Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 05-17-12

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,

The other day when I was looking for something on the Internet I discovered Luigi Pirandello. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, but that wasn't what impressed me about him (though granted that's impressive). I was more taken with the title of a play he'd written, "It is so! If you think so!" It was one of his first three plays, and since it took him less than one week to write it, instantly--I was a believer.

"It is so! If you think so!" (And the best part is, it happens in less than one week's time!)

You betcha. So I latched right on to that idea and decided to give it a whirl. Ooh, this was exciting, felt just like Christmas or my birthday. Okay, so what would I like to change in my life? I'd been avoiding a lot of little dicey situations lately, fearing they might turn into confrontations. Wouldn't it be grand if I had a Fix-It Fairy to take care of them for me? I know, I know, a Fix-it Fairy sounds like a kid's fairy tale, but Luigi Pirandello assures me that "It is so! (Suzanne) If you think so!" And by golly Pirandello was right. My Fix-It Fairy started out with a bang--she fixed one of my problems instantly. I was very impressed. But that was over a week ago, and ever since then I've been patiently waiting for my Fix-It Fairy to fly by and finish-up the job, to sprinkle her fairy dust on the rest of my problems, so poof!--they'll magically disappear. But she hasn't, and they haven't--disappeared.

I'm beginning to think I should have been more specific in my "It is so" thinking, adding adjectives such as competent, reliable and timely. Because the Fix-It Fairy assigned to me is a slacker. "It is so, because I know it's so!" First-of-all, she never shows up on time, and if-and-when she finally does fly by, she simply waves, then punches in on the fairy time clock, affirming she took care of Suzanne's problems, when in fact, she didn't. Don't you hate it when fairies don't take pride in their work?

"It may have been so! If you thought so!" in Pirandello's time, but take my word for it--it ain't so anymore--at least when it comes to fairies.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE YEAR OF THE GADFLY (Fiction) by Jennifer Miller

Iris Dupont is a precocious teenage reporter reeling from tragedy. Jonah Kaplan is a science teacher haunted by his past. As each investigates a vicious secret society in their remote New England prep school, they begin to uncover deeply buried secrets about their school, their town, and each other.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE YEAR OF THE GADFLY to find out more about the book and the author, Jennifer Miller. Send her an email, she'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)
TRAVELERS REST by Ann Tatlock

(Nonfiction)
EATING FREE by Manuel Villacorta

(Nonfiction)
THE CHANGE YOUR LIFE BOOK by Bill O'Hanlon

(Fiction)
THE YEAR OF THE GADFLY by Jennifer Miller

(Fiction)
MURDER ONE by Robert Dugoni

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-16-12

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,

Today's guest Dear Reader column is written by Eleanor Kuhns; librarian by day, author by night and furiously writing in any other spare moments she can eek out of her busy schedule. She's a creative gal, writing in the tub, waiting in line at Starbucks, in a closet with an itty-bitty night light, so as not wake up anyone else in the house, in the pew (when the minister thinks she's dutifully taking notes on his sermon). Okay, so I don't really know where Eleanor Kuhns found the time to write such a delightful book, but thank heavens she did. Enjoy Eleanor's column today and enter-to-win one of the 15 galleys of her book, A Simple Murder. Send Eleanor an email, say hello and she will personally reply--and she'll enter you in the drawing. You can reach Eleanor at: eleanor.kuhns@gmail.com

Take it away, Eleanor...

The Librarian/Writer Dilemma:

I regularly hear the question: how does it feel to be both a writer and a librarian, as though these two professions are adversaries. Well, sometimes they are. They are siblings in the book world and of course, like siblings everywhere, sometimes they disagree. E-books, for example. What to do with e-books? I don't think any of us know exactly how to handle this new format. The book family is having some heated discussions on pricing and regulation. But we agree on getting books into the hands of readers. We have more in common than not.

Many librarians are frustrated writers; librarians have an affinity for books just like writers do. Not necessarily for the printed format, although some of us will never relinquish the physical object, but the content: fiction, essays, poetry or nonfiction. Libraries nurture writers as well as readers. And libraries provide a home for those of us who work at both.

Like libraries, the death of the publishing industry is regularly forecast. In Rodney Dangerfield's immortal phrase, we don't get no respect. If I had a dime for every time someone asked me if, in my library job, I read all the time, I wouldn't have to work at all. And writing? Well, even my nearest and dearest think I sit down at the laptop and the plots and characters just come to me fully formed and perfect. No struggle at all.

But there is one huge difference between these two callings: solitude versus working with the public. A writer has to live inside her head and for that I need peace. When I was working on A Simple Murder I lived inside my head as Will Rees, traveling weaver, meeting the Shakers for the first time. I couldn't tolerate any interruptions.

A librarian, on the other hand, is out with people every day. My entire work life is interruptions. During my career I've worked with all the ages from 6 month-old children up to the seniors in the local residence. If one enjoys people, and I really do, the question I ask myself is this: as I throw myself headlong into my childhood dream of living as a writer, could I ever surrender my library job? Patrons come in all varieties; the good and the bad. But the wonderful ones really make the day shine.

Eleanor Kuhns

A little bit about Eleanor:

I've been a librarian all of my adult life. I come from a family of librarians (both my mother and former mother-in-law are librarians) and my two children are carrying on the tradition. I started working in a library at sixteen, only a few years after I wrote my first story at ten. By then I was already an avid reader. I knew I wanted to be a writer; I wanted to make other people love my stories with the same intensity I loved the books I read. My two careers have been part of me for almost the same length of time.

I'm married with two biological children and a host of foster children. At least half of them write, something I find very gratifying, although the types of literature produced range from poetry to science fiction to memoir. And yes, I'm still employed as a librarian.

Say hello, receive a personal reply and enter-to-win a galley of her book, A SIMPLE MURDER. Email: eleanor.kuhns@gmail.com

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

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: THE CHANGE YOUR LIFE BOOK (Nonfiction) by Bill O'Hanlon

Tired of the same old issues? You could leave them behind and have a different and better life within a year by making one small change a week.

I'm Bill O'Hanlon, featured OPRAH guest, and I have written an easy-to-read book with one small easy-to-make change per week that will help dissolve old, persistent problems and move you into a new sense of aliveness and possibility. It's challenging to make big dramatic changes, but making small changes can bring about big changes gradually.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE CHANGE YOUR LIFE BOOK to read more and to email author Bill O'Hanlon, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 05-15-12

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,

The journey of a beautiful, yellow, homemade apron, that used to belong to someone else, then they gave it to me and I used it for several months, and now I've passed it on to Aida, a member of our book club, and I think some day the apron just might be passed on to her niece. How far can an apron travel?

The aprons I love wearing the most, used to belong to somebody else, and I'm hoping that "somebody" was a fantastic cook, and that some of their tasty magic was passed on with the apron.

Aida was one of the winners of my recent apron giveaway and she was kind enough to send photos. A lovely tribute to the women in her family and what aprons mean to them.

To see Aida's photos and to enter today's apron giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Apron051512.html

(Thanks for taking the time to send a photo when you win chocolate chip cookies, a book, an apron, or any of my giveaways. I really appreciate it, and readers do, too.)

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

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: EATING FREE (Nonfiction) by Manuel Villacorta

Through many years of experience I have witnessed suffering, deprivation and the demonizing of food. I hope to put an end to that with EATING FREE. I want readers to love and celebrate food. Here's a big revelation: we don't need to cut out whole categories of foods and ingredients to lose weight. You can return to foods you love and celebrate eating again--all while losing one to three pounds a week.

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

 

Dear Reader Column 05-14-12

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,

Okay what's going on? It's only Monday morning and I feel like playing hooky today. But since I am my own boss it kind of takes the fun out of calling in sick, doesn't it? Truth be told, I really feel like doing something "bad" today, a little raucous--a bit of mischief that would raise an eyebrow or two. "Look at that woman! Can you believe it?" I'm level-headed, but every once-in-a-while, (and maybe this time it's because I'll be another year older next week) the rebel in me wants to be unruly. I like to break the rules--always have. When you're a kid, people tolerate an occasional irresponsible act, but after the age of 25--grow up--no more excuses. An adult should think things through, studying the consequences, which is my usual M.O., but today...well today...I want to...

Want to...what? This is ridiculous. I've worked up the courage to do something on the wild side, but my mind is a blank. Being bad was never this tough when I was a kid. So what can this grown-up girl do to be "bad," without being too bad? Eventually I'll dream up something. In the meantime, this wannabe "bad" girl will be a "good" girl, and get her work done, so I can be 'really' bad tomorrow.

Enjoy the week and be a little naughty?

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: TRAVELERS REST (Fiction) by Ann Tatlock

Jane Morrow's fiance has been wounded in Iraq and left paralyzed. When he comes home to North Carolina, he tries to break their engagement for her sake. Still in love and wanting to honor her commitment, Jane seeks the guidance of an aging vet and former physician, Truman Rockaway, who is nursing a decades-old heartache of his own.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on TRAVELERS REST to read more and to email author Ann Tatlock, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 05-11-12

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,

"Nesting?" my husband asked, when he saw five huge trash bags filled with shoes and clothes lined up next to the front door. I'd pared down so much, I was even giving away a shoe tree and a clothes rack.

I'd never thought about it until he asked, but my husband's right. There's a burning need inside of me and I can't ignore it. I have to, I must, clean, organize, and clear out my walk-in closet (which is really a small room with french doors adjacent to my bedroom), to make room for the light pink, gently-used bassinet I saw on Craigslist last week. Yes, I'm a grandmother experiencing wild, sometimes out of control urges, in a sympathetic pregnancy. Yes, my daughter-in-law is expecting--and it's a girl!

I may not be craving fish tacos with a dollop of mint chocolate chip ice cream, like my daughter-in-law, but whenever I'm in a store I magically end up in the newborn section admiring anything pink. I've sewn two baby blankets and am working on two more (yes, I'll post pictures when I'm finished). My friend Linda and I scoured consignment shops last week, "Oohing and awing" over tiny dresses and frilly little panties with colorful daisies on the back. I left the store with two overflowing bags. Oh, won't my new granddaughter look cute!

Even my five-year-old grandson Paul is excited about having a sister. He's been practicing feeding the cat with a baby bottle. Three year old James has donated some of his super hero figures, so his new sister will have some "cool" toys. And Paul, the planner in our family, has already organized a grandchildren sleep over. "Grandma, three days after my new sister comes, we can all sleep over at your house, watch a movie and Grandpa can pop popcorn!"

"Yes, Paul, we can all have a sleep over." Though I'm not sure how much sleeping this grandmother will get with a newborn, but in the meantime, I'll be sewing, shopping and preparing a "nest." What a blessing, I can't wait!

* Mmm, good! It's time for my monthly Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway and I'd love to bake for you. To see photos of satisfied cookie winners and to enter this month's giveaway, goto: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cookie050812.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://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 books from Jen Bryant, KALEIDOSCOPE EYES; Sheila Walsh, GABBY'S STICK TO IT DAY; and T.J. Garrison, TREASURES OF THE LOST KNIGHT. For a chance to win free copies, say hello to the authors, and more, see www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: SALVAGE THE BONES (Fiction) by Jesmyn Ward

SALVAGE THE BONES follows Esch, a 15 year-old girl in coastal Mississippi, and her family through the 10 days preceding Hurricane Katrina, and through the immediate aftermath of the storm. Esch's mother died in childbirth, so her family consists of all men: her brothers and her father, who don't really know how to usher Esch into womanhood when she finds she is pregnant at the beginning of the book. Even though this book is about a hurricane, it's about so much more than a hurricane: about fighting and love and loyalty and survival and hope.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SALVAGE THE BONES to read more and to email author Jesmyn Ward, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 05-10-12

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,

Thanks for taking the time to write. If you have a question about writing or about the book clubs, I'm happy to reply.

Annette reads at the book clubs and she was wondering . . .

"Hi Suzanne,

May I ask you a couple of questions?
How many people work for you?
How many books do you try to read in a week/month?
Do you still bake/cook with your grandson, Paul?
How do you do everything?!!!

(Suzanne replies:)

Yes, Annette, I still bake with my grandson, Paul, every Friday afternoon. We've been baking together since he was three years old. Paul's brother, James (who is 3-years-old now), isn't ready for baking yet. James has a completely different kind of personality, maybe when he gets a little older he'll be interested in baking. Not only is Paul learning how to bake, he's also learning how much fun it is to give homemade baked goods away. Every Friday, after we finish baking, he takes some of his goodies to our neighbors next door.

Thirteen people, including myself, work at DearReader. My husband and I own the company, and in addition to working with libraries to produce online book clubs for them, we develop other software programs, too. Our newest program is Library WishList. I'm extremely excited about it, probably because for 11 years I ran my own nonprofit, Meals For Madison. Every Friday, we served a meal to 125 people. The WishList allows a library, or Friends of the Library group, to do fundraising and recruit volunteers in a fun and simple way. Here's a link to our website, http://www.dearreader.com/Services/ and if you click at the top of the page, on the ABOUT US link, you'll find out more about Dear Reader, and you'll see the photos of everyone on staff. Most of the people are part-time, and most of the part-time people enjoy the opportunity to be available for their children.

I don't set a goal for the number of books I want to read every month. Way back in June of 1999, when I started DearReader, there was only one book club, so I used to read all of the books myself. Of course that would be impossible now, so people on staff help preview books. You need to sample a lot of books to find ones that you think might be a good match for the book clubs. I seem to go on reading sprees. I'll read non-stop for weeks, and then I might not dig into a book for two weeks. Reading, writing, gardening, baking, blowing bubbles, spending time with my wonderful husband, life gets busy, doesn't it?

How do I do it all? Well, the truth is that often I "over-do." Being lazy has never been a problem for me. So actually, one of my challenges in life is to try to be lazy--more often. Slow down, do nothing, and be at peace with myself and my surroundings.

Thank you for taking the time to write, I'm so glad you asked.

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/

AUTHORBUZZ: THE POWER OF GRACE BETWEEN NASTY AND NICE (Nonfiction) by John and Linda Friel

America suffers from an epidemic of incivility, pseudo-self-esteem, narcissism, entitlement, and victim-perpetrator cycles of behavior that run from the halls of Congress to our own back yards. We are some of the unhappiest, meanest, and unhealthiest people on earth.
But we don't have to be.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE POWER OF GRACE BETWEEN NASTY AND NICE to find out more about the book and the authors, John and Linda Friel. Send them an email, they'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

(Nonfiction)
MOONLIGHT ON LINOLEUM by Terry Helwig

(Mystery)
SUBMERGED by Dani Pettrey

(Fiction)
AFTER THE FOG by Kathleen Shoop

(Nonfiction)
THE POWER OF GRACE BETWEEN NASTY AND NICE by John and Linda Friel

(Fiction)
SALVAGE THE BONES by Jesmyn Ward

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-09-12

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,

Hmm, good! It's time for my monthly Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway. Even if you aren't entering this month's drawing, be sure to check out photos of past cookie winners. One bag of cookies made six different stops in a city, before the last one was eaten. I'd love to bake for you. Browse through two pages of cookie photos, and all you need to enter is a hankering for a homemade chocolate chip cookie (and be willing to send a photo when you get the cookies, if you please).

To see photos of satisfied cookie winners and to enter this month's giveaway, goto: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cookie050812.html

Congratulations to last week's cookbook giveaways: Carleen Melendez, Dorothy Jelleyman, Caroline Inman, Caren Nicolds, Nancy Vehrs, Darlene Thoresen, Rhoda Alves-Packard, Pat Groshong, Trisha Huffman, Chris Merton, Pat Bjerke, Jacqueline Stuts, Barbara Rion, Jean Paquin, Polly Swesey and Dana Tulloss.

And Mary Rodriguez and Dan Valdez each won a copy of Strength for the Moment: Inspiration for Caregivers by Lori Hogan.

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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 books from Jen Bryant, KALEIDOSCOPE EYES; Sheila Walsh, GABBY'S STICK TO IT DAY; and T.J. Garrison, TREASURES OF THE LOST KNIGHT. For a chance to win free copies, say hello to the authors, and more, see www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: AFTER THE FOG (Fiction) by Kathleen Shoop

Set against Donora, Pennsylvania's historical five days of killing smog (1948) it's the story for every woman who thinks she left her past behind...

As a stagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose's nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she never could have fathomed.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on AFTER THE FOG to read more and to email author Kathleen Shoop, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is FOOLS CROW by James Welch. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

Dear Reader Column 05-08-12

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,

Heidi entered the Penguin Classics bookbag giveaway and won--and then her son confiscated the book bag!

"Dear Suzanne, Good morning. I just had to write and share a picture of my 10-year-old son. I was a winner of a Penguin Classics bookbag last month, and was so thrilled because I never win anything. Unfortunately (maybe that's not the right word to use here, because reading is such a good thing), my son is a bookworm like his mom and a penguin lover so he 'stole' my prize. The picture was taken as we were getting ready to head to the library (St. Lucie County Library - Port St. Lucie branch) to get more books."-- Heidi

See who's using the bookbag now, sample this month's Penguin Classic, FOOLS CROW by James Welch, and enter this month's Penguin Classics book bag giveaway, go to: http://tinyurl.com/May12Classics

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

P.S. You can get a discount on the Classics all year long at the Penguin site. Use the code "Dreader25" when you purchase Classics. Be sure to enter the free giveaway while you're there, too. Goto: http://tinyurl.com/PenguinDiscount

AUTHORBUZZ: SUBMERGED (Fiction) by Dani Pettrey

A sabotaged flight. Two murdered divers. A single clue--a grainy image of sunken treasure. Dive Rescue Captain Cole Mckenna's never worked a case like this, but who he's working with may prove more dangerous than the assignment. It's been a lifetime since Bailey Craig mangled his heart. Now she's back and he needs her expertise in Russian studies to track down the illusive treasure. The clock is running, the body count is rising, and the killer is closing in.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SUBMERGED to find out more about the book and the author, Dani Pettrey. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 05-07-12

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,

Award-winning author Sandra Dallas is my guest columnist today and she's giving away eight copies of her latest book, TRUE SISTERS. Welcome Sandra, send an email to Sandradallas@msn.com and not only will she enter you in the drawing, she'll email a personal reply. Sandra's excited about visiting the book club today and hearing from readers, so don't be shy.

Take it away, Sandra...

Are writers born and not made? I always went with the 99 percent perspiration theory, although there are enough writers such as Truman Capote and Francoise Sagan, who wrote best-sellers not long after puberty, to cast doubt on that theory.

I was thinking about this when I came across a genealogy my aunt put together and decided to search my roots for writers. I discovered that I am descended from some pretty impressive folks. There was the ancestor who was eaten by a wolf and another who had his wife committed to an insane asylum so that he could get control of their son's Civil War pension. Admirable people, but no writers.

Still, there is my immediate family. My grandfather, who ran a switch engine for the Rock Island, sold a story to a railroad magazine and made enough to buy a typewriter. Little good it did him, since he never sold anything again. And my uncle, a former FBI agent, writes pretty good thrillers. But he married into the family, so he's not blood.

Closer to home, my brother is a novelist, and my sister could have had a career as a humor writer if she hadn't opted to sell real estate. How did Mom and Dad manage to produce three literary children? All I can say is it must have been a clashing of genes for both were enormously talented. Mom once wrote a poem that started:

"In our yard there is a tree
where birdies come and sing with glee."

Even better was my father's masterpiece, inspired by his boyhood on a Kansas farm:

"Out in the barn there was a sittin'
An old gray cat and a little kitten."

Poetry seems to have been a family trait, because that's how I started my literary career. In fourth grade, I won a pair of ice skates with a poem that began:

"Swimming is the sport for me
It's lots more fun than I thought any sport could be."

It was just a short jump to writing novels.

Sandra Dallas

Email Sandra, say hello and enter-to-win a copy of her latest book, TRUE SISTERS. Send your email to: Sandradallas@msn.com

Author Sandra Dallas was dubbed "a quintessential American voice" by Jane Smiley, in VOGUE MAGAZINE. She is the author of THE BRIDE'S HOUSE, WHITER THAN SNOW, PRAYERS for SALE and TALLGRASS, among others. Her novels have been translated into a dozen languages and optioned for films. She is the recipient of the Women Writing the West Willa Award and the two-time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award. For 25 years, Dallas worked as a reporter covering the Rocky Mountain region for BUSINESS WEEK, and started writing fiction in 1990. She lives with her husband in Denver, Colorado.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: MOONLIGHT ON LINOLEUM (Nonfiction) by Terry Helwig

Even if others abandon you, you must never abandon yourself.

Living in a trailer in the American Southwest, I attended twelve schools in eleven years. My mom was a wild rose who struggled with marriage, motherhood and sobriety. She often put me in charge of my sisters while she sought solace in local watering holes. My memoir explores the landscapes of hope, despair and redemption.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on MOONLIGHT ON LINOLEUM to read more and to email author Terry Helwig, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 05-04-12

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,

Fifteen of my gently-used cookbooks are bagged, stamped and ready-to-go, except for a name and address. Can I put your name on one of the packages? This past weekend I cleared off my jammed cookbook shelf. In some of the books you'll find a notation about a recipe I really liked. (Don't worry, I have a copy of the recipe.) This is the last day to enter the Gently-Used Cookbook Giveaway, go to: http://tinyurl.com/DRclear

If you are the caregiver for a parent or other loved one, you will find inspiration in Strength for the Moment: Inspiration for Caregivers by Lori Hogan. I have two copies to giveaway. When you enter, please be sure to enter CAREGIVER along with your address. To enter, go to: http://tinyurl.com/DRclear

What's happening next week at the book clubs? Next Monday, award-winning author Sandra Dallas will be the guest columnist and she'll be giving away eight copies of her latest book, TRUE SISTERS. When you send an email to Sandra you'll receive a personal reply. She's excited about writing a guest column for the book club and she's excited about "meeting" us, so be sure to welcome her.

Watch for my monthly Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway. Munch, munch, dunk, dunk! And please email me a photo if you're a winner. I'd appreciate it.

I'm expecting! Read about that next week, too.

If you have a question about writing, send it to: Suzanne@EmailBookclub.com I'll answer writing questions readers have sent in.

Thank you for taking the time to send me an email. I absolutely love to hear from readers. You're the best!

Have a wonderful weekend. I'll be spending a few hours at Siesta Key Beach.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com

AUTHORBUZZ: RIDING FURY HOME (Nonfiction) by Chana Wilson

My memoir spans forty years of the intense, complex relationship between my mother and me--the story of my childhood growing up in the 50s, my mother's suicide attempts and the secret behind them, and the powerful bond that grew between my mother and myself.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on RIDING FURY HOME to read more and to email author Chana Wilson, you'll get a reply.