Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 10-30-09

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

Dear Reader,

Today's the last chance to enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway! I'm ready to bake, are you ready to eat two dozen of my homemade chocolate chip cookies? I ship them overnight right to your front door, or your office. To enter the cookie giveaway and to see happy, satisfied, past winners (the photos this time include kids and they're adorable) go to: http://tinyurl.com/ylkyo9o

If you've never entered one of my giveaways, please do. Somebody always wins and it might as well be you! Watch for next week's giveaway drawing in my column.

Congratulations to these 44 book club readers! They each won a vacation souvenir in this week's drawing.

Drum roll please, and the winners are...

Diane Croft-Doane, Maureen Frommelt, Cheryl Davis, Gayle Skeens, Teri Torian, Yvette Lozano, Jeanne Sheats, Margaret S. Friend, Katie Barrett, Teresa Liebl, Patrick Banks, Kristal Breeze, Wayne James, Katina Scarbrough, Vicky Kellen, Rosemary Houser, Andrea Hornsby, Elisa Yuter, Theresa Albert, Jinjin Chai, Kim Barany, Sandy Paris, Marion Lillie, Dawn Fleetwood, Caroline Michel, Marie Bradley, Cheryl Brooks, Elizabeth Covino, Betty Schwede, Brooke Dale, Nancy King, Claudia Mundell, Linda Call, Pearl Berger, Becky Peterson, Josie Roetemeyer, Lisa Loope, Hilda J. Ciaramitaro, Linda Randig, Marie Brywka, Whitney McHenry, Joyce Sightler, Jennifer Huddleston and Michelle Ogletree.

Have a wonderful weekend.

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

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

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

Dear Reader Column 10-29-09

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 10-28-09

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,

If I'd just been under the weather for a week during my recent three week staycation it wouldn't have interfered so much with my plans. But my vacation illness included a good old-fashioned cold sore on the left side of my lower lip, and a string of healthy fever blisters running down from my nose, to the top of my lip on the right side of my face. At least things were balanced!

There aren't a lot of things you can do when you are clearly a "marked" person. Even after I wasn't contagious my vacation activities were limited. I couldn't even enjoy simple pleasures like baking cookies and giving them away to strangers, or friends. "Here I baked today and I thought you might enjoy these cookies. Oh, that 2-inch scab thingy on my face underneath my nose, nothing to worry about. I assure you I'm not contagious--anymore. Well, I guess unless one of those little devils breaks open...but let's not even go there. My doctor gave me the 'all clear' yesterday. And anyway the cookie dough is sterilized--baked at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown--so you have nothing to fear. Just because my doctor turned down the bag of cookies I offered him, that doesn't mean a thing, he's trying to lose weight. But just in case you're having trouble working up an appetite, here's a bottle of hand sanitizer to go along with the cookies."

When you live with "thingys" on your face for days, they start to feel familiar, kind of like one of the family. Now I understand a little better why the last time I visited Uncle George and Aunt Alice (who I hadn't seen in over a year) after hellos and hugs, and the coffee was poured, the conversation moved on to Uncle George's latest surgery. "I'm feeling pretty good now, but boy you should see the scar they left when they took the vein out of my leg." And without a second thought he's standing up, unzipping his pants, sliding them down so everyone can get a good look, "It's healed pretty good, don't you think?"

Well, I'd do a little show and tell, before-and-after, but take my word for it--I'm all healed now. So with that in mind, let me announce this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie contest. My oven's preheated and I'm mixing the batter. Do you dare to go where others are squeamish?

To enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway, and to see past satisfied and "healthy" cookie winners, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cookie091809.html

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

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

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

 

Dear Reader Column 10-27-09

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,

Three weeks of vacation was way too long for me. Next year I'll make it two. But thank heavens I'd booked a long stretch of time this year, because I spent half of my vacation with a bug. I think I acquired the daycare bug. No need to place blame, I just always like to try to figure out the "why" behind something. Why did I seem to feel better after a couple of days and then get re-infected? Because I'm a grandma softy. When my grandson, called and asked, "Grandma can I come over to your house?" Of course I melted and said yes. What grandma wouldn't? Who cares if he's wheezing and sneezing and other kids at his school are out sick? A grandma's love can conquer everything--except the flu!

So I haven't been able to do everything on my vacation list yet. I'm still planning on setting up my card table on the corner of Main Street, with a sign "Writer looking for stories." I put that idea on hold because I felt it would be socially unacceptable to ask someone for a story and give them the flu in return!

I'm happy to report I'm fully recovered, so don't shy away from entering today's giveaway. If you're a winner, I'll only be sending you the souvenir, not the flu. I have 44 items to share with you from my stay-at-home vacation. My grandson's favorite "Let's Go Fishin' Game," books, colored bubbles, purple Christmas lights (the same kind that are in my yard) retro aprons, and tins of papers tags that help keep me organized. To enter the Vacation Giveaway, go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/giveaway102309.html

** Authorbuzz had a whoops yesterday, the authors and giveaways they advertised were not on the page. Everything is working today so be sure to visit the site. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

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

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

 

Dear Reader Column 10-26-09

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,

Hello, hello, it's so good to be back from vacation! I missed you!

This year I booked a staycation. I stayed at home for my entire vacation, but I planned an itinerary in advance to ensure I'd be relaxed and entertained. Originally my idea was to get up every morning and go out in the community searching for a story. Say hello to strangers, find an exciting story every day, and type it up--deadline midnight! The idea sounded intriguing initially and my adrenaline was pumping, but the closer it got to day one of my vacation, the more it started feeling like I was planning a working vacation. So I nixed that idea in exchange for these.

1. Spend an afternoon on Siesta Key Beach.

2. Set up a table downtown on Main Street with a sign: "Writer looking for stories" and see what kinds of interesting people I'd meet. I realized it was "iffy" whether or not I needed a permit to set up a table and chair on a public sidewalk, but I figured even if I got arrested I'd certainly be guaranteed one good jailhouse story along with a mug shot I could share with you.

3. Invite my family to an Eat-and-Run dinner. (Eat-and-Run means after they finish eating they don't have to stick around, just say thanks and head out the door.) Scattering Eat and Run dinners in-between normal dinner invitations means we find the time to get together more often.

4. Spend time with my grandchildren.

5. Hang outdoor Christmas lights.

Every year, for the past four years, I've announced to myself that I was going to string Christmas lights over my bushes and palm trees, and every year for the past four years, I haven't put up one single strand of lights. I realize putting up Christmas lights before Thanksgiving is a social faux pas, so surely stringing Christmas lights before Halloween must be an outright holiday transgression. That's why I chose the color purple.

Purple covers any possible social gaffes--at least this year--because New York fashion designers have designated purple (Purple Heart, Pantone color 18-3520) as one of the "in" colors for Fall 2009. And since the first day of Fall was on September 22nd and winter doesn't officially begin in the Northern Hemisphere until precisely 7:42 a.m. EST on December 21, my yard is legally covered in Christmas lights even though it's only October 26th, and it's wearing the latest fashion trend!

Tune in tomorrow for more vacation escapades and I'll be giving away vacation souvenirs. It's so good to be back!

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 10-12-09

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,

Author M.J. Rose had a great idea a few years ago, "Suzanne, you should give yourself a vacation every year and ask friends to fill in for you. Treat yourself to an annual vacation"...and from that ingenious idea the "Write a Dear Reader Contest" was born.

M.J. Rose is a good friend and a great writer. Send her an email and she'll reply, and she's giving away copies of her books. You can reach her at: MJRnewsletter@aol.com --Suzanne Beecher

From author M.J. Rose...

Instead of writing about reading books, I'm going to write about reading emails. And writing emails.

I've had wonderful friends my whole life. We'd have lunch, go shopping, see movies together, stay on the phone for hours and talk each other in and out of life's highs and lows. But then e-mail happened.

At first it seemed an even better way to keep in touch. Snippets of communication several times a day. Cheaper than the phone. Home, in bed, on my laptop, I could get work done. At work, I could e-mail friends or loved ones. Totally wonderful.

Except it isn't always, as this email exchange shows.

My e-mail kiss-off

From: RuthM To: MJRose Subject: Not having heard from you for three weeks Date: Sat, April 3, 2:34 PM

I haven't heard from you for three weeks and am saddened to know you have chosen to let go of our friendship. I had no idea you thought so little of me that you would treat me this way.--Ruth

From: MJRose To: RuthM RE: Subject: Not having heard from you for three weeks Date: Sat, April 3, 3:34 PM

I've been busy, traveling, crazy with nerves waiting to hear from my editor. Besides three weeks is not that long as far as my thinking goes. I don't know why you'd just jump to the conclusion that I have let go of our friendship nor did I realize you were clocking us.--MJ

From: RuthM To: MJRose RE:RE: Subject:Not having heard from you for three weeks Date: Sun, April 4, 9:04 AM

Obviously we just have a different view of friendship. I guess I like friends to be friends, not casual in and out acquaintances. So now we know. I wish you only the best but we can't be friends. Good luck with your new novel.--Ruth

The problem is, as a species, we're new at this e-mail thing. We've been learning how to communicate with each other face to face for millions of years and still can't get that right. E-mailing? We've only been at it five, ten, fifteen years at the most. We're not experts at it yet.

I hadn't ever thought about it before but when we rely on e-mail for important communications we miss out on a lot of what makes communication work. We don't get the cues in e-mail that we get looking at someone. We don't see eyes fill with tears, mouths break into grins, and frowns appear on foreheads.

In the mess of the e-mails that cost Ruth and I our friendship, what I didn't know was that her in-laws were getting divorced and that her husband--stressed over it--was taking it out on her. And what she didn't know was that a member of my family was in the hospital.

Had she told me that straight out, I'd have been more sympathetic. Had we spoken on the phone, I might have heard the worry in her voice. If we'd seen each other, she might have seen the circles under my eyes and asked what was wrong. But we missed all those clues.

The e-mail experience itself messes with our boundaries. Love letters, inter office messages, recipes from great Aunt Ida, and spam offering you very cheap vitamins or worse--they all come into the same box. And it's so easy to answer them all quickly and without taking the time to regroup, switch moods, and change our tone between responding to a relative and responding to a colleague.

Enamored with the ease and efficiency of the medium, we forget that not everything should be written down and sent off via the Internet. Some conversations need to be had in person or if that's not possible over the phone.

Once upon a time when the Internet was only a sci-fi writer's dream, communication in person or via letter was all we had. It's tempting to think that the only difference between e-mail and a letter is the way it gets delivered. But there are other, bigger differences.

So now I try to remember to think before I write and reread my message before sending and when I get an email that strikes me wrong I try not to jump to conclusions.

Feel free to tell me about your email issues--just email me at MJRnewsletter@aol.com. I promise to read your email slowly and write you back carefully. And the three best emailers will get a copy of one of my novels.

Thanks for reading with me--and Suzanne.

M.J. Rose
MJRnewsletter@aol.com
www.mjrose.com

M.J. Rose is the author of The Reincarnationist and The Memorist.

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books you can win: Marilyn Brant, According to Jane; Stuart Neville, The Ghosts of Belfast; Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, LD, CDN, CPT, Lyssie Lakatos, RD, CDN, CFT, The Secret to Skinny: How Salt Makes You Fat and the 4-Week Plan to Drop a Size & Get Healthier with Simple Low-Sodium Swaps; Dora Machado, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone; and Kat Martin, The Christmas Clock. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader Column 10-09-09

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 was thrilled that Bill Duncan graciously offered to fill in for me again this year. Bill, Jack, Billy-Jack, William, (he's a friend with many names) has been a long-time mentor of mine. He loves to read mail from readers and he writes the most interesting replies. You can reach Bill at: semperfi@douglasfast.net --Suzanne Beecher

Moving Into the Barn
By Bill Duncan

I attended a workshop, called "Conquering Clutter," as part of the Extraordinary Living Conference on the Umpqua Community College campus in Winchester, Oregon. Extraordinary Living is the new name for the Conference on Aging that is in its 27th year. When you get my age, it is extraordinary to be living.

I took copious notes from what was said by the presenter, Rita Prothero, who is a professional organizer, making her living off pack rats like me. I savored the ideas she shared, but the proof of the pudding is in implementing those ideas.

I dread to think of how I am going to handle the stacks of paper, magazines, and books in my office. Every now and then I go on a rampage in my office and clear off all desktops, the floor and even the storage areas. Trouble is, I transport it from my office to the dining room table. A flat surface is a void that must be filled. There just aren't enough flat surfaces in my house. Not only is my office overloaded with paper, magazines, and books, but also the family room, my bedroom and several unoccupied rooms upstairs in my home, not to mention the garage and a two story barn out back. Prothero said if I downsized "my life would never be the same." That sounded inviting, until she hit me below the belt. "Your clutter," she said, "is a problem you are leaving for someone else." I figure that clutter is just getting even with my children for all the messes they made growing up--some of the stuff in that barn is what they left behind.

The presenter acknowledged it is hard work downsizing, but when cleaning out, go in to the chore with blinders on and "when in doubt throw it out." Then she added a stinger: "Once it is cleaned, it has to stay that way."

This neat business is going to be harder than hoarding all this stuff in the first place.

I dread it, but my wife also attended the workshop and won the door prize--two hours of Prothero professional expertise in getting rid of stuff.

My wife is a neat freak and scoffs at the sign over my desk that says: "A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind." With that gift certificate in her hands, I am sure she'll call for a dumpster and suggest I leave home for a couple hours.

Maybe, once it is all cleaned up I'll just move into the barn to make sure it stays that way.

(Bill Duncan is a retired editor--who couldn't. He still writes a syndicated weekly column, edits a monthly magazine for senior citizens and writes a weekly book review for his local newspaper in Roseburg, Oregon. He can be reached by at semperfi@douglasfast.net)

SEARCHING FOR YOUR NEXT BIG THRILL? Read the "Between the Lines" feature interview with Jeffery Deaver then read about great thrillers from: Alan Jacobson, Russel McLean, Karen Fenech, Wendy Lyn Watson, Wendy Corsi Staub, Kathryn Fox, Cindy Gerard, Kylie Brant, Brenda Novak, Mark Nykanen, Dave Zeltserman, Keith Raffel, Alex Kava and Patricia Gussin. Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

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 10-01-09

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 covered with eraser shreds and my tummy is filled with Turkish taffy--vanilla and strawberry. For the past three days I've been reading through the copyedited manuscript of my upcoming book. My editor sent me two red pencils honed to such a sharp point, yes indeed they could have put someone's eye out. And the two little erasers on the tops of the pencils, they're now shreds of ambivalence. Rereading through pages, sometimes this girl just couldn't make up her mind.

It's funny how little things trigger memories and take me back to the last time. The last time I was covered with pink eraser shreds and feeling a little confused, I was working on an Algebra assignment. Sharp pencils, a big pink eraser and Turkish taffy were my saviors, I ended up with an A.

The manuscript is back on my editor's desk in New York, so I thought we should celebrate. If you're feeling confused, or you're a Turkish Taffy lover, be sure to enter today's giveaway. Five lucky readers will receive one of my Can't Make Up Your Mind Care Packages: a pencil, eraser and vanilla or strawberry Turkish Taffy--the old fashioned kind. To enter the drawing, (be sure to include your address in case you're a winner) simply send an email to: Suzanne@EmailBookclub.com

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books you can win: Debbie Macomber, The Perfect Christmas; Kathryn Fox, Bloodborn; Nevada Barr, 13 1/2; Debbie Macomber, The Truly Terribly Horrible Sweater...That Grandma Knit; Douglas Clegg, Isis. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader