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You are here: Home / Archives for susan pohlman

A YEAR IN ITALY: A Perfect Fit for a Love Story – book review

May 16, 2012 by Patricia Brooks

Cover_PaperbackHTEO

At first glance there seems to be a simple connection between the suggestive yet simple title of Susan Pohlman’s memoir Halfway to Each Other and the breathlessly gorgeous visions we ave
of Italy, but that would be wrong.  The story is so much more.

How a year in Italy brought our family home is enticing and alluring as the sub-title.  The photo
of a weathered red door gracing the cover easily brings us through the entry of
this European lifestyle.

 

Within the pages of this memoir Pohlman is a glorious romantic yet a sensible realist about her marital situation and the risks of leaving her California life behind to live a year in Italy.  A place she and her husband have only known as a beautiful spot for a business conference.

For a year she seamlessly blends the practical side of her life with the beauty of this Italian seaside village they call home by sharing her many stories of courage and hope.
The memoir’s real life back story is as arresting as the one we want to create
about our own possible life there.

The words on the pages are inspired by the love between the author’s four family members who leave Los Angeles County for a place almost unknown to them for an adventure of a lifetime.
That’s the gem of the idea that Pohlman nurtures in her imagination and in real life.

She maintains a journal like email trail by corresponding with her girlfriends in LA about her family’s Italian escapades, but eventually keeps these emails private to produce this journal like memoir.  She is generously writing and begins the outline of the book.

Halfway to Each Other begins in Italy with Pohlman and her husband on a business trip.  She is
contemplating a divorce from him as she is very discouraged and unhappy with the way their life has gone along.  They begin to talk one evening about the possibility of taking a year off from that life while the seaside village where they are staying romances them.

This is also the end of the story of Pohlman and her family’s demanding pace in Los Angeles.  They have come to a fateful bend in the freeway.  When her husband Tim agrees that night at
sunset over a glass of wine that they should go to Italy and live off their savings to find what they have lost they begin ever so slightly to mend their wounds. Their children accept the move at different levels and add a lot to the story.

Pohlman will not know until a chance meeting near their little seaside village apartment that some very wonderful Italian people, now their new neighbors, will change their lives and become forever some of their most loyal friends.

What transpires is a classic expatriate’s success story transcending the commonplace because of the Pohlmans great love for each other as a family and the author’s determination to make it work.

For Pohlman and her husband, as well as their two children of impressionable age, an emergence occurs for them as individuals.  As family time travels for them at a new and
slower pace.  We are allowed to enjoy their journey.

Theirs is a love so big that Pohlman gives up her constant questioning of herself and her marriage and eventually fully embraces her new life with all the lessons, challenges and opportunities it has to offer.

Like other adventure pieces that capture our imagination Hallway to Each Other is built around
the unique cultural and social mores of an Old World country.  I fell in love with Italy while reading these pages and learned a lot about it in this memoir due to the quality of the
editing.

A sampling of European immigrants that changed our country’s look and landscape at one time in our history is beautifully portrayed here.  This book is a great lesson in
that history and an appreciation of the beauty of the Old Country too.

You don’t need to have an immigrant family history to adore the other characters in this book, but you will value Pohlman’s descriptions and dialogue just the same.  She does an
outstanding job endearing their Italian friends and neighbors to us.

You need only a deep appreciation for exquisite writing as this is a story enriched by
the power of abiding love.  I highly recommend this memoir as a cozy summer beach read for 2012.

 

Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, Blogroll, Book Reviews, business consultation, memoir writing workshop, PUBLISHING PICKS, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: authors, books, Italy, marketing books, marriage and family, memoir, publishiing, relationships, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, susan pohlman, women writers, writing

WRITERS FAIRE – Mustang Library/Scottsdale

February 8, 2012 by Patricia Brooks

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS
WRITERS FAIRE
Three Speakers, Authors, Books, Refreshments for Sale

Memoir Writing (non-fiction), Mystery Writing (fiction), Marketing for Publication

WHO: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers

WHAT: Writers Faire – a Sunday afternoon with award winning authors, plus a dozen additional authors of SSWW showing off their books and answering questions!
WHERE: Mustang Library, 90thSt., and Shea Blvd., Scottsdale (behind the hospital)
WHEN:          FEB 19th,  Sunday 1:00-5:00 p.m.
WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers will
generously share their expertise for free and offer an afternoon opportunity for you to network with other women writers and authors for camaraderie and support.
HOW:             PLEASE – RSVP now to Patricia
L. Brooks, president/founder of Scottsdale Society of Women
Writers at patricia@plbrooks.com or Dana Braccia at the Scottsdale Library
WORKSHOPS:
Susan Pohlman, author, memoir (1:30 – 2:15) www.susanpohlman.com
Susan Pohlman is a freelance writer based in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Her essays have been published inThe Washington Times, Family Digest, The Family, Raising Arizona Kids, Guideposts Magazine, Homelife Magazine, AZ Parenting, Goodhousekeeping.com and Italiannotebook.com.
Her memoir, Halfway to Each Other, is her first book and winner of the Relationships category and runner-up in the Memoir category in the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. It was shortlisted for the 2010 Inspy Awards.  She has also written four award-winning short films.
Workshop:
Memoir is a fascinating and powerful literary genre that has enjoyed an increased notoriety in the marketplace. Susan will discuss the unique nature of memoir writing and elements to consider as you embark on a writing journey of your own.
Betty Webb, author, fiction/mystery (2:30 – 3:15)
Before beginning to write mysteries full time, Betty Webb worked as a journalist and interviewed everyone from U.S. presidents, astronauts who walked on the moon, and Nobel Prize-winners, as well as the , the dying, and polygamy runaways. Her mysteries are based on stories she covered as a reporter. Currently a creative writing teacher at Phoenix College, she is a member of National Federation of Press Women, Mystery Writers of America, and  the Society of Southwest Authors.
Workshop: Writing a marketable mystery is harder than it looks. I explain why, describe the mysterious “arc of action,” and how to come up with believable plots and characters so interesting that they can carry you through an entire series. Betty Webb: Author of NEWLY released Desert Wind and Desert Cut, Desert Run, Desert Shadows, Desert Wives:   Polygamy Can Be
Murder, and Desert Noir. All by Poisoned Pen Press.
“Eye-popping,” The New York Times. “Socially conscious mysteries,” Publishers Weekly.  Also a traditional mystery series, beginning with THE ANTEATER OF DEATH.  www.bettywebb-mystery.com
(http://www.bettywebb-mystery.com/) and
www.bettywebb-zoomystery.com (http://www.bettywebb-zoomystery.com/)
Patricia L. Brooks,
author, memoir, publishing/marketing consultant (3:30-4:15)
Patricia is an inspirational speaker, and published author.  She contributes to the success of both men and women.  With her book (and now eBook) “Gifts of Sisterhood” and its grief workshop “Journey from Grief to Gratitude” she is a favorite for Wellness Programs.  Patricia earned a prestigious AZ Authors Association Literary Contest Non-fiction award for this book.
As founder of Brooks Goldmann Publishing Company, LLC www.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com she is the author’s partner for
publishing consultation and offers workshops on writing memoir, self-help,
non-fiction and self-publishing.  Her mission is to enhance the spirit of the author’s journey.  Patricia is president/founder of the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers and a member of the AZ Authors Association, the Willamette Writers, the Phoenix Writers and Pub West.
Workshop: Publish with Marketing in Mind
Find out how easy, as well as how difficult, it is to transform your work into book form and to bring it to market. Learn about the new trends in marketing as they relate to the publishing basics you should address before launching your book to market.   Patricia answers:
Outcomes: Attendee will understand and takeaway the importance of:
Starting six months before the book launch.
  • Designing a good shelf-life book cover
  • Using social media marketing
  • Valuing differentiation
  • Honoring brand and living it
  • Keeping marketing basics in mind
Cell:    480-250-5556             Email
:            patricia@plbrooks.com
Web site www.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com
www.plbrooks.com and blog www.blog.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com
Social networking user names:
FACEBOOK – Patricia L. Brooks
LINKED IN – Patricia L. Brooks
TWITTER – patriciabrooks
GOODREADS Patricia L. Brooks
Goals of the Group
Value all the professional women writers seeking to
share their expertise
Honor all genres and all forms of professional writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as presenters, mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be
    writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty
    personal goals
  • Have fun, meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: authors AZ, AZ Authors Association, AZ BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOC, AZ writers, betty webb, books, creative writing, fiction, free writing event, marketing books, memoir, Mustang Library - Scottsdale, mystery writing, Patriia L. Brooks, Poison Pen, publishing, Scottsdale, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, susan pohlman, Writers Faire, writing

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS welcomes screenwriting expert Susan Pohlman

October 14, 2011 by Patricia Brooks

SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS

Welcomes screenwriting expert to speak
at monthly meeting!

SUSAN POHLMAN – OCT Speaker Scottsdale Society of Women Writers

WHO: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers

WHAT: Monthly Speaker/Dinner Meeting

WHERE: Chaparral Suites Resort,
5001 N, Scottsdale Rd. at Chaparral Rd light,

NE corner – Enter off Chaparral Rd
– 4th Floor Grill entrance, take elevator, exit 4th
floor, left to the Cactus Room

WHEN:          OCT 26th Wed 5:30-7:30 –
Celebrate Fall with us!

WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers
gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with businesses relating to writing and publishing, and camaraderie and support.

HOW:             PLEASE – RSVP now to Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder

Cell 480-250-5556
or patricia@plbrooks.com SEE DETAILS BELOW

SPEAKER: Susan Pohlman www.susanpohlman.com 818-825-6827
Arizona Authors Series www.ArizonaAuthorsSeries.com
Facebook Page

Author of Halfway to Each Other

Susan Pohlman is a freelance writer based in Scottsdale, AZ.
Her essays have been published in The Washington Times,
Family Digest, The Family, Raising Arizona Kids, Guideposts Magazine, Homelife Magazine, AZ Parenting, Goodhousekeeping.com and Italiannotebook.com.

She has written four, award-winning shortfilms. The Toast received two awards in the 2008 TIVA-DC Peer Awards, and Here,There, and Everywhere received awards in four categories in the 2009 TIVA-DC Peer Awards. The Misadventures of Matilda Mench won best screenplay in the 2010 Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project and the 2010 CINE Golden Eagle Award for best Independent Fiction Short. The Pen won best screenplay in the 2011 Baltimore 48.

Halfway to Each Other is her first book and winner of the Relationships category and runner-up in the Memoir category in the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.  It was shortlisted for the 2010 Inspy Awards.

Susan will explore the basics of screenwriting, the process of script to screen, and share how the art of screenwriting pushed her to become a more effective writer overall.

See notes below for dinner fees, new format and new location, thank you.

MENU:  Salad, dessert, beverage and roll or a
sandwich/soup, dessert, beverage and roll – both with tax and gratuity included
– make a CHOICE the night of the meeting.

COST: $22.00 for members – $25.00 for guests (able
to visit twice before joining)

CHECKS:  Please make your check payable to Scottsdale
Society of Women Writers PRIOR to coming to the meeting to save time at the check-in table.  Thank you.

CHECK-IN:  Please check-in between 5:00 and 5:45 at the
table at the door so we can start the meeting promptly at 6:00 – thank you.

(1) Leave your check made payable to SSWW

(2) All those attending the meeting must pay for the
dinner/room/speaker

(3)Have your name checked off the RSVP list

(4) Pick-up your name badge – your receipt for the food
server

AGENDA:  The agendas will be on the dinner table and
the format remains the same.

DIRECTIONS:
Chaparral Suites is in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Fashion Square Mall – Chaparral Rd has a light.  Parking
is in the rear – two large parking lots Note: best to enter from the middle
elevator for the 4th Floor Grille.

From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west.  Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side drive at 4th Floor Grille and come up that elevator – it is in the center of the hotel complex.  There is an awning marked 4th Floor Grille.
This is the easiest way in – not through the lobby.  The parking lots are in the back of the complex.

Goals of the Group

Value all the professional women writers seeking to
share their expertise

  • Honor all genres and all forms of professional
    writing
  • Attend monthly meetings  to move the group and its members
    forward
  • Learn and share in the experiences of monthly
    professional speakers
  • Grow the group to a membership of active and
    contributing women
  • Encourage participation by members as presenters,
    mentors, judges and volunteers
  • Support and challenge each other to always be
    writing
  • Help members to stretch as writers and reach lofty
    personal goals
  • Have fun,  meet trustworthy women writers, share dreams

Filed Under: Blogroll, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: author, books, halfway to each other, publishing, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, screenplay, screenwriter, speaker, susan pohlman, women writers, writing

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Welcome!

REGISTER FOR JUNE 11, 2022, WITH TEXT 480-250-5556 OR patricia@plbrooks.com

THIS EVENT IS NOT PAID ON PAYPAL

please consider purchasing one of the speaker’s books as a thank you and payment

thank you – we look forward to having you there

 


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480-250-5556

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Earl L. Goldmann

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