Trisha Sugarek's Blog, page 89

Keep Those Creative Doors Unlocked!

So I'm currently working on Book 5 in the series, The World of Murder.  The Taste of Murder takes place in and around the Food Network and cooking shows.

My two detectives, O'Roarke and Garcia are waiting for the elevator to take them down to the lobby at the Food Network studios. And who walks off the elevator but Arnold Miller, Broadway star... and one of my characters from The Act of Murder.

I stared at my screen for a second and then asked, aloud, 'Arnold, what are you doing in this book?'  I got no answer of course so decided to see where Arnold would lead me.  My readers  know by now that I am a staunch  believer that at some point the story takes over and the writer goes along for the ride....we become the typist.  So why was I surprised when Arnold rushed out of an elevator and almost mowed down my two murder cops?  Well, it turns out that Arnold knew my victim and his lover. He really filled our ear with all the latest gossip!

I also believe that the best stories are based in truth.  My first inspiration to write The Taste of Murder sprouted (pun intended) from watching competition, cooking shows.  I thought to myself, 'would it be interesting if one of the judges got knocked off...in front of two dozen witnesses?'   A month and ten thousand words later, it was very bizarre to be watching one of my favorite shows the other night and who walks on set as the surprise celebrity judge?  MY MURDER VICTIM!   Wait! He's dead.  Wait, that's not right....it's fiction.

Keep the doors to your mind and creative soul OPEN AT ALL TIMES. You just never know what will happen next.   If you are very lucky, your story won't turn out the way that you had planned.  It will  be better, richer, and in the case of my murder series, more intriguing.  I don't know where the plot is going yet but Arnold appearing just added an extra layer to what is developing.

As a writer, it's my favorite thing to have happen; when my story takes a sharp left and wanders down a path I hadn't planned....not really caring whether I follow it or not!

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DON'T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with  best-selling AUTHORS!

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A review: 'Blood Day' by Sarah Butland

I was asked to review a short story, ‘Blood Day’ by Sarah Butland, a new friend on Facebook.

REVIEW: The hook at the beginning of this short story is effective. I wanted to stay and see where this was leading and it began to draw me in very quickly. The story is disturbing but very well written. Is our heroine in a state of a psychotic break or a genius trying to find herself and fit herself into a mundane and terrifying world?

'Writer's often say their characters are not a part of themselves but are themselves and that writing is

simply thinking on paper. Then I wonder why I didn't think at all when I wrote as much as I did.'   

Sarah is a talented writer and it is my hope that she develops this into something more.~~ Trisha Sugarek, WriteratPlay.com

 

Leonard Said, 'Yes!' The Big Bang Theory!

       Penny and Leonard sittin' in a tree....k.i.s.s.i.n.g.

Half in fun, half serious Penny and Leonard have been proposing to each other, always confident that they would turn each other down.  Within the brilliant writing of Chuck Lorre's writing team,  Leonard and Penny are arguing.  Viewers squirm at how awkward the scene is, (again, the brilliance of Lorre's writing) and then there is one last proposal and Leonard tells Penny 'Yes! I'll be your bran-muffin.'

Then in a pure moment of geek love, Leonard gets down on one knee in front of Penny, opens his wallet and digs around until he finds the ring he's been carrying around 'for a while' (two years).  He purposes very formally and Penny says 'yes'.  Leading up to this momentous event the episode was a delightful collection of vignettes of each couple and their strange and wonderful love for each other.  Sheldon's description of his written relationship agreement with Amy, and his successful attempts at dodging any physical contact with Amy is so deadpan and made even more hysterical by Sheldon's irrefutable logic.

Chuck Lorre has been writing a 'blog' before any of us ever thought to do so.  He calls it his vanity page.  And I pause my DVR and read them regularly......Did you know that mainland China has banned The Big Bang Theory?  Yep.

Chuck is certain that  it is because of his characters' references to the Chinese being good at math, photography, and chess.  He goes on to quip that being banned in China was a goal of his from the beginning.  Mission accomplished.  The man is too, too, too funny!

I am constantly inspired by writers like Chuck Lorre.  Next time you, who are die-hard fans of The Big Bang, watch the show, LISTEN to the writing.

More about The Big Bang Theory click here

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DON'T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with  best-selling AUTHORS!

In addition to my twice weekly blog I also feature an interview with another author once a month. So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers' special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!    Dean Koontz is my June author.

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

Caleb Johnson Wins American Idol!

Okay, it's just my prediction.....but with Wednesday night's performance of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" in a unique and tender (for Caleb) rendition, Caleb Johnson won the competition three weeks early.

You might ask, 'why is Trish writing about American Idol?'  Maybe it's because lyrics are poetry put to music.

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time

Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time

You hung me on a line

Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you...(written by Paul McCartney)

But wait!  There's another artist who is nipping at Caleb's heels.  Alex Preston is so very different.  Quiet, a ballad singer, deconstructing every song and re-purposing it to be uniquely his.  A young John Prine....and if you don't know who that is....shame on you (lol) Google John Prine, his music and lyrics.  Here's an excerpt of lyrics (remember...it's poetry) from one of my favorite songs written by Prine.

That`s the way that the world goes `round  © (John Prine)

you`re up one day

and the next you`re down

it`s half an inch of water

and you think you`re gonna drown

that`s the way that the world goes `round.

I was sitting in the bathtub

counting my toes

when the radiator broke

water all froze

I got stuck in the ice

without my clothes

naked as the eyes of a clown

I was crying ice cubes

hoping I`d croak

when the sun come through the window

the ice all broke

I stood up and laughed

thought it was a joke

and my offering......©  (Trisha Sugarek)

Ashes waft over the meadow

a jet stream of sorrow,

beckoning the widow to the edge,

down to the river

Contented epoch, at the creek

where the wolves run,

he lived and laughed

down to the river

We watched the bright blue stars foxtrot

across the milky way,

a midnight indigo quilt shivering with light

Mountain men whose toughened hands

cradle their violin and mouth harp

Music soared amidst craggy chiseled countenance

down to the river

We listened to the chaste screech of a hawk,

the forlorn cry of the mountain cat, soft snuffling of a bear,

watery splash of a fish

You and I waltzed in the meadow

no music needed other than

the love song that pulsed in our hearts

down to the river

 

 

 

Take a Peek Into a Killer's Mind...If You Dare!

When I wrote the chapters using the serial killer's voice, I was slightly creeped out by the character that I had created.  But when my narrator, Daniel Dorse created the killer in the audio version of Book 4, The Angel of Murder, I was REALLY creeped out.  It seemed a perfect time to share an excerpt of the audio book with my readers, followers, and fellow writers. 

If you want to hear more click here for another excerpt.

The World of Murder is available in paperback, e-books and Audio.

www.audible.com, www.amazon.com, and iTunes.com

Audio SAMPLE, click here  angel2

'The World of Murder' books are available in paperback, e-books and audio.

Narration by: Daniel Dorse, www.acx.com (the voice of Jack O'Roarke)

EXCERPT © from book:

O’Roarke and Garcia sat in the conference room where they had organized their murder board.  They were very uneasy about the ritualistic way in which Brittany James had been laid out and knew that this was just the beginning.  They hoped and prayed that they were wrong.

Missing Persons, in several other boroughs besides Manhattan, had sent over all reports that matched Brittany’s MO.  Little girls, ages five to seven, blonde, taken recently from a public place. Stella stood in front of the dry erasure board and built the story as they knew it. 

“We’ve got a total of four; three girls so far that are missing; one now confirmed dead.  One in Brooklyn, deceased, two missing in Manhattan and one out on Staten Island.  We both want to be wrong, Jack, but the way Brittany was laid out?  It’s definitely a ritual killing and I’ve got a horrible feeling that it won’t be our last.”

“Shit!  I know.”  He studied what Stella had written so far.

“The flowers, the communion dress, the gold cross; it’s like the killer was holding a funeral for her.  Brittany is not catholic so what does the crucifix mean?  My money is on the killer being catholic.”

“When will we know if they got any prints off the dress or the body?” Stella asked.

“I dropped by on my way in this morning and put the fear of God into them.  Told them the next little girl that we find dead, and we will, is on them if they don’t push our case through.”

“Whad’ they say?” Stella asked.

“Told me to get out if I knew what was good for me.  That I’d have ‘em when I had ‘em.”

“Damn it!”

“Language, Stel’.  What would our kids say?”

“I get to swear when I’m not being ‘Mommy’.”

“Okay, I guess that’s only fair.”

O’Roarke stared at his partner.

“What?” Stella asked.

“Your hair’s different.”

Stella blushed as her hand unconsciously went up to her hair to smooth it.

"Not really.”  She hated when Jack noticed something personal.

“Yeah...you got more streaky.”

“Just a little ‘brightening’. I needed a lift.”

“Looks good.”

Stella turned back to the board, eager to get the focus off of her hair.

“I got an email from Ruby this morning.  The vic’s feet had been carefully washed; post mortem, she believes.”

“That’s fuckin’ creepy.” Jack barked.

“And the rest of it isn’t?”  Stella turned and added that fact to their board.

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'The Angel of Murder', Now In Audio!

Just released! Book 4 in the World of Murder series is in AUDIO now!

Murder cops, O’Roarke and Garcia have a serial killer on their hands in Book 4 of The World of Murder series. The bodies of children, dressed for communion, are turning up in all five boroughs of New York City and there are no suspects. To complicate their investigation, a private detective has been hired by one of the families to find one of the missing girls. In spite of all their efforts, O’Roarke and Garcia watch as their case goes cold. Who is this monster and when will he strike again?

Available at:  www.audible.com, www.amazon.com, and iTunes.com  AUDIO SAMPLE:angel

Audible.com is offering it FREE now with a free trial membership!

REVIEW:  ......'what really makes this book interesting is that the author lets us see into the mind of the killer without giving away the identity. All the while you are wondering how the perpetrator can get away with it, you are seeing the world as the murderer sees it.  It's chilling, and insightful, and a nice addition to the police work and the side stories.

Oh, and there's a new character, a PI, that I hope we'll see more of, either in future World of Murder books or in his own series. A good read.'

'The World of Murder' books are available in paperback, e-books and audio.

Narration by: Daniel Dorse, www.acx.com (the voice of Jack O'Roarke)

 

 

 

A Word About Censorship and Trust!

I'm a wise, old lady writer.  I've been knocked around a little by life, finally learned  from my mistakes, but all in all had a good life.  The biggest blessing in my years here has been my writing.  I read another profound piece by my hero, Charles 'Hank' Bukowski and it got me to thinking about who we should trust with our precious scribblings.  More about that later.

A tale of Censorship and Trust.....I recently have been trying to find just the right person to help me with my social networking, public relations and marketing my books.  A young woman answered my ad and she seemed like the ideal fit; she knew everything about social media and was working toward a career in public relations.   In the initial interview (via Skype) we were on a roll; she was ready to get to work and I offered her the job.  In the conversation we touched on women's issues and that led me to telling her a little about one of my novels, Women Outside the Walls.  (She had not researched me or my writing before the interview).  The story is of women going to visit their men in prison...sometimes for years.  It's a 'gritty and truthful book'.  This young woman's face shut down. Her next question was, "is there anything socially redeeming about your books?"  I almost swallowed my tongue to keep from saying a bad word.  Who did she think she was?

In an email ten minutes later she wrote me that "she could not work for me because of her religious and moral beliefs."  

You are not going to meet a more liberal person than me when it comes to religion.  If you want to worship that carrot laying on the kitchen counter, GO FOR IT!  Far more interesting than the 'mystery of life', to my mind, is the mystery of death.  We don't know what lies beyond this short spurt we have on earth.

What if this woman had censored my work while I was writing it?  What if I had trusted her opinion of my work enough to stop writing?  What if she had the religious and/or governmental power to throw my books on a bonfire?  Don't laugh, it's happened over and over throughout history.  A new friend told me:  "While the words we write for others are often better than the word's we write for ourselves,  it is sometimes good to step back and read those words and apply them to ourselves.  Be bold and write your heart always."

So, be very careful who you show your work to.  Critique the critique!   Charles Bukowski knew this...so I encourage you to read on.

working it out ©  (excerpt)

'.......I go downstairs for another bottle, switch on the

cable and there's Greg Peck pretending he's F.Scott and

he's very excited and he's reading his manuscript to his lady.

I turn the set

off.

what kind of writer is that?  reading his pages to

a lady?  this is a violation...

I return upstairs and my two cats follow me, they are

fine fellows, we have no discontent, ,we have no

arguments, we listen to the same music, never vote for a

president.

one of my cats, the big one, leaps on the back

of my chair, rubs against my shoulders and neck.

"no good," I tell him, "I'm not going to read

you this poem."

he leaps to the floor and walks out to the balcony and his buddy

follows....they sit and watch the night.

these early a.m. mornings when almost everybody

is asleep, small night bugs, winged things enter,

and circle and whirl.

the machine hums its electric him, and having

opened and tasted the new bottle I type the next line.

you can read it to your lady and she'll probably tell you it's nonsense.

she'll be reading Tender Is the Night.'

 

(Courtesy of HarperCollins: Title: You get so Alone at times that it Just Makes Sense, by Charles Bukowski)

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In addition to my twice weekly blog I also feature an interview with another author once a month. So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers' special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!      Dean Koontz just granted me an interview and will be featured here in June!

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Do you have Strange Rituals When Writing? (part 2)

Remember, no ritual should ever take the place of actually getting words on the page . But they can help you shift your mindset just enough to see things in a fresh way.

In the immortal words of novelist and screenwriter Raymond Chandler:  'Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered potholder.'

'What are your rituals, Trish?'  Oh, yes I did promise to share my rituals.....I wake up naturally (34 years of alarm clocks were more than enough, thank you!) sometime before 9AM, depending on what my body needs and how long I was up during the night, writing.

Still in my nightgown, I walk across the house to my kitchen, two golden retrievers padding along at my heels.  They know what's coming....breakfast.  I get my hot tea going, (loose tea leaves, of course and a whole pot as I will finish it before the afternoon.) Let the dogs out, feed the cat, and the tea is ready by now.

My studio

Throwing a Tee over my nightwear, I walk back to my studio, with tea in hand, and begin the juices flowing by answering emails, checking to see what activity my web site received.   I then open my manuscript and read what I wrote yesterday.  That usually takes a couple of hours fleshing out what I wrote and editing and rewriting.  And rewriting again.  This seems to trigger creativity....I am ready to write the next chapters.  Maybe I'll take a break and write a new poem which I will add to my new book of poetry.

Another area that is 'food' for creativity is writing my blog twice a week.  It's coming up on two years that I have posted.....it seems like there's always something to say.

Hours later I find myself still at my computer, writing.  Still in my nightgown, tea gone cold, joints too stiff to stand.  (sigh)  Time to shower and get dressed, run on an errand.  Now this is where it gets interesting.....when I am in the car the creative thinking flows and begins to write itself in my head.  On many days I have cut my errands short and rushed back to my computer.  Sometimes when I can't go back I will call my voice-mail and leave myself notes about a new character, a new thread, a new idea.

I have post-it notes in the rooms of my house and in my car.  Frequently I write (in my head) in the middle of the night between sleep and waking.  I have a large tablet by my bed so I can write it down before I forget, which I will do by morning.  Good stuff at 3AM in the night!

Murder Board for each mystery

My work space

My studio is filled with my art (watercolor and charcoal)and the many things that I love to see and have around me.  My desk is messy with research books, papers, pens.  When writing my murder mysteries, I create a murder board with victims, suspects, and story lines.

This is also a question that I ask in my Interviews with best-selling authors (once a month).  The answers vary and are fascinating.

What’s your ritual?

Read Part I of Odd Rituals

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DON'T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with  best-selling AUTHORS!

In addition to my twice weekly blog I also feature an interview with another author once a month. So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers' special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!      Dean Koontz just granted me an interview and will be featured here in June!

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Can You Smell Life!?!.....Time to Share more Poetry!

While posting some of my poetry on line I came across this one that I had written awhile back.  And I wondered....do other people smell life like I do?  Or is it just me and my nose running wild?   Anyway,  I love the smells of life!

Fragrance of Life ©

Cool rain drums on blistering

asphalt, the scent streams into

the nostrils--hot, grassy smell of

summer, freshly cut-smoky

cedar lingers on the air

Fresh popcorn drenched in

butter, I sit in the dark, musty

movie house. Childhood

memories of Tom Mix dashing

across the screen

A breath, deep of rain-damp wool,

heady peat of whiskey

neat. Old butt-imprinted leather

and the dusty, pulpy smell of a

well thumbed book as the page

is turned

The mule drawn plow turns the

rich, boggy earth beneath an

autumn sky. With luck and some

rain the larder is full at harvest

time

Wrapped in strong arms, nose

pressed to warm skin smelling of

soap and outdoors. Drinking the

heat in with the smell of the

man, your man

Sweet puppy breath. Pure

doggy conviction that you will

love him as much as he loves

you

Candles and incense in the

great cathedral… the heart fills

with faith, hope, and expectation

Soft curls, sweet skin, the babe

squirms closer… powdery

newness, innocence, and trust

Briny, sharp tang of the northern

sea. Balmy, yielding, essence

under the Southern Cross

Green aftertaste, fishy decay

and salty fresh scent of the

clean-swept beach

Sultry air twines itself through the

Quarter, crushed sugar, wet

pavement, yeasty bouquet of

hot beignet. Warm beer,

praline sweet, heady grape

Old river water slugs along

Stifling, coppery smell of blood

be it the battle field, hospital,

crime scene, butcher shop, or

birthing room…

Cloys In the nostrils sticks in the

back of the throat like old mucus

Icy sweetness of winter air,

frigid sting of snow to come…

sharp pine tantalizes the senses,

as harsh breath smokes the air

Steaming manure in fresh straw,

roasted peanuts, pink spun

sugary sweet…

the pungent animals stalk the cage

Sawdust under old

canvas glows like old gold in a

shaft of sun light.

The Big Top!

Childhood rushes back

The smell of her on your

mustache… you don’t want to

wash your face… lose the

heady scent of her love

New trees struggle to rise above

a sea of old petroleum

Pine sol lies still on the cold tiles,

stale baloney on old bread

Rancid tired clothes reek of cheap cologne

The truck belches halitosis

Move on down the highway

Sharp fall gusts through the

quaking aspen,

pitchy sap barks in the

crackling fire,

snowy air assaults the senses

The loon sings, warming and

plucking at the heart.

A Review:  'A fascinating mélange of sensual experiences. Your poem reads like a mosaic -- never tiring us by lingering too long on a particular stimulation. Every line is fresh and invigorating. Read carefully, we actually smell the "stale baloney on old bread" or hear the "pitchy sap barking in the crackling fire".'  PoetrySoup.com

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DON'T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with  best-selling AUTHORS!

In addition to my twice weekly blog I also feature an interview with another author once a month. So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers' special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!   

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

 

Do You have Strange Rituals when Writing?

Strange habits of very successful writers.  Courtesy:  Kelton Reid, Copyblogger Media writer.

1.Try writing horizontally.

George Orwell, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Winston Churchill, and Marcel Proust were all famous for churning out pages while lying in bed. Novelist Truman Capote also wrote everything in longhand in the horizontal position. Don’t forget, proper rest is crucial to creativity, so if you’re already there, why not grab the laptop and give it a try?

2.Take a walk or bike ride without a destination in mind.

Charles Dickens and Henry Miller both used to wander around Europe trying to get lost, a technique that psychologists say can foster creativity.

3.Write at a time of day that suits your productivity.

Honoré de Balzac would get up at midnight and drink black coffee well into the next day. Flannery O’Connor only wrote for two hours a day.

5.Loosen up.

Pulitzer Prize winning author John Cheever wrote mostly in his underwear. My friend and prolific travel journalist Adam Skolnick used to write only in a sarong.

6.Save your back.

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus both found the exhilaration and pain-saving exercise of writing while standing, a technique that is finding resurgence among health-conscious writers.

7.If all else fails, have a drink … or two.

Immortal copywriter David Ogilvy would drink a “…half bottle of rum and play a Handel oratorio on the gramophone.” He also claimed to be a lousy copywriter but a great editor. He would edit his writing 4 or 5 times before showing it to anyone.

In part two I will share my strange habits and rituals.  I would love to hear from you about your writing rituals. I will post them if you send them.

Here are some from the authors I have interviewed:  Jo-Ann Mapson: 'No rituals other than a cool drink and fan blowing.' Tasha Alexander: 'I can write in an airport lounge, a coffee shop, on a bench waiting for my son to come out of his drawing class. My preferred spot at home is my bedroom.'  Robert McCammon: 'I do have my cup of coffee at hand. Sometimes it's a glass of wine, just depends on the mood. Sometimes depending upon what I'm writing, it's a glass of whiskey, too!'  Raymond Benson: 'On a normal day, often I’m in my sleepwear in the mornings up until the lunch hour.'    Read more

Check out 'Rituals' Part 2 on May 6th.

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

DON'T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with  best-selling AUTHORS!

In addition to my twice weekly blog I also feature an interview with another author once a month. So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers' special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!      Dean Koontz just granted me an interview and will be featured here soon!

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