Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 12-17-09

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 many ways can readers ask, "What is a fainting couch?"

Several hundred ways, but here's just a few.

(And yes, I've included a fainting couch photo, too.)

The fainting couch is still in my living room. I've thrown a sheet over top of it, so it won't get dirty, because I plan on selling it. But Abbey (my gray cat) and I have been spending a lot of time lounging on the fainting couch. It's become Abbey's favorite place to sleep. The darn couch (that's too big for my living room) is the most comfortable piece of furniture I've ever owned.

From my Email Bag:

"What is a fainting couch? Pictures please."--Lisa Steed

"I love when you include pictures. Do you think we could see your fainting couch? Thanks for all the joy you bring to so many people--including me!"--Olga Merela

"I have to ask, what exactly is a fainting couch? Is it a couch to catch you as you faint? Does the couch actually faint? My imagination is going in about 20 different directions ;) So, please ease my curiosity and tell me what a fainting couch is."--Jeannie

"Dear Suzanne, what is a fainting couch?"--Carol Murray

"Suzanne this must be a beautiful couch at a bargain basement price for you to have bought it despite bean pole man's rude behavior. I wish you would have attached a picture...as I would love to see it. Thanks for sharing your adventure."--Teneisha

"WHAT!!!!!!!??????? No picture of a white fainting couch? How could you, Suzanne?"--Melissa

"You need to post a picture of that couch!"--Lynda S.

"What a great story! However, I've never heard of a Fainting Couch? What type of couch is it?"--Mimi

"Awe, Suzanne you disappointed me! I loved your fainting couch story, but you didn't include a photo of said couch. I wanted to see what a fainting couch looks like. (I would have also liked photos of Beanpole Man and Muscular Man...although you did a great job of describing them ;-) Do you think you could take a photo and post it? I'm sure I'm not the only one curious about a couch with such an intriguing-sounding name. As a matter of fact, I'm ready to swoon right now....Your faithful daily reader"--Irene Korman Unger

(Suzanne replies)

Get ready to swoon, Irene. To see a photo of the fainting couch, go to: http://tinyurl.com/yd4wqsa

And P.S. It's still For Sale!

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

* Find recipes for the holidays: http://tinyurl.com/yuf6aq

Happy Holidays,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books you can win: Marty Becker, D.V.M., Gina Spadafori, Mikkel Becker Shannon, The Ultimate Bird Lover; Misa Ramirez, Hasta la Vista, Lola; Steffan Postaer, The Happy Soul Industry; and Elizabeth Flock, Sleepwalking in Daylight. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 12-14-09

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,

It's a ritual. First thing in the morning when I get up I head into the bathroom to splash some water on my face, and then I look into the mirror to reacquaint myself with who I am. Just about this time I feel Billee, our Calico cat, rubbing up against my leg. Billee expects a morning greeting. I rub her head, scratch a little around her ears, and then she contently heads towards the kitchen. It's time to eat.

But this morning Billee had a little trouble crossing the bathroom threshold, because Abbey, my youngest gray cat, was hiding--a kitty waiting to pounce--on Billee. It's the cutest thing. There's an old wedding gown displayed on a dress form that sits in the corner of my bathroom, right next to the door. (I live in an historical home, so the oddness of a wedding dress in my bathroom fits right in.) When Abbey was just a kitten she discovered if she sat underneath the top layer of tulle on the long flowing wedding dress, the material was the perfect cover, yet thin enough to allow her to move with ease and pounce on Billee as she passed by. Child's play, kitten play, I guess. It used to be a morning ritual for Abbey, but then Abbey grew a little bigger, and somehow the playfulness was replaced by grown up cat concerns, like napping.

But not this morning. Sitting up straight, every so quietly underneath the wedding dress stealthily waiting for Billee--Abbey was in position to pounce. It had been a long time since Abbey had played the wedding dress game, and I didn't realize until I noticed the action, how much I missed her morning game. Instantly I was wide awake and amused, watching to see if Billee would make it out the bathroom door safely.

It sounds a bit trivial, but watching Abbey waiting to pounce on Billee not only brought a smile to my face, but revisiting the tradition brought a sense of comfort and warmth to my heart, and reminded me that traditions don't have to be anything fancy or formal.

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 you can win: Marty Becker, D.V.M., Gina Spadafori, Mikkel Becker Shannon, The Ultimate Bird Lover; Misa Ramirez, Hasta la Vista, Lola; Steffan Postaer, The Happy Soul Industry; and Elizabeth Flock, Sleepwalking in Daylight. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 11-18-09

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,

It's one of those mornings when I feel a little on the confused and grumpy side, so it's difficult to write. I didn't get enough sleep last night. Too hot, too cold, too hard, too soft, I even went into the guest room hoping to find Baby Bear's "just right" bed, but nothing could help me get back to sleep.

My internal clock seems to still be off with the change in daylight savings time. When it gets dark, that's my signal to put on my pjs, grab my quilt and pillow, and start snuggling in for a good night's sleep. But when I'm thinking sleep at 6 p.m. (that's when it gets dark here now) and I'm asleep by 6:45 p.m., my internal clock is ready to roll out of bed eight hours later, but it's only 2:45 in the wee hours of the morning.

What does this girl do at 2:45 a.m.? Last night she came up with a hilarious idea for today's column. Wrote every word, but only in my mind, and now my mind's too tired and the funny isn't within reach. So I'm turning over the rest of today's column to book club reader Mary Ellen Weiler.

Mary Ellen responded to this week's Energy Fairy and multi-tasking columns and her email was just way too funny not to share. (And she saved my writing behind today, but that's what reading friends are for, right?)

Take it away Mary Ellen, I'm off to take a nap. . .

"Dear Suzanne,

My idea of multitasking is chewing on a cookie while swallowing coffee. Your list exhausted me by reading it. By the time you described the second 8 minute and 30 second time period, I was fanning myself while rooting for you. 'Go Suzanne!'

I used to be better at the multiple tasks. I could dress my daughter, make breakfast, and get the gum out of her hair. Now I am amazed if I can get myself dressed and find the hairbrush.

Christmas. Wasn't it just Valentine's Day? I'm not ready for this. I am still eating chocolate bunnies, and candy corn. Now where did I put the box with the tree. It's a small tree-about 3 feet, it can get lost. Maybe it's in with the curtains? No, that's where the printer is. It's got to be behind the snow shovel in the spare room.(don't ask.)

Yesterday you spoke of Energy Fairies and such. I say we mate the Energizer Bunny with the Fairy and get some serious help out here. Enjoy those flowers. I can smell the cookies from here, and isn't Monk cute?"--Mary Ellen Weiler

Thanks for filling in Mary Ellen. Could you email me your phone number in case I can't sleep again tonight?

If you missed Monday or Tuesday's column, you'll find them at: http://dearreader.typepad.com/

To enter this week's free book giveaway The Power of Pause, go to: http://tinyurl.com/ygs9mxw

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

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

KIDSBUZZ: This week, books for all ages about fitting in, magic and adventure, humor, and reconciliation from: Rose Kent, Kimchi & Calamari; Charlotte Kandell, The Scarlet Stockings; Randall de Seve, The Duchess of Whimsy; and Valerie Patterson, The Other Side of Blue. For a chance to win free books and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

* This month's Penguin Classics book is Under The Sea-Wind by Rachel Carson. To comment on the book and get some holiday recipes from Suzanne, go to: http://tinyurl.com/NovClassics

Dear Reader Column 11-17-09

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,

It's that time of year again. Time to start holiday multi-tasking, a mind set that unfortunately I'm way too talented at doing. If one hand's free, put a glue gun in it and start making napkin rings for the dinner table. Simply sit on the sofa and watch Monk? Why it's out of the question! Watching a favorite television show is permitted in the Multi-tasking Rule book, but only if I'm also ironing tablecloths and napkins, or taking the plastic off of the card table chairs, my husband and I bought yesterday. We'll need those extra seats for Thanksgiving dinner.

Relax and bake cookies for book club readers? I don't think so Suzanne, not unless you're planting pentas and begonias, too. This past weekend as I baked for readers who won chocolate chip cookies, (UPS will deliver them to you today) I also filled my Florida garden with five trays of flowers. Plant while I'm baking, how do I do it?

Once the cookie sheet goes into the oven I have 8 minutes and 30 seconds to devote to planting. My cookie timer sits next to me on the ground and when the bell goes off, I drop the spade, jog into the house, soap up and wash my hands, grab the potholder, turn the cookie pan around, set the time for 2 minutes 30 seconds more, then plop 12 scoops of cookie dough onto another fresh cookie sheet. When the cookie timer goes off again, I take the pan out of the oven, put the new pan in, set the timer for another 8 minutes 30 seconds, and head back outdoors to do a little more planting...and I've been wearing my pedometer again, so the extra steps running in and out the front door are counting towards my 10,000 steps a day.

Don't ya' love the holidays?

Working on slowing down the pace here in Sarasota, your reading friend...whoops, I almost multi-tasked my signature line right out of the column.

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

SEARCHING FOR YOUR NEXT BIG THRILL? Read the "Between the Lines" feature interview with Andrew Gross then read about great thrillers from: Hamilton Wende, Steve Perry, Caridad Pineiro, Sam Cole, Todd Strasser, Heather Graham, Craig Larsen, Jordan Summers, H. Terrell Griffin and Derek Gunn. Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

* This month's Penguin Classics book is Under The Sea-Wind by Rachel Carson. To comment on the book and get some holiday recipes from Suzanne, go to: http://tinyurl.com/NovClassics

 

Dear Reader Column 11-10-09

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,

The Classics are waiting for you and you could win your own Penguin book bag, too!

Sample this month's Classic Read, Under the Sea-Wind by Rachel Carson. Read it online, or print it out and take it with you when you find yourself waiting somewhere. Rachel Carson is a pioneering environmentalist and also the author of Silent Spring. To begin reading, go to: http://tinyurl.com/NovClassics

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

 

Dear Reader Column 11-06-09

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 there's a bonus book you can sample, Moon River and Me by Andy Williams. It's a very enjoyable read, especially the behind the scenes look at his career. At first I didn't know if the writing style was going to be a good match for me, but I got hooked. Every morning, right after I poured my coffee, Rudy (my 19 year old cat) and I cuddled in the sunroom chair and started reading. I hope you enjoy the book, and I hope you find someone to snuggle with, too!

To sample Moon River and Me, go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=%%list.name%%&V=N1A47AA2FF71&c=SUZ

I got a bit carried away when I chose Chocolate Chip Cookie winners this month. Maybe because December is the only month I don't bake for readers. I picked eight chocolate chip winners this time. Congratulations to: Elaine Steingrubey, Danielle Santos, Gina Jiron, Kathy Bretschneider, Taena Fowler, Becky Peterson, Jane Darlin and Lise Chlebanowski.

Your cookies will arrive next week. Before you polish off two dozen chocolate chip cookies, please snap a photo and send it this way. It will be my pleasure to bake for you. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend. 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 the "Between the Lines" feature interview with Andrew Gross then read about great thrillers from: Kylie Brant, Michelle Gagnon, CJ Lyons, Wrath James White, Michael Beres, Karl Alexander, Anthony Flacco, Don Bruns, Jordan Dane, Libby Fischer Hellmann, and Donald J. Bingle. Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

Dear Reader Column 11-04-09

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,

When you write something and send it out into the world you never know what will happen. Christine Hughes was one of this year's grand prize winners in our Write a Dear Reader Contest, and now her winning column is being published in the "Senior Times" a magazine supplement in The News Review Roseburg, Oregon's daily newspaper. Bill Duncan, editor of the "Senior Times" was so "deeply moved" by Christine's column 'The Good China' that he's publishing it in the November issue. Congratulations Christine!

If you'd like to peruse all of the entries in the Write a Dear Reader Contest for 2009, including Christine's column, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/DR2009/writedearreader2009a.pdf

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

KIDSBUZZ: This week, picture books, middle-grade and teen novels about dinosaurs, expressing anger, gorilla suits, and true love from: Laura Rennert, Buying, Training & Caring for Your Dinosaur; Gail Silver, Anh's Anger; Amy Gordon, The Gorillas of Gill Park; and Nancy Werlin, Impossible. To find out more from the authors go to: http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

Dear Reader Column 10-23-09

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 my last day of vacation, I'll be back on Monday, and book club reader and author Dianne Ochiltree is filling in for me today. Dianne has been a 'Dear Reader' book club subscriber since early 2006. She is giving away an autographed copy of her picture book, Pillow Pup which had as its inspiration, the same family pet featured in her guest column. Dianne would love to hear from you, and when you send her an email you'll be entered in the drawing for a copy of her book. Send your email to: DianneOchiltree@ochiltreebooks.com and put 'Dear Reader Giveaway' on the subject line.--Suzanne Beecher

From author Dianne Ochiltree...

Like most puppies, our family dog was supposed to be a pet "for the kids." I'd never had a dog as a kid myself, but suspected it was something two growing boys should have. My husband had grown up with dogs and knew precisely how valuable a childhood experience caring for a puppy can be. He wanted to pass along the same kind of fond memories and valuable life lessons to his own sons. So that is why, one early spring day over 11 years ago, a yellow Labrador retriever puppy walked into our lives and hearts.

As you may already have guessed, the kids' new puppy quickly became Mom's 'new best friend.' After years of obedience classes, I want to say that this now-very-large (and well-mannered) adult dog at my feet proved to be an excellent student...and teacher.

One of our favorite 'classrooms' is the hiking trail that we share each morning. Here, my Big Yellow Dog has given me countless lessons in joy over the years as we walked the woods silently together, her wagging tail up and her wriggling nose down. She delighted in galloping ahead of me, then circling behind me before dropping to a trot at my side, all the while savoring the unique sights, scents, and sounds the world was offering to her that day. More than any other creature on earth, dogs know the beauty of living in the present. Anyone who has had a dog in his or her life surely knows it, too.

These days, our walks in the woods are of the kinder and gentler sort. We now take shortcuts to avoid climbs too steep for her now-ailing hips. Our daily circuits are half what they were in her prime--now only thirty minutes or so--and yet, her discovery of the day's gifts bring just as much joy as it always has. My Big Yellow Dog unfailingly hits the trail with the unbridled enthusiasm of youth. Once on the path, she teaches another valuable lesson: the fine art of growing old.

Sometimes she needs to crawl over a fallen log instead of leaping over it. No complaints. She does it--gracefully or not--and goes on her merry way.

Sometimes she brings me a stick to toss, and she has to hobble to fetch it instead of running for it. No whining. She delivers it--eventually--with her usual gusto.

Sometimes her rear legs go out from under her. She just pulls herself up. No big deal.

As my Big Yellow Dog rounds the corner into old age, she is still joyfully living in the moment, whatever that moment might be. She's teaching me that as your body ages, your spirit can stay as young as a pup's--as long as you stay on the trail, and sniff out the joy.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for reading my good friend, Suzanne. It's true that it's so good to read with friends!

You can reach Dianne at: DianneOchiltree@ochiltreebooks.com

Dianne Ochiltree is a nationally-recognized author of books for the very young. Her latest picture book, Lull-A-Bye, Little One, was a featured title in the 'Imagination Library,' the Dollywood Foundation's childhood literacy program, in 2007 and 2008.

SEARCHING FOR YOUR NEXT BIG THRILL? Read the "Between the Lines" feature interview with Jeffery Deaver then read about great thrillers from: Jaime Rush, Matt Hilton, Bev Vincent, Tom Piccirilli, Laura Childs, Stephen Jay Schwartz, Piet Steyn, Darrel Bain & Stephanie Osborn, Jason Pinter, John Lutz and Gregory Lamberson. Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

Dear Reader Column 10-21-09

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'm enjoying a vacation and author Emilie Richards is filling in for me today. Emilie is sitting at her computer, waiting to answer your mail so send her an email at: info@emilierichards.com Be sure to read below for details on how to win a free book. Thank you so very much Emilie.--Suzanne Beecher

From author Emilie Richards...

I always enjoy Suzanne's keen eye for finding meaning in the smallest things. I thought of that today as I dug for gold.

I'll confess I'm enchanted by thoughts of buried treasure. Novelists are a romantic lot. My practical friends see tumbledown houses and vacant lots, and they think about septic fields and new construction. I see stories buried in the rubble. Beside that spindly willow? A chest with great-grandmother's pearls and a photo of the man she lost, protected against the ages in a heart-shaped locket. Under those decaying steps? Letters from a long dead president, explaining why he did or didn't go to war, and how the decision haunted him.

With that in mind, with thoughts of a hundred possibilities, today I dug in my own front yard. Not for gold coins. Not gold jewelry. Yukon gold potatoes. Buried last spring where sensible people would have planted shrubs. Buried with hope and ceremony and tender, loving care.

Years ago, during my first sojourn here in Virginia, I also grew potatoes. I planted them on St. Patrick's day and thought of my Irish ancestors, wondering proudly what they would think of my green thumb. Unfortunately, nostalgia and pride do not a garden make. In keeping with the theme, my yield mimicked the Great Famine. Had I depended on my harvest, I would have been the last of my line.

This year I was determined to succeed. Again on St. Patrick's day, I dug holes and placed my starchy hopes at the bottom. And as the plants sprouted and grew, I covered them with soil and mulch and optimism. I calculated when to dig my buried treasure and imagined the dishes I would cook.

My result? Nine potatoes. Not one as large as a dainty lady's fist. Some just a smidgen larger than my thumb.

Treasure is like that. Sometimes the long awaited prize is far different from what we anticipated when we began the hunt. Writing can be that way, too. Sometimes a completed novel is not what we envisioned. A book, like a potato patch, takes on a life of its own and becomes a fat family saga, or a slimmer, more intimate volume. The result might be potato salad instead of potatoes au gratin, a simpler story, earthier, perhaps even tastier.

This year, despite my best efforts, my potato patch was only a short story. But what a succulent bowl of potato salad those nine potatoes will make. At month's end, as I launch into my latest book, I'll remember them and proudly smack my lips. Once again I'll be immersed in anticipation and possibilities. And when the last word is written, I'll be proud of the result and delighted my imagination and hard work carried me to that place.

Emilie Richards is the USA Today bestselling author of more than sixty women's fiction, romance and mystery novels. Her latest, Happiness Key, the story of four unlikely friends in a rundown Florida beach community, debuted in July. Email Emilie at: info@emilierichards.com Her website and blog can be found at www.emilierichards.com If you visit her blog be sure to post a comment that mentions DearReader.com and you'll be entered in a drawing to win one of three books Emilie is giving away.

KIDSBUZZ: This week, fascinating books about ballerinas, witches, explorers and angels from: Susan Kuklin, Beautiful Ballerina; Carolyn MacCullough, Once a Witch; Kathleen Benner Duble, Quest; and Suza Scalora, Evidence of Angels. Go to: http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

 

Dear Reader Column 10-19-09

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's Guest Column is written by author Amy Clipston. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and four spoiled rotten cats. You'll enjoy her column and she's ready and waiting to reply to your emails. Send your note to: AmyCsBooks@gmail.com
--Suzanne Beecher

From author Amy Clipston...

A regular reader of the book club, I'm honored to be a guest columnist for Suzanne.

I'm a lifelong cat lover. I remember the car ride bringing home my first cat when I was two. Spooky, was a big, fat calico. Despite my parents' best efforts to keep her in, she was an outdoor cat, leaving me gifts--birds and squirrels--under my swing set.

After Spooky, we had Pepsi, a moody, disinterested tabby, who spent her time in her favorite wingchair or under a bed.

While I was in college, my parents and I adopted Bonnie and Clyde, two loving lap cats. Soon after we adopted them, I met my future husband, Joe, a dog lover. He insisted he was allergic to cats, but I soon cured him of his allergies.

When Joe and I purchased our first home, my mother gave us a special housewarming gift--Gracie and Les--black and white "tuxedo" cats. Our kitties came from the same breeder as Bonnie and Clyde. Not only were they companions, they were our babies before we had our human babies.

At first, Gracie was standoffish. She trembled and spent most of her time under our bed. I would leave her a bowl of food and come back to find it empty, the only sign she was alive under the bed. After some time, she came out from under the bed, stopped her shaking, and slept between us at night. Les was my shadow and shared my pillow. Actually, I shared it with him since he overtook approximately three quarters of it! He would sit at the door and await my arrival in the evenings.

Unfortunately, both Gracie and Les died much too young. Les was only six when he became gravely ill, and the veterinarian told us there was no hope. I'll never forget how Joe and I sobbed on the phone when I told him the news. Gracie died in 2008 of cancer, and again, we cried. Gracie and Les will never be forgotten.

Currently, we're blessed with three cats we've nicknamed the 'Three Stooges.' The eldest is Ashlee, a twelve-year-old tabby with a heart of gold. My four-year-old son carries her around by her neck, and she has never hissed or snapped at him. She sleeps with my sons, meows in response to questions, and begs for Cool Whip.

Jet, our male tuxedo, is five years old and twice the size of his sisters. However, he's afraid of everything from strangers to plastic grocery bags. The only things he isn't afraid of are his sisters, whom he enjoys terrorizing.

Our youngest cat, Molly, I found on the local Human Society website after Gracie died. I chose her because she reminded me of Gracie. Molly is a two-year-old tuxedo. She loves to play and is often seen throwing one of her small Beanie Babies through the air like a football player. She enjoys "helping" me make the beds by rolling in the sheets. She wrestles with her brother, jumping on his back and making him cry. Joe wasn't thrilled when I brought Molly home, but she quickly stole his heart. He and Molly chortle to each other, and she sleeps between us. She hides behind furniture and pounces on us, standing on her back legs like a squirrel. Her throne is a wooden serving tray with a towel on our kitchen table, where she supervises meals, sneaking sips of iced tea when she thinks I'm not looking.

If you asked Joe, he'd tell you he's still a dog lover. Yet, deep down, he's converted. Just ask Molly.

You can reach Amy Clipston at: AmyCsBooks@gmail.com www.amyclipston.com and www.amishhearts.com

Best-selling author Amy Clipston has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing career began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. Her book A Gift of Grace, is the first in the Kauffman Amish Bakery series.

In Amy's new romantic suspense,Betrayed, Lacey Fowler is distraught when her parents are killed in a car accident while traveling from Daytona International Speedway to North Carolina. Her anxiety is heightened when champion stock car driver and known playboy Reese Mitchell inherits part of her father's prestigious race team. Suspecting her father was murdered and his race team is in trouble, she turns to Reese in desperation for help. Uniting their pieces of the company, they band together to solve the crime and save the company.

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these are five that deserve your attention: Margot Livesey, The House on Fortune Street; Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson, A Taste of Fame: A Novel; Irene Hannon, An Eye for an Eye; Maggie Brendan, The Jewel of His Heart; and Katherine Neville, The Fire. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader