Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 12-16-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

I'm wrapping gifts today. Here's one of my old favorites. I hope you enjoy it, too.

Never say never.

For years I raised my right hand and took the oath: "I'll never, ever have an artificial Christmas tree!" and I believed every word of it. But when my husband and I were out shopping today and we walked by the almost real Christmas trees on display, there was that moment--when in unison we looked at each other and that's when I faltered, "This tree looks real." And we bought it.

I blush when I confess, the tree already has lights on it, too. When I fall, I fall hard.

My new eight foot artificial tree came in three easy to assemble pieces, and all I had to do was style it. Imagine that, I'm now a pine tree stylist! Pull this branch to the right, move that one a little over to the left, this one needs a little lift to cover up the open space and in only 20 minutes, my tree looked just the way it did last year. Only no need to water and this one doesn't shed needles all over the floor. All I'll need to worry about is how I'm going to get the tree back into the little box it came in.

There's a lot of stigma concerning Christmas tree etiquette--seems to be some unwritten law that if you put your tree up before Thanksgiving, you might as well be wearing white shoes in January. The tree sinners, they're very hush, hush about it and walk around carrying some pretty heavy pine tree guilt. But for others the misdeed is just too much to bear and they feel the need to confess.

Kelly, my manicurist, whispered to me three weeks before Thanksgiving, "I've had three Christmas trees up in my house for a week already, and they're decorated, too. What do you think about that?"

"Not to worry," I assured her, "I won't tell a soul, and if you keep your drapes drawn until the day after Thanksgiving, probably no one else will discover your transgression."

Yesterday I raised my right hand and took the oath, "I'll never, ever have a real Christmas tree again." Well, maybe...Never say never, Suzanne.

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

* Every day I'm giving away a free book to readers. It's my gift to you. Congratulations to Wednesday's book winner, Alisha Steitz Hamblen. To enter today's drawing, go to: http://tinyurl.com/DRbookaday

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: (Fiction) A PRINCESS AND HER GARDEN: A FABLE OF AWAKENING AND ARRIVAL by Patricia Adson, Ph.D.

Are you tired of trying to please everyone and neglecting yourself? Are your decisions usually based on what others think of you rather than what you really want? A Princess and Her Garden: A Fable of Awakening and Arrival, and the accompanying guided journal, will give you a way to use vocabulary to write and re-write your own story, and create the balance between caring for others and yourself.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on the book to read more. Author Patricia Adson would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 12-15-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

I learned something about myself today and it was embarrassing. The good news is now that I recognize the way I've been thinking, I can change it. Lately I've been feeling negative and having trouble connecting with the joy I normally feel in my life. Whenever I'd try to figure out the reason why, I'd end up making a list of situations and people who were stealing away my joy. But today I realized the person who's been stealing my joy, is me.

The confirmation came from my dear husband. "I'm too negative lately," I turned to my husband and waited for his reaction. "Yes you are," was his reply and then he was silent.

Okay, so he wasn't going to add anything to that statement. Nothing to lighten the punch, nor was he going to offer any excuses for my behavior. And neither could I. Suddenly I realized that instead of tending to my own life, I've been secretly running other people's lives, even people I don't know. Feeling angry and judging the choices they make. Not out-and-out telling them what I think. Instead, I've been having the conversations with myself. But when you think about negative things long enough, eventually they become a reality in your mind. I'm really quite surprised about how I've been feeling, because seeing negativity in other people--I can't stand it. I want to run away. But today there was no where to run, because the negativity was in me.

I learned something, not so pleasant, about myself today, but I also learned that when you forgive yourself, it's amazing how quickly your smile returns and negativity turns to joy.

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

* Every day I'm giving away a free book to readers. It's my gift to you. Congratulations to Tuesday's book winner, Gini McCulloch. To enter today's drawing, go to: http://tinyurl.com/DRbookaday

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Meet authors, sample their books and enter for a free giveaway. It's fun and it's at AuthorBuzz.

