Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 11-14-11

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 was born on a Tuesday morning. It was a difficult birth, because I was thirty-four years old."

After reading the first line from this week's bonus book, Me Again, by Keith Cronin, I was torn between spending a sunny Florida Saturday afternoon reading Keith's book, or "playing" in my flower gardens. Read a little, plant a few flowers, then read a little more, by late afternoon the book won my attention and I sent an email to Keith. "I am loving your book. The first line of the book grabs you, then the story takes over and never lets go. You should feel so proud of your debut novel."

Keith's resume is as engaging as his book. He's a former librarian who went on to become a corporate speechwriter and a professional rock drummer. Keith's performed and recorded with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons and Pat Travers and now he's released his debut novel Me Again.

I invited Keith to write a guest column (below) and you can start reading his book at: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=bryantestqqxqN1FE32125A3E&c=SUZ&future

Introducing author Keith Cronin....

First I'd like to thank Suzanne for the opportunity to share a moment with you today. It's rare that you meet somebody with the kind of contagious positive energy Suzanne has--she absolutely glows with it, both when you speak with her, and in her writing.

We are just days away from Thanksgiving here in the U.S., which means my family will soon be organizing its grocery lists, pulling out the cookware and getting ready to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving lobster.

No, that's not some auto-correct spelling anomaly: I said lobster, not turkey. Let me explain.

When my daughter was around ten years old, she came home from school one November day and announced that lobster had been one of the main courses for the Pilgrims' original Thanksgiving meal. This made sense, she observed, when you took into account the nearby North Atlantic waters. So she proposed that this year we try something different, yet still in keeping with Pilgrim tradition.

We all liked lobster, and her plan made sense, so we cheerfully agreed to celebrate the holiday that year with "the traditional Thanksgiving lobster." We had guests coming, so we made sure to set their expectations for a turkeyless meal. Our proposed menu raised some eyebrows, but nobody objected, and Project Lobster was soon underway.

The meal got off to a great start, and the lobster was delicious. The conversation around the dinner table frequently came back to what a great idea this was, and to wondering why we had never explored this tradition before. But midway through the meal we began to notice my daughter smirking enigmatically.

Finally she made a confession. She had made up the entire thing, fabricating a plausible but undocumented "tradition," hoping to convince us to cook lobster instead of turkey. Her rationale? "I just really don't like turkey," she said with a guilty smile.

We couldn't even get angry. After all, we had been enjoying the meal immensely. And darn it, it really was pretty likely that there was a lobster or two on the original Thanksgiving dinner table, so it was hard to impugn her logic. We all had a good laugh, although I did make a mental note to rev up the horsepower on my internal lie detector if ever my daughter offered me a questionable excuse for getting home late.

That was some fifteen years ago. But in testament to the lasting merit of my daughter's ingenuity, we still serve "the traditional Thanksgiving lobster" every year, sometimes accompanied by a token turkey for any dinner guests whose sense of "tradition" might be more restrictive than our own.

I don't know about you, but after writing this, I'm suddenly very hungry. But I'm always glad to reply to emails, so I hope I hear from you. My email address is: keithwriter@hotmail.com and I'm giving away 10 copies of my books to readers. Drop me a line.
--Keith Cronin

Please give Keith a warm book club welcome. Send an email and say hello, and here's the link to start reading his book:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=bryantestqqxqN1FE32125A3E&c=SUZ&future

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 PATHS OF GLORY by Humphrey Cobb. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/November11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Meet author Christine W. Hartmann...

My mother valued control above all else, yet one event appeared beyond her command: the timing of her own death. Not to be denied there either, two decades in advance she chose the date on which to end her life. And her next step was to tell me all about it. For twenty years, she maintained an unwavering goal, to commit suicide at age seventy, while I fought desperately against the decision.

I invite you to take a look at my nonfiction book: SO FAR AWAY: A DAUGHTER'S MEMOIR OF LIFE, LOSS, AND LOVE.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on my book to read more and please send an email. I'd love to hear from you.--Author Christine W. Hartmann

 

Dear Reader Column 11-09-11

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 one of the my family's traditional Thanksgiving recipes, Crock Pot Dressing. And it's become a classic recipe at the book clubs, too. Every year readers email asking for the recipe (some in a panic the night before Thanksgiving), because they've misplaced their copy, so I'm happy to share it with you, early. But if you happen to misplace it again--not to worry. I'll be checking my email late in the evening November 23rd!

Crock Pot Dressing

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cups mushrooms (if you use canned, drain them)
2 eggs beaten
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups chicken broth, or enough to moisten well
13 cups dried bread, cubed
1 1/2 tsp. Poultry seasoning
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Sage
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Marjoram, (optional)

Melt butter in fry pan and saute onion and celery until soft. Mix with remaining ingredients and toss well. Pack in large crock pot. Cover. Cook on high for 45 minutes, then turn to low and continue cooking for 6-8 hours.

You'll find all of my family's favorite holiday recipes, including Crock Pot Dressing, in my book, Muffins and Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life. If you're giving a copy of my book as a gift this year, I'm happy to sign an autographed book plate, and send along a book mark and recipe card for you to include with your gift. Visit: www.MuffinandMayhem.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@EmailBookClub.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus every author/publisher is giving away free copies of their featured book. Learn about great books for kids and teens from Melissa Sweet, Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade; David Farland, Nightingale; and Elizabeth Levy, Parrots and Pirates: A Mystery at Sea. For a chance to win free books, say hello to the authors, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

This month's Penguin Classics book is Paths of Glory by Humphrey Cobb. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/November11Classics

Dear Reader Column 10-13-11

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,

Five-finger turkeys; my grandson, Paul, and I have been making turkeys for our Thanksgiving table. Each turkey has a space in the middle to put a name. I'll be using them for place cards at the table. Paul patiently holds his hand still on the paper while I trace an outline, then he adorns the fingers with feathers, an eye that jiggles or winks on the top of the thumb (feather), add some extra design with crayons, and voila, a turkey ready to strut its stuff at the table.

I'm an advance planner when it comes to holidays. In addition to starting on the table decorations, I've started planning my menu, too. Cooking for a holiday--all of our family is getting together, including my husband's brother Jim, who's flying in from New York again this year--the sooner I begin planning, the longer I have to savor and anticipate the big day.

You'll find all of my family's traditional Thanksgiving recipes, such as Crock Pot Stuffing, Pumpkin Bread, Shrimp Salad, Skunk Beans, and Jazzed Green Beans at my recipe blog. Readers have submitted some of their personal recipes, too. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/SuzanneRecipes

In addition to cooking family favorites, I'd like to add something new to my menu. Can you help me out? Would you send me one of your favorite recipes? I sure would appreciate it. Email me at: Suzanne@Emailbookclub.com and put RECIPE on the subject line. Thank you kindly.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus every author this week is giving away free copies of their featured book. Click on the link below and say hello.

A TEXAN'S PROMISE by Shelley Gray

DYING TO DO LETTERMAN: Turning Someday Into Today by Steve Mazan

THE DEAD CELEBRITY COOKBOOK by Frank Decaro

THE ANIMALS by Richard Grossman

THE DETACHMENT by Barry Eisler

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

AUTHORBUZZ: THE ANIMALS by Richard Grossman

Newly revised and updated, THE ANIMALS has been described as an environmental bible, guiding readers to a higher understanding of themselves and the world around them. Set in a mythical "field" this spiritual and philosophical guide engages in a series of discussions on a wide range of issues, both practical and mystical, with a shepherd and his flock of 200 different creatures ranging from an amoeba to a whale.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on THE ANIMALS to read more. Author Richard Grossman would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 10-03-11

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,

Who would've thought that a big, fluffy chicken would be one of my most cherished memories from my recent vacation in the Smoky Mountains? My husband loves hand puppets, unfortunately our grandchildren are not as fascinated by them, which is kind of sad, because how does a man in his 60s justify buying a big, goofy-looking chicken puppet, if he can't use buying it for his grandkids as an excuse?

Whenever my husband and I are in a toy store he's drawn to the puppet display, and while he's trying on hand puppets and mimicking dolphin, bear and squirrel "voices" I quickly remind him that our grandchildren aren't taken with puppets. So after playing for a bit more, he puts the puppets back on the rack. But on our recent vacation, when I saw my husband with a big goofy chicken puppet on his hand, and he was looking at it with the smile of a child, instead of reminding him that our grandkids didn't like puppets, I encouraged him to buy it. "It will be a wonderful souvenir of our trip, you should buy it. We can put a Pilgrim hat on the chicken and make him part of our Thanksgiving centerpiece."

