Review…Trisha Sugarek’s “Song of the Yukon”

           alaska, homestead,adventure, lesbian, gay, best seller, fiction, fiction for womenMIDWEST BOOK REVIEW ~~  ‘Song of the Yukon  is a powerful historical novel that opens in the Yukon in 1923 where LaVerne’s new cabin is being erected by a team of helpful neighbors and friends, and tells of one strong woman’s long-held dream of homesteading and how the Homestead Act led her to build a new home, sweetened by her discovery of gold on her property.

In the next instant readers are transported to 1921 Washington State, where LaVerne shares a single room with her sisters in a crowded farmhouse and longs for something different in her future. It is here that her dream of a better life in Alaska evolves: an uncrowded life offering opportunities to ‘rule and obey’, and plenty of space.homestead, Alaska, fiction, Song of the Yukon

Song of the Yukon begins with this dream and works outward as it follows LaVerne’s efforts to hone and realize her desires upon discovering that the Alaskan frontier offers her a unique opportunity to “…chase your dreams there, be whoever you want to be…no one telling you what to do and what not to do…”

From boat rides on the Yukon River to encounters with native tribes to filing homestead papers and working the land, LaVerne uses newfound frontier wisdom as a basis for expanding both her music and her perceptions: “No man owns what Mother Spirit does not freely give.” Joe replied.  What a charming folk tale, LaVerne thought. And Joe seems to believe it. I could use the story in one of my songs.”Alaska, fiction, homestead, Song of the Yukon

It is here she encounters her first real friend and learns the realities of frontier life and homesteading: experiences that will shape her life, help her create music, and lead her in directions no woman has explored before.

But Sugarek in her third novel, Song of the Yukon, covers more than music growth, more than homesteading in the wilderness, and even more than testing one’s abilities against a foreign environment. Most of all, it’s about one woman’s determination to achieve her dream against any odds – and it provides readers with not only a solid background in frontier experiences, but a sense of self and accomplishment that heroine LaVerne learns through hard Alaska, fiction, homestead, family histories,best sellersexperience.

It is a commanding saga recommended for a range of readers. Thank you for the opportunity to look at your fine title! ~~ Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review ~~

Tip: You can find legitimate book reviewers to review your book BEFORE you publish.  This is important because then you can use a tag from the review on the front or back cover.  Example: “….A commanding saga…” Midwest Book Review.  I know you’ve seen these tags on book covers and they are powerful marketing tools.
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Estimated release date Fall, 2013.  Look for it wherever you buy your books and here in my bookstore!
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Start your month off right!! DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS. INTERVIEWS with other best-selling AUTHORS!      A SERIES, “The Writer’s Corner”

I have had a wonderful response from other authors and will feature an interview once a month . These authors have already responded and you can read their interviews by clicking on their name:: Ann Purser, Susan Elia MacNeal, Karen Robards, Mark Childress, Rhys Bowen, Dean Koontz, Sheryl Woods, Jo-Ann Mapson, Jeffrey Deaver, Elizabeth Gilbert, Amber Winckler, Robert McCammon, Sue Grafton, Caroline Leavitt, Heidi Jon Schmidt, Walter Mosley, Nora Roberts, and many others.

So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers’ special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!  Mark Childress is our April author.  Robert McCammon is scheduled for May. Caroline Leavitt is June‘s author.  July features Rhys Bowen.  Sue Grafton is August’s author and September will feature Tasha Alexander.  Slick mystery writer, Andrew Grant will join us this winter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To receive my posts sign up for my blog, blogs, blogger, writer, author, playwright, books, plays,fiction  Go to the home page; On the right side you’ll see a box where you can enter your email address. Click on “join my blog”. You need to confirm in an email from ‘Writer at Play’ . Thanks!

‘Her Majesty’s Hope’ a Review of Susan E.MacNeal’s new book

Review of Her Majesty’s Hope  Rating:  reviews, authors, writing  reviews, authors, writing  reviews, authors, writing  reviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writing    (5 out of 5 quills)

Yesterday Susan Elia MacNeal’s latest Maggie Hope mystery was released.  It’s no surprise that I have been eagerly awaiting the interviews, best selling authors, fiction, new fictionrelease of His Majesty’s Hope by this accomplished writer.

Each of MacNeal’s books are ‘stand alone’ stories but to get the most pleasure from them, I highly recommend you read them in order.  Starting with Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, we follow Maggie as she works as a lowly typist in a typing pool at #10 Downing Street in spite of her knowledge and natural ability with languages.  She is a master of cryptology and codes but in the 1930’s it was unheard of for a woman to be used in that capacity.

She quickly rises in Mr. Churchill’s government and trains with the British CIA.  I have to give a nod to Princess Elizabeth’s Spy because if you love the ‘royals’ (as I do) this is an amazing look into Windsor Castle  when the now Queen was just a young girl.  It’s a surprising and fascinating mystery.

The most current in this series takes a harsh, horrifying look at Hitler’s ethnic cleansing.  Maggie is dropped into Germany as a spy and  also to confront the mother she never knew and thought had died in a car crash years ago.

Seventy-five years later, the systematic destruction of the Jewish population is chilling and this gifted writer puts it in a context that is both horrifying and heart-breaking.  MacNeal’s characters are full and rich with several story lines weaving through this period in our history.  And interviews, authors, writers, Winston Churchillthen she neatly ties all the ends together, leaving you wanting more….which her fans will get with a little patience.

I was so pleased to have interviewed Susan a couple of months ago and if you missed it,  click here.

(review at the request of author/publicist)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Start your month off right!! DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS. INTERVIEWS with other best-selling AUTHORS!      A SERIES, “The Writer’s Corner”

I have had a wonderful response from other authors and will feature an interview once a month . I have invited such luminaries as: Ann Purser, Susan Elia MacNeal, Maya Angelou, Mark Childress, Rhys Bowen, Dean Koontz, Sheryl Woods, Jo-Ann Mapson, Jeffrey Deaver, Elizabeth Gilbert, Amber Winckler, Robert McCammon, Walter Mosley, Nora Roberts, and many others.

So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers’ special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!  Mark Childress is our April author.  Robert McCammon is scheduled for May. Caroline Leavitt is June‘s author.  July features Rhys Bowen.  Sue Grafton is August’s author and September will feature Tasha Alexander.  Slick mystery writer, Andrew Grant will join us this winter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To receive my posts sign up for my blog, blogs, blogger, writer, author, playwright, books, plays,fiction  Go to the home page; On the right side you’ll see a box where you can enter your email address. Click on “join my blog”. You need to confirm in an email from ‘Writer at Play’ . Thanks!

Book Review “Sea Change”

 writing, creating, reviews,fiction, children's books, fiction for adults, women's fictionRanking: 1 quill

Wish I could give this book a better review.  Where other reviewers site White’s excellent ‘sense of place’ I found it redundant and excessive.  It seemed to me its purpose was more of an attempt to bolster a weak story plot.

I found the heroine’s motives and challenges over worked.  There wasn’t just one weak, (victim-type) woman in the story; they all seemed, to different degrees, victims.  I kept waiting to see one stand up to their man and to what life had dealt out to them and kick some butt. Alas, it never happened.

I have enjoyed some of Karen White’s work but she is inconsistent.  I was unable to finish the last few chapters of this story and that’s a rarity for me.   Sorry, Karen.

To receive my posts sign up for my blog.  Go to the home page; On the right side you’ll see a box where you can enter your email address. Click on “join my blog”. When you get an email from ‘Writer at Play’ be certain to confirm.  Thanks!