Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 08-17-12

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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,

One of the things I have to keep in check is that sometimes I think other people should do things my way. My way might be the perfect way for me, but it's not necessarily the right way for somebody else and whenever I need a reminder, I think of my Aunt Florence.

I love my aunt dearly, but most people describe her as an overemotional and dramatic woman because of the way she reacts to things. It's true, drama and my aunt seem to travel hand-in-hand, but most of the time it's not her fault. My aunt knows her limits, but for some reason people don't want to believe her when she tells them, "It would be better if I didn't."

When my father died Aunt Florence announced that she wouldn't be able to handle going to her brother's funeral. Instead, she offered to stay at my parent's house and take care of the children and she said that if someone stopped by to drop off a casserole (like they do in small towns) that she'd be there to greet them. It was a job that someone needed to do and it made her feel good to know that she'd be doing something in honor of her brother.

"But you'll regret it later," the relatives told Aunt Florence. "You have to go to the funeral, it wouldn't be right for you to miss the service."

Florence tried her best to make them understand, but everyone insisted that at least before the casket was closed, she needed to see her brother one last time to say good-bye. So my aunt finally agreed and she did go to the funeral home. But shortly after she arrived my aunt collapsed and they had to call an ambulance.

"Oh, you know Florence," the relatives were commenting, "there she goes again being all emotional." But the truth is they didn't know Florence. She knew the best way for her to honor her brother, but they had their own ideas and refused to listen.

* The lucky winners of CITY OF WOMEN by Guest Columnist David R. Gillham are: Marrissa Green, Millie Malone, Dot Buland, Marlys Wiest, Alecia Ormsby, Irene Unger, Amy Ginn, Jean Rehanek, Anne Tarry, Don R Tind/Jean Tindall.

And Megan Abbott, last week's Guest Columnist, will be sending a copy of her latest releast, DARE ME to these lucky winners: Phoenix Vie, Joan Thuesen and Irene Holloman.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: PAPERBACK IN PERIL (Mystery) by Kate Carlisle

Bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright attends a week-long, old-fashioned house party at an eccentric friend's remote mansion filled with pinball machines and giant props, secret passageways and trap doors--and a stunning rare book collection. But when a snow storm hits and the lights go out, one guest is found dead. The palatial estate has become a house of horrors and Brooklyn must stop a murderer who's through playing games.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on PAPERBACK IN PERIL to read more and to email author Kate Carlisle, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-16-12

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,

Me, myself and I. When I spend too much time alone--it's not a good thing. That's one of the reasons I'm keeping my dinner date this evening. A friend called a few days ago, we made a date for dinner and ever since then, part of me has been trying to come up with reasons for why I should call her back and cancel.

It's a very weird thing. Initially when I accept an invitation my adrenaline gets a little push and it feels good thinking about doing something different. I'm certain I'll have a great time, looking forward to the date, and even thinking about what I'll wear. But the closer it gets to the day of the event, the more "unsure" I feel. And that uncertainty continues right up to the time I'm getting dressed to leave--even then--I'm wishing more than ever that I hadn't accepted the invitation. 'Why did I say I'd do this? I wish I could just put on my pajamas and stay home.'

Moan and groan--regrets about accepting overwhelm me. But by then it's too late to cancel and it's a good thing, too, because as soon as I say hello to my friend this evening, my feelings will change. And that's when the mystery gets even more bizarre. Because in the middle of our dinner, it will dawn on me how much fun I'm having and I'll be chastising myself, 'Suzanne, you really ought to do this more often.'

Me, myself and I. We're a strange bunch; thank heavens people invite us out now and then.

* Wow! Guest Columnist Michael Norman was so amazed by all the emails he received after his guest column ran, he decided to choose a lot more winners than planned. He'll be sending a copy of his latest book SKELETON PICNIC to ALL the following winners: Linda Hitchcock, Michelle Cove, Joan Thuesen, Sharon Berger, Lonnie Elliott, Padma Sundar, Robin Myers, Kaye Fox, Connie Cryar, Priscilla Ferguson, Rita Pierini, Mitzi Shannon, Gina Jiron, Kathleen Hanselmann, Glendel Williams Nancy Reynolds, Terry Lettmoden, Gayle Skeens, Maggie Britton, Michael, Judy Sherman, Eileen Wenckus, Rowshan Daneshy, Scarlet Dennett, Mary Ellen Weiler, Deanna Stillings, Dori Kramer-Lynde, Peggy Trittipo and Kathi Whisler.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: 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)
WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SISTER by Elizabeth Flock

(Fiction)
HUNDRED FLOWERS by Gail Tsukiyama

(Fiction)
LIVING IN HARMONY by Mary Ellis

(Mystery)
PAPERBACK IN PERIL by Kate Carlisle

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

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 08-15-12

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,

"I'm afraid I can't."

It's a familiar first step when I'm working on a new idea. Even once I've talked myself into trying, when I'm moving the idea along and finally making progress, even then--every morning I find myself at the same beginning line, "I'm afraid I can't."

It's a mystery why I don't look for a more inspiring friend, but "I'm afraid I can't," we're old buddies from way back. And I must be getting something out of the relationship, because I keep coming back for more.

At its worse, "I'm afraid I can't" brings me to my knees, paralyzes me, makes me want to curl up in a ball, turn out the lights and hide. At its best, it's a signal that whatever I'm working on means a lot to me. When I look back over my life every single time I've tapped into the really good stuff--concepts that have changed the character of my soul--it began with "I'm afraid I can't."

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

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

P.S. Congratulations to Lynn Demsky, the Beach Bully Giveaway winner.

AUTHORBUZZ: LIVING IN HARMONY (Fiction) by Mary Ellis

Amy King--young, engaged, and Amish--faces life-altering changes when she loses her parents in a fire. Her fiance persuades her to leave Lancaster County and make a new beginning in Maine. While trying to adjust to an ultraconservative district, Amy discovers a shunned aunt and endangers her own reputation and future. A heart-warming tale about starting over...

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on LIVING IN HARMONY to read more and to email author Mary Ellis, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 08-14-12

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,

I find peace and purpose in my garden and so does author Deborah Raney, today's guest columnist. Send an email and welcome Deborah back to the book clubs. She answers all of her mail and she is giving away five copies of her latest book in her Hanover Falls series, AFTERALL. You can reach Deborah at: debraney@mac.com

Take it away, Deborah...

My husband and I bought our first home relatively late in life. We'd lived for almost twenty years in a small, rented duplex so that I could afford to stay home with our four children. But when our older kids were finally all safely through college, and we had a four-year reprieve before tuition bills for our youngest started rolling in, we decided it was time.

We searched for many months before we found the perfect home. In truth, it didn't become perfect until we'd lived here for a few years, and the thing that makes it truly home to us is our gardens.

Never having owned any dirt to scratch in before, our "gardens" had been limited to a collection of healthy houseplants, and a few pots of petunias on the porch of the duplex each summer. Our new home had a huge fenced backyard with a sprinkler system, so that was a good start.

My husband, Ken, wanted to recreate the wild and beautiful prairie he remembered from his grandfather's cattle pastures in the Smoky Hills of Kansas. We hauled hundreds of sandstone and limestone rocks of all sizes from that pastureland and began planting native wildflowers and tall grasses with names like Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Sideoats Grama, and Indian Grass. Ken allowed me free rein with my flowerpots and the arbor garden near the house, but along the fence it had to be prairie natives.

It took a couple of years for the cycles of the prairie flora to kick in, but as the gardens in our backyard flourished, bringing butterflies and bees and other fascinating creatures, and as I started to keep a blog about the things growing in our Kansas prairie garden (kansasprairiegarden.blogspot.com) I began to hear--in droves--from fellow novelists who also had gardens. Even some who didn't have space for a full-fledged garden, had squeezed in garden-like spaces around their homes where they could reflect, pray, and find inspiration for the novels they were working on. I loved seeing these hideaways where some of my favorite novels were created, and I was fairly certain other readers would too. Now, on novelgarden.blogspot.com more than fifty novelists have shared their garden spots--everything from a verdant acres-wide meadow to a lovely vegetable garden to a tiny back porch oasis--and readers love them all!

Whether we're reading or weeding, it seems that watching something bloom from a tiny seed, and being surrounded by the beauty of God's creation offers opportunity for creative minds to relax, refresh, and replenish our inspiration. I have no doubt gardens do the same for all creative souls, whether their craft is painting sunsets, composing music, stitching quilts, or solving mathematical problems.

Say hello to Deborah and enter her drawing. Email: debraney@mac.com

Deborah Raney's first novel, A VOW TO CHERISH, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched her writing career after 20 happy years as a stay-at-home mom. Deb's 23rd novel will release Spring 2013. She and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy the wildflowers and native grasses in the Kansas prairie garden in their large backyard. They also love traveling together to visit four children and four small grandchildren who all live much too far away.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: HUNDRED FLOWERS by (Fiction) Gail Tsukiyama

China, 1957. Chairman Mao has declared a new openness in society: Many intellectuals fear it is only a trick, and Kai Ying's husband, Sheng, a teacher, has promised not to jeopardize their safety or that of their young son, Tao. But one July morning, just before his sixth birthday, Tao watches helplessly as Sheng is dragged away for writing a letter criticizing the Communist Party and sent to a labor camp for "reeducation."

As Kai Ying struggles to hold her small family together, other members of the household must face their own guilty secrets and strive to find peace in a world where the old sense of order is falling.

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

Dear Reader Column 08-13-12

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,

Teenagers will be kids and grandmas will be kids, especially when they hop on a zip line and fly through the air. Okay, so the zip line didn't span over a canyon, and truthfully it wasn't even very high in the sky, because Seth and Bailey (my teenage grandchildren visiting from Wisconsin), and I were walking through the Children's Discovery Path, meant for little kids, at the Crowley Museum and Nature Center.

But we "kids" each hopped on the zip line more than once, and hoot and hollered on the way down. (We were so close to ground I wasn't afraid of falling, but I was worried I was going to smash into the tree on the other end.) And our nonsense didn't stop there. Walking along the Discovery Path we climbed the giant spider web, peered through the telescope at an eagle's nest, toured the pioneer museum, a homestead cabin, a blacksmith shop, and finished our day walking along the 1/2 mile boardwalk, passing a humongous Lubber Grasshopper (there's a picture in today's photo album). It was a perfect, last vacation day with my grandchildren--and lucky me, they're coming back to visit for Thanksgiving this year.

To see photos, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/crowley.html

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SISTER (Fiction) by Elizabeth Flock

From the author of ME & EMMA...

Nine-year-old Carrie Parker and her mother, Libby, are making a fresh start in the small town of Hartsville, North Carolina, ready to put their turbulent past behind them. When Carrie meets Ruth, Honor, and Cricket Chaplin, these three generations of warmhearted women seem to have the loving home Carrie has always dreamed of. But as Carrie and Cricket become fast friends, neither can escape the pull of their families' secrets--and uncovering the truth will transform the Chaplins and the Parkers forever.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SISTER to read more and to email author Elizabeth Flock, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-10-12

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,

If you don't have any plans this weekend, Sunday at midnight is the deadline to enter this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest.

This year's contest offers six hundred dollars in cash prizes, signed copies of my book Muffins and Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life, and the winning entries will be published in my column and at BookTrib.com.

What can you write about this year? Anything you want. Truth or make-believe, just simply write for fun.

Read all about it at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2012/

I can't wait to read your entry, so start writing, and who knows, I may be calling to tell you--you're a winner!

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: GOODBYE FOR NOW (Fiction) Laurie Frankel

Sometimes the end is just the beginning. GOODBYE FOR NOW is a charming and bittersweet romance as well as a lump in the throat exploration of the nature of love, loss, and life (both real and computer simulated). Maybe nothing was meant to last forever. Then again, sometimes love takes on a life of its own.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on GOODBYE FOR NOW to read more and to email author Laurie Frankel, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-09-12

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,

There's a bully at the beach. Chases everyone, bites and trips, he's a loud obnoxious bully. White chest, dark grey head, a long beak and squawk, squawk, SQUAWK, he chases every other gull away from whatever he thinks he wants. And he pretty much wants everything.

Loud like a bully, "Look at me!" Center of attention, he tries to look and sound tough. "I own the beach, and any treats sunbathers are handing out are all mine!" When I refuse to give him a treat, he viciously chases the other seagulls and bites their tail feathers. Bully for sure. I don't know why the other gulls don't run Bully off. Obviously tolerant, the other birds in the colony must be living by the maxim: Love thy neighbor seagull, in spite of the fact that he's loud and bites my butt.

Bully spends all his time trying to chase other birds away from me--the snack source. But like a seasoned ball player, when I see an opening, I throw a handful of treats up in the air and the other gulls, who are usually afraid of Bully, instinctively dart into the air to catch them. The flurry of feathers catches Bully off guard, so he's too far down near the ground to block the shot, and for a couple of minutes, until Bully can respond to the new play, the other birds are happily eating all of my treats. Every now and then, I'm tempted to feel sorry for Bully and toss a few snacks his way. But the Dr. Spock of bird rearing warns that would be reinforcing bad behavior. But then again, does a seagull even realize when he's being sent to the corner for a time-out?

So instead, I decide to take charge and do a little crowd control. "Okay seagulls listen-up. Single-file, an arm's length--er, excuse me--a skinny leg's length apart. One organic sweet potato chip per gull. No fighting, yelling or butt biting--that means you Beach Bully."

Enter my seagull giveaway. No, it's not Beach Bully, it's a cute cuddly Seymour Seagull. To see Beach Bully, and to enter the Seymour Seagull giveaway, go to: http://tinyurl.com/Seymourgull

Congratulations to the winners of The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays, by Guest Columnist Eileen Button: Martha Troxel, Susan Morrell and Sally Preble.

And Guest Columnist Emma Straub is sending copies of her book, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures to these lucky winners: Judy Sherman, Kathy Fannon, Beth Colon, Jan Tindall, Joanne Forgach, Beth Ford, Marcia Barker, June Venable, Ramona Young and Linda Hitchcock.

*Only 3 days left to enter 8th Annual Write a Dear Reader Contest! Read all about it: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2012/

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: 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)
FLOODGATE: A Short Story by Matt Richtel

(Fiction)
THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER by Sarah McCoy

(Thriller)
SHUNNING SARAH by Julie Kramer

(Fiction)
GOODBYE FOR NOW by Laurie Frankel

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

 

 

Dear Reader Column 08-08-12

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,

Do you recognize these titles? Queenpin, The Song Is You, Die a Little, Bury Me Deep, and The End of Everything, (chosen by Publisher's Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2011)? They're all written by today's guest columnist, author Megan Abbott. Megan's latest novel, Dare Me was just released July 31st and she is giving away three copies to book club readers. Send her an email, she will personally reply, and enter your name in her book drawing. Say hello, email: meganabbott2000@yahoo.com

I'll feature more vacation stories and photos tomorrow in my column. In the meantime, take it away, Megan Abbott...

In June, I participated in a "24-Hour Read-In" to raise awareness about looming budget cuts to New York City's beloved public libraries. I was asked to read for 15 minutes from anything I wanted. My first thought was all the books I had first discovered at my own public library in Michigan, where it feels like I spent half my childhood. There, I found the series of books that were to form the spine of my early reading life: the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace.

Published in the 1940s, they chronicled the childhood and teen years of a Midwestern girl at the turn of the (last) century. My mother had read them as a little girl and then shared them with me, which made them doubly meaningful.

Riding the subway to the Read-In, I opened my copy of Betsy-Tacy (1940) for the first time in many years. Turning the pages, I realized that every illustration, intricate and distinctive pen-and-ink illustrations by the Newbery-award winning artist Lois Lenski, had been etched in my brain, my young reader's heart, decades ago. What is it about those books we read over and over as a child? They become tattoos--but ones that are invisible even to ourselves. If you had asked me, before I'd rediscovered Betsy-Tacy, to describe a single illustration, or even a basic plot turn, I would have been unable. But opening the book--yes, even smelling it (what is it about old library books?)--it all came rushing back, flooding my senses, filling me with nostalgia.

Reading the first chapter aloud on the front steps of the Brooklyn Public Library, I was struck with a deeper revelation. I had long remembered the Betsy-Tacy books as sentimental, sunny tales that surely would read as tinted timepieces to me now. Maybe even a little corny, if only in the gentlest way.

But what I found in those pages was a beautiful thing. The story begins with Betsy gazing longingly at the house across the way, hoping desperately that the new family moving in will include a girl her age. The ensuing pages recount the tenuous path to friendship between Betsy and the painfully shy Tacy. At each turn, there's the risk they won't become friends, that both will remain alone. And, when they finally clasp hands at the end of Chapter Two--well, reading that aloud I felt a surge in my chest.

We think we know what the books that formed us tell us about ourselves, but sometimes there are still more secret chambers there. Our favorite first reads don't just shape us, they are us, aren't they? And in returning to them, we can find lost aspects of ourselves, maybe, if just for a second.

A huge thank you to Suzanne for hosting me! I'd love to "meet" you. You can reach me at: meganabbott2000@yahoo.com

*You still have 4 days to enter 8th Annual Write a Dear Reader Contest! Simply write for fun. Read all about it at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2012/

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: SHUNNING SARAH (Thriller) by Julie Kramer

A clash of cultures--flashy TV news vs. the reclusive Amish. When a homicide victim is identified as Sarah Yoder, her Amish family objects to the police sketch of her face being publicized by the media because of the biblical ban on graven images. When reporter Riley Spartz arrives she uncovers a secret that won't stay buried.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SHUNNING SARAH to read more and to email author Julie Kramer, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-07-12

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,

When I was a kid, every summer I'd spend a couple of weeks with my Grandma and Grandpa Hale. My grandparents weren't big talkers. My grandfather got up early every morning at 5 a.m., ate breakfast and headed out the door to work. He worked for the county delivering gasoline to road crews. Lucky for me, those were simpler days, not a lot of regulations, so I'd get to ride along.

After work you'd find Grandpa and me sitting on the couch watching cartoons. Grandpa didn't turn the channel to cartoons for me, it was his daily routine--a way of winding down after a long day. In the middle of Mighty Mouse, or Tom and Jerry, Grandpa would reach over, pat my knee three times and smile. A smile that said, "I love you, I love you oh so much and I'm proud of you."

It doesn't take fancy things to create lasting, life changing memories, and I remind myself of that every year when my two teenage grandchildren, Seth and Bailey, come to visit. This year Seth and my husband built a tree house for our two young grandchildren, Paul and James, who live here in Sarasota. (Actually their tree house ended up being a wooden sailboat in a tree. It's pretty amazing! Don't miss the photos.)

Bailey wanted to cook: Hawaiian Chicken, shrimp salad, Red Velvet Cake (from scratch) decorated with an artist's touch, chocolate chip cookies, Hot and Sour Soup, fancy cupcakes, and spaghetti sauce seasoned with basil and oregano from my garden. We never had the chance to eat at a restaurant--hmm, good food.

Every year after my husband and I take the kids to the airport to fly back home, magically there's a letter from Bailey, waiting for me on my writing desk.

Dear Grandma,

"I feel like writing these letters to you has become some sort of tradition now. I like writing to you and I feel like I can say more to you, and that's really important to me. I want you to understand me, and I know how hard you try to.

Thank you for letting me bake with you, showing me all of your techniques and teaching me all you know. I always have a lot more fun baking with you then I do with anyone else, for some reason. You make more than cookies and cakes when you cook, you make unforgettable memories. Memories I'll never forget as long as I live . . ."

To see this year's vacation photos (more to come over the next few days) go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/vac-boat.html

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

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

* If you haven't entered the Write a Dear Reader Contest there are still 5 days left. It's fun. For all the details, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2012/

AUTHORBUZZ: THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER (Fiction) by Sarah McCoy

Set in Germany during the final year of WWII and in present-day El Paso, THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER is the story of two indomitable women whose lives irreversibly intertwine when Reba Adams is assigned to interview the elderly German baker, Elsie Schmidt. Dark secrets of love and war rise to the surface, forcing each woman to confront the truths of her past and seek out the courage to forgive.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER to find out more about the book and the author, Sarah McCoy. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

 

Dear Reader Column 08-06-12

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 columnist, author David Gillham, writes about the packing of books. Books, books and more books. I read 'em and pass them on to someone else. Well, most of them. I do keep books I'll want to read again, books that help keep me grounded. What do you do with your books?

Enjoy David's column, email and welcome him to the book clubs and he'll enter you in a drawing for a copy of his latest book, CITY OF WOMEN. David answers all of his mail. You can reach him at: davidrgillham@gmail.com

Take it away David...

When I was younger, I moved a lot, for various reasons: a sublease was up, a fire in the building, too many roaches, too little space, a view of the ocean, a perfect view of the World Trade Center towers. But each move, no matter what the circumstances, started with the same ritual: the packing of the books.

First job? Collect the boxes. Liquor-store boxes worked especially well, because they were built sturdy enough to hold all those bottles of Cutty Sark without the bottom falling out. Great for hardcovers. Paperbacks could be packed in less sturdy constructions found stuffed in a variety of parking-lot dumpsters.

But it was only after the boxes were collected that the real ritual began. First, the most important books were packed. Sophie's Choice, Cat's Eye, my autographed copy of A Flag for Sunrise, Anne Frank's diary. Books I loved. I would line the box's inside with trash bags like a nest, just to be sure that the elements couldn't penetrate. Then came the secondary hardcovers--books I loved but might not lay down my life for--Before the Deluge, Madame Bovary, Revolutionary Road--followed by tertiary titles--books I still liked enough to lug around, or books that had looked good on the shelf next to the yellow spine of Don DeLillo's Libra, or books that maybe someday I'd read (history mainly, about the Tudors or the zeppelins of World War I), followed by several metric tons of paperbacks. Of course, packing paperbacks was often a dangerously deceptive exercise. It was very tempting to use the biggest carton and fill it up to the brim with a neatly packed assortment of mass markets (they fit so perfectly!). But when it came time to lift this monster, it was always as heavy as a box filled with anvils. Somehow, I never learned that lesson, no matter how many times I moved. They're paper! I'd say to myself. How heavy can paper be?

Once the books were boxed, packing became a chore. Silverware, toasters, bedsheets, all the junk in the closet, the flotsam of life--that was all just hard labor. But what kept me going, while I was moving the queen-size mattress, or the steel desk with the drawers removed, in 92-degree heat, was the thought of opening all those boxes of books in the new place. Where it would be like Christmas morning, rediscovering each book as I selected the perfect spot for it on the shelf.

And if you'd like the chance to read my novel about an ordinary woman forced to make extraordinary choices in a dark and dangerous time, my fabulous publisher, Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, is giving away 10 advance review copies of CITY OF WOMEN. To get your name in the hopper, just e-mail me at davidrgillham@gmail.com with the title of the life-altering book that you'd pack first before moving and you'll be entered.

Be sure to send David an email and enter his book giveaway. Tomorrow I will share some photos and stories from my vacation.

**There's still time to enter the 8th Annual Write a Dear Reader Contest! The last day to enter is August 6th. Read all about it at: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2012/

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: FLOODGATE: A Short Story (Fiction) by Matt Richtel

What would you do if all of your Internet searches were made public? Now imagine what it would be like if every politician's searches were available for all the world to see. I explore that in my first e-original (available wherever ebooks are sold).

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on FLOODGATE to read more and to email author Matt Richtel, you'll get a reply.