-meaning plan quickly spirals out of control. Struggling to stay alive and out of prison, the friends debunk The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, chase a priceless collection of Fabergé eggs, expose the dark secrets of Imperial Russia, and acquire a very embarrassing relic from the dawn of Christianity. Along the way, David will fall in love and uncover a complex web of conspiracy. He will discover the devastating cost of hatred and confess the true reason he created his secret society. To overcome painful injustices and prevent the most devastating anti-Semitic attack ever plotted on American soil, David will risk everything.

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

Come back and join us with Part 2 on April 24th

To learn more about Revenge of the Elders of Zion, visit:
Revenge of the Elders of Zion

Special Offer: Dan’ll be giving away over $500 in Amazon gift cards and merchandise for the launch. For details on how to enter, visit:
http://dansofer.com/giveaway-revenge-of-the-elders-of-zion/?tag=pr
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer, May: Joram Piatigorsky
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Books by Trisha Sugarek

Book Review ~ Red Mountain Burning

5 out of 5 quills ~~ A Review

This trilogy (Red Mountain, Red Mountain Rising) is spectacular! Red Mountain Burning, while touted as the end of the series, really doesn’t tie it all up. Full Stop! End of story. (literally). So I hope this author realizes that and he finds the true ending in a fourth book. But that wish is only from a truly selfish reader and fan. I, like many other fans of Boo Walker, want more of Brooks, Otis, Joan, Jake, Margot, Emilia, , just to name some.

The trilogy is so well written with deep characters fleshed out into real people that we know or have known. The vines become a character in themselves in all the books. I as a reader, cared deeply about the vines doing well and the harvest being excellent. When Otis’ barrels are crushed, I was sick with regret for him and his wine.

A word about the cover (which I rarely mention): I must take issue with it. While dynamic, it gives away too much of the story. After seeing the cover, the reader is distracted waiting for the story to get to the ‘burning’ of Red Mountain. But what a great story!

I highly recommend this book. The writing is superb, the characters well drawn; eccentric, entertaining, frustrating, and charming. Boo has relocated to Florida, in real life, and it will be fascinating to see what (if any) characters from Red Mountain follow him.
A new book is slated to be released in August this year.

Did you miss my Interview with Boo?
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer, March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer
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Review of A Silent Death by Peter May

4 out of 5 quills Book Review

Peter May weaves a wonderful tapestry of murder in his upcoming offering of The Silent Death. Set in sunny Spain, the author takes the reader onto the narrow, dusty streets of small towns perched on the cliffs of the Mediterranean. His authentic descriptions are based on his personal experiences. (Did you see my interview with Peter?) The author ‘winters’ in Spain every year.

This reviewer does not write spoilers. But I will say that May’s story and the spectacular subplots takes the reader into the world of darkness and silence of people afflicted with deafness and blindness. The reader comes to deeply care about the character, Ana and the danger she knows she’s in but cannot hear or see it. And learning about ‘touch sign language’. Something which I had never heard of

but found extremely fascinating.

May always delivers, bringing the reader into a complex story of true crime and law enforcement.
I highly recommend this book to my readers.

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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer, March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer
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Interview with Author, Olivia Hawker

TS. I always ask for a brief biography by the author as a warm up to my interview. Operative word ‘brief‘. If what I get is too long or contains boring credentials, I can then edit/shorten it. Following is Olivia Hawker’s bio, untouched by me. It reads more like a friendly letter to her fans and her readers. I hope you, my readers, enjoy it as much as I did.

OH. I live in the Pacific Northwest, in the San Juan Islands, but I grew up partly in the Seattle area and partly in eastern Idaho. After my parents divorced, I spent the school years in Seattle with my mom and the summers out in the middle of nowhere with my dad. Childhood ties to the Rocky Mountain region persist in me, and I often write about the West. It’s one of my favorite and most often-recurring subjects.
My dad’s side of the family is Mormon, and I was raised in the Mormon religion—another theme that comes up frequently in my writing, even though I am no longer Mormon (or religious at all.)
I knew from the time I was a tiny kid that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. Both of my parents encouraged my enthusiasm for the arts, and I was never told I had to have a “backup plan” because a writing career was “impractical.” My dad and my grandpa were both professional artists (painters), so I got to see successful careers in creative fields modeled for me from the time I was a baby. I think I’m incredibly fortunate in that. So many people are told that writing (or any other creative profession) is too impractical to pursue, so they give up before they’ve even begun, or at least they start out with a lot of self-doubt and too much caution. It makes me shudder to think of all the great talents and brilliant voices we’ve missed out on because these creative people were told by their families to pursue something “practical” instead of the art forms that called to their spirits. How many CPAs and dentists out there should have been writers or painters or dancers or musicians instead? Of course, those not-so-creative jobs are critical and important, too, but our culture and our world are hurting right now for understanding and expression. We need more artists, not fewer—and I feel so much gratitude that I was never discouraged in my choice of career, and that I saw with my own eyes that creative fields can lead to stable careers. That empowered me to go for it and pursue my dream of becoming a full-time writer for as long as it took to make it happen… which, as it turned out, was a very long time!
I didn’t go to college for writing or for anything else. I wanted to go very badly, because I value education and knowledge so highly. But my family couldn’t afford to pay for it, and I didn’t think it was wise to take on a lot of student debt just for an MFA or an undergrad degree in creative writing or English lit. I suspected that those degrees wouldn’t get me closer to my goal in any practical sense. Again, I had the benefit of my father’s art career as an example. He was self-taught, so I reasoned that I could become a successful self-taught author, too. I think I made the right decision, given the economic and social options available to me at the time, but now I’m a big advocate for tuition-free college so that no young person will ever have to make the heartbreaking decision to forego that dream ever again.
I always like to make it clear to people that I didn’t go to college and I am self-taught, because I think the arts (writing included) are one of the few professional arenas where those who’ve had the privilege of higher education and those who have been denied that opportunity can truly stand on a level playing field and be real peers. I have built a strong, robust, resilient profession for myself, and I earn a good living from my writing. I think it’s important for young people (and older people!) who are struggling with these difficult financial and educational dilemmas to know that it really is possible to be successful and respected in your field, and to love your life wildly, even if you can’t manage college.

Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing? (shed, room, closet, barn, houseboat….) Or tell us about your ‘dream’ work space.

OH. A. Nowadays I’m fortunate enough to own a lovely little house with a cool loft over the garage. My office is in that loft. It’s narrow as all heck, but I love working there! My writing desk is right in front of a window that looks out on an incredible view of local meadows with lots of wildlife, Griffin Bay, Lopez and Orcas Islands, and Mt. Baker. I’m really inspired and soothed by nature, so it’s such a benefit to my work, to be able to look up from a screen and see all that incredible natural beauty spread out in front of me. My view really has it all: water, islands, trees, fields, one of the most majestic mountains in North America, and critters passing by. I love to watch the light and weather change over that incredible landscape while I’m working. (More)

Don’t miss Part 2 on March 6th.
Did you see my review of One for the Blackbird…?
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer, March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer
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Perfect Example of Writing POV (MM…for Writers)

Sticking to a character’s POV (point-of-view) is sometimes a challenge for writers. I have been accused of ‘head-jumping’ myself. Dorothea Benton-Frank has given us a perfect example of not only writing correct POV but has done it in such a clever way that her acolytes aren’t even aware she has done it.

In “by invitation only” she allocates each new chapter to a specific character (not a new trick) and writes exclusively from their point of view. I never caught her wavering. What was new and fresh about her approach was that the titles of each chapter were so darn imaginative. Only the female characters voice their POV’s and the author has chosen the ‘first person’ tense in which to write in. Very effective.

This post is not a review of the book, per se, but if it were I would give it my highest ranking. It’s a wonderful story and each page entertained me. Wrapped around family dynamics and a future wedding, (I don’t write spoilers) the last 100 pages bring some big surprises to an already glorious story.

Aspiring writers should use this novel as a text book.

Did you miss my Interview with Dorothea Benton Frank?
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer, March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer
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Interview with Author, David Poyer (part 2)

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

DP. Oh sure. ‘What planet am I on?” Hours will go by and I am just not there at all in the chair. The same experience I hope my readers will savor!

Q. Are you working on something now? If so tell us about it.

DP. Always! An article for SHIPMATE magazine on students called to the battlefield from the classroom . . . the new literary review . . . a creepy short story for the next NIGHT BAZAAR anthology . . . a new Dan Lenson novel for next year . . . consulting and assisting my students in their novels. And of course, doing promotion for the latest book, OVERTHROW, the concluding volume of my War with China series. There’s no shortage of work! But it’s all fascinating and I really enjoy what I do. Especially helping younger writers. I only started teaching ten years ago, and am surprised how much satisfaction there is in helping someone else succeed.

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

DP. In 1976, beginning with short stories.

Q. How long after that were you published?

DP. not that long . . . maybe a year. But it took four years to publish my first novel. That was WHITE CONTINENT, an adventure story that today might be called a techno thriller.

Q. Do you think we will see, in our lifetime, the total demise of paper books?

DP. I sure don’t. The sales numbers on those are going up again after a decline in recent years. EBook sales are down. Audio book sales are up. But no, we will not see paper books go away.

Q. What makes a writer great?

DP. So many things! Sympathy, deep craft, huge intelligence, deep feeling, an ear for language . . . I could go on and on. World building. The ability to truly see. The ability to truly care. The passions . . . rage, regret, vengeance, love. Jonathan Swift’s “burning indignation.” We’re not going to see any of those from AIs anytime soon!

Q. and the all-important:What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like for you?

DP. Like a long sea voyage, with lots of planning followed by setting sail; then changes of the wind, challenges along the way, port calls, near-disasters, interspersed with periods of calm sailing. Occasional mutinies by the characters. Menaces from pirates. Then the channel to the final destination opens ahead, and there’s a welcoming crowd waiting on the pier . . . my longtime fans, who sometimes take me to task, but who more often cheer me on and make me feel I’m doing some good in the world. I owe them a lot, and they know who they are!

Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing?

DP. I would think that’s pretty obvious!

Q. What’s your down time look like?

DP. Sailing, coaching, reading, doing errands on my motorcycle . . . I live in a quiet rural seaside county in Virginia. Also, I travel. This last year we journeyed through seven countries by plane, bus, and rail, both for research, personal reasons, and to accompany Lenore to and from a writing residency in Schwandorf, Bavaria. I don’t think we’ll schedule that many at once again for a while! But we might try for Morocco later this year. Maybe.

Q. Have you or do you want to write in another genre`?

DP. So far I’ve written historicals, eco-thrillers, science fiction, sea novels, military fiction and nonfiction, lots of nonfiction biography and travel, and the occasional screenplay. I’d like to try a memoir one day, but not soon!

Note to Self: (a life lesson you’ve learned.)

DP. Be mindful, be here for each day, and tell those you love how much you love them. None of it will last forever! Which should make it all the sweeter, no?

Did you miss Part I of our Interview? Click here
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer
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Review ~ The Vanishing by Jayne Ann Krentz

5 out of 5 quills Book Review

This is a slick and clever mystery cloaked in the paranormal. Not all that ‘woo-woo’ stuff but rather heightened senses; something that we can all relate to.
Deja vu, intuition, and sometimes just ‘a feeling.’

But in this story our protagonists and antagonists….well no… just about everybody in the town of Fogg Lake has the gift. The unique part of this story is for a short while, the author makes believers out of most of us. To write more about the story would give away too much. I highly recommend it and fans of Krentz won’t be disappointed.

Jayne Ann Krentz (also writes under the pseudonym, Amanda Quick) is an excellent writer. And reliable. Whether she is writing historic romances or modern-day tales, her writing is always consistent and excellent. The Vanishing delivers.

Did you miss my Interview with Jayne Ann Krentz?
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer
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Book Review ~~ The Country Guesthouse

5 out of five quills Book Review

Every time I read the newest release in the Sullivan’s Crossroads series I think to myself, ‘This is the best book in the series’. Nothing has changed.

The Country Guesthouse is deliciously good. All the reoccurring characters from previous books in the series appear again. As the reader returns to the campground and country store once more, we pick up where we left off in the last book. Like I said, ‘delicious!’ There is a wonderful love story between a woman, a man, a boy and a dog. And who doesn’t love a love story with a few bumps in the road?

Lots of twists and turns in this story, which I won’t elaborate on since I don’t write spoilers. But suffice it to say, you will be rooting for the new lovers and the newly forged family all along the way.

I highly recommend this book to my readers!

Did you miss my Interview with Robyn Carr?
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer
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The Lost are the Last to Die ~~ Book Review

4 out of 5 quills ~~ Book Review

The Lost are the Last to Die by Larry D. Sweazy is a new, old west tale.
Fans of westerns are going to love this story. Set in the early 1900’s, the horse is being replaced by the automobile, the Great War has just ended and the lawlessness of the ‘old west’ is being rooted out.

Ranging from 1911 (flashbacks) to 1934 (present time for this story) Sweazy’s hero, Sonny Burton has enjoyed a stellar career in law enforcement. Surviving fighting in the Great War, he comes home and joins the Texas Rangers. But life has served up a couple of career changing setbacks and Sonny must find new meaning in what seems like a meaningless life.

The writing is superb. Larry leads the reader on an exciting chase with many twists and turns in the plot. Sonny Burton gives the reader someone worthy of rooting for. We want him to win even when it seems most unlikely.

My Review of other Sweazy books.
Did you miss my interview with Larry Sweazy?
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MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer
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