(Fiction) THE ANGEL MAKERS by Jessica Gregson

(Mystery) HOT WATER by Erin Brockovich & C. J. Lyons

(Fiction) THE ARTIST OF DISAPPEARANCE by Anita Desai

(Fiction) A PRINCESS AND HER GARDEN: A FABLE OF AWAKENING AND ARRIVAL by Patricia Adson, Ph.D.

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

Readers love AuthorBuzz...

"I love Monday mornings--or late Sunday nights for us night owls--when the new Book Club emails arrive in my mailbox! I can't wait to see what new books are being previewed and what authors are featured in AuthorBuzz. It's like Christmas every Monday morning--or late Sunday night."--Marlene

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

 

Dear Reader Column 12-14-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

I was waiting in line the other day, making what I hoped was my last Christmas purchase. (I thought I was finished shopping, but there's always that one last thing you forgot, isn't there?)

It was a long line and the woman behind me started making small talk. Of course we eventually got around to asking each other what we were doing for the holidays. I told her my grandchildren were coming to visit and that I'd already hung their stockings on the mantel (their names painted with gold glitter), and how I'd been digging through old recipes, because my husband wants to make fudge and popcorn balls this year.

The woman standing behind me, her holiday story wasn't festive like mine. Her husband died a few months ago and so this would be the first Christmas since his death. I could tell she felt awkward sharing her story, and felt obligated to move the conversation on, because she didn't want to dampen the storybook Christmas I was dreaming about. But everyone has their own Christmas story to tell and I wanted to hear hers, too. We talked about her husband and the memories from their Christmases gone by. There was excitement and love in her voice when she told me about the necklace her husband gave her on their last Christmas together, how they went to a farm and cut a fresh tree to decorate, and "We always made taffy," she smiled, "it made such a sticky mess, but he loved pink and red taffy."

The woman will be traveling alone when she visits her daughter this year, but in her heart is one of the greatest Christmas love stories ever told, and I'm so glad she shared it with me.

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

* Every day I'm giving away a free book to readers. It's my gift to you. Simply enter to win at: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Book-12122011.html

Happy Holidays,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/

AUTHORBUZZ: (Fiction) THE ARTIST OF DISAPPEARANCE by Anita Desai

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed author Anita Desai ruminates on art and memory, illusion and disillusion, and the sharp divide between life's expectations and its realities in three perfectly etched novellas. Set in India in the not-too-distant past, the stories illuminate the ways in which Indian culture can nourish or suffocate. Served up with Desai's characteristic perspicuity, subtle humor, and sensitive writing, you'll love this book.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on THE ARTIST OF DISAPPEARANCE to read more. Author Anita Desai would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 12-13-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

Happy Holidays! Every day through Christmas I'm giving away a free book to readers. It's my gift to you. Simply enter to win at: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Book-12122011.html

Today I'm going to bake some Berry Loaves. It's one of my favorite holiday recipes.

Berry Loaves

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup whole berry, cranberry sauce
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time beating well after each. Combine the dry ingredients then add alternatively with buttermilk. Stir in cranberry sauce and blueberries. Pour into greased loaf pans, or any decorative pans. Leave room for mixture to rise.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from pans. Makes 4 small loaves.

(I always double this recipe because then I use the entire can of cranberry sauce.)

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

P.S. When you're addressing your holiday cards, please send one to the folks at your local library who sponsor this online book club. Be sure to add a note letting them know how much you appreciate the book clubs.

AUTHORBUZZ: (Mystery) HOT WATER by Erin Brockovich & C. J. Lyons

Environmental activist AJ Palladino, first encountered in Rock Bottom, is no stranger to the juggling act of managing work and family. But when she's asked to leave home for a case involving a nuclear power plant, it takes all her strength to keep everything from crashing down on her.

Can AJ stop the plant's meltdown and save the community, herself, and her family in time?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on the book to read more. Authors Erin Brockovich & C. J. Lyons would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 12-12-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

I'm a no-nonsense kind of person. I like to get right to the point and so does Judy Bridges, author of Shut Up & Write! I love the title of her book and it's great advice for aspiring writers. Talk, talk, talk, stop talking about your dream of writing a book and Shut Up & Write! instead.

Judy's book is a humorous, no-nonsense guide to finding your voice and getting your thoughts down on paper. She's a caring soul, who founded Redbird Studio writing center in 1993, where she offers writing workshops, and she also leads writing retreats at The Clearing in Door County, Wisconsin.

Judy is today's Guest Columnist. Take it away, Judy . . .

The Written Gift

"Snow, snow. Beautiful snow."

My mother stands at the window, smiling out at the flaky stuff. I am four years old and already I've acquired the habit from her. Our sing-song voices share the joy, and it's years before I give it any thought.

This small moment in my life got bigger a few years ago, when Mom died and I was going through her papers. I'd given her a three ring binder to make notes of things she remembered or would want me to know. The pages were filled with penciled memories of pressing her brothers' pants for a penny, of dressing up in her big sister's flapper clothes, and helping out the fancy lady who lived next door. And on one page, an entry about her dad standing at the window, singing, "Snow, snow. Beautiful snow."

Until I read that, I didn't know our snow love was a generational thing. If I got it from my mother, and she got it from her dad, did he get it from his mother or dad? And did they get it from their parents? For how many generations have my ancestors been welcoming snow?

On other pages, Mom remembered sharing bowls of potato soup during the Depression, getting a job at the shoe factory, going to dances with her friends, and marching with the Gray Ladies on the Fourth of July. She told about the good looking guy who bought her a wedding dress, how he celebrated when I was born, and what it was like when he left. In her written memories, I found my younger mother, the one I was too little to understand.

It would not have been easy for my mother to write her memories. She was an avid reader, but having to quit school at thirteen left her self-conscious about her grammar and spelling. Words like 'ridiculous' turned into 'redicalus', and 'arthritis' into 'arthuritis.' On top of that, her hands weakened in those last days so that it was hard for her to hold a pencil. And yet she filled page after page with things she wanted me to know.

I think of Mom when I get tired of writing, when the words won't come and my fingers ache. I worry about grammar, vividness, point of view, accuracy, and grace, when I should be taking a tip from her and just getting the words on paper. I should write what I think, say what I want to say and fix it later--or not. Absolutely no one is going to die if the only thing I write today is a really awful first draft.

The heart of writing, the only thing that really matters, is that we communicate. For some things--a published work, for instance, we need to polish to perfection. But for the written gift, the messages written for children and spouses and friends, all we need is ourselves--our imperfect, word-scrambling, ordinary selves remembering a man looking out a window on a winter morning, singing, "Snow, snow. Beautiful snow!"

Judy Bridges

*Judy would love to hear from you. She answers all of her mail and she is giving away 5 copies of her book Shut Up & Write!. Email her at: [email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: (Fiction) THE ANGEL MAKERS by Jessica Gregson

When the men of a remote Hungarian village go off to war in 1916, the women left behind realize their lives are much better without them. Suddenly they are not being beaten; they have time for friendships; they even find romance with the injured Italian soldiers staying just outside of town. When the men return, the freedom the women have enjoyed is suddenly snatched away, and they realize they need to do whatever it takes to hold onto it.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on THE ANGEL MAKERS to read more. Author Jessica Gregson would love to hear from you.

 

Dear Reader Column 12-09-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

Once a week I'm answering questions about writing. You can reach me at: [email protected] You'll find previous questions and answers at: http://tinyurl.com/WritingQ-A

Today's question is from Marlene...

"My writing question to you is, How do you get started writing?

I have set up the perfect place to write with a beautiful view, have all the tools ready, my favorite pens and writing pads, the computer and Roget's Thesaurus at hand, a comfy pillow in the chair to ease the strain of weary bones, a cup of my favorite tea made, dog and kitty treats nearby for the inevitable interruptions. But every time I sit down to write, all the wonderful ideas I've been thinking about for days have somehow become not write-worthy. I've taken how-to classes and read how-to books. I feel over-prepared and under-able to write anything worth reading. So I go clean the kitchen or weed the garden, tasks that I know I'm good at and that give spectacular results with a small investment of time."

Marlene in Pittsburg
* Discover great books with me, five minutes a day, at DearReader.com

(Suzanne replies:)

Dear Marlene,

Sounds to me like "you're all dressed up with no place to go." I chuckle because I've been there. Years ago I bought the fancy pen, picked out the "just write" notebook, created a romantic writing nook, poured coffee into my favorite mug, twisted up my hair, tucked a glittery pin in it, and finally--I was ready to write. But the moment had passed, so I took a nap instead.

The window dressings in life serve a purpose. They inspire us to dream about what it would feel like to wear that gorgeous skirt on page 23 in the latest designer catalog, or what it would feel like to see our words published in a book. Those dreams keep us pushing forward, but how does a writer get started?

My advice is to forget the window dressings (for now). Grab any pen and pad of paper that's handy, rewrite the paragraph you wrote to me, word-for-word about your writing preparations, and after you finishing rewriting the last line, "So I go clean the kitchen or weed the garden, tasks that I know I'm good at and that give spectacular results with a small investment of time," ask yourself why you are good at doing those tasks, then write down your answer and keep on writing. You see, Marlene, you already 'have' started writing--don't stop now.

(By the way, I LOVE the tag line about the book clubs you use on your emails. Thanks for spreading the word. I sure do appreciate it.)

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free (signed!) copy of the featured book. You'll enjoy Jennifer Estep's KISS OF FROST, a teen urban fantasy series full of myths, magic and monsters! For a chance to win a free copy, say hello to the author, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: (Fiction) ROAM by Alan Lazar

Losing one's dog is one of the more heart-wrenching events we experience as humans. ROAM is the story of one lost dog's journey across the USA, but more than that it's an Everyman fable about love lost and found and the joy and pain of families It's a book for dog-lovers, but also for those drawn to adventure stories with a more spiritual meaning, like The Alchemist.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on ROAM to read more. Author Alan Lazar would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 12-08-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

Thanks for taking the time to write. I appreciate hearing from you. You can reach me at: [email protected]

If you're looking for a new recipe for the holidays, visit my recipe blog. It includes my favorites and recipes readers have emailed, too. Also, in addition to a great read, you'll find 38 recipes in my book Muffins and Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life. To view the recipe blog, go to: http://tinyurl.com/SuzanneRecipes

To sample my book, go to: www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

From my Email Bag:

"Hi Suzanne, I made your famous Skunk Beans last night. They were a hit with my husband, with a request to 'definitely make them again!' Thanks for your terrific recipes. You bless our dinner table." --Sincerely, Angie Guffey

"Suzanne, I recently attended the La Jolla Writers' Conference. I thought you'd be pleased to know that your website/blog was held up as the example of a good blog that aspiring writers should study before starting their own blogs and websites. I was especially pleased because I recommended you to the organizers the previous time I attended. Another feather for your cap!"--Caroline McCullagh

Once a week I answer questions about writing or publishing. Email your question to: [email protected] To view past questions and answers, go to: http://tinyurl.com/WritingQ-A

Enter today's giveaway for a copy of Our Favorite Recipes by the ladies of St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church. First published in 1949. Everything about the book is tasty: the cute drawings, the handwritten recipes and the history behind the cookbook. To enter the drawing, put COOKBOOK DRAWING on the subject line, include your name and mailing address in the body of the email and submit it to: [email protected]

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

Happy Holidays,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

*Meet authors, sample their books and enter for a free giveaway. It's fun and it's at AuthorBuzz.*

(Mystery) MR. KILL by Martin Limon

(Fiction) A GOOD AMERICAN by Alex George

(Mystery) LUCKY STIFF by Deborah Coonts

(Fiction) ROAM by Alan Lazar

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

AUTHORBUZZ: Readers love AuthorBuzz...

"Suzanne, I want to thank you for the AuthorBuzz feature in Dear Reader. Just today I received my third book that I won in the contests, Another Man's Treasure by James O'Connor. It is such fun to receive signed copies of new books. Keep up the good work." --Carol

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

Dear Reader Column 12-07-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

A question from book club reader, Kelly Pauley.

"Suzanne, I loved reading your book, Muffins and Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life and will be sharing it this Christmas. Would you sign and send a bookplate for my mother's copy? My burning question is why did you switch [your name] from Susan to Suzanne? I was sure you would wind up your book with that story, but maybe you are saving it for the sequel? Please satisfy my curiosity. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself with honesty and humor."

(Suzanne replies:)

I'm so glad you enjoyed my book and thanks for giving it as gifts this holiday season. I appreciate it. A signed bookplate, bookmark, and recipe are in the mail for you. Why did I change my name, from Susan to Suzanne?

What's in a name? For me it meant a new beginning in my life. Up until I turned 23 years old, it felt like I was living in a fog. Over and over again, I kept making bad choices; ridiculous choices, out of my mind choices. Looking back now, I am amazed. 'What was I thinking?' Obviously I wasn't. Pregnant and married at 16 years old, a kid trying to raise a kid and finish high school, and then turning to drugs to find peace. But when I turned twenty-three something changed in my life--for the better. To this day I can't really explain how or why, but I made a decision to try a different approach to life. When things turned around in my life I also made new friends, and when one of them said to me, "You know Susan, you're really not a Susan, I think the name Suzanne fits you much better." So I tried it on for size and my friend was right, Suzanne did fit the new me.

Granted, Suzanne was a minor change to my name, but it symbolized something much more meaningful to me. The experience was really quite bizarre when I think about it. How many times in your life does someone who's just met you, tell you that she really doesn't think your name is a good fit and suggest a new one?

My mother never asked me why I changed my name (probably because she continued to call me Susan), and other people who knew me as Susan never asked why, either. I've always found it a little strange that no one asked why, but then again, maybe people liked the new me and thought, 'She's finally got herself together,' and they'd just leave well enough alone.

What's in a name?

Sometimes a new beginning.

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

* If you decide to give Muffins and Mayhem as a gift this year, be sure to request an autographed bookplate. I'd love to personalize your gift and make it even more special. I'll also send a bookmark and two of my favorite recipes. You can request a personalized bookplate at: http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/content/special-offers

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free (signed!) copy of the featured book. You'll enjoy Jennifer Estep's KISS OF FROST, a teen urban fantasy series full of myths, magic and monsters! For a chance to win a free copy, say hello to the author, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: LUCKY STIFF (Mystery)

Meet author Deborah Coonts...

Experience a little Vegas magic without leaving home, losing money or waking up with a hangover. Although, pull an all-nighter with Lucky O'Toole, head of Customer Relations at the Las Vegas Babylon Resort and caffeine will be necessary. She starts her evening trying to corral millions of honeybees and ends it being drawn into a deadly game when Numbers Neidermeyer is tossed into the Shark Tank as a late-night snack for the Tiger Shark.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on my book to read more. I would love to hear from you.--Deborah Coonts

Dear Reader Column 12-06-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

When the main character in the movie I was watching announced, "I was born to surf," the line intrigued me. Based on a true story, clearly the woman got it right, because even after losing her arm in a shark attack, she worked her way back to being an award-winning surfer.

So how would I finish that sentence? What was I born to do? One of the traits I like and dislike about myself, is I'm very good at doing many things, but not really, really, talented at anything in particular. Seems to me if "I was born to" do something--if it were my assignment here on earth, so to speak--there wouldn't be any question about it. It would be easy to recognize, right?

My first try attempt at filling in the blank, (when I didn't edit my thoughts) was that "I was born to be happy." But apparently I have a hard time believing it, because most of the time I feel I need to earn happiness. 'I worked hard,' I tell myself when I reach a goal, so now I deserve to feel happy. And it's true, I did work hard, but happiness doesn't need to be earned.

I've strayed from finishing the sentence, "What was I born to do?" But maybe a more important question is, "What makes me happy?" Now that's an easy one to answer. Making people feel at home when they come to my house for dinner, hoping they feel as loved and cared for as when I went to my grandmother's house. Baking cookies and giving them away for no special reason. Really listening to what people say when someone says their mom or dad is ill, I don't gloss over and change the subject, I ask about it, I give them a chance to talk and I listen. Happiness is owning a bubble machine and turning it on in front of my house--and it makes other people happy too--because if bubbles aren't wafting out from my driveway on a Saturday when folks walk by, I hear them calling, "Bubbles, bubbles, where are the bubbles?" Attending to details makes me happy. Adding that little extra something special when I'm wrapping a package, fixing a sandwich with a fancy umbrella toothpick stuck in it for the man repairing our pump (he took the paper umbrella home to show his kids). Having fun with my grandchildren and creating memories for them to take along on their own life's journey, feeding and tending to homeless cats (my latest is a black and white, I've named him George), and writing words that touch people's hearts.

"What was I born to do?" You know, I think I had it right the first time. "I was born to be happy and to inspire others to be happy, too."

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: (Fiction) A GOOD AMERICAN by Alex George

An uplifting novel about the families we create and the places we call home.

It is 1904. When Frederick and Jette must flee her disapproving mother, where better to go than America, the land of the new? Originally set to board a boat to New York, at the last minute, they take one destined for New Orleans instead ("What's the difference? They're both new"), and later find themselves, more by chance than by design, in the small town of Beatrice, Missouri. Not speaking a word of English, they embark on their new life together.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on A GOOD AMERICAN to read more. Author Alex George would love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 12-05-11

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

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

Dear Reader,

I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy today, some might even say a little bit hokey. You'd think I was on the meds they gave me right before my surgery last year, when I was telling all the nurses how much I loved them, and inviting everyone in the operating room to my house for dinner.

Since we're all supposed to "just say no to drugs," when I want to recapture those euphoric feelings, I open up my treasure box instead. Filled with sentiments from readers, their words never fail to make me feel loved and cared for.

"Suzanne, your sense of humor makes my day. Your columns brighten my day. Nice work. Nice NICE work!"--Marion

"Suzanne, today I read your column about miserable thinking and I wanted to come through the internet and hug you. I needed your words to help me remember how to get through my miserable thinking day. I am a little weepy right now, loving you and thankful I read your column."--Jane

And then I rediscovered Lee's email. Just in time for the holidays, as I sit and wonder what I'm going to write in the cards I'm sending out to friends and my family, Lee reminds me to simply share words of love.

"Hello Suzanne, I enjoy reading your writing suggestions. My mother passed away in June, and my siblings and I were recently given an envelope of money that she had worked hard to save for each child. When I opened my envelope, I thought how wonderful it would have been if she had written something to each of us--like a final voice from the grave with some sort of praise or encouragement. While I appreciated the cash, the words would have been priceless. The money will be deposited in the bank for my children, and I've started to form a letter to each of them, telling them what their lives have meant to me."--Lee

Readers like Lee have inspired me to bare my feelings--words of love in my holiday cards this year.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: (Mystery) MR. KILL by Martin Limon

On a crowded train from Pusan to Seoul, according to initial reports, a woman was assaulted by an American, so the Korean National Police call in 8th United States Army investigators, George Sueno and Ernie Bascom. With anti-Americanism boiling over, and orders from the brass to sweep even murder under the rug, George and Ernie encounter the face of hatred at every turn.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on the book to read more. Author Martin Limon would love to hear from you.