Mountain Writer

Beneath A Scarlet Sky   by Mark T. Sullivan Published May 1st 2017 by Lake Union Publishing ISBN 1503902374 Hardcover, 460 pages Synopsis In 1943, seventeen-year-old Pino Lella was just a normal Italian teenager.  He loved music, girls, and being out with his friends in Milan.  His family lived and worked in Milan’s Fashion District making luggage and leather goods, but this life of relative comfort was coming to a quick end. The spread of Nazi ideals into Italy, and the Fascist president Mussolini’s cooperation with Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich was leading to changes that would make young Pino grow up fast.   Beneath a Scarlet Sky is a detailed Historical Fiction novel based on the untold story of Pino Lella and his journey from everyday teenager to an unsung hero of World War II.  From 1943 until the end of the war in 1945 Pino not only helped to escort Jews on foot over dangerous mountain passes in the Alps to freedom in Switzerland, but also served as

Photo by   Alexis Brown   on   Unsplash I have an interesting relationship with book clubs- and I think it mainly comes from my background in theatre and my college experiences.  Sure, I LOVE talking about books, but I’m a writer.  And, more than that, I’m a writer who used to perform plays- plays we had to analyze and pick apart and determine motivations within so we could put on a performance that made sense, and made the most of the playwright’s intentions.  So… in other words, I can be a judgmental JERK when it comes to books.  Prior to this experience I have only participated in academic discussions about books- or book clubs with other authors.  And trust me, we were not there to have nice little discussions about how sweet the characters were and how much we love things.  We were there to talk about the good, the bad, the brutal, and passionately argue our points.  Yes- I am THAT PERSON.  In our Silverton community there has been a book club off and on that was alw

Goodreads- The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly In this atmosphere of digital connectivity is it any wonder that platforms such as Goodreads are growing and thriving?  Looking at digital bookshelves and getting personalized recommendations from my friends can make finding new books to read a breeze.  Why would I ever leave my house when I can get recommendations and then download books on my device through my digital online library app- or Kindle E-reader?  I can even order a physical book online through Amazon, and that puppy will show up at my door in 2 days with Prime.  However, I would argue that in the current progress of the digital revolution Goodreads is more likely to phase out than the traditional library.  Changes for the online spectrum tend to happen quickly, and can easily turn a necessity to a has-been overnight. From: https://www.goodreads.com/about/press The Good: In 2016 I finally broke down and started a Goodreads account.  However, it was only when I st