Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 10-29-09

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,

Thanks for taking the time to write. I appreciate hearing from you.

A Question from my Email Bag:

"Hi Suzanne, did you ever have an idea that seemed great in your head, but flat when you put it on paper? How do you get around it? As wonderful as your columns are it is hard to believe you have this problem, but maybe you did when you started?"--Jenn Doyle

(Suzanne replies:)

Dear Jenn,

Thanks for your email and your vote of confidence, but absolutely "yes" I experience the falling flat problem you've described. The more experience I've gained as a writer, the more frequently it happens to me, because I take more chances with ideas. But it's really just part of the writing process.

A great idea might be humming around in my brain for days, but when I sit down to start writing--hey what happened? Suddenly the idea that felt like pure creative genius, I can't even come up with the first line.

This very thing happened to me a few weeks ago when I was in New York City having lunch with my agent. I was trying to tell him about an idea for my second book (my first won't be out until June 2010) but in the middle of explaining the concept I realized not only wasn't he "getting" it, I didn't even know what the heck I was talking about anymore.

So what's a girl to do? If I really love an idea and I'm not willing to give up on it, I let it percolate for a while. Sometimes the timing isn't right. I need to spend more time with the idea, so every chance I get I continue talking about it (no matter how disjointed I sound), and eventually everything comes together. Well, most of the time.

I imagine every single writer would admit to having the same problem, so if you discover a solution, please send the "fix" to me first--thank you very kindly--then hurry and produce one of those late night infomercials. "Call now and for only $19.95 this secret 'fix' will guarantee your writing ideas will never fall flat again!" I can see it now...hundreds of thousands of sleepless writers (including me), up in the middle of the night trying to get that flat idea to work, will pick up the phone. You'll make millions!

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: James D. Stein, The Right Decision; Linda Lael Miller, A Creed Country Christmas; Terri DuLong, Spinning Forward; Laura Brodie, The Widow's Season; and Terry Brennan, The Sacred Cipher. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 10-14-09

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,

I'm on vacation and today's Guest Column is written by author Rosemary Harris. Rosemary knows all about our book club and how it works, because she's reading along with us every day. Email her and she'll share more of her travels, photos and she has books to give away to readers. You'll find more about Rosemary and how to contact her at the end of her column. Thanks for filling in for me Rosemary. I sure do appreciate it.--Suzanne Beecher

From author Rosemary Harris...

My husband and I have always been "book people." My first real job was as a bookstore manager. When I opened the doors in the morning I couldn't wait to see what new titles would arrive, that I would see and know about first, before any of my friends. Before his semi-retirement Bruce spent over 40 years in publishing. And now I'm a writer. Having just delivered a manuscript I had a little breathing room before starting my next book. For me that meant going back to Africa.

I've always had the Africa chip. Call it too many viewings of Out of Africa (my husband has yet to shampoo my hair ala Robert Redford)--or reading Born Free at an impressionable age (and he refuses to let me adopt a lion cub.) Whatever that first influence was, it left me indelibly marked. I would go on safari like Meryl Streep. I would climb Kilimanjaro. We would hold hands in a small plane over the Masai Mara.

Three years ago, on our fifth visit to Africa, we took a Habitat for Humanity trip to a small village in central Tanzania. With about 16 others we helped to build two homes. Basic to be sure, but light years ahead of the mud huts most villagers lived in which get severely damaged and must be rebuilt after the rains. While there we fell in love with the village of Mvumi and the children from a nearby school, Chalula Primary. Chalula has over 1100 students and 14 teachers. There is no running water and no electricity, but for two self-described book people one other fact astounded us more than the absence of those creature comforts. The school had no library.

I guess I'm a decent person, better than some, not as good as others. I have my share of "do-gooder" moments, but nothing exceptional. Still, I came home determined to do something about what I thought was a deplorable situation.

Perhaps it was because I had such a long lead time before the publication of my first book (22 months from deal to bookstore) and needed something else to obsess about. Perhaps it was that combination of arrogance and ignorance that sometimes prompts people to do things they might not ordinarily do. Who knows? In May of 2007, my husband and I held a fundraiser in a friend's apartment. She sprang for the wine and cheese. I found a Tanzanian singer on Craigslist. It was no one's idea of a black tie event, but in June 2007, we broke ground. And in November 2007, we held the dedication for the Chalula Community Library in Mvumi Makula, Tanzania.

We've gotten tremendous support from the publishing community including books from Barnes & Noble and Random House Children's and personal donations from executives at all of the major houses including one who donated the funds for solar panels. Now Chalula Community Library is the only building in the area that has electricity. This summer we made our eighth trip to Africa, buying books, hiring a new librarian and welcoming two energetic college kids from Seattle who volunteered to spend three weeks in the village helping out. We'll return in March right before my publication date. My editor might disagree but I can't think of anything better to do in between books.

To see some photos of me in Africa, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/rosemary-harris.html

If you'd like to read the full story of the Chalula Community Library or see more pictures, please visit my website at www.rosemaryharris.com

Asante sana (thanks)

Rosemary Harris is a former bookstore manager and video executive who splits her time between New York City and Fairfield County, CT. She is president of Sisters in Crime New England, a board member of Mystery Writers of America's New York Chapter. She is a master gardener. Her debut novel Pushing Up Daisies has been nominated for both the Anthony and Agatha Awards. Deadhead, book three in her series is the story of a woman whose neighbors discover that she is a fugitive from the law who's been on the run for decades. It was inspired by a true story.

Rosemary is giving away copies of Pushing Up Daisies and The Big Dirt Nap. You can reach her at:  rosemary@rosemaryharris.com

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 10-07-09

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 on vacation. Today's Guest Column is written by author Julie Compton.

Julie was an attorney, but gave up law when she moved to Florida to pursue writing full-time. Tell No Lies (St. Martin's Minotaur 2008) was her critically-acclaimed legal thriller described as part Scott Turow, part Jodi Picoult. Kirkus Reviews gave the novel a starred review and described it as "a taut, tense cautionary tale complete with courtroom drama and a surprise ending." Her second novel, Rescuing Olivia arrives in bookstores this February. In this romantic psychological thriller, a Florida biker sets out on a search against time to find and save the woman he loves when she mysteriously disappears after a suspicious motorcycle accident.

Julie reads at the book club every day and she would love to hear from you. Drop her a line, she will reply to everyone and be sure to sign up for her book giveaway, too. Thank you so very much for filling in for me Julie.--Suzanne Beecher

From author Julie Compton...

I'm honored to be asked to write a guest column while Suzanne is away on vacation. I've been a longtime fan of DearReader.com, and even on those rare occasions when the book of the week is not to my liking, I still look forward to Suzanne's warm welcome each day. I've never met her in person, yet through the magic of the Internet, I feel I know her so well.

Which brings me to my topic du jour: The Magic of the Internet.

This past summer I traveled to Scotland with friends. Seven of us rented a wonderfully unique vacation home, a church built in 1633 that had been converted several years back into a six bedroom house. The former church is located in a town called South Queensferry, not far from Edinburgh. We arrived from various points. My husband, Rick, and I came from Florida, as did our friends, Joseph and Jennifer. Margaret and Sarah came from New York, Richard from England. All of us are writers of some sort except Rick (but he fits in with any crowd). We had a delightful time seeing the sights in Queensferry and Edinburgh, attending the various festivals (including the Edinburgh Book Festival), and hanging out in the pubs sampling haggis and cider. It was the quintessential group vacation with good sights, new foods, and long talks with great friends.

But here's what was so unusual about our group, and the reason I mention the trip: except for me and Rick, all of us originally met each other because of an online connection. Joseph and Jennifer met years before in the early AOL writer chat rooms and have been a couple now for thirteen years. A few years ago, they started a social networking site for writers, artists and musicians called Inked In (www.inkedin.ning.com) and that's where I first "met" them. We later became more than virtual friends when they invited me and Rick to their holiday open house. Margaret and I attended the same university years ago, but were complete strangers until she emailed me last year after seeing a blurb about my first novel in our alumni magazine. I "introduced" her to Joseph and Jennifer when she joined the Inked In site. Sarah met Joseph and Jennifer through another friend of theirs from the AOL chat room, and all of us met Richard when he stumbled upon Inked In from a Google search.

I readily admit that I was once a skeptic about the long-term value of online relationships. Sure, I had fun chatting with online friends, but I never believed my cyber-buddies might become anything more than that. I certainly never thought I'd be vacationing with them one day. It felt odd, even, to attend the open house where I first met Joseph and Jennifer in person. I'll never forget the look on Rick's face after I told him we'd been invited to their party.

"How do you know these people?" he'd asked.

I'd shrugged a bit sheepishly. "Well, I don't, not really."

Yet we took a chance and drove across town to attend a party where we knew no one. I'm glad we did, because that drive has turned into a much longer--and yes, magical--journey.

Next stop: a road trip from Orlando to the Gulf Coast. It'd be a hoot to someday meet Suzanne in person, too.

To see our merry band of travelers, go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/julie-compton.html

(There was just something about the photo that made Richard turn it into an album cover.)

Julie is giving away two books. Be sure to email her to have a chance to win her first book, Tell No Lies, or an ARC of her upcoming release, Rescuing Olivia. Email her at: julie@julie-compton.com Her website is: www.julie-compton.com

KIDSBUZZ: This week brings new authors and longtime favorites, all wonderful teen books to enjoy (and possibly win) from: Katherine Gilbert Murdock, Front and Center; Mitali Perkins, Secret Keeper; Tanya Lee Stone, Almost Astronauts; and Mary Pearson, The Miles Between. Go to: http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

 

Dear Reader Column 10-05-09

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,

Write a Dear Reader Contest winners, guest columnists, free autographed books, the opportunity to ask an author a question (all the guest columnists promised to reply to every reader's email) and vacation goodies from me. For the next three weeks every day a guest columnist will be filling in for me. I'll be on vacation.

I have absolutely no plans for my vacation this year. Yes, I realize that's a dangerous approach, especially since my husband and I can drive around for an hour trying to decide where to stop for dinner. No cars surrounding a restaurant? It's a bad sign, so we drive on by. But when the next restaurant's parking lot is full, we worry we'll have to wait too long. So without any advanced reservations, it's iffy whether or not we'll actually get out of town this year on our vacation.

The backup plan is hanging out on our new screened in front porch. The weather is beautiful this time of year in Florida, so I thought maybe I'd sit on the porch and write. Maybe even start another book. I've had an inkling of an idea, but it seems the harder I try to think about it, the more it escapes me. So I've decided to let the idea come to me. I'm ready and waiting, no pressure, (but just a reminder for whoever might be listening )--I only have three weeks. I have to be back at work on October 26th. Talk to you then.

A special thank you to everyone who entered this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest and to the authors who are filling in for me while I'm gone.

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

Officially on vacation... Suzanne Beecher

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

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these are five that deserve your attention: Iain Levison, How to Rob an Armored Car; Eileen Goudge, Once in a Blue Moon; Melody Carlson, The Christmas Dog; Laurie Ann Levin, God, the Universe, and Where I Fit In; and Laura Childs, Tragic Magic. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 10-02-09

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,

Thanks again to everyone who submitted marketing ideas for my upcoming book. Eight publishing executives were at the marketing meeting I attended in New York City. They were all anxious to read your marketing ideas and very impressed that you took the time to send them.

Donna, a book club reader asked if I could post all of the comments that readers sent in and I thought it was a great idea. If you'd like to take a read through the marketing ideas, go to: http://tinyurl.com/y9ea9lw

Have a wonderful weekend. Next week I'll announce the Write a Dear Reader contest winners!

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

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

 

Dear Reader Column 09-29-09

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,

Thanks for taking the time to write, I know you're busy. I always appreciate hearing from readers.

From my Email Bag:

"Hi Suzanne, It is always great to read your Dear Reader column and the accompanying sample of books. Although I don't get the time to read the books section sometimes, I make it a point to read the Dear Reader column. I have now moved to Kuwait and am in the process of adjusting to a new place and people quite different from North America. So I am sure you would agree when I say that your column makes my day, makes me start my day with something familiar. I was also aghast at learning that there are no public libraries here. Thank Goodness, I have shipped some books which will be arriving soon. And I plan to order some more and have enough to spend my time with till the time I move back. Thank you for your column."--Srimathi

"Suzanne, Just a quick note to say thanks for your efforts! I am new to your list of readers, but have enjoyed it greatly so far. Do you also have in your catalog "Self-Help" books? I'm interested in those oriented to saving money, reducing debt, investing in real estate, etc. Keep up the good work!"--Buddy

(Suzanne replies:) I don't have a Self-help genre, but I'll try to offer more of those titles as a bonus book in my column.

Be sure to check out our new Kidsbuzz feature tomorrow. It runs every Wednesday after my column.

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

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

P.S. Congratulations to the winners of last week's giveaway for The Promised World by Lisa Tucker: Kay King, Sandi Visconty, Kathleen Gerard, Elizabeth McGaw and Wendy Catalano.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is The Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Huxley. To comment on the book and enter the Penguin Classics Drawing, go to: http://tinyurl.com/SeptClassics

 

Dear Reader Column 09-25-09

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,

A few weeks ago I invited the family to one of my eat-and-run turkey dinners. Come for dinner, eat and then skedaddle. No need to hang around. Everyone had a great time, especially James, my ten-month-old grandson. He'd never eaten one of my deviled eggs and it was fun to watch him gobble it down. So I offered him another and he devoured that one, too. Being a good hostess, when someone's plate was empty I offered seconds, "How about more potatoes and gravy, green beans, another helping of turkey or skunk beans? And of course there's dessert, pumpkin or cherry pie, with a big dollop of whipped cream on the side!"

My daughter-in-law smiled and looked at my son, "Doesn't your mother sound just like my Grandma Trehey? Always making sure everyone's got plenty to eat."

Could my daughter-in-law be right? I am a grandmother, I do love to cook, and it does my heart good to see people enjoying their meal--oh, no! Maybe it's true! Maybe I have become one of those people who feel the need to make sure everyone gets enough to eat. But then again the thought is a bit ironic, since personally I don't eat very much.

Case in point, last week when I was in New York City my agent sent an email inquiring about what kind of food I'd like to have for lunch:

"Whatcha feel like eating Suzanne? Sushi, Texas barbq, nuevo-Indian, Italian? Or R U gonna just push a couple pieces of lettuce around on your plate no matter where we go?!"

And then later that evening I had dinner with a publisher who is also a very good friend. Immediately after the waiter handed us our menus, my dinner companion announced, "Suzanne, I want you to actually eat tonight. Be a member of the clean plate club!"

In my defense, most of my meals in New York City are really business affairs, so how can I get down to the business of eating, when people keep firing questions in my direction? And since my mother drilled into me, "Never talk with your mouth full." I confess to frequently doing the lettuce shuffle.

So I replied to my agent, "Yeah, you've got my number, don't you? My eating clothes are pajamas, but since we have an appointment to go to after lunch, how about any place that has a great salad and you do the real eating for both of us."

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 Laura Caldwell then read about great thrillers from: Lisa Black, John J. Le Beau, Gaylon Greer, Margaret Carroll, William Bernhardt, Clive Cussler & Grand Blackwood, David Niall Wilson, Gino Brogdon, Judith Cutler, Joe. R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Norb Vonnegut, Misty Evans, Kathy Reichs, Dan Fesperman, Annelise Ryan, Huw Powell and Michael Walsh. Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

* This month's Penguin Classics book is The Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Huxley. To comment on the book and enter the Penguin Classics Drawing, go to: http://tinyurl.com/SeptClassics

 

Dear Reader Column 09-23-09

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,

Flat Stanley is visiting me again this year. (In fact he's taking a nap in my guest room at this very moment.) Hailey, a student in Ms. Anderson's second grade class at North Liberty Elementary School sent Flat Stanley to live with my husband and me for two weeks. Our assignment is to take Hailey's Flat Stanley paper doll with us wherever we go. Unfortunately, Flat Stanley's first few days in Florida were spent in an envelope because my husband and I were in New York City when he arrived.

If you've never been introduced to Flat Stanley, he's the main character in Jeff Brown's book Flat Stanley. Stanley Lambchop becomes as flat as a piece of paper when his bulletin board falls on him in the middle of the night. But just as in our every day lives, if you look real hard--even in the midst of something bad--like being smished by a bulletin board, something good comes from it. The good news is when you're flat as a piece of paper, you can travel First Class to anywhere in the country for only 44 cents!

Flat Stanley is an annual project for Ms. Anderson's second grade class. Last year Abigail sent Flat Stanley to me and I must admit I became emotionally involved. At the end of Flat Stanley's, visit when it was time to mail him back to Abigail, I was truly sad to see him go.

So this year when Ms. Anderson asked if I wanted to participate in the project again I said yes. But surprisingly, I admit, my heart wasn't in the "yes" like it was the first time around. My life felt extremely busy at the time, even a little out of control, so I guess I said yes more out of guilt than desire. Because an excited second grader would be sending her Flat Stanley out into the world and anxiously waiting for a reply, 'Come on Suzanne--you can certainly do your part.' So I welcomed Flat Stanley, but still not exactly with open arms, until this past Saturday.

My husband and I got up early to go to the Farmer's Market. We'd walked about two blocks when I made the comment that I really should have brought Flat Stanley along. So we dutifully turned around, walked back home and invited Flat Stanley to join us.

Walking to the Farmer's Market and holding Flat Stanley in my left hand so he could get some fresh air (he'd been in that envelope for too many days while we were in New York City) something magical happened. Suddenly I felt a responsibility for someone. I had agreed to show Flat Stanley a good time, so that's what I started doing. Looking for photo opportunities, Flat Stanley pushed the Walk button so we could cross the busy street, Flat Stanley went wading in the fountain, he sampled a Wisconsin cheese curd for the very first time, and he loved the brightly colored cut flowers at the market, so I brought some home for him. Of course it's child's play, of course it's make believe, but suddenly Flat Stanley wasn't just a paper doll, colored with crayons by a second grader. Suddenly Flat Stanley was making me smile and I was having fun. Ah, the wonder of make-believe!

To see some Flat Stanley photos, go to: http://tinyurl.com/nxkfv6

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

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

KIDSBUZZ: New authors, longtime favorites, all wonderful children's and teen books to enjoy (and possibly win): Laurie Halse Anderson, Chains; Amy Hest, Little Chick; Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith; and G. Neri, Surf Mules. Go to: http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

* This month's Penguin Classics book is The Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Huxley. To comment on the book and enter the Penguin Classics Drawing, go to: http://tinyurl.com/SeptClassics

Dear Reader Column 09-22-09

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,

"Morning edition METRO, morning edition METRO."

When my husband and I were in New York City last week we met Kevin, the man who hands out the METRO newspaper every morning on the corner of 49th and 3rd Avenue. I had a lunch nearby, it was a beautiful sunny day and since it was still early my husband and I were doing some bench sitting, and people watching--watching Kevin.

Kevin's a very friendly looking guy and Morning edition METRO, is his pitch when he offers someone a free paper. It gets the job done. He hands out 1100 newspapers between 9 a.m. and noon. But by 11:00, when we were watching him, the newspaper business had slowed way down.

My husband and I love to brainstorm about marketing ideas, and we'd been discussing a book about "framing," how small things in the environment could influence people's buying decisions. Curiosity got the best of us. "What if the guy (we hadn't met Kevin yet) handing out newspapers on the corner was holding a big, red Gerber Daisy in one hand, and the METRO in the other? Would more people be inclined to take a paper?"

An interesting question, but by then it was almost time for my lunch date so we headed out. We were halfway down the street when Kevin, the newspaperman caught up with us, "Hey, you forgot your bag!" I'd brought along some chocolate chip cookies for my lunch appointment, and I'd tucked them under the bench to keep them out of the sun. Apparently out of sight, means out of Suzanne's mind (I've been a bit forgetful lately). Cookies in hand, I hurried to my lunch appointment and my husband took the opportunity to discuss our flower power marketing experiment with Kevin.

Kevin was game to try. So the next morning, a METRO paper in one hand, the big red Gerber daisy in the other, (my husband had bought the flower earlier) Kevin was well into the experiment when we stopped by at 10:30 a.m. to check up on him. So did Kevin think the flower made a difference? Were more people enticed to take a free paper?

The verdict was still out because the first hour was usually his busiest time. But Kevin's boss was certainly impressed when he stopped by and he saw him holding the flower and heard all about the marketing experiment. Kevin did report that more women were taking papers than they usually did. But personally, I think the best result of the experiment was that Kevin said more people smiled at him, he smiled back and so he was enjoying his job more.

*To see a photo, go to: http://tinyurl.com/mtv85x

Thanks for reading with me. It's 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 Laura Caldwell then read about great thrillers from: Lisa Black, John J. Le Beau, Gaylon Greer, Margaret Carroll, William Bernhardt, Clive Cussler & Grand Blackwood, David Niall Wilson, Gino Brogdon, Judith Cutler, Joe. R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Norb Vonnegut, Misty Evans, Kathy Reichs, Dan Fesperman, Annelise Ryan, Huw Powell and Michael Walsh. Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

* This month's Penguin Classics book is The Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Huxley. To comment on the book and enter the Penguin Classics Drawing, go to: http://tinyurl.com/SeptClassics

Dear Reader Column 09-21-09

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 back! My trip to New York was fun and the marketing meeting for my upcoming book was very productive--thanks to you! Eight publishing executives were at the meeting and they were all anxious to read your marketing ideas, and impressed that you took the time to send them. We were a hit! Thanks again for taking the time to share your ideas with me.

The weather in New York City was picture perfect. We had lunch with my husband's brother and then I talked the two of them into taking a Pedicab ride through Central Park. They were both a little shy about the idea at first, but after the 45 minute ride they thanked me for talking them into it.

If you'd like to see photos, go to: http://tinyurl.com/lrlupj

From my Email Bag:

"Suzanne, I just came back from Florida and I've got to hand it to you. Somehow you escape from having what I call 'Florida hair'. I've gone back to look at pictures of you and your hair always looks great! It's not the big, frizzy, puff ball that I experienced last week when I was visiting. I thought I was being smart this time, because I've been to Florida before. I brought along 'no frizz' styling products, my own hair dryer, AND as a weapon of last resort, my straightening iron. But I wouldn't call my assault on Florida hair a runaway success, although I will admit to some limited achievements, after hours of working on it.

So Suzanne--let me in on your secret - HOW DO YOU DO IT? You write interesting and funny daily columns, have written a book, support libraries, make lots of cookies, AND you don't suffer from Florida hair! Kudos, Suzanne, kudos.

I hope you and your lovely hair have a great day today,"--Paula

(Suzanne responds:)

Dear Paula,

Florida is a wonderful place to live, but the hair frizzies can get to you. And they almost did the first couple of years I lived here. But this is my secret. First I use a very, very, cold rinse after I apply my hair conditioner. And if the humidity is high and I'm going to be outdoors for a while, I wrap my hair around my head and stuff a baseball cap on top. The hair can't totally escape the humidity, but flattened underneath a baseball cap, at least it has a fighting chance!

The next time you come to Florida, stop by Sarasota and we'll have tea and I'll lend you a cap!

*Another thing I love about New York City is NO hair frizzies!

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these are five that deserve your attention: Alan Jacobson, Crush; Jennifer Erin Valent, Cottonwood Whispers; Joel Derfner, Swish: My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever and What Ended Up Happening Instead; Ivy Pochoda, The Art of Disappearing; Janice Thompson, Fools Rush In; Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

* This month's Penguin Classics book is The Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Huxley. To comment on the book and enter the Penguin Classics Drawing, go to: http://tinyurl.com/SeptClassics