Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 04-30-12

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,

What an honor to introduce today's guest columnist, Barbara Taylor Bradford, the author of 25 bestselling novels, published in over 90 countries in 40 languages with sales figures in excess of $82 million.

Ten of her novels have been adapted into television mini-series starring actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Liam Neeson, Deborah Kerr and Elizabeth Hurley. She has been inducted into the Writers Hall of Fame of America, and in June 2007, Barbara was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to Literature.

Barbara was born in Leeds, England, and from an early age, she was a voracious reader: at age 12, she had already read all of Dickens and the Bronte sisters. By the age of twenty, she was an editor and columnist on Fleet Street. She published her first novel, A Woman of Substance, in 1979, and it has become an enduring bestseller.

Email Barbara, welcome her to the book clubs and enter-to-win one of the 8 copies of Letter From a Stranger that she's giving away today. Send your email to: [email protected]

Thanks for visiting the book clubs Barbara, take it away...

I'm Never Lonely When I'm Writing A Book

When I'm out on the road promoting my latest novel, it's amazing how many people say to me sympathetically, "You must lead a very lonely life writing your books."

I always answer that it's not lonely because I have all these wonderful characters dancing around in my head, not to mention in the room. I then usually add that it's more of a solitary existence, rather than a lonely one.

But that's not exactly true. The solitary part, I mean. Because I do have a marvelous companion, who's with me all day in my office in our Manhattan apartment.

Her name is Chammi, and she's a lovely little Bichon Frise who is now fifteen years old, but looks like a puppy, with her glossy white coat, and sleek cut that I teasingly say makes her look like a white velvet sausage, and sparkling black eyes.

Actually, Chammi and I had another companion for fifteen years, Chammi's cousin Beaji, who sadly died last year. The two of them spent all those years writing my many books with me, and we both miss Beaji at times.

Chammi usually joins me around seven every morning, when I've already been in my office for an hour. She takes up her position under my large French desk, where I have my computer, telephone and yellow pads and pens for writing in hand.

Underneath the desk is a double-size handmade wooden dog bed, painted green and bearing the initials B & C, for Beaji and Chammi. I do a lot of research at this desk, make phone calls, as well as handwriting the beginning of chapters, and Chammi settles down comfortable, knowing we'll be here for a while.

As I roll to my smaller typing desk and get settled, I am swiftly joined by Chammi, who slips under the desk and relaxes on baby cot duvets, one of which is appropriately patterned with small white dogs! She dozes for as long as I am at this desk, but the moment I leave she's aware of it, and follows me devotedly.

I must confess, Chammi is the best critic I know, because she's never critical if I happen to be reading dialogue aloud to myself. No barks of disapproval, just a loving look from those big brown eyes.

There is a comforting feeling about having a pet in a room with you, especially when you're working, because the dog (or cat) is an extremely viable presence. That's why I'm never lonely or solitary when I'm writing a book. I have a sweet companion to keep me company.

Barbara Bradford Taylor

Say hello to Barbara and enter-to-win one of her books, send your email to: [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: A FATAL FLEECE (Seaside Knitters Mystery #6) by Sally Goldenbaum

A discovery of a precocious skeleton in a seaside knitter's closet, the murder of an old fisherman friend, and an unexpected inheritance plunge the knitters into a simmering summer of danger.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on A FATAL FLEECE to read more and to email author Sally Goldenbaum, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-27-12

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,

Ta-da! Today I'm doing a bit of housecleaning, which means I have good stuff--great stuff--to giveaway to readers.

My shelves are filled with vintage aprons, books, books, and more books. Can you lend me hand? Folks just like you really win things at the book clubs. Start your weekend with a bit of fun. To see a photo of Donna Easley, a happy, recent book winner and to enter today's giveaway, go to: http://tinyurl.com/DRclear

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: YELLOW CROCUS (Fiction) by Laila Ibrahim

The image of Lisbeth, a white baby, breastfeeding in the loving arms of Mattie, an enslaved wet nurse came to me in a flash. These characters started to haunt me. Though I had never written anything, I was being called to tell their story. For my fortieth birthday, began the personal odyssey of writing my first novel. I hope you will come to love Mattie and Lisbeth as much as I have. I love to speak with book clubs and hear from readers.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on YELLOW CROCUS to read more and to email author Laila Ibrahim, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-26-12

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 used to be able to just pick up the phone and we'd chat. What about? Nothing earth-shattering. Our conversations were more of a saunter from one topic to another. "I made spaghetti yesterday afternoon, used some of the basil and oregano I'm growing. Can't beat the taste when you cook with fresh herbs."

Mentioning spaghetti, might lead the conversation to talking about how we hadn't been out to dinner for a while. "How about Mexican? Want to go to the restaurant we went to last time? Next Tuesday at 6:30?"

Two women talking about nothing really. One minute we were moaning about our grown children, "Do they ever really grow up? Kind of scary that we might have to rely on their help, when we get older," but then in the next breath, we'd be bragging about what those same grown children have accomplished. We're so proud. Eventually we'd get around to talking about writing. Both of us authors, we knew part of our chit-chatting was a break from writing, or a justifiable way of avoiding the blank screen. Yawn, stretch, it's time to get back to work.

It's been almost a year since my friend passed away. Truly, the "little nothings" in our conversations were something I enjoyed. But I never realized how much I needed them, in my life, until today--when I reached for the phone.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: AN AMERICAN FAMILY (Fiction) by Peter Lefcourt

Beginning the day Kennedy was shot, and ending on 9/11, this novel follows the journey of the Perls--Jackie, Michael, Elaine, Steven and Bobbi--through the events of the second half of the twentieth century. In a larger sense it relates the odyssey of all immigrant families--Irish, Italian, Vietnamese, Persian, and Jewish--as they change within the shifting currents of time.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on AN AMERICAN FAMILY to find out more about the book and the author, Peter Lefcourt. Send him an email, he'd love to hear from you.

*Fun, free books and meet authors. Ask questions, they'll reply and read samples from their books. Visit AuthorBuzz at: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

(Fiction)
SUNRISE POINT by Robyn Carr

(Mystery)
DEPTH OF DECEPTION by Alexander Galant

(Nonfiction)
NEVER LETTING GO by Mark Anthony

(Fiction)
AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Peter Lefcourt

(Fiction)
YELLOW CROCUS by Laila Ibrahim

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

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 04-25-12

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've spent the better part of the day looking for patience, but I just can't find it anywhere.

The people around me today all seem determined to do things the long, drawn out way. Even their "yeas" and "nays" are long-winded. Patience, where is patience?

'Cut to the chase,' that's what I'm thinking. She tells me something once--I get the drift--but she continues on, "Let me explain what I mean." Oh, dear. I don't think I can take it much longer. Patience, can't you hear me calling you? I really need patience.

I hate it when I feel like this. Agitated, irritated. This is so unlike me. I listen with a smile, but inside I'm thinking, 'No, oh please, no. Don't explain, I got it the first time around.'

Patience, what happened to patience?

I don't understand. It was right by my side yesterday. Did it go on vacation--get a great rate on Orbitz? Or maybe patience took a personal day? (Have fun, wish I was there.)

So what does this leave me with?

No patience.

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

* Congratulations to the winners of CLOUDLAND by last week's Guest Columnist, Joseph Olshan: Pat Groshong, Lorraine Taylor, Bonny Conway, Sandi Hooks and Teresa Sopher

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: NEVER LETTING GO (Nonfiction) by Mark Anthony

My bestselling book NEVER LETTING GO is a compelling, comforting and inspiring guide for anyone coping with the death of a loved one and provides evidence for the Afterlife. As both a criminal defense lawyer and psychic medium I understand the importance of evidence both in the courtroom, and from a spirit on the Other Side. That is part of what makes NEVER LETTING GO a page turner.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on NEVER LETTING GO to read more and to email author Mark Anthony, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-24-12

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,

Life hasn't ever been planned for me. "What do I want to be when I grow up?" I didn't know. The question never crossed my mind when I was a kid, and no one in my family ever asked. So, 'Surprise!' continues to be one of the most important words in my vocabulary, and one of the main threads throughout my life--even though I don't really like surprises.

"I've got a surprise for you, Suzanne." Say that to me and instantly I'm feeling uneasy and worrying, 'What if I don't like the surprise?' Thinking about it feels awkward and edgy, 'Come on, tell me what it is and let's get it over with.' I'm the first to admit I'm a strange bird, because I can't ever remember being disappointed when someone surprised me. And waiting for my next surprise to show up seems to be how I prefer to live my life, because I never really know where I'm heading. Sure, sometimes I make a short-term plan, but most of the time I'm just tooling along with nothing specific in mind, waiting to hear, "Listen-up, Suzanne," which means my next surprise is about to arrive. How exciting!

So why the ambivalence? It could be that in between every surprise is a dry spell--sometimes a very long dry spell. At first I don't mind. I welcome the resting period, but soon I'm bored and impatiently waiting for 'Surprise!' even though I don't really like surprises.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: DEPTH OF DECEPTION (Mystery) by Alexander Galant

Dark secrets buried with Titanic suddenly resurface in DEPTH OF DECEPTION.

It is 1982, and a young woman in Edwardian clothing is found floating unconscious in the Atlantic with a ticket for the RMS Titanic. Is it a bizarre case of time-travel that links her to an unsolved murder from 1909, or an elaborate hoax?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on DEPTH OF DECEPTION to find out more about the book and the author, Alexander Galant. Send him an email, he'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 04-23-12

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,

There's always something fun, unique and new happening at the book club. Our AuthorBuzz feature, http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader, has been so popular that this year, I've also been inviting guest authors to visit our club and write a column, give away some of their books, and when you send them an email, you receive a personal reply. I hope you've been enjoying the variety.

Today's visitor, Anita Nair, is the bestselling author of THE BETTER MAN, LADIES COUPE, MISTRESS and her new novel, THE LILAC HOUSE, is soon to become a motion picture. Anita is giving away 5 copies of THE LILAC HOUSE and when you email her at: [email protected] you'll receive a personal reply.

Take it away Anita...

There is something magical about that hour before dawn. The skies are streaked with an inner glow; the silence striated only by bird calls and the rustling leaves of the avocado trees that overlook the windows of my study. It is near perfect, that hour, and texturally similar to the moment when the lights go off in a movie theater and the screen comes alive. A reined in excitement; a burgeoning anticipation and a shiver of delight that the next minutes will be spent in a world far removed from our real one.

Nevertheless, every morning when the alarm rings, my first impulse is to put it off and snuggle under the bed clothes. But from the corner of the room, Sugar makes a noise almost as if she is clearing her throat to remind me: wakie wakie. So I do. Or, she is bound to move into a high keening note next.

She waits patiently outside the bathroom door as I splash sleep out of my eyes. And then the two of us pad into my study. Sugar goes to the window and gazes out. I join her there briefly and then we take our assigned places. I, at my desk, and she at my feet.

For the nine years, Sugar my Labrador retriever has been with me, she has been part of my early morning writing. At that hour, I discover I can shed my reality and step into the skins of my characters with an almost frightening natural ease. Their joys and sorrows become mine; their triumphs and failures seem more real than mine.

If I wrote gentle sunny books, it may have been not such a bad proposition. But at times the internal lives of my characters are not exactly sylvan glades. And so when I have written a disturbing or distressing segment, of its own volition, my foot gropes for the reassuring presence of Sugar. Sometimes I go to sit by her on the rug and put her snout on my knee. Sometimes I lean and hug her as tightly as I can. And Sugar nuzzles deeper into my embrace. That alone comforts me and heals the searing wounds I have left on my spirit with my own hand.

A couple of hours later when my husband wakes up and goes downstairs, Sugar rises to follow him. At the stable doors of the study, she pauses to gives me a look to say: I have to go and take that man for a walk. Will you be alright on your own now? Though I would recommend that you follow me down the stairs, give me a handful of almonds and get breakfast going--we got to do what we got to do!

I sigh and put down my pen. She has a point, I realize. With one tilt of her head, Sugar takes me back to the redeeming reality of my every day. Without which there would be no books or a writerly life...Or, any point to any of this.--Anita Nair

You can reach Anita at: [email protected]

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: SUNRISE POINT (Fiction) by Robyn Carr

In the finale of my 2012 Virgin River Trilogy, after serving in the Marines, Tom Cavanaugh has come home to take over his family's apple orchard and settle down. He has a vision of the perfect woman for him: sweet, decent, a good family background, educated, maybe a little naive. The marrying kind. Nothing like single mom Nora Crane. She has an education all right--from the school of hard knocks, but she's not too proud for the back-breaking labor of picking apples at the Cavanaugh orchard to support her two daughters.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SUNRISE POINT to read more and to email author Robyn Carr, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-20-12

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,

"You're my angel today."

It was a funny little morning the other day. At seven-thirty when I walked outside to take another look at the flowers I'd planted the day before, I noticed a car stopped in the middle of the road. One of the tires was flat--completely flat. Zoom, zoom, beep, beep, drivers in the cars behind it were losing their patience. (The road in front of my house has been overworked for almost a year now. It's part of a detour around a bridge that's being replaced.) The car with the flat tire, the windows were tinted (it's common, here in Florida to help block out the sun), but I could see a woman in the driver's seat. Tap, tap, I knocked on the passenger window and the woman rolled it down, "This road is crazy-busy, if you'd like, why don't you drive your car into my driveway. It's one door down."

The woman was concerned about moving her car because the tire was so flat, and I agreed it was a concern, but the alternative was trying to change a tire on a busy road. So after a slow, wide turn into my driveway (with a little scrapping sound from the wheel rim) at least she was safely out of traffic. I could see by the woman's name tag that she worked at the hospital, which was only five blocks from my house, an easy walk, but I offered her a ride. "You can leave your car here and deal with it on your lunch hour, or after you finish work, I don't care. It's fine to leave it here all day. My husband could give you a ride to work right now, so you won't be late."

Immediately after I made the offer, I was reminded, by a look of uneasiness on the woman's face, that these days offering a ride to a stranger is a social fax paus, and accepting a ride from a stranger is a scary, definite, "no thank you, and then you run for your life." What a shame. I grew up in a small town, population 2,000, so offering help, even to strangers, it comes natural for me. Folks never locked their car doors or their front doors. Heck, some people who live there still don't. So what could I possibly say to this woman without having her fear I was secretly a bleach-blonde psycho killer? Probably nothing. So with my husband's assistance, we settled on changing her tire for her.

I was happy to help, real glad I could be of help, but I also felt sad. I miss being able to help someone without fear coming between us. I'm not trying to hang on to the "good old days" and live a fairytale life, but I'm also not willing to stop offering to lend a hand. Because every time I step out and take a chance, I believe it chips away at some of that fear and that's what happened between the woman and me.

"You're my angel today," the woman said before she drove away.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: ALL THE DIFFERENCE (Fiction) by Kaira Rouda

Would you go to extremes to live the life of your dreams? That's the question at the heart of my new novel, ALL THE DIFFERENCE, a story about three women whose lives become entangled by the choices they make and how, ultimately, one of them turns to murder to achieve her goals.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on ALL THE DIFFERENCE to read more and to email author Kaira Rouda, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-19-12

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 I was a kid, I was a train watcher. My Grandpa and Grandma Tindell had a trailer house parked on a lot in a little fishing community, snuggled in along side of the Mississippi River. At the top of the hill was the world and at the bottom was a fisher-person's paradise. Serious fisher-people (is that the politically correct word these days?) took up summer residence there.

The fishing was great, but I fell in love with the trains. Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, every couple of hours a train with over 100 cars would roll on by. I liked to get as close to the trains as I could, but in order to do that, I had to cross rattler country. The train tracks were high up on a ridge. Huge rocks had been dumped on the hill that led up to the tracks and rattlesnakes lived there. Hundreds of rattlesnakes.

I didn't mind walking by a rattler sunning himself on top of a rock. It was the ones that might be hiding down in between the rocks that always worried me. But the only way to feel the "whoosh" of the cars passing by, and to make sure that the engineer saw me waving--and then he'd always tip his hat and blow the whistle--was to take the risk and climb the hill.

There aren't too many trains for me to watch anymore. But there are a lot of exciting opportunities that come my way every day, and if I want to feel the "whoosh" and hear that whistle blowin', I've got to take the risk and start climbing the hill.

* Congratulations to our National Library Week book winners. Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to email their library: Brooke Hughes, Donna Easley, Wendi Morris, Mari Ruuska, Alice I. Binford, Zada Giron, Paulette Stubblefield, Rita J. McElroy, Nancy Reynolds and Chris Wunder.

And in honor of National Library Week, these librarians will be getting a Chocolate Chip Cookie surprise in the mail:

Lizzie Eastwood, Los Alamos County Library System
Pamela J. Bean, Chickasaw Regional (Public) Library System
Phil Carlsen, Skokie Public Library Bookmobile!

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

*Fun, free books and meet authors. Ask questions, they'll reply and read samples from their books. Visit AuthorBuzz at: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

(Fiction)
TWISTED by Laura Griffin

(Fiction)
THE IGUANA TREE by Michel Stone

(Fiction)
IN LEAH'S WAKE by Terri Giuliano Long

(Thriller)
VIRAL by James Lilliefors

(Fiction)
ALL THE DIFFERENCE by Kaira Rouda

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

AUTHORBUZZ: VIRAL by (Thriller) James Lilliefors

VIRAL is an international thriller that delves into the very real worlds of geopolitics and bioweapons research. Charles Mallory, a former CIA case officer, discovers the traces of a secret war with a bold objective--to create a new technologically advanced society. With the help of his brother Jon, an investigative reporter, can he break the story to the world before it is too late--before a planned "humane depopulation" takes place?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on VIRAL to find out more about the book and the author, James Lilliefors. Send him an email, he'd love to hear from you.

 

 

Dear Reader Column 04-18-12

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,

Traveling in style on a giant bus, emblazoned with massive book graphics on the side, four mystery writers, John Connolly, William Kent Krueger, Liza Marklund and M.J. Rose (our own personal Mystery Bus Tour reporter) are in the midst of an 8-day Mystery Bus Tour to meet readers, stopping in 11 cities across the country to meet readers in person.

What's it like riding a bus for eight days, traveling 2,375 miles? Enjoy today's Mystery Bus Tour update, from author M.J. Rose, and you can sample her newest release, The Book of Lost Fragrances.

Take it away M.J. Rose...

What Matters?

The wheels roll round and round. And round. And round. And the ride is bumpier than I imagined and the stretches between stores give you a lot of time to think since reading and writing are more difficult than I imagined.

I'd planned to be funny and glib and witty about the tour in this column and give you sparkling anecdotes about the stores and the crowds and the (wonderful) writers I'm traveling with and the (brave and strong) booksellers we're meeting.

But instead I want to tell you about Sarah.

On Friday night we were in the B&N in I forget where already--not really--we were in Framingham outside of Boston, and we spoke to a good-sized crowd of about thirty people.

After our talk, during the signing a lovely soft-spoken woman approached. Her young daughter beside her. The woman held out a copy of my book. I took it and asked for her name so I'd know what to write in the inscription.

"It's not for me," she put her arm gently around her daughter. "It's for Sarah."

My eyebrows must have gone up a bit. I looked back at Sarah, thinking maybe I'd glanced too quickly before and she was older than I'd thought. But no, the beautiful little girl with dirty blonde bangs, creamy skin, blue yes and a heart shaped mouth was indeed very young.

"How old are you?" I asked Sarah.

"Eight," she said shyly.

I looked back at her mom. "You know there's some stuff in this book that isn't..."

She interrupted. "It's not for now. It's for when she grows up. We were here shopping for books and saw the poster that you were all here. Sarah wants to be a writer when she grows up and she thought the title of your book was beautiful and wanted to meet a real writer."

I looked back at Sarah who was nodding vehemently. I thanked her so much for liking my title. Then I asked her what books she liked we talked about how much fun reading was. Then she told me that she's taking a writing workshop and how much fun it was.

Everything about the Department of Justice lawsuit and e-book price wars and the lack of discovery and the other millions of things that are wrong with publishing faded into the background.

Sarah was so excited as she took the book from me. As she read the inscription I'd written, her eyes got wider.

Suddenly I was on her side of the table being her age falling in love with books and thinking they were some kind of magic and dreaming about one day being able to make that kind of magic. I never met a writer until I was seventeen and met Ayn Rand (Amazing first writer to meet, right?)

And I remembered how in awe I was and how gracious and kind she was when I told her I wanted to be a writer too.

The book world is living through a publishing revolution right now. But as I watched Sarah clutching my book and waving goodbye I was 100% sure of what one thing that's not changing. That's not even being questioned. Readers and writers. Writers and readers. We need each other. And I believe that one way or another we're always going to find each other and inspire each other.

And I can't wait for the day Sarah sends me a copy of her first book.

Sample M.J. Rose's new book, The Book of Lost Fragrances:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=%%list.name%%qqxqR1FE5F42F3A3&c=SUZ

Send her an email and you'll receive a personal reply: [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: IN LEAH'S WAKE (Fiction) by Terri Giuliano Long

The Tylers have a perfect life--until 16-year-old Leah falls for a high school dropout and roadie for a rock band. As Leah's parents fight to save their daughter from a world of drugs, sex, and wild parties, 12-year-old Justine is left to observe her sister's rebellion from the shadows of their fragmented family. Can this family survive in Leah's wake? What happens when love just isn't enough?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on IN LEAH'S WAKE to read more and to email author Terri Giuliano Long, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-17-12

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,

Tax day, this year, it was a no-brainer for me. Because I 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 my Day-of-the-Week underwear when I was a kid?) Bags and bags of receipts marked 'Suzanne's Life in 2011' are neatly bundled up and stored in my closet, in case the taxman decides to visit and challenge my business write-offs.

Other writers do it, why not 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. Because frequently I write about my dear husband 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 were experiencing 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!

*Congratulations to the winners of THE EARTH MOVED by last week's guest columnist, Amy Stewart: Carol Custer, Linda Slusher, Chris Kline, Sheila Walman and Flo Kropilak.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE IGUANA TREE (Fiction) by Michel Stone

What would you risk if you believed your perfect existence lay just beyond the river? Would anything hold you back? What would you do if you were twenty years old, you loved your baby and your spouse in a way that caused your heart to ache, and you believed if you could just get your family across that line, none of you would ever want again?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE IGUANA TREE to find out more about the book and the author, Michel Stone. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.