Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 08-29-08

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Dear Reader,

Just because I feel passionate about something doesn't mean it's going to be easy. It's usually the opposite. Because I care so much about what I'm doing, I talk myself into a crazed frenzy, 'This is your one shot Suzanne and you need to make it good. Show 'em what you've got!' Twenty minutes later after putting on the pressure, I'm paralyzed and I've got nothing. How could anyone possibly live up to all that hype?

So my de-hype method is to trick myself. Instead of sitting at my desk and working on my computer, I leave my laptop behind, grab a pen and some paper and sit in my sunroom, living room, kitchen, or even the bathroom (actually the bathroom is one of my better places to work). Come to think of it, maybe there's a book waiting for me in the bathroom? Plenty of people find inspiration there, maybe I could too? "Writer sequesters herself in bathroom for an entire year, until she finishes book." Hmm, maybe I'll call my agent today and run that idea by him.

Changing the room I normally work in and leaving my computer behind, tricks my brain into thinking 'Suzanne's not really working.' Then I relax and the fun stuff happens. Can't really blame it for not showing up sooner, who wants to play with Suzanne when she's stressed out? Even I don't like to be around myself then.

My office is in my home so if things get desperate staying in my PJs all day is another way to confuse my mind. 'It's three in the afternoon, Suzanne is still wearing her nightgown, so we must not be working yet.' But if you ever try this pajama trick, be sure to unlock the door behind you when you run out to get the mail, it gets kind of awkward standing on your neighbor's doorstep asking to use their phone and trying to explain writing, passion, and tricking your mind.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

SEARCHING FOR YOUR NEXT BIG THRILL? Read exclusive features with Matt Bronleewe and James Scott Bell. Win copies and read about this month's new thrillers from: James Scott Bell, Jeffery Deaver, Sandra Balzo, Brandon Massey, Chris Grabenstein, Kathy Reichs, Matt Bronleewe, Berntsen & Pezzullo, Jonathan Maberry, James Phelan, Alafair Burke and Joe Lansdale. Visit the August issue of the Big Thrill now! http://www.thrillerwriters.org

Dear Reader Column 08-28-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

How can it be so easy some days, and other days so out of reach? Some days I can look at a picture frame on my desk and write a hilarious column about it, and other days like today, all I see is a picture frame. Help, I need a writing intervention. Isn't there a Writer's Anonymous Group? Place a desperate call to my writing sponsor and if she can't talk me through it, a group of writers show up at my house and hold me down in my chair until I've written words for at least 20 minutes--useable words.

Writers understand writers; they'd stick with me through the first and second drafts, wouldn't dare leave me on my own and say good-bye, until I was coming down the home stretch. And no matter how much I begged, "Please, let me run an old column tomorrow, no one will know--just one more old column, that's all I need and I promise--I'll never do it again." They wouldn't believe a word of it.

Writers know what's best for writers. One little slip--take one day off when you're in the midst of a writer's block and the blank screen challenges you again tomorrow. The first step to Writer's Block recovery is to start writing and it better happen soon, or this writer's intervention group will never let me out of this chair, especially since they've just discovered my stash of chocolate chip cookies.

So let's try this again, "Did you hear the one about the picture frame, the writer's intervention group and the two dozen chocolate chip cookies?" I'm on my way to recovery.

* If you haven't entered this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway, there's still time. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/5wotz2

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books worth your time. Win free copies of books you'll be so glad you discovered: Rita Herron, Insatiable Desire; EA Benedek, Red Sea; Brenda Shoshanna, Ph.D., Jewish Dharma (A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen); Debbie Macomber, 8 Sandpiper Way; and Shobhan Bantwal, The Forbidden Daughter. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 08-27-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Blood would have to be gushing out of me before I could ever call in sick to work without experiencing huge amounts of guilt. A strong work ethic was drilled into me when I was young. The importance of work is so ingrained in my psyche, that years ago when I was in a motorcycle accident and had to be transported by ambulance to the Emergency Room, when I finally came to my first concern was, "I don't know what my name is, but I do know where I work. Could someone call, describe what I looked like and tell them I won't be in today?"

It was a wake up call. When did work become my life?

I spent three days in the hospital and six weeks in a cast and crutches thinking about it, and decided work was important, but work was not my life. The problem is I love my work, so I tend to get the words work and life confused. When I'm not working I tell myself I'm taking a break from "life"--but the joke's on me, because it's in those "breaks from life" where I discover what's really important to me.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 08-26-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Thanks for taking the time to write. Reading emails from book club readers is the best part of my job. I think I was the last person in our book club to learn about Flat Stanley. My email box has been overflowing with Flat Stanley adventures. If you missed last week's column, here's a link, http://tinyurl.com/5qtjp6.

