Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 03-17-10

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,

Ruby red slippers, or high heels (as book club reader Marilyn suggests) Laundromat escapades, and washer/dryer dreams. We're kind of a crazy bunch here at the book clubs, aren't we? But we sure do have fun. Thanks for taking the time to send your thoughts. If you missed the Ruby Red column, you'll find it at: http://tinyurl.com/y9bayvc

If your email is in today's column, send me your mailing address and I'll send you a free book, apron, or cookie dropper. It'll be a surprise!

From my Email Bag:

"Suzanne, I got a chuckle when I read your column this morning. Last month my washer also decided to retire after 20 yrs. I too had my heart set on a ruby red w/d. I only had to wait a week thankfully. I jokingly told my husband that I also needed new high heels to wear to my laundry room now that I have a fancy w/d. LOL! You're welcome to do laundry at my house and you don't even have to bring dinner!
Oh yeah, I live in Arkansas. Enjoyed your column for many years now."--Marilyn Shewmaker

"You're looking at [going to the Laundromat] all wrong! I live near a small town and when I had washer troubles I had the best fortune of getting to know some wonderful people. Jim, the owner, keeps the place as neat as a pin. And the Laundromat was like a jungle, full of plants he'd brought in for the winter. Then there's the old woman who lives in the subsidized housing near there. She makes the rounds every day checking for forgotten change in the coin returns at the car wash, Laundromat and who knows where else. She is always willing to explain the machines and let you know which one washes better, or dries longer. And all the others that come in to clean their clothes have a cup of coffee and chat. Yes, the Laundromat is a great place to meet people and hear their stories. Cause we know, everyone has a story!"--Your friend in books, Joelle

"The few times I've had to avail myself of a Laundromat, I've had some great 'people watching' experiences. Don't sell that opportunity short."--Barbara Moyles--"It IS great to read with friends."

"Suzanne, I'll do you a favor. Tim (my husband) and I will bring our clothes to you to wash, so you can spend more time looking at your RED DREAMS. It would be nice to have you do some ironing if needed and just return them to us. It might give us some time to read with some relaxation."--Jane

(Suzanne replies:)

Dear Jane, you've given me a great marketing idea! "Author will wash and iron, when you preorder her book!" Couldn't resist the opportunity. You can preorder "me" at your favorite online bookseller or local bookstore. Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if Disorderly) Life.

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

Warmest regards,

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

KIDSBUZZ: This week, books for child and teen readers about making the world a better place, spies, salamanders, and martial arts from Gayle Brandeis, My Life with the Lincolns; Y. S. Lee, The Agency 1: A Spy in the House; Sarah Marwil Lamstein, Big Night for Salamanders; and Chris Bradford, Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword. For a chance to win free books and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

* This month's Penguin Classics book is Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset. To start reading and enter for your chance to win a Penguin totebag go to: http://tinyurl.com/March10Classics

 

Dear Reader Column 03-16-10

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,

It gives some folks, like my husband, a sense of security to keep receipts. Every single receipt, for every single thing we buy, even the cash register receipt for the bag of carrots I bought at the market yesterday; the carrots we ate for dinner last night.

"You never know, Suzanne, we might need that receipt."

Yes, dear, you never know. Three days from now we might get a bad case of carrot salmonella and lucky us, we'd have the receipt for evidence. But following my husband's logic, wouldn't we also need to save the plastic bag the carrots came in? The bag with the printed barcode showing when the carrots were picked, processed, shipped and received by the store. Shouldn't we have saved the rest of the "evidence," too?

This is why we have boxes in our house marked, (or worse, unmarked) SAVE! Because it's comforting for my husband to know that even though our electric fondue pot quit working twelve years ago, so we threw it out--at least we still have the receipt. Ah, the memories!

My husband might not agree, but when I hear, "The receipt's in a box somewhere," translated, what it really means is, "The receipt might as well be in the trash pile at the dump." Boxes of receipts and stuff we thought we might need some day, boxes we pay $59.95 a month to store (houses in Florida don't have basements).

What could I buy with $719.40 each year? A long weekend in a nice hotel, shoes, or what about a real day of pampering? The total spa package: a massage, manicure, pedicure, and facial. But, not to worry dear, of course I'll save the receipt!

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 03-15-10

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,

Dorothy had her red ruby slippers, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home!" and last night I was up at 2:30 a.m. dreaming about my new, ruby red washer and dryer. They're coming to my home in four weeks. I can't wait! Who would've dreamed I could get so excited about a new washer and dryer.

In the meantime, I'm without a washing machine. Filled to the top with sudsy water and a load of absorbent, heavy bath towels, in the middle of a cycle, my nearly 20-year-old washer decided to retire, "The End". So I bailed water with a plastic glass (boy, I never realized how many buckets of water it takes to wash a load of clothes) and then went searching for replacements--a new dryer, too. (Because it takes clothes a lot longer to dry than they used to.)

Fortunately there was a big sale on the washer and dryer I wanted to buy. But unfortunately, they're popular models. If I ordered white, I'd only have to wait one week, but I had my heart set on the ruby red color, which meant a four-week wait--without any washing machine.

Decisions, decisions! Should I order white, which would mean fewer trips to the Laundromat, or should I wait patiently and get the set I really wanted, even though the ruby red color was a little more expensive? But after looking at the numbers a little differently, I decided it was worth the wait. Here's my logic: I'm 55 years old, I've always had a white washer and dryer, and since this set lasted 20 years, I'll probably be 75 years old before I'd get another opportunity to go ruby red. SOLD! Twenty years verses a four-week wait--no problem! But while I'm waiting, forget the Laundromat.

Dinner and a Movie is a hit on the TBS television station, so while I'm waiting for my new washer and dryer, I'll simply telephone some good friends (a different one each week) and offer them Dinner and a Wash and Dry. I'll bring the dinner, if they supply the washer and dryer.

Yes, Dorothy, I agree, there's no place like home--especially when it has a new ruby red washer and dryer.

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

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

Congratulations to the winners of last week's AuthorBuzz $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway: Trudy Martin and Bill Hood.

Check out AUTHORBUZZ at: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader and meet this week's authors: Rebbie Macintyre, A Corner of Universe; Amanda Cabot, Scattered Petals; Sarah Sundin, A Distant Melody; Cara Black, Murder in the Palais Royal; and Richard Broom, Cocked & Loaded.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset. To start reading and enter for your chance to win a Penguin totebag go to: http://tinyurl.com/March10Classics

 

Dear Reader Column 03-12-10

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,

Two months ago readers entered a drawing to win a Singing Birthday Telegram, and Wednesday I delivered the prize. At 12 noon I called 85-year-old Martha and belted out the best "Happy Birthday" song I could muster. Patty, Martha's daughter, orchestrated the birthday surprise and took her mother out to lunch afterwards. It was a lot of fun; a giveaway I think I should offer again sometime.

From my Email Bag:

*If you missed Wednesday's tree column, go to: http://tinyurl.com/TreeFriend

"Dear Suzanne, I am a plant saver from way back. I pick up plants that people throw out and try to bring them back to health. Unfortunately, [unknowingly] I saved a poison ivy and got a good case of poison ivy, but that did not cure me of my trying to save plants." -- Carol from New Egypt

"Suzanne, I look at the trees that surround me, and think of them as my friends. I notice the changes in them, not just the seasonal changes but how they grow. Some are sheltering trees...strong and welcoming like some people I know. Some thrive in the poorest conditions...grow out of crevices and I wonder where they got their strength. Some bend and are shaped by their surroundings...the wind pulling at them until they give in and grow the way the wind wants them to...I could go on and on. I love trees and they inspire me, and I love your Book Club, but love your column more!" -- Donna W.

"Dear Suzanne, oh, that all of us would have an 'itty-bitty misplaced weed' to keep us company as we lay dying! What a wonderful analogy. I like to think that I may have been that weed for my daddy. I was not able to be there at the moment of his death, but I was there as much as the ICU nurses would let us visit in his last days. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us. It's marvelous to read with friends!" -- Yvette F.

"I'm so disappointed you didn't include a picture of your tree and the weed. Greetings from Buffalo. Looking forward to your book coming out." -- Kathy

(Suzanne replies:) Thanks for mentioning my book Kathy. I'm getting nervous. The release date for Muffins and Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if Disorderly) Life is June 1st, but you can pre-order it now, at a reduced rate, online. I think you'll find the best price online at Barnes and Noble. The cover isn't showing up yet, but it was just finalized the other day. I'll show it to readers next week. Third time was a charm; I'll also let you see how the cover design progressed.

And, yes, I have a photo of the trees. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/grow.html

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 Classics book is Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset. To start reading and enter for your chance to win a Penguin totebag go to: http://tinyurl.com/March10Classics

 

Dear Reader Column 03-11-10

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,

My oven's preheated and I'm baking, so be sure to enter today's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway. If you're a winner, please send a photo, and if you share the cookies with a friend I'd love to hear about it. Reading chocolate chip cookie stories are part of the fun of baking and giving cookies away.

The last time my brother-in-law visited, I sent him home with a big bag of freshly baked cookies and he sent me this thank you note.

"Hi Suzanne,

Thanks for the super-duper visit and the cookies. I shared them. An elderly man started to chat with me at the airport. He said he was on his way to a funeral. His sister had died. I offered my condolences and a chocolate chip cookie. He took a bite, looked into the distance and said, 'You know. This cookie is better than my sister's.'"

I'd love to bake for you. Be sure to enter today and who knows, two dozen chocolate chip cookies may show up on your doorstep soon.

Enter the Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway, see photos of satisfied winners, crazy giveaway winners, and one of my favorite photos, go to: http://tinyurl.com/MarchCookieContest

*You can still enter this week's AuthorBuzz $25.00 bookstore gift certificate giveaway. Read all about it below.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Win a $25,00 bookstore gift certificate! Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Meet This Week's Authors: Jill Eileen Smith, Abigail; Ann Shorey, The Promise of Morning; Mingmei Yip, Petals From The Sky; Y. S. Lee, The Agency 1: A Spy in the House; and Linda Fairstein, Hell Gate.

Then visit this link to enter the $25.00 giveaway:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/buzz-contest-030610.html

* This month's Penguin Classics book is Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset. To start reading and enter for your chance to win a Penguin totebag go to: http://tinyurl.com/March10Classics

 

Dear Reader Column 03-10-10

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,

There's a tree in my yard, that used to be a weed. Four years ago when I first noticed it, my immediate instinct was to yank it out of the ground. But for some reason, I decided not to pull it. The weed seemed to look like it felt at home underneath my big oak tree, like it had a purpose. For days, I walked by that weed. Pretty soon, the days turned into weeks, and by then, the weed had grown so tall that I felt if I pulled it out of the ground, I'd be destroying a thriving plant, that in a way had become my friend. I realize I'm a bit of a strange bird. I get a little too melancholy feeling about things sometimes. But then again, that itty-bitty weed turned out to be a fast growing Scheffera tree, whose branches seem to have befriended the old oak tree in my yard, and now I understand why.

I found out the other day that my oak tree, (that I imagine is as old as the 1926 house I live in) is dying. The horticulturist I called, to stop by and look at it, said there wasn't anything I could do to save the tree. "It's really just old age," he said, "the cycle of life." I was sad to hear the news about my old oak tree, but it's wonderful that it has a friend. An "itty-bitty misplaced weed" to hold it up and keep it company.

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 03-09-10

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,

The Classics are waiting for you and you could win your own Penguin book bag, too!

Sample this month's Classic Read, Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset. Read it online, or print it out and take it with you when you find yourself waiting somewhere. If you've tried reading this Classic before and found it difficult to get through, this version will be a treat. I found it to be refreshing and inviting for an every day reader like myself. I hope you enjoy it, I sure did.

To start reading Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath and to enter this month's Penguin Book Bag Giveaway, go to: http://tinyurl.com/March10Classics

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 03-08-10

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 hope you had a great weekend. Here's my Monday morning special at the book clubs: tell me which book you think you'd enjoy reading and you could win a $25.00 gift certificate to your favorite book store. Now that's a pretty good deal!

Visit AuthorBuzz today, (the link is right after my column every Monday and Thursday), meet five new authors, read a quick synopsis of their books, then simply send an email telling me which book looks like the best match for you--and you're entered in the drawing.

Visit AuthorBuzz: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

To enter the drawing and see a photo of a happy AuthorBuzz winner, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/buzz-contest-030610.html

Have fun and be sure to enter. Someone's going to win the $25.00 gift certificates--it could be you!

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Meet this week's authors: Jill Eileen Smith, Abigail; Ann Shorey, The Promise of Morning; Mingmei Yip, Petals from the Sky; Y. S. Lee, The Agency 1: A Spy in the House; and Linda Fairstein, Hell Gate. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Then visit this link to enter the $25.00 bookstore giveaway: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/buzz-contest-030610.html

Dear Reader Column 03-05-10

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,

Pets quickly become one of the family in our house, even guinea pigs. When my husband and I were raising our children, we had a spacious, sunny kitchen and there was always a cage off to the corner, with a soft, loveable guinea pig inside. "Screech, screech," the pig would know when we were peeling fresh vegetables and he'd holler (loudly) for his share of the scraps. To this day, whenever I'm peeling fresh vegetables, part of me misses pig.

Pig would go outside on good weather days. He'd stay close to the foundation of the house and hide in the bushes. It was an every other day ritual, until one day when a huge hawk spotted lunch. I got pig before the hawk, but that ended pig's roaming days. Instead, I'd put him outside in his cage. But it just wasn't the same for me; maybe it wasn't the same for pig either? I missed looking out the window and watching pig enjoying the outdoors. I imagine pig missed feeling the warm grass underneath his bottom and the opportunity to occasionally nibble on a dandelion. And even though pig might have been thinking, 'I bet I could outrun that hawk,' my motherly instinct knew better.

Over the years, when our children were growing up, we had several pigs because even though we gave each one tender loving care, after four years we'd have to say good-bye. "Guinea pigs don't have a long life span," I remember explaining to a friend one day when I had to cancel our lunch because pig died the night before.

Sometimes people feel awkward when they mention their pet is sick or has passed away, because the concern in their voice sounds as if they are talking about one of their children. But in a way, they are, even when they're remembering a guinea pig...."screech, screech."

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 03-04-10

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,

We may be a virtual book club, but frequently readers tell me that it feels like we're sitting at the kitchen table together, drinking a cup of coffee, talking about books and chatting about everyday life.

So today, pretend that all 375,000 of us are meeting together for an in-person book club meeting. We've discussed this week's books, dunked some of my homemade chocolate chip cookies into coffee or soda (yes, some readers report they dunk cookies into Dr. Pepper!) and now our meeting is winding down to the chit-chat part. Small talk about the things of every day life, that's what I'm looking for today. Send me your chit-chat, interesting "whatevers" that you'd share with other book club members if we met in person, and I'll put everyone's "conversation" on a web page and you can read it at your leisure.

Your "chit-chat" can be about whatever, today, mine is a money-saving tip.

"Always check for an online coupon," was my husband's advice a few months ago, when I was buying something online. Boy was he right. Two out of three times, if I search the Internet--typing in the name of the company and the words "online coupon"--I discover a coupon code that saves me money. Sometimes a bundle; the other day I saved 25% and I got free shipping, too.

Share comments or tips with fellow book club readers. Send yours to: Suzanne@DearReader.com.

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: Laura Childs, The Teaberry Strangler, A Tea Shop Mystery; Nancy Martin, Our Lady of Immaculate Deception; Leanna Ellis, Once in a Blue Moon; Bob Hamer, Enemies Among Us; and Louisa Edwards, On the Steamy Side. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader