Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 01-30-09

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,

Burr, it's cold out there! We've even had a cold snap here in Florida, but I won't mention the temperature that makes a Floridian reach for winter woolens--it would be a joke to the rest of the country. Cold temps equal Chili to me. So today I'm cooking up a pot of Hearty Chili. Actually my chili recipe should be called Shelter Chili. When I lived in Wisconsin I used to volunteer to triple the recipe and then I'd drop off the pot of chili to the local shelter on Friday nights. The folks at the shelter provided volunteers with a standard recipe for everyone to use, printed on a bright yellow card, so our Hearty Chili pots of soup could be mixed together.

It's so simple to make, tastes great and makes your house smell all warm and snuggly. Stay warm and enjoy the chili, keeps great in the frig all week long, too.

Hearty Chili/Shelter Chili

1 1/2 pounds ground beef; browned and drained
1 chopped onion
1 can whole kernel corn (regular size)
1 can kidney beans (drained) 18 oz. size
2 large cans whole, peeled tomatoes--use the juice (I squash the tomatoes. I don't use any special tool, I just wash my hands and start smishing tomatoes after I put them in the pan.)
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 to 2 T. Chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1/2 pound dry elbow macaroni, cooked and drained And I add a few shots of Tabasco sauce

Blend all the ingredients in a big cooking pot. Simmer at least one hour.

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

*For other favorite recipes and reader recipes, go to: http://tinyurl.com/yuf6aq

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

SEARCHING FOR YOUR NEXT BIG THRILL? Read the "Between the Lines" feature interview with literary publicist Tom Robinson then read about great thrillers from Tim Maleeny, Laura Benedict, Derek Gunn, Debra Webb, E.J. Rand, Geoff McGeachin, Grant McKenzie, Stuart Woods, Thomas Perry and Kay Thomas. Visit the January issue of the Big Thrill now! Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

 

Dear Reader Column 01-29-09

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,

Every Monday and Thursday you can visit AUTHORBUZZ. Meet authors, they're waiting to hear from you. Send an email and they'll reply, with pleasure. It's a treat for authors to hear from readers and most AUTHORBUZZ authors have signed copies to give away, too. You'll find the AUTHORBUZZ link right after my column. But today it's even handier, go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Remember to keep the book club fun. Read guilt-free! Feel free to delete when a book isn't a good match for you, or if you're strapped for time, on vacation, or just too exhausted because you were up all night trying to calm your aging, howling cat. (Yes, apparently my 18 year old Rudy-cat was feeling lonely at 3 a.m.)

Last chance to enter this week's vintage apron giveaway, go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/paulapron.html

And finally Mark Your Calendar: On Sunday, February 22 at 2pm, the St. Pete Beach Library (in Florida) will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the book club with a big party. Yes, the book clubs have been around for ten years! Cake, refreshments, and anyone on my staff who lives in Florida will be there with me to blow out the candles and say a few words. We love to party, so if you're within driving distance, please join us. More details later.

I hope you're enjoying this week's book. Email any time, I'd love to hear from you.

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: Robyn Carr, Second Chance Pass; Roger Dean Kiser, The Whitehouse Boys: An American Tragedy; Dr. Diana Kirschner, Love in 90 Days: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Own True Love; Lori Foster, My Man, Michael; and Linda Lael Miller, Montana Creeds: Logan. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

 

 

Dear Reader Column 01-28-09

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,

I'm running on empty today. Just finished my manuscript and sent it off to my agent. You'd think I'd be full of energy, happily rejoicing that another major step in writing this book is finished. But truthfully I'm pooped. My mind is still working away, but it has switched gears. Instead of writing a book, it's making a list of all of the things I want to do, fun things I've been putting off because I was on deadline. But thinking about doing stuff is about all I can muster up today and probably tomorrow and maybe the day after that, too. Because as soon as I start acting on one of those fun ideas, I'm exhausted simply imagining myself doing it. (I'm so tired.)

So I'm going with the flow. Since the only thing I can imagine myself doing and following through on, is taking a nap. Enjoy today's read, I'm off for a snooze.

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

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

P.S. Be sure to enter this week's vintage apron giveaway, go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/paulapron.html

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

 

Dear Reader Column 01-27-09

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,

Mr. William P. Ujvari knows how to sweet talk a girl into baking cookies.

From my Email Bag:

"My wife, Jan is an avid reader of yours for several years now. She has finally gone back to work for three weeks now, still recovering from a fall off a chair in June of last year. She had a plate & nine screws put in her arm in July and the doctor took them out the third of December and she still goes to physical therapy three times a week.

Your books have been an inspiration to her during her recovery! I get on the computer & print out the books for her to read while I am at work. I know she appreciates all that I have done for her, she tells me all the time. I don't bake and she can't do any baking or cooking since she can't carry anything heavy with her left hand. Could you find it in your heart to send her a box of your cookies? I know she would love them (and so would I, because I miss her baking). I will even send you a picture of us eating the cookies! Thanks so much."--Mr. William P. Ujvari

(Suzanne replies:) Dear Mr. William P. Ujvari, you are a sweetheart, your wife is one lucky woman. Please tell Jan I wish her a speedy recovery and that cookies are on the way. Maybe "dunking" a cookie could be worked into her physical therapy!

Be sure to enter this week's vintage apron giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/paulapron.html

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 literary publicist Tom Robinson then read about great thrillers from Tim Maleeny, Laura Benedict, Derek Gunn, Debra Webb, E.J. Rand, Geoff McGeachin, Grant McKenzie, Stuart Woods, Thomas Perry and Kay Thomas. Visit the January issue of the Big Thrill now! Go to: http://www.thrillerwriters.org

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 01-26-09

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,

Over the weekend I gave my grandson Paul his first cooking lesson. Paul is crazy about scrambled eggs. It must run in the family, because when I used to stay overnight at my Grandma Hale's house, she never had to ask what I wanted for breakfast. Scrambled eggs, toast, and New York Vanilla ice cream were always on the morning menu. (Two scoops of New York Vanilla ice cream for breakfast was one of those Grandmother/Granddaughter secrets that my mother never knew about!)

No New York Vanilla ice cream for Paul, actually the boy hasn't caught on to sweets yet, not even my chocolate chip cookies. But he is crazy about scrambled eggs, and the other night, he opened up the refrigerator and by the time I caught up with him an entire box of 18 eggs was just about ready to fall on the floor. Paul decided he was going to make his own scrambled eggs. It seemed like the student was ready and this teacher was willing, so we sat on the floor together and Paul learned how to crack an egg and mix up scrambled eggs.

See the budding young cook in action, (Paul's wearing his new apron a book club reader made for him) a photo of a reader who won one of my vintage aprons, and you can sign up to win your own apron, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/paulapron.html

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: Robyn Carr, Second Chance Pass; Roger Dean Kiser, The Whitehouse Boys: An American Tragedy; Dr. Diana Kirschner, Love in 90 Days: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Own True Love; Lori Foster, My Man, Michael; and Linda Lael Miller, Montana Creeds: Logan. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

 

 

Dear Reader Column 01-23-09

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,

Over 250 readers have entered the drawing for the cat calendar. One day left to enter and to read this week's bonus book, DEWEY by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter.

To enter the drawing and to read DEWEY, go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=dearreader&V=B1AEE4EA7EFA&c=SUZ

Print out some Valentine book club invitations that include a gooey chocolate recipe, and put a stack in your office, doctor's office, or stuff one in the return envelope of every bill you pay! Let me know what other creative ideas you come up with. Thank you very kindly for taking the time to spread the word. I really appreciate it. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/test/mweb/path23-6.html

Did you visit AUTHORBUZZ this week? Every Monday and Thursday, right after my column is the link for meeting authors and winning books. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

If you're a regular AUTHORBUZZ fan, drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you. Suggestions about other things you'd like to see at AuthorBuzz, let me know that, too.

Have a wonderful weekend. Stay warm! It's even cold here in Florida, well, okay I've become a weather wimp, it's in the high 40s!

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

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

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 01-22-09

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,

Hundreds of folks sent in ideas for ways to get the word out about the book club. Thank you, thank you! You guys are creative. Mary Ellen suggested a slogan, 'Hungry for something fun, not fattening? Join us at the book clubs.' Unless of course if you happen to win some of our Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Lorraine suggested posters that readers could print out and put up in church libraries, or offices and she even volunteered to take some to her local public library. Actually, I was one step ahead of Lorraine, 1,000 posters for libraries to post are being delivered to me today.

Another great idea came from Lynda Smith:

"I thought libraries were dead. No one reads anymore! But then I noticed something strange when I arrived at 9 a.m. just minutes before the library opened...a line! People were grumbling (ok it was me) that they had to WAIT to get in the library and it was now 9:04. Who knew the library was so popular? I watched and almost everyone headed for the computers! My idea to promote the book club: create a screen saver and send to public libraries so that when they sit down instead of having a blank screen, there you are with apron on, wooden spoon in one hand, and reading a book (not a cookbook) in the other."

And several bloggers, like Patricia, have kindly offered to spread the word.

"I think if you had an attractive book club 'Widget' that could be added to blog sidebars you'd get many new visitors. I'd love to put your widget on my blog! I am often promoting your clubs in a blog post."

I'm working on a Widget, in the mean time, be sure to leave the address of the book clubs at whatever web sites you visit. I sure would appreciate it.

Linda Erskine suggested flyers for the lunch room and her condo building. And librarian Mary Johnson asked for a Valentine's Day handout similar to the Gingerbread Man one I made for the holidays. She put them out at her library and they quickly disappeared.

The Valentine book club invitation/recipe is ready and so is an 'any day' invitation. Please print them out and distribute some in your community. Thank you very much.

Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/test/mweb/path23-6.html

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. Catherine Anderson, Star Bright; Amy Koppelman, I Smile Back; Elizabeth Aston, Mr. Darcy's Daughters; Amanda Cabot, Paper Roses; and Erica Bauermeister, The School of Essential Ingredients." Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

 

Dear Reader Column 01-21-09

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,

Congratulations to this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie winners: Lorraine West, Patricia Badolato, Mary Ellen Weiler, and Lynda Smith. Your cookies will arrive some time next week. Happy dunking and please send a photo.

Hundreds of readers sent outstanding ideas for promoting the book club and I'm going to put a lot of them into action this year. When you take the time to share your love of reading and what it's done for your life, you're giving a powerful gift to others. Thank you so much for telling other people about the book club.

When I was a kid I read books, but it wasn't until I was all grown up and in the middle of a personal crisis that I truly realized how reading could change my life. Thirty years ago when I owned a magazine I was worried I'd have to shut down my business and I'd never be able to recover from the financial loss. Desperately wishing "Suzanne" had come with an Instructional Manual, because I felt in-over-my-head, suddenly I realized that in fact, I was surrounded by them. And just like the 33 flavors of ice cream there was an instructional manual for any situation in which I found myself.

Instruction manuals can save me a lot of time, worry and frustration, but I can't read them in the middle of an emergency. I have to read them ahead of time, so I'm ready. That's one of the reasons I make time to read every day. Books--the thoughts and ideas in them--are my life instruction manuals. I discover new ideas, take the time to reflect, and then when I go out into the world and live, I'm prepared for the journey.

Tomorrow I'll share some reader ideas for sharing the book clubs with friends. And give you a recipe for something simple you can do yourself.

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

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

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 01-20-09

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 don't always answer my door bell when it rings during the day, because Fed Ex, UPS and other delivery services are constantly dropping off books. They drop the box, ring the bell and I wait until later to get it, so I don't interrupt my train of thought.

But last Tuesday afternoon when I heard the doorbell ring, I broke routine, went to the door, opened it and a very nice looking woman, whose face felt familiar, was smiling at me, "Hi Suzanne!"

Well this was a chipper person, she seems to think she knows me and it feels like I should know her. Perhaps a bold reader? So I stood there in my very best hostess stance, waiting for a cue.

"Suzanne, I'm Jean, I work for you!"

Quickly do a brain sort, what just happened here. This woman is Jean? Or is it a magazine subscription salesperson in disguise? Yes, a Jean works for me, but I haven't seen her in years, because Jean lives in Wisconsin and I'm in Florida. Jean, Jean, yes, I definitely recognize Jean's voice....

"Jean, what are you doing in Florida? You're supposed to be on vacation this week?" (The dumb Suzanne gets even dumber.) "Oh, I bet you're taking a vacation in Florida, must be vacationing right here in Sarasota because here you are standing at my front door. Well Jean, come on in!"

Talk about awkward and embarrassing. Jean and I have worked together for 12 years, but in my defense, Jean works from an office in her home, so I've only actually seen her in person a handful of times. But when I closed my eyes and listened to her voice, yes, siree, it was definitely Jean. Why I'd know that voice anywhere.

A quick tour of the house, because Jean's family was waiting in the car and an apology because I didn't have cookies in the freezer. I was disappointed and so was Jean's daughter, she'd asked her Mom to inquire. "Be sure to ask Suzanne if she's got any extra cookies she'd like to give us."

Visitors all the way from Wisconsin, and Jean's daughter, a hungry college girl out the in car, "I'll whip up a batch of cookies. Stop back in an hour."

Dry cleaning in an hour, photos in an hour, why not homemade chocolate chip cookies in an hour?

And while I was baking, I made cookies for this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie winners. Check tomorrow's column to see if you were a winner. Cookies are on the way!

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

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

* This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS

 

Dear Reader Column 01-19-09

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

Dear Reader,

A dear friend of mine, author Thomas Sullivan, (Sully) gave me a delightful book for Christmas, DEWEY: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. Sully knows what a cat lover I am, so he also wrapped up a daily cat calendar. It's one of those day-by-day calendars, where you tear off each page at the end of the day.

I absolutely love the book DEWEY, but I'm having second thoughts about that daily cat calendar. Day one, and two and three, when I tore those pages off the calendar, one-by-one, I remember reflecting on the day I'd just finished and it felt good. But then life got busy and yesterday when I looked down at the cat calendar I realized I hadn't torn off a page for 13 days. Almost half of the month is gone, where did those days go? They're still on the calendar, but now I have to tear them off all in one big chunk. It's unsettling. I want to go back. I need a do-over. How could 13 days go by so fast? Now tear, swoop, toss them in the trash and they're gone? Yikes.

I have two special things for you today; a chance to sample the bestselling book DEWEY and I'm re-gifting my daily cat calendar. It's just too big of a responsibility for me. I'm sure Sully will understand and give his blessing.

When you're finished reading the sample, click on the BOOK FORUM button, leave a comment and also read what bookclub reader Marianne Kopchinski had to say, after she finished reading DEWEY a few weeks ago.

To start reading DEWEY, to visit the Book Forum and to enter the drawing for a lovely, makes-you-feel-good Cat Calendar (when you use it like it was intended) go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=dearreader&V=B1AEE4EA7EFA&c=SUZ

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: New authors, old favorites--all wonderful books you can win. Catherine Anderson, Star Bright; Amy Koppelman, I Smile Back; Elizabeth Aston, Mr. Darcy's Daughters; Amanda Cabot, Paper Roses; and Erica Bauermeister, The School of Essential Ingredients. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

This month's Penguin Classic book is: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. To start reading and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclass&V=B1AFE3A39913&c=CLASSICS