From my Email Bag:

"Hi Suzanne, I was at Westbury, Long Island, NY last week for a '40 Years Ago Today Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' concert where the album was performed in its entirety as a tribute by Todd Rundgren, Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Christopher Cross, Bo Bice, and Denny Laine of the Moody Blues and Wings, accompanied by The Classical Hits Symphonette, when someone in the audience handed a Flat Stanley to the keyboard musician to hold up while he was playing and someone took a photo! It was such a fun idea and so nice of the key board guy to go along with it. It's amazing how Flat Stanley gets around. Have fun showing him Sarasota!"--Pat Badolato

"My granddaughter had Flat Stanley two years ago and we had a ball. One of her aunts even made appropriate beach attire for him. And one of my customers took him to Cancun. It is amazing how such a simple idea like Flat Stanley opens up such creativity in peoples' minds. Love reading with you..."--Mary from Iowa

"Our daughter and her class did the Flat Stanley project when she was in the second grade. Our whole family fell in love with Flat Stanley. Jim, a friend of the family, took him to Italy on his vacation and it was quite the conversation starter. Jim had never heard of Flat Stanley prior to his trip, but as he walked around Rome with the little guy on his shoulder he was approached by fellow Americans who recognized Stanley instantly. You are going to have a blast with Flat Stanley. Don't forget to post pictures."--Debbie Hanley

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

SEARCHING FOR YOUR NEXT BIG THRILL? Read exclusive features with Matt Bronleewe and James Scott Bell. Win copies and read about this month's new thrillers from: James Scott Bell, Jeffery Deaver, Sandra Balzo, Brandon Massey, Chris Grabenstein, Kathy Reichs, Matt Bronleewe, Berntsen & Pezzullo, Jonathan Maberry, James Phelan, Alafair Burke and Joe Lansdale. Visit the August issue of the Big Thrill now! http://www.thrillerwriters.org

Dear Reader Column 08-25-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Today is the August Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway. Last month my chocolate chip cookies were entered in a Cookie Contest at the Palos Heights Public Library in Illinois. The librarians taste-tested my cookies against author Julie Hyzy's cookies. Read all about it, see photos and enter this month's cookie giveaway, go to: http://tinyurl.com/5wotz2

All you need to do to enter the cookie drawing is email a friend and tell them about the book club. Send me a copy of your email and you're entered. It's that simple!

I'm ready to bake. Be sure to enter by August 29th.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books worth your time. Win free copies of books you'll be so glad you discovered: Rita Herron, Insatiable Desire; EA Benedek, Red Sea; Brenda Shoshanna, Ph.D., Jewish Dharma (A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen); Debbie Macomber, 8 Sandpiper Way; and Shobhan Bantwal, The Forbidden Daughter. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 08-22-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

I've decided that I'm at my best when I'm looking forward to something. Anticipation inspires and makes me more creative, yet it's the first thing I'm willing to reject, telling myself I don't have time for such nonsense.

A few weeks ago when I first thought about planning a birthday party for a friend, my next thought was, "I'm swamped and don't have time for any extracurricular activities." Yet in the two weeks leading up to party-day, whenever I didn't feel like working or felt discouraged about something, I'd daydream about the upcoming party and instantly I'd get a burst of energy.

Thinking about decorations, deciding on a menu, choosing a party theme, the "work" of party planning--the anticipation of it all--inspired creativity in my every day work. This girl couldn't drive to the party store to look around until she'd cleared the work off her desk. So whether I felt like it or not, I got right down to business.

The birthday party was last Monday night and yes, it was a lot of fun. But then after a couple of days of basking in after party glow, I started looking for anticipation again and that's when Flat Stanley showed up in my email box. Book club reader Sandra Anderson teaches second grade at North Liberty Elementary School and one of the children in her class will be sending me a Flat Stanley in September for a two week vacation. (The Flat Stanley project is based on the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown.) The purpose of the project is to introduce students to writing skills. Flat Stanley arrives with a letter of introduction and my job is to show him around and respond with a letter when I ship him back home.

My guest room is spruced up and all ready for company. I've promised to show Flat Stanley a great time. He can go to work with me, we'll get in a little beach time on Siesta Key, I can read him bedtime stories and of course we'll be baking--I sure hope he likes chocolate chip cookies.

Ah...anticipation...it's the inspiration for my happiness and creativity.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 08-21-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Congratulations to the winners of yesterday's "Vacation" book giveaway: Janet Gaylord, Jeanie McKinley and Debbie Wilson. If you've never entered a giveaway, you should, someone always wins.

Be sure to check out today's AuthorBuzz, where you can meet five authors and you might win a signed copy of a great new book, too. The link is right after my column.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Win free copies of books you'll read and never forget from these terrific authors: Danielle Younge-Ullman, Falling Under; Tish Cohen, Inside Out Girl; Carolyn Baugh, The View from Garden City; Eric Van Lustbader, First Daughter; and Julia London; The Book of Scandal. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 08-20-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

If you need a vacation, but can't get out of town I have a gift for you. Two books that will help you relax and wake up feeling so refreshed that you'll think you've been on vacation. Register to win a copy of How to Sleep Soundly Tonight and Relax, Mind, Body & Soul both books by author Barbara L. Heller. I have 6 books to give away. Send me an email and tell me why you need a vacation and I will enter your name in the drawing. Please be sure to include your address. Due to Tropical Storm Fay, I'm not going to be able to send you a response to your email, but I will let you know if you are the winner.

To enter the drawing for the books send an email to me at: Suzanne@EmailBookclub.com

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 08-19-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

(Suzanne was preparing for Fay when she wrote this on Monday morning.)

My husband spent this past weekend getting ready for Hurricane Fay. I spent the weekend getting ready for a birthday party. Tonight eleven guests are showing up at my house for a big turkey dinner, a birthday cake with candles, bubbles, a pinata and streamers. Tomorrow Fay is expected to show up for a Hurricane party. Those two extremes pretty much sum up the craziness when the National Weather Center announces a hurricane is headed towards Florida.

I'm not making light of the hurricane, actually the "is-it-coming-or-is-it-not" state of mind is starting to wear me down. The strangest thing about living with hurricanes is trying to convince myself that one is really coming. It takes me a day or two to get my mind wrapped about the fact that it's really going to happen. Because when I look out the window the sun is shining and it's a glorious Florida day. It's the same kind of disbelief I feel when I'm packing my suitcase to go to New York in January. I feel a bit ridiculous wearing winter woolens and lugging a winter coat, hat and gloves to the airport when it's 80 degrees outside. But when I step off the plane at LaGuardia reality sets in, and I suppose tomorrow morning when the winds and rain are beating down outside, the reality of Fay will take hold, too.

In the meantime I'll get back to more of that Floridian craziness--today's chores are boarding up the windows, picking up a birthday cake and balloons and hanging streamers.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 08-18-08

Join my email book club. Over 350,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

"Time is more important to me than money." I caught myself saying that to someone the other day. Even I was momentarily impressed and silently commended myself for having my priorities in the right place. But then reality set in and I reminded myself that time can't pay my light bill or make my house payment--unless Florida Power and Light or my mortgage holder will barter for some of my homemade chocolate chip cookies. (You know how I love to spend my time baking.)

But my comment, "Time is more important to me than money," did get me thinking about how much time I waste. Frequently I put off doing things, because I don't think I have enough time to do them. But the other day when I was baking cookies (the ones I'm hoping Florida Power and Light will take instead of cash) I discovered more time.

Eight minutes and thirty seconds--that's what I set my kitchen timer for when I put my cookie sheets into the oven. Usually while I'm waiting for cookies to bake I just "kill time." But the other day I didn't.

Instead I made the bed, put fresh towels in the bathroom (even folded the washcloths fancy like they do in the hotels) answered four emails, walked out to the mailbox, brushed my teeth, folded a load of laundry and put it away. I was amazed at the list of things I'd accomplished 8 minutes and 30 seconds later when the timer rang. Even my husband was impressed.

So now I'm wondering just how many household tasks can a cookie baker/writer get done in a mere 8 minutes and 30 seconds? (Maybe I can set a new Olympic record?) But if I'm going for the gold I need competition, so I challenged my husband and even gave him a list: wash the garbage cans, clean the litter box, scrub the toilets and I think I just heard the cat throw up in the other room..."Ready, set, go!"

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Win free copies of books you'll read and never forget from these terrific authors: Danielle Younge-Ullman, Falling Under; Tish Cohen, Inside Out Girl; Carolyn Baugh, The View from Garden City; Eric Van Lustbader, First Daughter; and Julia London; The Book of Scandal. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader