Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 06-01-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

Writing inspiration comes from anywhere, can be any little thing--even an avocado. Enjoy reading today's note from book club reader, Debbie, enter the writing journal giveaway, and then try my new recipe.

From my Email Bag:

"Dear Suzanne, just a little note to say how much I'm enjoying your daily columns. I love reading with you, as well as about you. I also wanted to letcha know your advice on writing has helped me to just sit down and write randomly, each day. For instance, I had a dream about an avocado, I've never tasted one, didn't even know whether its a fruit or vegetable till I looked it up on the Internet. Since my dream I've done some research, and in my dream I was cutting one up and adding sugar. (Ha-ha) I plan to follow through with my dream and document what I discover about this fruity vegetable."--Debbie

Debbie, lately I've been thinking about avocados, too, because there are hundreds of teeny-tiny avocados on the tree in my yard. And as soon as they get bigger and ripen, I'll be making my favorite avocado dip. Can't wait.

Enter today's writing journal giveaway, (I have 5 journals for readers) and to see my avocado dip recipe. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/journals060112.html

Congratulations to recent book winners:

Winners of A SIMPLE MURDER, by author and Guest Columnist, Eleanor Kuhns: Ardice Kuehner, Rita Pierini, Vicki Huber, Norma J. Sundberg, Carol Royce, Kathleen Fannon, Marti Hill, Beth Ford, Nancy Reynolds, Vicky Kellen, Dee Stillings, Lynda Harrison, Joyce Bartley, Pat Harmer and Marge OLeary.

And the winners of NO BIKING IN THE HOUSE WITHOUT A HELMET, by last week's Guest Columnist Melissa Fay Greene: Mary Rodriguez, Mildred West, Laura E A Brack, Carol Szymanski and Flo Kropilak.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free (signed!) copy of the latest teen fiction featured books from Jennifer Estep, DARK FROST; Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER; and Ursula Poznanski, EREBOS. For a chance to win free copies, say hello to the authors, and more, see www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: SKELETON WOMAN (Fiction) by Mingmei Yip

Left in an orphanage after her parents are killed, Camilla is happy to be adopted. Then she discovers she will be trained as a singer to cover her deadly mission as a spy--eliminating Shanghai's most powerful gangster. Her life is made even more difficult by two other femmes fatales--"Skeleton Women"--a mysterious magician and a cross-dressing gossip columnist.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SKELETON WOMAN to read more and to email author Mingmei Yip, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 05-31-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

Rattlesnake eggs are on the way to book club winners: Gail Aquila, Cindy Martinez, Elizabeth McGowan, Lisa Bockelie, and Patricia Revzin, and are they ever going to have a lot of fun with them.

When our kids were little they used to sell rattlesnake eggs at the local Farmer's Market in Oregon, Wisconsin, and I sold my homemade blueberry muffins. At six a.m. on a Saturday morning the kids and I would set up a table with blueberry muffins, a picture of a snake, an old aquarium, and a sign that read Homemade Muffins and Rattlesnake Eggs FOR SALE. I know, I know, homemade muffins and rattlesnake eggs--strange bedfellows for sure, but we'd sell out of both every single week.

A sign was posted on our aquarium: "Keep hands out, beware of snake!" and people believed us. Especially since we'd filled the aquarium with pine shavings, cut a little hole in the back of it, with just enough room to insert a bended wire coat hanger. So when we'd move the coat hanger back and forth, it looked like a snake was slithering underneath the shavings. Plant a "snake seed" and when an unsuspecting customer opened up the rattlesnake envelope, and it shook and RATTLED like crazy, first we'd hear yelling and screaming, then laughing, and then they'd buy the package of rattlesnake eggs.

Planting a "snake seed" is the most important ingredient when you're showing someone the rattlesnake eggs, which is why James, my 3-year-old grandson, showed his preschool teacher a picture of a snake before he invited her to open the package of eggs. "RATTLE, RATTLE," not only did his teacher scream and jump up and down, she admitted later (to James' parents) that she almost yelled words inappropriate for children's ears, especially since classes are held in a church.

Gail, Cindy, Elizabeth, Lisa and Patricia, your "eggs" are in the mail and it's easy to set the trap. There's a metal washer and rubber band inside the envelope with the rattlesnake drawing on the front. Rotate the washer and rubber band 8 or 9 times (until it's very tight), then carefully slip it inside the envelope. Then plant the "snake seed," you might simply mention the humungous snake you saw slithering across your backyard last weekend, hand the Rattlesnake egg package to your victim, and be prepared for a lot of fun.

If you entered the drawing for Rattlesnake Eggs and didn't win, or if you were too scared to enter, now's your chance. Enter to win at: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/snake052212.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE ART OF FORGETTING (Fiction) by Camille Noe Pagan

Forgive and forget--but not necessarily in that order. Marissa Rogers is content to follow the lead of her charismatic, alpha best friend Julia. But when Julia suffers a brain injury that steals her memory and alters her personality, their roles reverse. Worse, Julia begins dredging up memories Marissa would rather forget--including the fact that Julia once asked her to abandon the love of her life.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE ART OF FORGETTING to read more and to email author Camille Noe Pagan, you'll get a reply.

*Fun, free books and meet authors. Ask questions, they'll reply and read samples from their books. Visit AuthorBuzz at: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

(Fiction)
BIG SKY COUNTRY by Linda Lael Miller

(Fiction)
SHOUT HER LOVELY NAME by Natalie Serber

(Fiction)
LOVE IS MURDER edited by Sandra Brown

(Fiction)
THE ART OF FORGETTING by Camille Noe Pagan

(Fiction)
SKELETON WOMAN by Mingmei Yip

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-30-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

I'm not a doctor, but I play one when I Goggle symptoms on the Internet. Self-diagnosis, it's as insane as reading through an 8-page list of possible prescription side affects--discovered in clinical trials--that could possibly attack my mind and body after ingesting the medicine. (If I wasn't feeling sick enough before taking the prescription, now for sure there's "No hope, no hope!")

When I'm not feeling well, instead of letting real medical tests and real doctors diagnosis the problem, first I go online. After checking boxes on the Symptom Checker: fatigue, headache, constantly thinking about eating Dove chocolate (the new raspberry swirl flavor), excessive sweating, lower back pain and occasional disorientation, I was presented with three choices: insomnia, obesity, or an aortic dissection.

Worry-wart me, "I'll take aortic dissection for $500, Alex."

How silly is that? But I'm not the only one. In the midst of telling a friend about my self-diagnosing, "Me too, me too," she confessed, "I did the same thing, just last week." (My friend's a nurse.) And if I stay plugged into the Internet long enough agonizing over ghastly possibilities, eventually, to quote Mark Twain, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

Yes, the possible outcomes I can dream up are frightening. My legs and feet might become numb, I could be constipated for the rest of my life, my index finger could suddenly turn purple and fall off, or face it, Suzanne, it's time to prepare a list for my dear husband. How to do laundry, the passwords to all of my online accounts, be sure to rub Papa (the stray cat who comes in for dinner every evening) until he burps, and don't make a fuss, simply cremate me, throw my ashes on the garden and turn on the bubble machine.

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

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

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free (signed!) copy of the latest teen fiction featured books from Jennifer Estep, DARK FROST; Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER; and Ursula Poznanski, EREBOS. For a chance to win free copies, say hello to the authors, and more, see www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: LOVE IS MURDER (Fiction) edited by Sandra Brown

An anthology of short stories penned by some of our most popular romantic suspense authors, LOVE IS MURDER also features stories by writers better known for their thrillers, but who often incorporate into their books the relationship layering that is the trademark of traditional romantic suspense.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on LOVE IS MURDER to read more and to email author Sandra Brown, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 05-29-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF INFLUENCE, I was intrigued by the title of Dan Seidman's book, and even more intrigued in the midst of reading it, and anxious to experiment with some of the concepts. The subtitle of the book is, Master the One Skill Every Sales Pro Needs. But the book is really an excellent read for anyone, because when you think about it, we're all trying to influence someone every day. Trying to influence our kids, our boss, coworkers, our spouse, or we're trying to influence the furniture salesperson to give us a great deal on the dark blue leather recliner that would look perfect in our living room.

Dan is a World Masters Athlete with three gold medals playing on the US Basketball Team. As a competitive athlete, he hates losing more than he enjoys winning. So he takes that attitude into the selling profession to turn salespeople into sales pros. "The Secret Language of Influence" is his sixth book. As a sales trainer, Dan travels globally, teaching the latest best-practices in influence. His next two trips are to the exotic locations of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Istanbul, Turkey.

Contact Dan directly at Dan@GotInfluenceInc.com. He'd love to hear from you, and he'll enter your name in a drawing for a copy of three books he's giving away, and he'd be happy to email you three unique articles for business professionals, THE ONE SALES TEST YOU'RE GUARANTEED TO FAIL, THE 800 POUND LIE OF GUERRILLA MARKETING and AAAAHHHHH! (how to evoke emotions when you sell).

Welcome Dan to the bookclubs, email: Dan@gotinfluenceinc.com

Take it away Dan Seidman . . .

INFLUENCE & STUFFED ANIMALS

Want to get a good laugh out of your kids?

Tell them you are going to win a staring contest--with one of their stuffed animals.

I lay in bed, eyes locked on the small, but fierce-looking pug. He was a Webkinz, meaning he also had the power of the Internet backing his tail.

The world began spinning as I fought to keep my eyelids from flickering. The dryness was the worst part of the contest; my eyes felt as if they'd been rubbed, wide open, in the fur of the little beast.

Children cheered, but my concentration was so intense, was it for me, or him?

In an instant it was over. My kids began to laugh at my loss. "Dad, you can never win against a stuffed animal. He has no eyelids."

You can never win.

That's a nasty thought. Here's a nastier one--what activities during your day are absolute losers? And I'm including mental activities, too.

The big one? ATTITUDE

You can actually alter and improve an individual's attitude with an exercise I ran with a major non-profit, World Vision.

World Vision uses phone callers to garnish donations. They work hard, getting tons of NOs, even from people who are current or past supporters. How do you help manage all that negativity?

Focus on gratitude to improve your attitude!

Create a HEART & HEAD CHECK self-test

On paper, create POSITIVE RESPONSES to your feelings about...

The economy
Things are hard now, but if someone gives up a case of soda a month, they can help.

Fundraising Industry
We do great work, helping the under-resourced.

Your company World Vision
I work, proudly, for one of the most respected and ethical organizations on the planet!

Donors' perception about World Vision
They trust that 10c on every dollar goes to operations; while 90c helps people they see at http://www.worldvision.org/.

Your office
My work environment is bright, with fun employees, newer computers and phones.

Your boss
Larry really cares about me personally and my work.

Your job
I get to interact with interesting people from all over the country and all walks of life. It's a cool reflection of God's diverse creation, all experienced on the phone.

Your self
I landed a job here! It's hard work and fun.

Healthy responses found light at the end of every tunnel. For example, the Industry response was about serving people, not donors' tight wallets.

Print and put this up. It's uplifting for anyone walking into the work area.

You just branded healthy attitude inside the company.

What other ways can you use this idea?

The best learners become teachers as soon as they come across new knowledge. Who needs to know about this? Run this exercise at work, even at home.

So change attitude by focusing on gratitude. And change it forever by giving your team and your family printed evidence of all the good they encounter and offer each day.

Who will you share this with? When?

Send an email to Dan, just say hello, ask for the three articles he's giving away or ask to be entered in his book giveaway. (Please always include your mailing address, in case you win).
Email: Dan@gotinfluenceinc.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: SHOUT HER LOVELY NAME (Fiction) by Natalie Serber

Flawed, free-loving Ruby Hargrove adopts strays--cats and men. She and her steadfast daughter, Nora, scrutinize, criticize and inspire one another in a suite of stories that make up the center of SHOUT HER LOVELY NAME, a collection focused on the intense love and sandpaper relationship between daughters and their mothers.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SHOUT HER LOVELY NAME to find out more about the book and the author, Natalie Serber. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 05-28-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

I am enjoying the Memorial Day holiday with my family. Tomorrow, Guest Columnist, Dan Seidman, author of THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF INFLUENCE will be stopping by the book clubs, so be sure to welcome him.

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

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: BIG SKY COUNTRY (Fiction) by Linda Lael Miller

The illegitimate Sheriff Slade Barlow wasn't acknowledged by his father until the land baron willed Slade half his ranch, stirring up the old man's "real" son. Joslyn Kirk, once the queen of everything, has returned to repay everyone her stepfather cheated. Joslyn needs to learn she's responsible only for her actions, such as her effect on the lawman's heart.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on BIG SKY COUNTRY to find out more about the book and the author, Linda Lael Miller. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-25-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

It's bug, slug, snake and other creepy crawler week. Be sure to enter this week's Rattlesnake Egg giveaway: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/snake052212.html

I couldn't see clearly because I didn't have my glasses on and it was in the middle of the night. But I was pretty sure that big, blotchy, mass running up the wall next to my bed wasn't there when I went to sleep.

Lights on! Yell at husband. (He's in charge of things that scurry in the night.) Pull covers over my head in case that thing goes airborne.

Yes, we have an exterminator. But every now and then a critter gets through the outside bug barrier. This roach--a really big roach--obviously maneuvered his way around it. He was bold all right. He knew we'd seen him; he could have retreated, but he chose to stay put and defend his wall. OK, this was war!

My husband's weapon of choice was a rolled up newspaper, but I quickly reminded him that squishing the enemy on the wall would make for a messy cleanup job, possibly even touch-up painting. I suggested the vacuum cleaner instead. And after a fleeting chase, the vacuum did indeed suck that roach right up through the hose.

Now safe and secure, I thought I'd drift right off to sleep, but I didn't. Did you ever watch the Mighty Mouse cartoon show when you were a kid? I did, and for some reason the image of Mighty Mouse with his chest puffed out, flexing the muscles in his arms was suddenly crystal clear in my mind. Now all I could think about was, 'What if that roach spends all night in that vacuum cleaner bag, munching on yesterday's toast crumbs, and in the morning he crawls down the vacuum hose and emerges as Mighty Roach?'

Lights on--again. Yell at husband--again. You hold the vacuum cleaner hose upright, Dear. I'll get the duct tape.

To enter the Rattlesnake Egg giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/snake052212.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: THE PROTECTORS (YA Fiction) by Steven Shreridan

A space saga which takes us on a journey through the eyes of John Gordon, a 17 year old who, on the way back home from school, is abducted by an alien race. Totally disoriented, John finds out that he has been drafted as a soldier into an interstellar war that has been raging for centuries to which he holds the power to end.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE PROTECTORS to read more and to email author Steven Shreridan, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 05-24-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

It's bug, slug, snake and other creepy crawler week at the book clubs. Be sure to enter this week's Rattlesnake Eggs Giveaway. No, I'm not sending you real rattlesnake eggs, but if you're one of the winners, you will have the time of your life when you share them with your friends and family. My grandson, Paul is proof of that. Paul took a printed picture of the snakes, from the sign-up page of the giveaway, and a package of rattlesnake eggs to school to show his teacher. First he showed her the picture of the big, long, snake hanging down from the tree in their backyard, then he handed her the package of rattlesnake eggs, and told her to look inside. When his teacher opened the package, instantly she heard a loud and quick rattling sound, which caused her to start screaming--rattling and screaming and spoofing your teacher, it was a child's delight.

So, don't be afraid to enter, you'll have a lot of fun with your rattlesnake eggs. (A key to catching someone off guard and hearing a squeal, is to show them a picture of a snake first, then have them open the package of rattlesnake eggs.) Have fun!

To enter this week's Rattlesnake Egg giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/snake052212.html

Love is in the air--literally.

Nineteen years ago, when my husband and I moved from Madison, Wisconsin to Sarasota, Florida, bugs were one of my biggest concerns. I envisioned creepy crawlers that had grown to B-movie proportions, "The Killer-Bugs that ate Sarasota."

But other than an alligator taking a dip in my neighbor's swimming pool, lizards scurrying back and forth across the sidewalk, and occasional black snakes (which are harmless), the two most annoying natives are invisible biting flies--appropriately called no-see-ums--and love bugs.

Twice a year it's mating season for love bugs. Thousands of females emerge from their larvae looking for an acceptable male suitor and when they find one, they latch on to each other in mid-air, but instead of rolling over and going to sleep afterwards, the two lovers fall to the ground in the heat of passion. Frequently they fall into the path of a moving vehicle. Splat, splat. (What a price to pay for love.)

My windshield, everybody else's windshield and sometimes the entire front-end of every single car in Sarasota is covered with a sticky adhesive-like love bug mess. Superglue should be so strong. And the worst part is, if the aftermath doesn't get cleaned off immediately, the love bug leftovers will eat right through the paint on your car.

Yes, at this very moment love is in the air, hanging in the trees, attached to storefront windows, on my car, and inside of my car (because even love bugs appreciate a little backseat romance).

To enter the Rattlesnake Egg giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/snake052212.html

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: WHAT HAPPENED IN GRANITE CREEK (Fiction) by Robyn Bradley

When a married woman with three children falls in love with a quadruple amputee injured in Iraq, nothing is ever the same for her or her family again. A journey of unexpected twists that reminds us, nothing is ever what it seems.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on WHAT HAPPENED IN GRANITE CREEK to find out more about the book and the author, Robyn Bradley. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

*Fun, free books and meet authors. Ask questions, they'll reply and read samples from their books. Visit AuthorBuzz at: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

(Fiction)
INTO THIS WORLD by Sybil Baker

(Fiction)
LOVE IS MURDER edited by Sandra Brown

BUZZ BOOKS by Michael Cader

(Fiction)
WHAT HAPPENED IN GRANITE CREEK by Robyn Bradley

(YA Fiction)
THE PROTECTORS by Steven Shreridan

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-23-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

Suzanne's on holiday today. It's bug, slug, snake and other creepy crawler week. Be sure to enter this week's Rattlesnake Egg giveaway: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/snake052212.html

Geckos run rampant in Florida (where I live), but that's okay because they're kind of cute. Well, maybe they have a face only a mother could love, but they eat bugs. So I'd be happy to make up the guest room for them, if it weren't for my cat Abby. She's a hunter, who loves to chase geckos and do things to them. By the time I spot a gecko in the house, it's still alive, but minus a tail. (Not to worry, their tails grow back.) I can understand Abby's attraction for geckos, because they're constantly on the move.

When my husband and I first moved to Florida, from (gecko-less) Wisconsin, it was a bit scary seeing lizards scurrying back and forth on the sidewalk, especially when I was out for an early morning walk. But then one morning when I reached for a shirt in my closet, and a gecko (who I've since named Fred) was sitting on top of the hanger, smiling back at me--it was love at first sight. So that's why now I do whatever I can to look after geckos, but sometimes I get a little carried away.

My husband and I had only driven a few feet to the first stop light in our neighborhood, and while we were waiting for the light to turn green, I noticed a gecko on the windshield--hanging on for dear life! The poor guy must have been sun bathing, fell asleep and didn't hear us start the engine. But now, wide awake and petrified, two people were staring at him through the windshield, noisy traffic surrounded him on all sides, and I imagined him screaming, "Yikes! How did I get here and how can I get off of this car?"

My husband's first thought was to turn on the wipers, so they'd push the gecko off. I pointed out that our new friend might get squished, or whisked off into on-coming traffic, so no solution there. But we needed to come up with an idea quickly, because any minute the light would turn green and I doubted if our gecko could hang on even if we drove slowly. I've never been fond of this particular traffic light, because it has to be the longest light in the entire city of Sarasota. But today, I was thankful. Because it gave us time to open the sunroof, then I stood up, leaned over and yelled, "Jump off the windshield and over to the grassy part of the curb--and hurry!" He was one smart gecko, because he did exactly what I told him to do.

Whew! What an adventure, our gecko friend was safe and secure, the light turned green and my husband and I continued on down the road. But then I got to thinking, (which isn't always a good thing for me to do). Even though the gecko was safely on the ground, maybe he was too far from home. Could he find his way back? Would his family come looking for him?

"Maybe we should turn around, dear?"

To enter the Rattlesnake Egg giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/snake052212.html

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

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: BUZZ BOOKS by Michael Cader

Start reading some of the fall's biggest books--from top authors and bestsellers including Junot Díaz, Mark Helprin, Rhoda Janzen, Barbara Kingsolver, Dennis Lehane and J.R. Moehringer--and discover the first novels from Shani Boianjiu, Peter Heller, M.L. Stedman, Amanda Coplin, Kevin Powers, Scott Hutchins, John Kenney and others before they hit the market. Plus you'll enjoy samples from major young adult authors, including Jessica Khoury, Libby Bray, David Levithan, and Ned Vizzini. Download this FREE collection of exciting excerpts now.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on BUZZ BOOKS to read more.

 

Dear Reader Column 05-22-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

This week's columns are all about bugs, slugs, snakes and other creepy crawlers. And be sure to enter today's Rattlesnake Egg giveaway.

I don't mind sharing my space with creatures, because I realize they're probably thinking they're the ones that are tolerating me. But the big black snake--the "bigger around than a garden hose" snake, the one that's been hanging around my house lately--we have to come to some sort of an agreement, because he's scaring the bejeebers out of me.

As far as I know, black snakes are harmless. (Usually I want to hear from you if you know something I don't, but not this time. Please don't write and tell me I'm wrong--I think I'd rather be in the dark about what this snake likes to eat.)

Black snakes, at least the one that likes to sun himself on my porch, are docile. He doesn't rattle and he doesn't rise up and hiss at me. We haven't discussed it, but I get the impression that I make him just as nervous as he makes me. There's plenty of sun to go around, so I don't understand why all of sudden this snake wants to sunbathe on my back porch.

Once you nearly step on a snake, then everything that moves, means snake. But after a couple of days with no snake on the steps, I forgot about him--until today, when I went out the back door, stepped down, and put my foot right beside his head. Snake and Suzanne, side-by-side on the same step, he side-winded off, insulted that I'd almost tromped on him--and I was screaming.

There's always a reason for everything and since I've seen some little baby black snakes around lately, maybe this is really a mother snake in desperate need of a few minutes away from her demanding children. Maybe she's searching for a day at the spa--a little sun, and a little snake cocktail, topped off with one of those fancy umbrellas.

I raised four children, and heaven knows, I can relate.

To enter the Rattlesnake Egg giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/snake052212.html

* Congratulations to the winners of my most recent apron giveaway: Ivy Shows, Kara Hash and Cornelia Donovan.

* And congratulations to the May Chocolate Chip Cookie Winners: Marcia Barker, Gail Currier, Vickie Rosier and Rita Rae Rogers.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: LOVE IS MURDER (Fiction) edited by Sandra Brown

An anthology of short stories penned by some of our most popular romantic suspense authors, LOVE IS MURDER also features stories by writers better known for their thrillers, but who often incorporate into their books the relationship layering that is the trademark of traditional romantic suspense.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on LOVE IS MURDER to find out more about the book and the editor, Sandra Brown. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 05-21-12

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

Not only can you find a great book at the library, you might even find out how to get engaged, too. Welcome to author Melissa Fay Greene, today's guest columnist. Melissa would love to "meet" you. Be sure to drop her a line at: mfgreene1@gmail.com and she'll personally reply, and your name will be entered in a drawing for one of 5 copies of her book No Biking in the House Without a Helmet (previously featured in our NonFiction Book Club).

Take it away, Melissa...

One evening in 1978, I called home long-distance from Savannah, Georgia, to tell my mother, Roz Greene, in Dayton, Ohio, that I was planning to move to Athens, Georgia, where my boyfriend was in law school at the University of Georgia.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said wistfully. "Couldn't you get married first?"

"Married?!' I scoffed. "Mom! This is the seventies! No one gets 'married' anymore!"

"Oh," she said sadly, and then offered: "Couldn't you at least get engaged?"

This caught me so off-guard--"engagement" a concept that had eluded my consciousness completely during the consciousness-raising years--that I didn't instantly dismiss it.

"Engaged?" I asked. "Well, what does that involve?"

"I don't know!" she cried with happiness. "But I'll go to the library first thing tomorrow morning and look it up!"

This was typical of my mother, a lifelong lover of books and of libraries. She was a young mother; she'd only attended one semester of college at the University of Georgia before dropping out to get married in 1948 at 19; and she never took another class or studied another subject. But she held books and libraries in reverence. I grew up within a wonderland of children's literature, first in Macon, Georgia, where I was born; and later in Dayton, Ohio, to which we moved when I was six. My mother read to me at bedtime; and she sat on the closed toilet-lid and read to me as I splashed in the bathtub; and she read aloud to me and my brother on family trips, turning around in the passenger seat as my father drove; and when I was sick, she sat by my bed and read herself hoarse in long marathons: The Five Little Peppers, The Wind in the Willows; Winnie-the-Pooh; Peter Pan Raggedy Ann & Andy, The Velveteen Rabbit magical worlds coming to life along with the steam curling towards my ceiling from the humidifier that she plugged in whenever I was sick. My first job (urged upon me by my mother) was at the Montgomery County Public Library in Dayton; at 16, I became a "page."

"Are you still a Page?!" roared my father in high humor every night. "Are you ever going to be promoted to Chapter?!" He laughed, but my mother glowed with pride that I worked at a library.

My mother and her beloved books and libraries are, without a doubt, the reason I became a writer. She didn't live, alas, to see my greatest library moment: last spring, I was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, housed in the magnificent University of Georgia library. Now my portrait hangs in their archives beside true giants of literature like W.E.B. Du Bois, Sidney Lanier, Joel Chandler Harris, Margaret Mitchell, and Alice Walker. My mother... well, I feel tears rising to my eyes at the thought...my mother would have been proud.

Meanwhile, on the night in 1978 that she promised to go to the library the next morning to look up the art of getting engaged, I called my boyfriend, Donny Samuel, and said, "I think we might be getting engaged."

"Really?" he asked in surprise. "Wait, don't I have anything to do with it?"

"No. My mother's going to the library tomorrow to look it up."

"Okay," he said cheerily. "Just let me know."

My mother went to the library the next morning, checked out Emily Post, called me back, and Donny and I not only got engaged by phone later that same day but were married five months later. We just celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary. Without my mother and the Montgomery County Public Library, it might never have happened.

--Melissa Fay Greene

Melissa is an award-winning author of five books of nonfiction, from serious literary journalism about the civil rights movement and the HIV/AIDS pandemic--Praying For Sheetrock, The Temple Bombing, Last Man Out, and There Is No Me Without You to her recent hilarious and touching family memoir, No Biking In The House Without a Helmet. Melissa and her husband live in Atlanta and are the parents of nine.

Send an email to Melissa, say hello, she will personally reply, and she'll enter you in her book giveaway. Email: mfgreene1@gmail.com

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: INTO THIS WORLD (Fiction) by Sybil Baker

Determined to discover the truth about Mina, her adopted sister, Allison flies to Seoul, yet Mina--and Korea--are nothing like Allison imagines. Over the next three months, Allison and Mina will unearth thirty years of family secrets--and Allison will discover in Mina the sister she never embraced and in herself, the stronger woman she can be.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on INTO THIS WORLD to read more and to email author Sybil Baker, you'll get a reply.