When we left the store, we both entered the delightful land of make-believe. Our new chicken became our traveling companion. He was the cutest thing, his head and wings propped over the top of the shopping bag, we carried him around like a pet. Silly fun, and a cherished memory of a wonderful vacation, and a lesson I hope I won't forget.

Never again am I reminding my husband about why he shouldn't buy a hand puppet. I feel bad that all these years I've been squashing his joy--the fun of being a kid again. Such a blessing that he hasn't lost that spirit, and it's one of the reasons I love him so much.

*To see some of our vacation photos, including our goofy chicken, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/vacation2011.html

To enter a drawing for a Smoky Mountain favorite book, Who Pooped in the Park? by Steve Kemp and Robert Rath, send an email with your mailing address to: Suzanne@EmailBookclub.com

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE by J.T. Ellison

Imagine this. A gunshot has robbed you of your ability to speak. You are alone in an eerie castle in the Scottish Highlands, far away from your friends and your lover. You don't know whether the ghosts surrounding you are real, or hallucinations. Figments of your imagination, or people trying to kill you?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE to read more. Author J.T. Ellison would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 09-20-11

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 on vacation this week. Congratulations to Diane O'Neill, one of the three runner-ups in this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. Not only is Diane a wonderful writer and storyteller, she's easy to talk to.

When I phoned to tell her she was one of our contest winners, immediately I liked her. Right up front with her feelings and what's going on in her life, I discovered we had a lot in common. We both have three eccentric kitties, Diane's a writer (and a darn good one, too) and 20 years ago when she was recovering from being hit by a car (lugging a cast and crutches for a year), she discovered first-hand what few transportation options were offered to people who have a disability. "I assumed there were systems set up to help folks get around. I was wrong."

Experiencing a long recovery from a concussion, and her leg being in a cast for a year, Diane found new direction for her life. Ever since she's been very active in disability rights, and she uses her gift of writing to further that cause.

Diane's been reading at the book clubs since 2000 and every year she's entered the Write a Dear Reader Contest.

"This year was your year, Diane! Thanks for entering and for sharing such a delightful, heartwarming story. Congratulations!"
-- Suzanne Beecher

Siblings

Most people's memories of brothers and sisters go back to diaper days, but I was a college freshman when I learned I had half-siblings, and I met Chuck when I was twenty-eight.

One January evening in 1984, while I was typing away in my space-heated Chicago apartment, a little kid from downstairs banged on my door. The building was old and the doorbell didn't work.

"There's a man downstairs to see you."

Downstairs, I pulled back the door window's curtain and saw a man, about my age, with black hair that fell in his eyes. He wore dark-framed glasses and a charcoal overcoat.

"Are you Diane O'Neill?"

"Yes..."

"Chuck O'Neill's daughter?"

Who would know that? My parents divorced when I was a baby and I rarely talked about my father.

"Yes..."

"I'm Chuck Jr."

I looked closer, at the piercing eyes, the face more rectangular than round, the broad forehead, and I remembered a black-and-white photo in an album of my mother's.

I opened the door.

We talked for hours, and I learned about my other three half-brothers and my half-sister. They lived in Indiana. Jim was a minister, Dave drove a truck, John was away at college--ironically, one I'd attended, too--and Peggy was a high school junior. Chuck, the oldest of my half-siblings, worked in electronics and was here on business. He took time to explain how batteries work--and he offered to fix my doorbell. Every time he slipped and said "my" father, he quickly corrected himself to say "our."

But for me, the sibling bond wasn't automatic--Chuck was a stranger, and so were these other people in Indiana. Did I want to let them into my life? I felt cautious: "You guys don't know anything about me!" He responded wryly, "What do you want to do, send us a resume?" But a new boss would know more about me.

I didn't see Chuck for two years. Then one day he left a message on my answering machine, saying our father's mother had died: "She was your grandmother." But I had only met her once, when I was eleven.

Chuck called again: "We're back from the funeral--can we come over?"

An hour later, four half-brothers, one half-sister, a sister-in-law, a fiance, and my dad filled my living room.

I don't remember much from that afternoon. I showed my dad an article I'd had published. Peggy and I stared at each other, smiling, trying to figure out if we resembled each other.

Differences existed, emotional landmines to be sidestepped. My half-siblings grew up in small-town Indiana; I grew up in Chicago on welfare. Being abandoned for a new family leaves scars. I listened while my half-siblings reminisced about trips to "our" grandparents' house, when they mentioned an uncle who never called me niece. At our father's funeral, Peggy mentioned father-daughter times I'd never known.

Yet somehow, slowly, with twists and turns, half-siblings became siblings. John and his wife asked me to be godmother to their daughter and son. At my goddaughter's First Communion party, chatting with a sister-in-law's dad about his poetry, listening to my brothers debate Star Trek episodes, watching my son play with my godson, it hit me--I fit in.

Two brothers and their families now live in the Chicago area, and every Christmas Eve we gather at my place. Three years ago, Chuck took my son to Disney World. Jim calls often from Florida; when Peggy visited from Arizona, I cooked pasta for her, her mother-in-law, and my niece Becca.

Recently, I hosted a Game Day, complete with Apples to Apples and pizza. A new friend joined us, and I mentioned that I'd met my siblings when I was close to thirty.

"Stop. That can't be. You're all the same, the same sense of humor--"

Perhaps that explains how we became family--we are family.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE REAL STORY OF AH-Q AND OTHER TALES OF CHINA by Lu Xun. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/September11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: AS FAR AS THE HEART CAN SEE by Mark Nepo

This book is a collection of stories I've encountered and told for many years in my life as a teacher. The thing about telling and listening to a story is we discover each other, often unexpectedly. Ultimately stories bear witness to our love and suffering and reaffirm that we're not alone.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on AS FAR AS THE HEART CAN SEE to read more. Author Mark Nepo would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 09-05-11

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,

In honor of Labor Day, I've decided not to labor.

Hopefully you get to celebrate today's holiday, too.

If you feel like doing some cooking today, you'll find my favorite recipes, and recipes that readers have submitted at: http://tinyurl.com/SuzanneRecipes

Enjoy the day. My column will return tomorrow.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: THE FUNNY MAN, by John Warner

In my novel, THE FUNNY MAN, we see a comic go from being a reasonably happy nobody to a miserable global celebrity. At the peak of his fame, he manages to destroy everything. He loses his family, wrecks his career, and finds himself on trial for shooting an unarmed man six times.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on THE FUNNY MAN to read more. Author John Warner would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 08-10-11

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 summer I've been cooking with kids. Kindergartners who are attending Summer Camp at Primrose School. I must admit it was a little frightening when I walked into the classroom for my very first class, "All About Eggs;" cracking, separating, hard boiling, scrambling, and making deviled eggs. Twenty-one cute little faces, excited, and anxiously waiting for the cooking class to begin, how was I going to pull this off? But the neat thing about kids--at least the kids in my class--they have a built-in desire to learn. Fifteen minutes into the class, sure it was a bit of organized chaos, and a loud noise level, (twenty-one kids and five teachers, it's inevitable) but we had a grand time, and as I watched the children, they were indeed learning All About Eggs--even how to separate an egg by hand.

Instead of opening a boxed cake mix, in our second class, we learned how to level flour, measure baking soda, salt, baking powder and unsweetened cocoa. Then we mixed in some sugar, eggs, vanilla, mayonnaise and water, filled cupcake liners, popped our cupcake pans into the oven to bake, and read the book Whopper Cake by Karma Wilson and Will Hillenbrand. Grandpa wants to bake Grandma a very big birthday cake in the book Whopper Cake, but when the recipe gets out-of-hand, Grandpa ends up mixing his cake in the back of a pickup truck. Sounded like fun to me, so, you know what I mixed my cupcakes in? The back of a child's big yellow and red pick-up truck, and soon, "Yum, yum!" it was time to eat cupcakes! (The best part of baking something from scratch.)

Learning how to roll pie dough (including cutting out fancy designs for the crusts) and making cherry pies was our next cooking class. For photos from the class, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cherrypie-080311.html

In today's final summer cooking class, the book Stone Soup, retold by Heather Forest, was the inspiration for deciding to make Stone Soup (yes, we used real stones). We're also baking homemade chocolate chip cookies, and at 4:30 the kids will serve their parents soup, chocolate chip cookies and punch.

Stone Soup, a popular European folktale that has been retold for centuries, was the perfect book to end our classes with, because the message in the story is about sharing. If everyone contributes just a little bit, big things can happen. And I'd have to say that's exactly what happened in our Summer Camp Cooking Classes. Measuring, mixing, being creative (especially when we made cherry pies), laughing and smiling, and tasting new foods; together we shared the joy of cooking with friends. It was such a delight!

Just three more days left to enter this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. It's writing for fun, don't be shy. For guidelines, samples of past winning entries, and a list of prizes, including a Kindle, go to: http://tinyurl.com/WADR2011

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

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



AUTHORBUZZ: Gabe Berman, today's featured author, writes...

Live Like a Fruit Fly is a call to action. Through anecdotes, insightful musings, candid stories, and hopeful messages, it emphasizes the importance of following your passions as well as being grateful, with just enough quirkiness to stand apart from the crowd.

To read more about Live Like a Fruit Fly: The Secret You Already Know goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 08-10-11

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

Instead of opening a boxed cake mix, in our second class, we learned how to level flour, measure baking soda, salt, baking powder and unsweetened cocoa. Then we mixed in some sugar, eggs, vanilla, mayonnaise and water, filled cupcake liners, popped our cupcake pans into the oven to bake, and read the book Whopper Cake by Karma Wilson and Will Hillenbrand. Grandpa wants to bake Grandma a very big birthday cake in the book Whopper Cake, but when the recipe gets out-of-hand, Grandpa ends up mixing his cake in the back of a pickup truck. Sounded like fun to me, so, you know what I mixed my cupcakes in? The back of a child's big yellow and red pick-up truck, and soon, "Yum, yum!" it was time to eat cupcakes! (The best part of baking something from scratch.)

Dear Reader,

 

Learning how to roll pie dough (including cutting out fancy designs for the crusts) and making cherry pies was our next cooking class. For photos from the class, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cherrypie-080311.html

In today's final summer cooking class, the book Stone Soup, retold by Heather Forest, was the inspiration for deciding to make Stone Soup (yes, we used real stones). We're also baking homemade chocolate chip cookies, and at 4:30 the kids will serve their parents soup, chocolate chip cookies and punch.

Stone Soup, a popular European folktale that has been retold for centuries, was the perfect book to end our classes with, because the message in the story is about sharing. If everyone contributes just a little bit, big things can happen. And I'd have to say that's exactly what happened in our Summer Camp Cooking Classes. Measuring, mixing, being creative (especially when we made cherry pies), laughing and smiling, and tasting new foods; together we shared the joy of cooking with friends. It was such a delight!

Just three more days left to enter this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. It's writing for fun, don't be shy. For guidelines, samples of past winning entries, and a list of prizes, including a Kindle, go to: http://tinyurl.com/WADR2011

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@EmailBookClub.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

Dear Reader Column 08-08-11

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,

Counting down the days to the deadline for this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. Enter today.

Write down your favorite, 'I remember when' story. Tell me about the Christmas you'll always remember, tell me about the love of your life, tell me about your dreams, your favorite food, your fear of writing, or the hobby you hope to pursue some day. It's all about writing for fun!

This year's Grand Prize Winner will receive a Kindle, a copy of my book, Muffins and Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life, publication in my Dear Reader column (in the daily book club) and also at BookTrib.com. Three runner-up winners will each receive a $50.00 gift card to their favorite bookstore, publication in my Dear Reader column (in the daily book club) and at BookTrib.com.

For deadline and entry information, including past winning columns, go to: http://tinyurl.com/WADR2011

Remember, write about anything, no pressure. Simply have fun. I can't wait to read your entry. Every year, I personally call the winners to give them the good news. Maybe this year I'll be calling you?

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

Start writing,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Jeremy Brown, today's featured author, writes...

MMA heavyweight Woodshed Wallace thinks he's beaten his criminal past, but the past fights dirty. The president of MMA's largest organization offers him a fight against a highly favored poster boy. By the time Woody realizes he's a pawn in a high stakes game between psychopaths, he and those he loves are in way too deep.

To read more about SUCKERPUNCH goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 07-04-11

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 celebrating the July 4th holiday with Seth and Bailey, my grandkids who are visiting from Wisconsin. I hope that you have been enjoying the guest columnists and have taken the time to drop them an email, you might even win a free book!

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Ann H. Gabhart, today's featured author, writes...

At nineteen, Lacey has already been backed into some uncomfortable corners by life happenings. When she ends up with the Shakers, she tries to hang onto her faith and hope for the future. To make matters worse, she finds herself drawn to Isaac Kingston...

To read more about THE BLESSED: A Novel goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader