Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 04-15-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

I've actually been looking forward to April 15th this year. Yes, tax day for me this time around is a no-brainer. Because I've decided that since I freely open up and write about every little thing in my life, that every little thing in my life should be a tax write-off--even my underwear. Remember the column I did about Day-of-the-Week underwear?

Bags and bags of receipts marked 'Suzanne's Life in 2010' are bundled up and stored in my closet, in case the taxman decides to visit and challenge me. Travel authors book a flight to France, stay in a suite at the Ritz, order room service and visit the spa. I ask you, does a full body massage really feel different in France than it does in Detroit? Yet it's a research-for-their-book, tax write-off. So since this girl writes about her life, my entire life is a write-off (but only in tax terminology). Hair curlers, heating pads, shoes, toilet paper, flowers and trees, that cute little black dress hanging in my closet, cats, bubble machines, the carpet I had installed in my family room, my new bathtub faucet--column number 1657, heck, even my husband should be a business write-off. Frequently I write about him, too; column number 557 when he was up at 3 a.m., filling hot water bottles for the stray cats we take care of because we had freezing temperatures here in Florida, and then there was column number 843, when my husband got a No U-Turn ticket and was reenacting the scene (incorrectly, I might add) on my kitchen counter when I needed to make my morning coffee.

It all sounds logical to me, but when I gave my tax return that one last look-see, just to make sure I didn't make any mistakes, before I filed it electronically--there may be a couple of items I might have forgotten to write about, (strike-that). Let's just say, I might need to refresh your memory in case I need you to testify for me. You clearly remember the column about my new big flat screen TV and how nicely it fits on my fireplace mantle, don't you? And I'm sure, if an IRS agent questioned you, you'd also vividly recall reading about the hot tub I installed on my back patio, right?

One final note: if you happen to work for the IRS, my husband wants to assure you that we're not really married, and he'll be filing his taxes separately this year!

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

** If you're giving my book to Mom for Mother's Day or to a friend for a birthday gift, be sure to let me know. I'll send an autographed book plate, bookmark, recipe card and letter you can put inside the book. You can make your request at: www.MUFFINSANDMAYHEM.COM

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

KIDSBUZZ: Email an author, sign up for their giveaway, and learn about great books for kids and teens from incredibly talented and compelling writers (two of them have won the prestigious Newbery Honor award!): Grace Lin, WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON; Gary Schmidt, OKAY FOR NOW; Joanne Rocklin, ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET; and Parker Blue, FANG ME. For a chance to win free books and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-14-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

Being selfish isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it's all I can be, because I'm so tired and feeling kicked-around that I don't have anything left to give to anyone else. Can't muster up the desire to care about anyone or anything, because all I can do is find the emotional strength to be kind to myself. When I'm in the midst of one of life's emotional depletions, I ponder about how I got into the situation.

It would be nice if I could blame somebody else (and it's true that somebody else is most likely involved), but when it all shakes out, I am responsible for what happens to me. I made choices along the way to say, "yes," or "no." There may be plenty of reasons why I was pushed in one direction or the other, but in the end, I am responsible for my own happiness. If my emotional tank is on empty, it's because somewhere along the way I chose to give my happiness away. I chose to go along with things, most likely to keep the peace, or because someone put up such a fuss that I can't stand the drama, and I just want it to end. So I folded--against my wishes and better judgment. But the decision, that in my heart I know is wrong, only gives me temporary relief, and soon I find myself right back where I started.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Turkish coffee, a ride in a vintage railway car, a month's supply of shortbread, a limited edition photograph and free books are up for grabs this week at AUTHORBUZZ. Click on the link to sample new books and enter contests from these authors:

Ann Shorey/THE DAWN OF A DREAM

Kat Martin/A SONG FOR MY MOTHER

Michael David Lukas/THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL

Tara Taylor Quinn/IT HAPPENED ON MAPLE STREET

Jassy Mackenzie/STOLEN LIVES

Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-13-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

Get out the hats and horns, bake a batch of cookies, patronize the FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY bookstore, make a donation (time or money) to your local library, or send an email to the library thanking them for offering this online book club and for doing such a great job every day. Celebrate National Library Week! (If you'd like to send an email to your library, but don't know the email address, forward it to me and I will see that they receive it.)

Bookclub reader, Diana Niedermeier, volunteers at her local library:

Dear Suzanne,

I live in New York and for some reason NY does not mandate elementary school libraries. So with all the budget cuts now days, that is the first place the schools look to cut. In my other life, before I retired, I worked as an aide in our school library, until they cut the position. So when my grandson's school cut the elementary librarian position, and now has the high school librarian splitting her time between both schools, I knew they could use some help with simple things like shelving books, helping students do research, or even just helping students find books. Even if there is an aide, when thirty first graders invade the library looking for books, you can use an extra hand. That is why I now volunteer at the school, one day a week for a couple of hours. I may only shelf books but, it frees the aide or the librarian, to do things that need to get done.

So if you are so inclined, maybe a word in your column about volunteering in your school's library, or your local public library, because they are also having tough times with budget cuts. Thanks for letting me read with you!"--Diana

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

Celebrating National Library Week!
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

KIDSBUZZ: Email an author, sign up for their giveaway, and learn about great books for kids and teens from incredibly talented and compelling writers (two of them have won the prestigious Newbery Honor award!): Grace Lin, WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON; Gary Schmidt, OKAY FOR NOW; Joanne Rocklin, ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET; and Parker Blue, FANG ME. For a chance to win free books and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-12-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com


Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

The rooms in my mind; every now and then they need a good house cleaning. Things get dusty up there. Junk gets piled high, and I run out of places to store new experiences. Lately it's become a real problem, because I've been trying to learn how to do something new. But since there isn't any "room at the inn," I keep reverting back to my old ways. So the other day I grabbed a broom and dust cloth, and did some tidying up.

Dusting and rearranging things made me feel better, but it didn't really free up any extra space. So I started opening doors and visiting rooms that I hadn't spent any time in for quite awhile. I was a little nervous when I first turned the door handle and peeked inside, because I stumbled on experiences and feelings that I'd forgotten about long ago. Some memories made me feel good, and I couldn't understand why I'd boxed them up and stored them away. But other things I unpacked weren't the least bit helpful to me any more. In fact, thinking about them again, reminded me of just how destructive they had been.

I spent most of the day rummaging around the rooms in my mind. I cried, I laughed, and finally I let go of things I couldn't afford to take with me on the journey any more.

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

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

** If you're giving my book to Mom for Mother's Day or to a friend for a birthday gift, be sure to let me know. I'll send an autographed book plate, bookmark, recipe card and letter you can put inside the book. You can make your request at: www.MUFFINSANDMAYHEM.COM

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-11-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

Paul, my four year old grandson, and I bake together every week. Last week's lesson: how to pipe buttercream frosting on top of cupcakes. A four-year-old's attention span is limited, so I decided to make the cupcakes ahead of time. Because even for me, measuring, mixing, waiting 20 minutes for the cupcakes to bake, waiting for them to cool, then making frosting from scratch--when it's finally time to frost and decorate, I'm ready for a nap.

Since learning what a pastry bag is, how to fill it and the technique of piping a wavy buttercream design on top of a cupcake, is a big lesson for one day, I suggested to Paul that he watch and listen while I mixed up the frosting, too. But he insisted otherwise. "No, no, Grandma. Let me make it. What do we need?"

I love it when Paul wants to do things by himself. But this recipe called for 6 to 8 cups of confectionary sugar, and since Paul had never measured (messy) powdered sugar, I asked him to watch Grandma measure the first cup. "Confectionary sugar can be really messy Paul. Watch how I'm carefully filling the one-cup measure. Now, let's level this baby off." Exactly one cup, level at the top, I dumped the sugar into the bowl and now it was Paul's turn.

Intent on not spilling any sugar, Paul did exactly what Grandma showed him. He carefully filled the one-cup measure, and then to my amusement and his (the little dickens was laughing), he looked my way and announced, "Now, let's level this baby off!"

Our buttercream frosting tasted great (Paul's the official taste-tester) and our swirly-piping looked beautiful--until the frosting collapsed and ran down the sides of the first three cupcakes we'd decorated. Obviously the frosting was too thin. I was disappointed. But not Paul. Just like a kid re-telling a knock-knock joke and never tiring of the punch line, each time Paul measured another cup of sugar, he looked my way and giggled, "Now, let's level this baby off!"

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-08-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

The paperback version of my book, MUFFINS AND MAYHEM: RECIPES FOR A HAPPY (if disorderly) LIFE, went on sale this week. Today's column is an excerpt from Chapter Twenty: Writing the Recipe for My Life.

MUFFINS AND MAYHEM is a book that will make you laugh, make you cry and make you wanna cook.

"Writing the Recipe for My Life." (an excerpt)

I missed a soft place to fall when I was young, so I've created my own, but not without help. Reading and writing have been my mentors. People who read my daily Dear Reader column say I write about life and it's true. But that sentence is so boring, so simple, that in today's world it wouldn't entice anyone to spend time reading the things I write about.

I guess what I do is take the every day, mundane things--the little things most people don't even notice--and bring them to life. Give them a voice so people can see the funny in a situation, or recognize the sadness they feel. I hate being preached to, so I'm not an advice-giver and I don't know all the answers. That's one of the reasons I write, so I can try to understand "why?" Like the day I started crying in the supermarket.

My husband bought me fresh tulips. It wasn't a romantic purchase, more of a rescue. We were at the market and after we picked out some strawberries, we walked through the flower section and that's when I got a case of the "remember when" blues. Looking at the spring flowers made me think about my father and our Easter tradition.

Every year on the day before Easter, my father would walk down to the florist, and when he came back home he was carrying two small white boxes. Inside one was an orchid corsage for my mother and in the other box, a pretty pink and white carnation corsage for me.

My father wasn't a sentimental man--far from it. He never said "I love you," but once a year when the tulips and daffodils of spring were peeking up through the ground--signaling a change in season--briefly there'd be a change in my father, too. I'm not sure how or where my dad got the idea, but buying a corsage for mom and me became an Easter tradition.

"Look at what my dad bought for me." I wore my corsage all day long, even after I came home from church and changed into my play clothes, and I fell asleep with it on my pillow, too. When I was older and moved out on my own, my father stopped buying an Easter corsage for me. I missed it. Not just the flowers, but the way I felt every year when my father handed me the box from the florist.

Now here I was standing in the middle of the market, tears in my eyes and my husband knew why. "I think you need some fresh flowers for Easter, Suzanne, don't these tulips look like spring?" And he handed me a pink and yellow bouquet of tulips--a new beginning and a new tradition of love.

If you're giving my book to Mom for Mother's Day or to a friend for a birthday gift, be sure to let me know. I'll send an autographed book plate, bookmark, recipe card and letter you can put inside the book. You can make your request at: http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/ on the Muffins website.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-07-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

"I never know what to say." It's what most of us feel when we're searching for words that might comfort a friend who is grieving the loss of a loved one. But you my reading friends, you knew exactly what to say. Thank you. The past few days hundreds of sympathy emails about the passing of my 20 year-old cat Rudy have filled my heart with love and brought me to tears, over-and-over again. But letting the tears flow is one of the difficult job requirements when a person is grieving. Stop the tears and the pain gets bottled up inside. But sometimes I scare myself. Can a person cry so intensely that they might cross over some crying line? And then I remind myself that it just takes time.

Your emails have been amazing, remembering columns I'd written about Rudy and sweetly telling the stories back to me. Some even including photos of Rudy that you'd saved. I feel blessed that Rudy's photo was included in my book, Muffins and Mayhem not once, but twice. A lasting memory of Rudy in the author photo with me on the book jacket, and at the beginning of Chapter 20 Rudy-boy is sitting in my sunroom, in front of a pillow that a reader made for me.

Grieving can be a lonely road to travel, but thanks to your kindness, I am not walking alone.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Enter to win free books, read about five great new titles--a real variety from these great authors:

Amanda Cabot/TOMORROW'S GARDEN

Kathi Macias/PEOPLE OF THE BOOK

Larry D. Thompson/THE TRIAL

Susan Wiggs/THE GOODBYE QUILT

Julia Spencer-Fleming/ONE WAS A SOLDIER

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

 

 

Dear Reader Column 04-06-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

The paperback version of my book, MUFFINS AND MAYHEM: RECIPES FOR A HAPPY (if disorderly) LIFE, went on sale this week. Today's column is an excerpt from Chapter Six: "The Boogeyman Just Might Be Under My Bed!"

Years ago, when my husband and I lived in Madison, Wisconsin we launched IN BUSINESS, a Dane County business magazine. Eleven years later we sold the magazine. (It continues to be published today.) When we first started the magazine, I was in charge of editorial and sales. But selling advertising was new to me, so I decided to sign up for a seminar.

MUFFINS AND MAYHEM is a book that will make you laugh, make you cry and make you wanna cook. Today's excerpt, from the sales seminar I attended in St. Louis, makes me laugh now, but at the time I was petrified.

Enjoy today's excerpt and please visit http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/ where you can create your own Cookbook of Memories, watch videos and sample more treats from my book.

From Chapter Six...

Years ago, when my husband and I lived in Madison, Wisconsin we launched IN BUSINESS, a local business magazine and it's still being published today.

Fear likes to travel, is content to fly coach and went along with me to St. Louis when I attended a sales seminar. One of my duties when I was publishing In Business magazine was to manage the salespeople. The magazine basically had two major areas, editorial and sales. I'd never had any sales training, except for what I'd read in books, so I signed up for a weeklong intensive how-to-sell training seminar. It was an expensive seminar and the sales pitch in the brochure suggested if you weren't serious about studying and working hard in class, then this wasn't the seminar for you.

The copywriter wasn't kidding. Two days after I signed up, textbooks and a workbook along with my first assignment arrived at my door via FedEx. The next morning the seminar facilitator was on the phone checking to make sure I received the books with a reminder that I might not be in St. Louis yet, but the class was starting now. My first written assignment would be due immediately when I arrived in St. Louis. If I had questions there was a number where I could reach him, and he would call at the end of the week to check in and see how I was doing. I was nervous, but excited.

It never dawned on me to ask who the other seminar participants were, or if there would be other people like me in the class, who didn't have any sales experience. The thought never even crossed my mind until I arrived at my hotel. Sitting on top of the desk, in my suite, was a welcoming letter from the seminar instructor, another assignment to be completed by morning and a complete list of seminar attendees, including their company and job title.

Gasp! I thought I was going die. Oh my God, I'd done it again. I'm always crawling out on a limb, trying things I don't know anything about, assuming I can fake it until I learn more about it, but I was in way over my head this time. The list of names included: Pepsi, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, All State, and Pfizer-- every single person was from a Fortune 500 company except me. And their titles were equally intimidating: National Account Manager, Regional Sales Director, Field Sales Manager, Global Account Manager, Director of Business Development, and then there was me, Suzanne Beecher owner of In Business Magazine.

These people all had sales experience--years and years of sales experience. They were here to polish their skills. These were the people who taught other people in their companies how to sell. Me, I was here to learn how to sell something other than lemonade and Girl Scout Cookies (even though I was always one of the top two cookie sellers.)

Options, what were my options?

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-05-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

Today's the day--the official release date for the paperback version of my book, MUFFINS AND MAYHEM: RECIPES FOR A HAPPY (if disorderly) LIFE. Please accept my personal invitation, and visit my website: www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

Sample the first chapter, check-out cooking videos (the recipes are in the book), read comments, and if you belong to a book club that meets in-person please consider my book as one of your selections. There are discussion questions and an Author Q & A at the site. I can't sign your book in-person, but at the MUFFINS AND MAYHEM website you can also request an autographed bookplate to put in your copy of my book, or if you're giving MUFFINS AND MAYHEM as a birthday or Mother's Day gift, be sure to let me know and I'll include a personalized letter, bookmark, a recipe, and an autographed bookplate.

MUFFINS AND MAYHEM is a book that will make you laugh, make you cry and make you wanna cook!

Enjoy the read and if you have a moment, I'd love to hear from you.

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Dear Reader Column 04-04-11

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
column at: DearReader.com



Sample Suzanne's book at:
Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

There were so many lovely, needy cats to choose from at the Humane Society shelter, but when my son and I stopped in front of Rudy's cage, a little white paw came out through the bars and gently touched my hand. Some folks believe that our pets choose us; we don't really choose them, and I agree. Rudy was at the Humane Society because someone had abandoned him; left behind in an apartment, he was discovered just-in-time. Yet even though it was our first hello, Rudy trusted me. What an honor. The look in his eyes said, "Take me home!" And that's exactly what I did.

Originally a Madison, Wisconsin kitty, Rudy's been a Florida cat for the past 18 years. When my husband and I moved to Sarasota, Florida, Rudy came along with us--in style. Back-in-the-day, $50.00 bought a coach, kitty ticket. Tucked away in a cat carrier, Rudy's "seat" was supposed to be in the carry-on space, underneath the seat in front of me. But when I couldn't resist checking on him in-flight, soon, sociable Rudy was leaning over the top of my seat, gazing back and getting a good ear rub from the passengers behind me.

Rudy's not the first cat that has adopted me, but over the years the two of us developed a special friendship that stands alone in my heart. Friends love, laugh and grow old together. The past few weeks Rudy was slowing down more and more each day. Instead of sleeping on top of the warm printer, high up on my husband's desk, Rudy started sleeping on a cushy chair. But soon it was difficult for him to jump up on the chair, so we created a little step-up, in front of it. When Rudy wanted to get food and water, or to use the litter box, it was a long, disoriented walk. Took him a few minutes to get it all set in his mind, before he could set out on his journey. So to make it easier, my husband brought a litter box to Rudy, and every hour we'd offer him water and an assortment of canned delights, hoping we could interest him in a few bites.

Rudy laying on a chair, my husband and I sitting beside him, suddenly I realized we'd set up a hospice on my screened-in front porch and that Rudy, my 20-year-old companion, was slipping away. My son told me I'd miscounted, Rudy was really 24, but it didn't matter. I knew I was losing a good friend. Sometimes I don't realize when I'm in the midst of a moment that I'll look back on for the rest of my life. But thankfully this past weekend, Rudy, and my husband and I recognized our last moments together.

Monday morning an X-ray showed that Rudy's lungs were filled with cancerous tumors. The prognosis; Rudy might have two more days. Over the weekend Rudy hadn't been in pain, and so my husband and I decided we needed to say good-bye, before he was.

Grieving is a sad and lonely place, and this morning was especially difficult. Rudy and I had a morning ritual. First thing after I'd pour my coffee, I'd grab a book and sit in a chair by the window. Rudy would come around the corner and give me "the look." His way of saying, "Move over" and he'd jump up and snuggle-in beside me. This morning after I sat down in my chair, I thought for sure I saw Rudy coming around the corner, so I slid over to make room, but of course there was no Rudy.

I miss my Rudy-boy.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader