writing Archives - Page 43 of 82 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Halo-Halo Book Review Praises Song of the Yukon

A REVIEW

‘I read Trisha Sugarek’s novel Song of the Yukon, as I’m generally interested in homesteading and off-grid stories. Trisha’s novel, set in Alaska, more than satisfied my curiosity. It’s about LaVerne, a teen and budding song writer who followed the poet Robert Service’s trip into the wilds of Alaska. The inclusion of Service’s life offers a welcome layer to the story, and the references are inserted harmoniously so that they seem a natural instead of forced companion to the primary plot of LaVerne’s life: she impersonated a boy to be hired aboard a freighter who took her from Seattle to Alaska; along the way, she experiences boat rides on the Yukon, meets members of native tribes, files homestead papers and works the land.

Song of the Yukon also delights due to its structure of seamlessly weaving poetry, song lyrics and correspondence within the novel’s narrative. There was a scene around a camp fire where LaVerne gets to know the indigenous guide, Black Eyed Joe and his mother, Edna that I particularly liked. Sugarek weaves Service’s poem into the dialogue where Edna makes an observation about Mother Earth.

Sugarek’s use of correspondence also doesn’t grate in the narrative flow. My personal experience is I’ve found the insertion of correspondence to be an interruption or a cheat in writing a story, but such isn’t the case here. Here, the correspondence makes the story more personal as well as is effective in bringing onto the page the rest of the world beyond LaVerne’s particular environment.

Last but not least, the story weaves in a love triangle, (perhaps not the first time but) a rare point of view within the genre of homesteading, off-grid Alaska and Wild West stories. All in all, Sugarek’s multi-layered approach uplifts SONG OF THE YUKON from the crowded field of such stories.’ ~~EILEEN TABIOS, Senior Editor The Halo-Halo Book Review
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? November was best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series. January is Dinah Jefferies and February’s author is Sheryl Steines.
Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Life Is Like A Box of Chocolates…..or Words #7

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know by now that I love words and more; their origins.

Ashtray ~~ noun. A receptacle for tobacco ashes of smokers.

In the Urban Dictionary it has taken on a new meaning: ash–tray, useless, unwanted, failure.

Never having been a smoker, I wondered why these two words were slung together; ‘ash’ and ‘tray’. I pictured a butler, back in the day, arriving with a silver tray holding a box of ciggies, gold lighter and a bowl for the smoker’s ashes. Nope. I asked myself why not: butt-dish, fagtray, rollie-bowl, stogie-saucer? These are all slang words for the cigarette: ciggy, lungdart, smoke, coffin nail, butt, fag, rollie, and cancer stick.

At my first wedding back in 1959 we received a cut-crystal ashtray and I loved it. We didn’t smoke but had family and friends who did. Back then visitors smoked in your home and ashtrays were mandatory. This wedding present had place of pride on our coffee table.

‘While rudimentary forms of ashtrays existed long before the 19th century, it was during this time that the design, aesthetic and their popularity really took off. As more and more women began to smoke in the early 1900’s, the ashtray inched closer and closer to an art form of sorts. Many women shunned the use of the traditional ashtray as it failed to reflect their feminine values through an activity that was long heralded as being exclusive to men. What emerged were detailed, often very ornate ashtrays. These ashtrays depicted pastoral scenes of maidens wandering through vibrantly colored landscapes. Some even featured very lavish, cast-iron models of women in frilly dresses, animals in states of play and the occasional porcelain/ceramic tray highlighting extravagant floral arrangements.’

I love to watch people’s rituals when they light up. (the writer in me). They never deviate from it. Open the pack, shake or draw one out. Stick it in their mouth, reach for their lighter, cup the flame with the other hand (whether there is a breeze or not) and take that heavenly, first drag deep into those poor, beleaguered lungs. Ahhhh!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? November was best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series. January is Dinah Jefferies and February’s author is Sheryl Steines.
Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham, A Review

5 out of 5 quills A Review ~~ Rogue Lawyer

By now all John Grisham has to do is show up with another great story. Rogue Lawyer is a whole new direction for Grisham. And I like it….a lot! This isn’t a collection of short stories, as I first thought, and really don’t care for. No, Rogue Lawyer is a day, week and month in the life of street lawyer, Sebastian Rudd. Little vignettes but it doesn’t feel like it….the reader just follows this defense attorney around in a customized bulletproof van (that is his office), complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, and fine leather chairs. He has no firm, no partners, and only one employee: his heavily armed driver, who also so happens to be his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddie.

He defends people other lawyers won’t go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team. Why these clients? Because Sebastian believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial—even if he has to bend the law to secure one.

He reminds me a great deal of one of Robert B. Parker’s characters. I hope very much that Sebastian Rudd drives back into town (one day soon) and continues his dangerous but valiant work defending the indefensible!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? October Author, Lisa Jackson. November was best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Interview with Dinah Jefferies, Part II

TS. Dinah sits in one of the far-flung places that inspires her storytelling.

Q. Please tell about your fascinating life and the countries that you have lived in.

DJ. As I said I was born in Malaysia and have lived in England, Italy, Spain and, briefly, France. For my books I have travelled to Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India on research trips. I have another research trip coming up soon. Before I was a writer I was a painter which is why my novels are so visual.

Q. Do you have a new book coming out soon? If so tell us about it.

DJ. Before The Rains (1930) is set in a Princely state in Rajasthan, India. So it’s an epic love story between my main character, Eliza, a 29 year old widow and photo-journalist, and an Indian prince called Jay. She has been sent to Rajasthan to produce a visual record of life there over the course of a year. They come together when they attempt to do something to alleviate poverty, but the book also explores the differing attitude to women, especially widows. Not everyone approves of them being together and eventually they have to make a choice between following their hearts and doing what’s expected.

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

DJ. I began to write eight years ago and have written seriously ever since.

Q. How long after that were you published?

DJ. Four or five years.

Q. What makes a writer great?

DJ. If I knew that I’d be able to make a lot of money teaching people. There are a lot of reasons and it really depends on what you’re looking for. I like an original setting, a fascinating story and characters I can care about.

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

DJ. It looks like a lot of work: writing the first draft, followed by a great deal of editing and then a wait as you head towards publication. There’s nothing like holding the finished book in your hands and at that moment all the struggle feels worthwhile.

Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing?

DJ. My life experiences have provided the themes of my novels. Loss, identity and so on. Is there any way your life experiences don’t influence your writing?

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

DJ. Not at the moment, but you never know.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

DJ. By the time Before The Rains comes out in the UK it will be my fourth published book and I am currently writing the fifth. My second, The Tea Planter’s Wife, now out in the US, was a Sunday Times number 1 bestseller in the UK and has been published in 24 territories.
Click here to read Part I of this Interview
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Interview with Best Selling author, Dinah Jefferies

TS: I discovered Dinah recently in my routine search for authors I might enjoy reading. What a treasure! My favorite genre’ , a good story based in historic fact. She is currently research and writing her next book so, understandably, her answers are short and sweet!

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

DJ. I have recently had a garden room built and that’s where I do my reading, writing and where I have an exercise bike. I have no photos of the room yet but it’s very peaceful and I have music at hand whenever I feel like it. It feels like a little oasis that’s just for me.

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

DJ. A cup of coffee and my latest notes on the left of my keyboard and if the room is warm enough, then I’m ready. I don’t do any social media when I’m writing. If the room is cold I get on my exercise bike to warm up.

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

DJ. When I first came to live in England it didn’t feel like home. I was born and brought up for the first nine years of my life in British Malaya and saw that as my home, so I was what they call a Third Culture Kid. Not quite one, not quite the other and it left me with a feeling of not properly fitting in.

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

DJ. I write in the mornings and use the afternoons for editing, reading, taking the dog for a walk and any household chores that need doing.

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

DJ. You overcome procrastination by sitting down and getting on with it. You make a choice. You work or you don’t.

Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters? Before or after the idea of a story?

DJ. They begin to pop into my head at the research stage. As I read about a place and a time I begin to think about the type of people who might have been there at the time and the kind of story I want to write.

Q. What first inspired you to write your stories?

DJ. Having time on my hands. We were living in a tiny medieval village in Andalusia, Spain and once the restoration of our house was complete I began. Writing a novel is very labour intensive.

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

DJ. The place comes first and then the characters and the situation arise simultaneously.

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

DJ. Absolutely, especially when it’s going well and I’m in the ‘zone’. When I’m struggling it’s much harder, but I try to keep going anyway. You can’t edit a blank page.

Part two will appear January 28th. Don’t Miss it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Motivational Moments…for Writers! #24

When publishers turn down one of my books, I immediately self-publish it! After all, the publisher is not basing their decision on whether it is a well written story and people should read it. They are basing their decision on whether it will make any money for the publisher. I can’t really fault them for that…they are, after all, in business.

Indie publishing is inexpensive and easy to do. Your book will end up on line at most of the major book sellers. Most publishing platforms are free to the writer (they make their money at the back end when each book sells) and their royalty structure is as fair as a traditional publisher. The biggest expense that I have incurred has been a professional art designer for my covers and a professional editor, which I strongly recommend that you invest in.

Acquiring a traditional publisher is NOT the mark of a good writer anymore. You must believe in yourself and your craft. You must strive to improve your writing every day. That’s what makes a good writer.

“Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” Barbara Kingsolver

‘…so goes Truth, ……..particularly when fiction’s shinier…’ Olde Irish Proverb

“A woman must have money of her own and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” Virginia Woolf

“As a writer, I speculate, hibernate and marinate.” Trisha Sugarek

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! October Author, Lisa Jackson. November will be best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Motivational Moments…for Writers! #22

You’re a great writer.
Not an aspiring writer, a mediocre writer, or a someday, somehow, almost writer.

You’re a great writer, right now.
People are going to line up ten deep to tell you that you
aren’t good enough. Don’t do their work for them.

Maybe you aren’t published.
Maybe you aren’t successful.
You definitely aren’t perfect.
But, you’re a great writer.
Being great doesn’t mean you won’t continue to improve, or be excited and passionate.

My awesome takes nothing away from your awesome;
your awesome takes nothing away from my awesome.
Awesome is not a finite resource.

So say it. Out Loud. Every day.
“I’M A GREAT WRITER!!!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series. January: Dinah Jefferies.

Check out Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Motivational Moments…for Writers! #21

My friend and fellow writer, Jodi Thomas, has sent us another motivational moment to inspire and spur our creative spirit.

Quilting with words

My mother quilted, my grandmother quilted. Both my sisters quilt.I have a quilt room in my house full of handmade quilts dating back five generations. But I don’t quilt.

One of my first memories is lying beneath the quilting frame and listening to my mother and her friends talking as the needles flew. I learned that for them it was never about how fine the stitches were, it was about the friendships, the creative adventure, the love that went into each quilt.

Years later, I was in my late thirties and just beginning to write. My mother was moving into Alzheimer’s. She’d set in the study with me and quilt on a little frame while I typed away on my stories. As the years passed and my skill as a writer grew, while her skills slowly vanished we both still loved those morning working together.

Finally, when my first book came out, of course, I dedicated it to her. To Sally Faye Kirkland Price, who always believed in dreams for her children. I’ve published 45 books as of January 2017. I’ve won many award and am a New York Times bestseller but her review has always meant the most to me. She was only able to read the first one. When she finished, she smiled, holding the book as if it were a treasure and said, “Jodi, you quilt with words.”

“Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” ~~Gene Fowler

“For those who can do it and who keep their nerve, writing for a living still beats most real, grown-up jobs hands down.” ~~Terence Blacker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“As a writer, I marinate, hibernate, and speculate.” Trisha Sugarek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! November was best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series

Check out Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Interview (conclusion) with Reed Farrel Coleman

Reed Farrel Coleman’s love of storytelling originated on the streets of Brooklyn and was nurtured by his teachers, friends, and family.

A New York Times bestseller called a hard-boiled poet by NPR and the “noir poet laureate” in the Huffington Post, Reed is the author of novels, including Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series, the acclaimed Moe Prager series, short stories, and poetry. Reed is a three-time Edgar Award nominee. http://reedcoleman.com/video/

Q. Do you believe in muses? Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment?

A. I think a “muse” is a cute concept, but I’m a professional. This is my job. Lawyers don’t need a muse. Cops don’t need a muse. I don’t need a muse. I need a contract. (Feels as though I’m interviewing Jesse Stone, right?)

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

A. When I was 13 years old. I have always taken writing seriously. But I quite my career in 1987 to devote myself to writing. I gave up $40,000 per year, a company car, an expense account and trips to Europe. I guess you could say I was pretty serious about writing.

Q. How long after that were you published?

A. Three years.

Q. What makes a writer great?

A. When I find out I’ll tell you. I know great writing when I see it in the same way I know a great pianist or great painter, but defining one is an elusive task.

Q. You have kept Robert Parker’s Jesse Stone series alive for all of his fans. What’s the secret to writing in another voice? You do it flawlessly.

A. The secret for me is that I don’t write in Bob Parker’s voice. I stay true to his characters and to the form of the Jesse Stone novels, but it would be impossible for me to imitate Bob. When I first got the gig, I spoke to Ace Atkins (Spenser) and to my friend Tom Schreck (Duffy Dumbrowsky series). They both gave me great advice, but it was something Tom—a huge Elvis Presley fan, said to me that made a light go off in my head. He said that he had seen the very best Elvis impersonators in the world, but that they were trapped because the audience could never escape the fact that it was an imitation. And there was something that they could never do, something new. When he said that to me, I knew I wouldn’t try to imitate Bob.

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

A. Funny, I don’t think about that much. 26 published books in, it’s not even a question for me. As long as I have a strong idea in mind that I think will sustain the novel, I just assume I’m capable of making it happen. I never outline, so it’s just the belief in my ability that drives me.

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

A. In the mirror. Dylan Klein, my first series character, was very much an extension of me.

Q. What inspired your story/stories?

A. What doesn’t? Everything inspires me. An overheard bit of conversation, a newspaper story, a TV show, a situation in a friend’s life, a book …

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

A. I write poetry. I’ve written some sci fi stories. I’ll basically write anything.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

A. That I appreciate them and owe a lot to them.

Did miss Part I with Reed?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! October Author, Lisa Jackson. November will be best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series

Check out Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Happy Holidays to One and All !!

Wishing my family, friends and fans the merriest and happiest of holiday seasons! Hold your family close and your egg nog closer. May the coming New Year be filled with good health, prosperity and laughter.

Thank you all for your support of my work this past year!

Wear a Christmas hat!? You're joking, right? — Wear a Christmas hat!? You’re joking, right?

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Wishing my family, friends and fans the merriest and happiest of holiday seasons! Hold your family close and your egg nog closer. May the coming New Year be filled with good health, prosperity and laughter.

Share this: