Category: Creative Writing

My Creative Self has ADD

writing, blogs, authors, creating,writersHere I sit, once again, in my night T-shirt……….. and it’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon. 

It was just fifteen minutes ago (six hours ago) that I sat down to read and respond to email while my morning tea brewed.

As I was replying to my mail, a new author interview response came in and I couldn’t wait to read it and prepare it for my blog calendar .  

I just finished (and published) a new short play, Date Night.  As I mentioned before I write things in my head for several days, then slam it down on paper, (in my case, computer screen), and then I begin editing.  It was a tough one (of the 40+ plays I’ve published) to write because I had never purposefully written a satire before now. 

An idea for another true crime mystery (in the series) had bubbled up several months ago and I pushed it away…..’Go away, wait a bit, I’ve got enough to do….’  but it is insistent!  I’m playing with that too. 

And then I began to write this posting in my head …….and then thought of a few more authors I want to contact to ask them for an interview….see? bona fide ADD.

Is this cerebral chaos  a bad thing?…I don’t think so…it seems to work for me.   I wanted to tell you just how crazed my writing life can be so that any pressure you might be feeling will ease.  There is no right or wrong way to how we work when we are writing.  The most important thing is to keep writing, every day if you can, even if you think what you are writing is not important; it just might  be someday.   I think , after twelve years of  interviewing  other authors, that fact is shining through.

…….so guess I’d better go shower, eat something, play with the dogs, (a tennis ball is calling) and turn off my brain for awhile.  HA!  Fat chance of that!!   P.S. My tea is cold.
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 BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

If you enjoyed this review, you might love my own stories — full of heart, grit, and unforgettable characters.

The Deep South Trilogy

  • Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us 
  • Mother Mac’s Boarding House
  • Coming Soon: Book Three: Living at Mother Mac’s

 

 

Reading This Was a Slog…Book Review, The Bucket List

1 out of 5 stars  ~~  Book Review 

My fans and friends know that I’ve always aimed to support fellow writers. Even when my opinion falls short of a rave, I strive to offer constructive critique. But today, I’m taking the gloves off to review The Bucket List by Rachel Hanna—hoping the sting of this critique might serve as a teachable moment… or several.

📚 A Format That Fails the Basics

Let’s start with the basics: formatting. Writing 101 teaches the importance of justified text—it gives the page clean, crisp edges and a polished appearance. This book ignored that entirely. The font size was awkward too: larger than standard, yet not quite “LARGE PRINT.” It felt like  formatting limbo.

🖋️ First-Person Fatigue

Then there’s the choice of tense. First-person narration can work, but here it felt like a shortcut. In my opinion, it’s often a sign of lazy storytelling—used to bypass deeper character development or narrative complexity.

📖 Missing Front Matter

The front matter was surprisingly sparse. No copyright information. No list of other titles by the author. No acknowledgements. These omissions made the book feel unfinished, like a draft rather than a published work.

🧂 Needs More Seasoning

Now, onto the writing itself. Rachel Hanna shows potential, but she needs more seasoning—and a good thesaurus, by her side, wouldn’t hurt.

🙄 Stop Explaining the Joke

Her tendency to “mansplain” her own humor and plot points was frustrating. Rachel, trust your readers. We’re smart. We get it.

😰 Anxiety Overload

Jill’s anxiety, a central theme, was hammered home so relentlessly that it became exhausting.

🔁 Redundant Repetition

Repetition was another issue: the author would describe Jill’s emotion or action, then immediately echo it in the next line, as herself. It felt redundant and clunky.

📉 A Weak Ending Wrapped in Explanation

After slogging through the entire book, the final paragraph delivered yet another dose of “mansplaining”—a summation of the story’s lessons, as if the narrative hadn’t made them clear. That kind of wrap-up suggests the story itself wasn’t strong enough to stand on its own.

🌐 Website Placement Misfire and Typo Trouble 

And finally, as the story closes on the last page, the author tacked on her website address—without ceremony or formatting. Typically, this kind of promotional link belongs on a separate page, ideally paired with a graphic or call-to-action that feels intentional.
To make matters worse, there was a typo: “Visit Rachel’s store at store. Rachelhannaauthor.com.” That stray period and awkward phrasing made it feel rushed and unprofessional—like an afterthought rather than a curated invitation.
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📬 Want more reviews, author interviews, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the writing life? Sign up on the — just enter your email address and never miss a post.

 BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

If you enjoyed this review, you might love my own stories — full of heart, grit, and unforgettable characters.

The Deep South Trilogy

  • Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us 
  • Mother Mac’s Boarding House
  • Coming Soon: Book Three: Living at Mother Mac’s

 

 

Book 1 in series of true crime

Tips for Creative Writing * Fiction

Recently, the Professor leading the creative writing department at Pace University wrote to say that she was using one of my true crime stories (Act of Murder) as the sample text in the offered course, “How To Write Mysteries and True Crime”.  Such an honor!

I fired off enough copies to cover the students taking the class with these tips:

TIPS:

1. You can’t have too much dialogue
2. You CAN have too much descriptive
3. SHOW don’t TELL.  For example: Instead of writing:  (telling) Stella walked across the busy street, dodging cars.   (SHOWING) Holding up her hand, her badge tucked in her palm, Stella skipped to the other side, between the parked cars jammed to a standstill on the busy street . “Whad’ya waiting for, Jack?” She taunted her partner. 

4. Be certain your forensics are accurate.
 I once called an ME to ask how long traces of Vanilla Wafers and grape soda would remain in the stomach. (Angel of Murder) I didn’t trust what i found online. He was kind enough to take my call.

5. Your deceased victim is a character in your story. They should be as interesting as the other characters. At the least, they should have a life story.

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Book Review~Hot Property by Mike Lupica – A Masterclass in Fiction Writing

5 out of 5 stars  

THE  GANG’S ALL HERE!

Mike Lupica’s writing captures the late Robert B. Parker’s voice like no other. This latest tale of Spenser’s exploits brings the old and new gang back together. Rita, Susan, Hawk, Henry, Spenser (of course!),  Quirk, Vinnie…the list goes on and on.  

This is a really good story and have I mentioned? I love it when the old gang returns. Such rich, full bodied characters that only Parker aka Mike Lupica can create and maintain. 

I highly recommend it!  

Curious to hear from the author himself? Read my exclusive interview with Mike Lupica

Enjoyed this review? Sign up (on the Home page)  for Writing Tips, Interviews, & Book Reviews by Trisha and never miss a post.
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PoetrySoup honors my Poem

Dear Trisha,

Congratulations, this is just a quick notice to let you know that your poem A Chip Off the Old Bukowski Block 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

A Chip Off the Old Bukowski Block ©
i sit here on the toilet, looking at the cane by my side
when did this happen?
its pronged feet could, at any moment, scamper into a tidal pool,
so much does it remind me of a robotic crab
my mornings now consist of pills, shuffling to the next room to pour cereal then work up a s*** before I can leave the house
When did this happen?
bodily functions take priority as I can no longer trust this body not to embarrass me in public
when did this happen?
my knees are shot to hell
my bowels rumble and twist
my arthritis tears at me with sharp little teeth
my vision is perfect, cataracts blasted away by another robot
when did this happen?
the other day my mind went on a holiday leaving me behind, confused and blank, frightened
is this a harbinger of what’s to come
when did this happen?
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Have you seen the wonderful anthology, “Radiant Verses“, that PoetrySoup published.
They honored two of my poems by including them in this book. 

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~More poetry by Trisha

Part 2 ~ Interview with author, Christina Dudley

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

CD. Oh, so rarely! Only about 10% of the time does a chapter just write itself. The rest of the time it can be a slog, an act of discipline. Is this scene doing anything? Is it developing the character or moving the plot along? If not, into the trash it must go…Though even then, certain lines or bits can be salvaged and pasted back in later.

Q. What compelled you to choose and settle on the genre you now
write in?

CD. I started in women’s fiction and general fiction, but when I wrote a contemporary adaptation of Mansfield Park and rediscovered the world of rabid Jane-ites, I decided to write a Regency romance like all the ones I’d read and loved when I was younger. Jane Austen is a like a public-domain Marvel Universe—so many of us have launched ourselves from her work.

Q. Are you working on something now or have a new release coming up? If so tell us about it.

CD. I’m working on Book Three in my current Regency series Lord Dere’s Dependents. The Bestowed Bride is the widowed sister-in-law’s story. And then after that I am contracted to write my second traditionally-published romance, an Emma-based follow-up of my first trad book Pride and Preston Lin.

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

CD. I doubt it. They’re expensive, but plenty of people love paper books. I do think traditional publishers might start to do smaller print runs for books which aren’t expected to be blockbusters. I myself don’t do print anymore unless I want to look at maps or find it at a used bookstore because who has the space?

Q. What compelled you to choose and settle on the genre you now
write in?

CD. I started in women’s fiction and general fiction, but when I wrote a contemporary adaptation of Mansfield Park and rediscovered the world of rabid Jane-ites, I decided to write a Regency romance like all the ones I’d read and loved when I was younger. Jane Austen is a like a public-domain Marvel Universe—so many of us have launched ourselves from her work.

Q. Are you working on something now or have a new release coming up? If so tell us about it.

CD. I’m working on Book Three in my current Regency series Lord Dere’s Dependents. The Bestowed Bride is the widowed sister-in-law’s story. And then after that I am contracted to write my second traditionally-published romance, an Emma-based follow-up of my first trad book Pride and Preston Lin.   

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

CD. I doubt it. They’re expensive, but plenty of people love paper books. I do think traditional publishers might start to do smaller print runs for books which aren’t expected to be blockbusters. I myself don’t do print anymore unless I want to look at maps or find it at a used bookstore because who has the space?

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

CD.  They’re almost simultaneous.

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

CD. Oh, so rarely! Only about 10% of the time does a chapter just write itself. The rest of the time it can be a slog, an act of discipline. Is this scene doing anything? Is it developing the character or moving the plot along? If not, into the trash it must go…Though even then, certain lines or bits can be salvaged and pasted back in later.

Q. What makes a writer great?

CD. No two readers will ever agree on this! When I put my own fiction-reader hat on, I’m looking for books with rounded characters and plausible situations, even if it’s set in a fantasy world. Bonus points if the story makes me laugh. Not too much navel-gazing, please, and a plot with a traditional conflict-rising action-climax-denouement. I must be too old to enjoy the stories where there’s no real conflict, or where it’s resolved with 25% left to go, and then it’s just 25% of people riding off into the sunset. Yawn.
When it comes to nonfiction, which I also love, I want to learn something and have it told to me like a story. Books like The Boys in the Boat and Into Thin Air delight me.  

Did you miss the beginning? Interview
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Book Review ~ By His Grace and Favor

 

5 out of 5 stars ~~ Book Review

Delicious….but more than that
the  story taught me something I previously didn’t know about.  Fleet Street Prison in London was a ‘debtor’s prison’ exclusively and notorious for its appalling conditions.  If a person, common folk or a member of the aristocracy, couldn’t pay their debts they could be charged by the creditor, tried and sent to ‘Fleet’ until their debts were paid. I don’t know how anyone could think that a person could accomplish this while incarcerated.
Many prisoners spent decades there and sometimes died while still in prison.   

By His Grace and Favor, written by Christina Dudley, is a delightful regency story that delves into the horrific conditions of the  prison and the neighborhood that grew up around it to service its needs. 

Our Founding Fathers were careful about importing any of the policies or laws that governed England at the time to our new, fledgling democracy. With regard to a ‘debtor’s prison’ I am assuming that’s why we eventually had bankruptcy relief laws. Our law makers saw the folly of Fleet Street Prison. 

The story telling is superb and the characters all engaging and well developed.  It’s book one in the series, Lord Dere’s Dependents and I can’t wait for the next one.  
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Review ~ Stone Song by Tricia O’Malley

One star out of 5  ~~~Book Review

I go to great lengths to NOT give an unfavorable review of my fellow writers.  I strive to uplift and support my fellow storytellers. But, Stone Song is a teachable moment. So I’m going to take advantage of it. 

I have preached (ad nauseam)  about those words that we writers resort to using (unconsciously) over and over. The two words that I use to excess are:
‘just’ and ‘that’. Don’t ask me why but we authors all have them. 

This writer used the word ‘squeal or squealed’ EVERY time her female protagonists exclaimed about something or someone. I gave up counting at 9 times within 50 pages!  The second word she used to excess was the word ‘core’ as in someone’s core. 

Now there are lovely synonyms for both of these words and it’s the responsibility of the author to use them in order for their book to be the very best that it can be.  ‘Squeal’ could be replaced with:  screech, scream, shriek, squawk, or howl. The word’ core’ could be replaced with: heart, nucleus, soul, essence, center, root, or mainstay. 

The story itself was a bit shallow and predictable. The premise was good but the follow through was weak. The characters were likeable but I didn’t care enough about them to finish the book.  
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Now Available!

                                         

Just Released in paperback and eBook

               

 

 

 

 

Book Review – When I Was You by Minka Kent

5 out of 5 stars ~~~~~   Book Review

This is such a deeply psychological thriller that I had the shivers a third of the way in and then on to the last page.  Ooh, spooky! The author, Minka Kent, made the circumstances so very real and plausible. I can’t elaborate without a spoiler alert. But it’s a must-read for fans of this genre. 

I can share this much (a quote from the book’s page on Amazon) without giving away anything. 

 Brienne’s confidence in her routine is shaken when she stumbles across unsettling evidence that someone else is living as…her. Same name. Same car. Same hair. Same clothes. She’s even friended her family on social media. To find out why, Brienne must leave the safety of her home to hunt a familiar stranger.

I highly recommend this book to my followers. 
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Newest Novel by Trisha Sugarek Now Available

 

My prequel to Ain’t Nuthin Gonna Separate Us is now
available on Amazon.com and other fine bookstores, as an eBook and paperback.   

Read the ‘origin story’ of how Mother Mac achieves her dreams of owning property and a thriving business.  

Synopsis: 

In a segregated town overshadowed by the aftermath of WWII, Marty ‘Mother Mac’ MacKenzie—a strong-willed and determined woman— runs a “Colored Only” boarding house that becomes a sanctuary for those in need. Seeking a fresh start away from the painful memories of Alabama. Armed with nothing but her wits, a single prayer from Reverend White, and a heart full of hope, she navigates the challenges of a segregated society, determined to carve out a life for herself.

When Marty lands a job at the local Tastee Diner, she discovers not just employment but a sense of community and a chance to reclaim her dignity. Under the watchful eyes of the fair-minded Rog and his wife, Mary, Marty learns the ropes of waitressing and forms bonds with coworkers and customers alike. With each step she takes, from a homeless shelter to her humble boarding house, she scratches out a business room by room. As she faces prejudice and hardship, Marty’s resilience and faith in a brighter future never waver.

“Mother Mac’s Boarding House is an exquisite read…” D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review
                   [Click here to read entire review]

Join Marty as she transforms her dreams into reality and builds a refuge for the lost and stranded souls who pass through her doors.

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Now Available!