Today's special guest author is
Ginger "Sugar" Blymyer
Currently this book is only available in print, which is fine with me because there are some really amazing pictures of cinema superstars in it. The very first thing I did when I got this book was flip from page to page just to get a look at all of those wonderful photographs.
A little about Ginger "Sugar" taken directly from her website:
"Her first book a memoir was published in 2002 – Hairdresser to the Stars, A Hollywood Memoir. Hollywood film hairstylist, Ginger “Sugar” Blymyer lived and worked with the most fascinating people in the world. She’s heard their innermost thoughts.
This is her story about show business at it’s most highly exciting times just before everything changed and what happened after that.
She worked for seventeen years with Natalie Wood and many years with Elizabeth Montgomery. Her story includes rare experiences with her favorites: Sean Connery; Tom Hanks; Tom Cruise; William Hurt; Robert Redford; Nick Nolte; Sir Laurence Olivier; James Mason; Gregory Hines and many more."
Star struck!
I am not in the habit of reading non-fiction, but considering the fact that I'm a star struck, old movie enthusiast, how could I not love this book? It is absolutely wonderful. I'm sure there were many scandalous incidents that occurred on the sets of such movies as How The West Was Won, The Birds, McLintock!, The Boston Strangler, and on and on, but Ginger Sugar is lady enough not to repeat those in her book. What she did was, tell you her impressions of the actors, directors and crew members she worked with, some of which are very pleasant, while others not so much, as well as tell the reader about life-long friendships with some of those infamous movie stars. I'm not going to put any spoilers in this review because I had so much fun reading about how Ginger Sugar helped such stars as Robert Redford (great story) feel more comfortable, or why Natalie Wood always wore a large bracelet.
Another thing I really loved about this book was that it discusses Ginger Sugar's personal life - marriage and children - and how that side of her was affected by her career. It is an honest account of her life's journey and the movie business. This book also discusses following your dreams, even though they may not turn out as you expected.
If you are an old movie buff, I highly recommend this read.
Books by Ginger "Sugar" Blymyer:
Ginger "Sugar": I am 77, born in Los Angeles, worked in movie business as a hairdresser for over 40 years. In between a farmer in Appalachia, with nine foster kids. Went broke, went back to LA and then bought Snowvillage Inn in 1978 and began running that for 8 1/2 years. Loved that. Was writing a bit all along. Opened a metaphysical bookshop in 1990 called The Jumping off Place and ran it for 4 years and then sold it to my manager. Then did Realty for a couple of down market years and then decided to become a writer.
My husband was a gaffer, lighting. He retired in 2005 and wanted to live in the sun so we moved to Mexico. Ajijic where we lived for 15 months and then he died suddenly. So here I am back in California in Ojai, in a nice little house with my doggie Ramsey a Shiu Tzu and two new kittens. I am pretty quiet now. Just had my knee replaced. I lost the sight in one eye so don't drive too far. My heart is still in New England where I lived for 30 years, but it is good for me to be here where there is no ice in the winter. Two daughters live here and two sisters. When getting old it is good to have someone who knows you close.
I have been working with my youngest daughter on a TV series for THE INN and we have a pre pilot, a script and ideas for lots more scripts. We went to film in New Hampshire at the Inn we used to own. We are also working on some other movie projects together. This is so much fun.
I have always been an optimist. I am a devotee of Adi Da Samaraj and have been for 20 years. This is The Way of the Heart and a great focus of His Teachings are about remembering you are already happy. Lots of studies with this and He changed my life for the very best.
Sandy: When did your interest in writing originate?
Ginger "Sugar": My interest in writing actually began 50 years ago when I went to work in Europe on The Great Race. Someone gave me a travel diary and I have had a journal ever since. I wanted to keep track of my life and thoughts. When I lived in Appalachia I began sort of writing about my movie career. I only had a word processor in those days. Then when I moved to the inn I kept on writing when I had time. I also wrote other things too. It took me so long, I was still living my book. Finally in 1996 my husband was going to work on Mortal Kombat, Annihilation in Wales, London, Jordan and Thailand. I promised I'd finish my book if I could go. So I got a new lap top and off I went. I did finally finish my book and found a publisher. First Xlibris where I could only have 10 photos. A year or so later I found a woman to publicize the book but instead she reedited it and we put in nearly a hundred photos and made it larger and I went to Infinity to have it published. It was so much better. The sad thing was that woman didn't know how to publicize. But it was done anyway. The book is all about my life behind the scenes of Hollywood as a hairstylist. As one friend who read it said, "Now I know more about you than I ever wanted to know."
I wanted to inspire people to go for what they wanted to do in life.
Sandy: What is this books about?
Ginger "Sugar": It is all about my life as a hairdresser in Hollywood and the people I worked with and a little afterward. The Inn and more.
Sandy: Was there a particular incident that persuaded you to write this book?
Ginger "Sugar": No particular incident, inspired me to write, I just had all this stuff to share. My husband asked me once if I ever had an undeclared thought? My answer was obviously no.
Sandy: Do you have a specific writing style? Any quirks or superstitious routines you stick to?
Ginger "Sugar": I would say it is easy to read. I am not a great writer but with my novel Flying into the Sun, my style had improved and is easy and fun to read.