writing Archives - Page 2 of 84 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

World of Murder, (A Collection) Now in AUDIO Books

My collection of true crime mysteries is drawn from the ten books in the series. Now available in audiobooks.

Click here for more information and to hear a sample of the audio.

Included are three complete novellas.
* Dance of Murder
* Act of Murder
* Angel of Murder

Synopsis: In the World of Murder series, Detectives Jack O’Roarke and Stella Garcia, two murder cops, seek out killers on the streets of New York City. Their investigations take them from the sleazy world of strip joints to Manhattan’s upper Eastside. Poor and rich alike, no one is exempt from murder. O’Roarke and Garcia are stars at NYPD with their careful forensic investigative skills and just plain, solid cop work.
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

Song of the Yukon is Now an AUDIO-BOOK

I’m so delighted to announce that the long-awaited audiobook of Song of the Yukon is now available on www.amazon.com

“This amazingly well-written book is based on a true story that is both captivating and a compelling read. The characters are so real, and their adventures were entertaining and thought-provoking. I spent an entire four-hour plane ride devouring this book and I would love for the author to write a sequel.”
—Bonnie Jo Davis

Synopsis: Alaska was calling! LaVerne’s dream was to follow the poet Robert Service’s footsteps to the wilds of Alaska. At sixteen she was already writing her own music and believed that her talent could only flourish on the back trails of the Yukon. In 1921, at seventeen, she leaves her home in Tumwater, Washington in the middle of the night and alone. Impersonating a boy, she hires aboard a freighter, out of Seattle, and works her way to the north.

From boat rides on the Yukon, encounters with a native tribe, fighting off male suitors to filing homestead papers, falling in love, and working the land, LaVerne uses newfound frontier wisdom as a basis for expanding both her music and her perceptions. Black-eyed Joe, a native of Alaska told her, “No man owns what Mother Spirit does not freely give”. “What a charming folk tale, LaVerne thought. I could use the story in one of my songs.”

It was in Alaska she learns the realities of frontier life that will shape her future, help her create music, and lead her in directions no woman has explored alone before.

This compelling historical fiction book is based on the true-life story of the author’s Aunt LaVerne. Perfect for anyone who enjoys adventure, the outdoors, tales of survival and triumph against the odds.

The newest stories of the ol’ South will be in audio books next week. Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us and Mother Mac’s Boarding House.
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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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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

FREE eBook of my newest novel on GoodReads.com

I am featuring a new Book Give-Away of Mother Mac’s Boarding House
beginning March 2nd.

100 eBooks FREE so you have
a good chance of winning one.

CLICK on this Link

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

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.

New to town, Marty lands a job at the local Tastee Diner, where 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 her business room by room. As she faces prejudice and hardship, Marty’s resilience and faith in a brighter future never waver.
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

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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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

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:

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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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

Mother Mac’s Receives Stunning Review

Diane Donovan, Sr. Reviewer for Midwest Book Review gave my newest book a stunning review. I am so happy to share it with my readers,

“Mother Mac’s Boarding House is a prequel to Trisha Sugarek’s Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us, and will especially delight readers seeking for more “origin” detail about the Georgia backwoods orphaned siblings.

The story opens with a literal bang: Martha ‘Marty’ McBride never would have believed that a man would have gotten past her defenses and knocked her silly. Spunky, determined Marty MacKenzie is planning an escape from her abusive husband Hank, despite the major challenges of money and locating a safe haven. In 1949, there were few resources for women who wanted to flee such circumstances.

As in her previous book, Sugarek is adept at capturing the thoughts and lingo of the South to bring these Mississippi characters to life: One more meal in this house. One more night with that summa’bitch. Hopefully, this heavy meal will put him to sleep early. Then, tomorrow, if Ah’m lucky̶̶̶̶ and as Mama used to say˗˗’the creek don’t rise’, Ah’ll be gone for good.

When Marty stumbles across an abandoned once-grand house for sale, her new life begins to take shape. Again, Sugarek’s talent for capturing atmosphere, dreams, and realities springs to life through descriptions and reflections which impart a “you are here” feel to her story, where Marty: “…didn’t see the peeling paint, the knee-high weeds choking the grass out, the broken windows, or the hole in the front porch floor. Oh no, all she saw was her future home, and the home of the boarders she would rent rooms to. The meals Ah will make for the lonely traveler. The vase of wildflowers on Mah kitchen table. Marty’s heart skipped a beat as she gazed at the house. She could almost hear the laughter of the boarders, smell the aroma of home-cooked meals, and feel the warmth of a home filled with people and purpose.

How Marty confronts the “old world and its rules” with her own special brand of determination makes for an uplifting, evocative story of transformation that brings the Old South alive. Marty’s chance encounter with Hannah Mae and her brother Jerry thus becomes fuller-bodied with the backdrop of events that come full circle for previous readers while welcoming newcomers to the extraordinary coincidences and self-determined life of a woman whose dreams reach out to embrace everyone around her.

Teens, young adults, and many an adult will relish these strong female characters, which expand from Marty’s world to embrace the circumstances of Elenora Parks, an Army nurse veteran newly returned from the war who finds a new life as a teacher and a home that offers an unexpected sanctuary for a pregnant, grieving woman.

Mother Mac’s Boarding House is an exquisite read not only for its realistic Southern setting and characters, but for its uplifting display of female characters whose actions inject positivity and new options into the world around them.

In stark contrast to the “me first” sentiments that seem to permeate modern times, Marty’s desire to escape results in a creation that offers safe harbors to others, as well.

Additionally, the political and social milieu of the times, which passed many restrictive rules on African Americans, comes to life in the light of personal experience. This is a far more intimate, compelling manner of absorbing civil rights and American history than any nonfiction text could achieve, immersing readers in the life of Marty’s journey.

Marty’s confrontations with social and personal repressive elements, and how she rises above them to influence others’ lives, results in a thoroughly compelling story that is hard to put down.

Libraries choosing Mother Mac’s Boarding House will find its impeccable historical research and equally powerful mix of dialogue and atmosphere makes it a top recommendation for book clubs and reading groups interested in women’s and African American experiences in the 1950s Deep South.

It stands nicely on its own but also serves as an important prequel to the events of Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us, merging history and social inspection in an uplifting, revealing manner that circles around questions of safety, home, connections, and self-determination.” Midwest Book Review
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

When Writing is HOT!

Dear Readers/Writers,
Since my last posting on Jan. 4th, I’ve rarely left my keyboard, each day, from 9 a.m. to sometimes as late as 6 p.m. I’ve rounded the bend with 62,000 words to date and still writing. It would be more accurate to say I am taking dictation from all the characters in my new story.
A Senior reviewer, D. Donovan, at Midwest Book Review, whom I’ve known for years, was willing to review the new book in a raw, very rough first draft so that I could glean a couple of ‘blurbs’ for the book’s cover.
I’m certainly happy I asked. Well, all I can say is Wow!

“Mother Mac’s Boarding House is an exquisite read....” and

“Additionally, the political and social milieu of the times, which passed many restrictive rules on African Americans, comes to life in the light of personal experience. This is a far more intimate, compelling manner of absorbing civil rights and American history than any nonfiction text could achieve, immersing readers in the life of Marty’s journey….”

You’ve often ‘heard’ me describe the event where I write in my head ’till it needs to spill out (no more room) and that my characters take over their own stories and I become merely the typist.

No, it doesn’t happen every time but when it does happen, I consider it the proverbial, “gift horse” and I’m not about to ignore it.

As this is a prequel to Ain’t Nuthin’ Gonna Separate Us, I’ve had to work backwards weaving the dates of that book with this one while being true to the dates of documented American history. I’ve found it to be a challenge.

Just remember, your emerging characters can tell the story far better than you, the Author, can.
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A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK

9/11 Remembered!

9/11 Memorial 2024 911.3

We haven’t forgotten that day…we, each, know exactly where we were when that terrible thing happened. That horrific thing that we never imagined could happen here. I remember I turned on the TV at about 10 that morning, going to catch up on a little news…at first, I thought I was seeing a trailer for an action movie on the screen. Then I tuned my ears in and realized the disbelieving tone to the journalist’s voice, the horror at what we were all watching across our nation. And then the unbelievable on top of the unimaginable, another plane slammed into the second Tower.

Americans gathered today in NY City, at the Pentagon, D.C., and in Pennsylvania to pay respects to the heroes lost that day.
WE AMERICANS WILL NEVER FORGET!

9/11 Memorial (2014,) I’ve been watching those terrible days on TV, relived, from 9/11/2001. The release of new, sometimes grisly, information about that horrific, bright blue, autumn day when our beloved country was invaded for the first time in our history, (if you don’t count the Brits). Over the years I have written some poetry of my reflections, my heartbreak as I visited ground zero and the firehouses [back in the early days], then observed the almost finished repair a few years back. It’s pretty for a cemetery. The building I’m not so fond of the architecture; for me, it resembles a middle finger thrusting into the same blue sky, daring them to try it again? I don’t know…………so here is my latest offering and a couple from other years on this anniversary of our souls weeping, forever changed.

the forever wound (Haiku)

A deep gaping hole
newly covered with scar flesh
a cemetery

the reflective pond
the bright thirteen year old trees
the lost souls still there

the money-men charge
fees to visit our worst time
Ah, America!

Anniversary 9.11.11

I wait to exhale
will terrorists celebrate
with their big loud bang?

walking among us
to celebrate what they did
murder innocence

today, a grief day
remember a bright, fall day
ten short years ago

Ground Zero 9.11.12

Heartache fills the chest
Terrorists murdered thousands
Pain is fresh and new

Haunts walk the gardens
Four hundred trees, firemen all
the fountain of tears

Green leafed trees stand tall
Names carved never to forget
Red, white, blue flies proud

The question begs: Have we learned anything?
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