Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 02-28-13

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,

Sharpen my pencils, buy a new 3-ring binder and a rainbow assortment of folders, and most importantly, 'What outfit am I going to wear?'

I felt like a kid getting ready for their first day of school, but instead, this 58-year-old woman was waiting for her teacher to arrive for her first sewing lesson. Hoping to impress my teacher, two days earlier I'd cut-out a pattern for a cotton skirt. Thinking back to the green corduroy jumper I had to make in high school home economics class, I assumed sewing was like riding a bike--you never forget. I was wrong.

When I proudly showed my new teacher, Donna, the fabric I'd pre-cut, I unknowingly presented her with a delicate first-day-of-class situation.

"Did you wash the material before you laid out the pattern, Suzanne?"

"No, was I supposed to do that?"

Selvage, bias, grain?

"The arrow on the pattern was supposed to be pointing a certain way?"

Whoops, I had no idea. Home Ec class was a long time ago.

The attitude of a teacher makes all the difference for the student. Instead of making a list of things I did wrong, Donna politely suggested, perhaps for a few lessons, I shouldn't work ahead of the teacher.

Donna is a great teacher and she's definitely chosen the right profession. Smiling on her way out the door after my first class, I heard her whisper to herself, "I love teaching people how to sew!"

"And it shows Donna--I'm so lucky to be your student."

To see my first completed project with my new teacher, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/sewing-101.html

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ:

(Fiction)
THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Jane Porter

Kit Brennan is the most grounded of the Brennan sisters. A Catholic school English teacher for 17 years and a constant giver, her decisions have been sound--just not satisfying. A girls' weekend away is just what Kit needs from school, Mr. Wrongs and life-changing decisions. It's there that she meets a man who's dangerous; a man who challenges who she thought she was, or should be.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE GOOD DAUGHTER to find out more about the book and the author, Jane Porter. 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)
THE LAST DEBUTANTE by Julia London

(Thriller)
COME HOME by Lisa Scottoline

(Fiction)
GLOW: A Novel by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

(Fiction)
THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Jane Porter

(NonFiction)
THE UNIVERSE-ITY by Michael Samuels

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

 

 

Dear Reader Column 02-27-13

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,

Book club reader, Maureen Williams, sent me a great idea. File it away for next year and share it with the folks at your local library.

"Suzanne, I wanted to share an idea from the Yorba Linda Public Library that I just love! In honor of Valentine's Day they selected and wrapped a number of books in white, or red heavy, not see-thru paper. Then they asked library patrons to select a book (tagged for adults or youths), and not to open it until they returned home.

Inside each book was a form to 'rate your [Valentine] date.' All they asked was that you gave it (read) at least 50 pages before you decided if the date was a loser, or if you wanted to continue. Either way, once you read at least that far, you could fill in the form and return it to the library. There were four gift certificates given out; two to adults, and two to young people. If you're reading this and represent a library, you might want to try this. It encouraged me to try (unknowingly) an author I'd never considered reading."

Kudos to Maureen and the folks at the Yorba Linda Public Library for their creativity. This sounds like a great idea for a book club, that meets in person, to try next year, too.

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: GLOW: A Novel (Fiction) by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

October 29, 1941. Eleven-year-old Ella McGee sits on a bus bound for her Southern hometown. Behind her in Washington, D.C. lie the broken pieces of her parent's love story--a black father drafted, an activist mother of Cherokee and Scotch-Irish descent confronting racists thugs. But Ella's journey is just beginning when she reaches Hopewell Country, and her disappearance into the Georgia mountains unfurls a rich tapestry of family secrets, betrayals, and feats of valor.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on GLOW to read more and to email author Jessica Maria Tuccelli, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 02-26-13

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


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

Dear Reader,

This week's featured book is the twentieth book in the bestselling Kate Shugak series by author Dana Stabenow. Set in Alaska, Dana really brings images of The Last Frontier to life--so much so that I find I need a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate to keep me warm. Dana stopped by the book club today to share a bit about the way folks in her home state 'really' feel.

Dana's on the road this week and not available to answer email, but feel free to post your comments about her column at: www.Stabenow.com

I have three copies of Dana's new book, Bad Blood to give away to lucky readers. To enter, send an email with your mailing address (in case you win) to: enter-to-win-smp@emailbookclub.com

Take it away Dana...

I was once asked to recommend three books that would encapsulate the Alaska experience for Outsiders (N.B., A proper noun whose use stretches back to the Gold Rush. It means everyone who doesn't live here.).

Impossible. As small in population as it is, Alaska's population is so diverse and so scattered that three books or even thirty wouldn't be enough. So I gave them three bumper stickers instead, starting with:

We Don't Give a Damn How They Do It Outside!

We're lying. In spite of all our bluster and bravado, we do give a damn, but we'll never admit it. We're late to the American party and we labor beneath an unspoken inferiority complex that leads us to import experts from anywhere else to install our computers, build our public buildings, and run our political campaigns. The computers crash, the roofs on the buildings leak, the campaign managers get blue-ticketed south, but we're still convinced in our heart of hearts that everything is better if it comes from Outside.

Let the Bastards Freeze in the Dark Without Alaskan Oil

On everyone's pickup when construction on the TransAlaska Pipeline was stopped in its tracks by a coalition of Alaska Natives and environmental groups who insisted on--gasp!--giving Natives an equitable settlement in exchange for running eight hundred miles of pipeline through Native lands, and planning a pipeline that would be environmentally safe. Which later they did, by the way. There was a 7.9 earthquake along the Denali Fault in interior Alaska in 2002 that resulted in not one single leak. I heart engineers. Outside engineers, of course.

Canada My Ass, It's Alaska's Gas

Wildly popular when Sarah Palin was governor. This bumper sticker originated in the Valley, home of Wasilla, Governor Palin's hometown. Governor Palin orchestrated a $500 million payment to a Canadian resource company to study the feasibility of building a natural gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope oilfields. Through Canada, and this when Bush Alaskans were paying $9 a gallon for gas. Still are.

And there you have it, simply by reading those three bumper stickers you have plucked out the heart of Kate Shugak, hero of, unbelievably, twenty novels now. Is it any wonder she's got 'tude to spare?

A New York Times bestseller and Edgar Award-winner, Dana Stabenow is the author of nineteen previous Kate Shugak novels, four Liam Campbell mysteries, three science-fiction novels, and two thrillers. She was born, raised, and lives in Alaska, where she was awarded the Governor's Award for the Humanities. Enter the drawing for a copy of Bad Blood, send an email to: enter-to-win-smp@emailbookclub.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Read-It-First@EmailBookClub.com

P. S. Would you please tell a friend about Read-It-First? They can sign up at: http://www.read-it-first.com/ Thanks a lot. I sure do appreciate it.

 

 

Dear Reader Column 02-26-13

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 at the book clubs is John Shors, an internationally bestselling novelist, whose books have won multiple awards and been translated into twenty-six languages. His latest novel, Temple of a Thousand Faces, is an epic work of historical fiction centered on the legendary temple of Angkor Wat.

John would really like to hear from you, so please welcome him to the book clubs--and when you do, you'll be entered in a drawing to win a copy of his new book. Send your email to: shors@aol.com

Take it away John...

I, probably like you, grew up in a world of books. I read Hemingway in my tree house. Tolkien as I walked home from school. I hid books in odd places so that I might find them later, when I had a moment to relax. I was grateful to authors for the worlds they created, and often had questions to ask them. Yet the letters I sent were unanswered. Authors, it seemed, lived on another planet, and had little concern for me, the kind of reader who kept them in business.

Upon reaching high school, I dreamed of becoming a novelist. I also promised myself that someday, if I ever wrote and published a book, I'd give readers the interaction I had craved but never enjoyed.

After finishing college, teaching English in Japan, and backpacking around Asia, I returned to America, found a job, and began to write fiction. Following a great deal of hard work and perseverance, my first novel was published, and went on to become an international bestseller. Of course, I had kept the promise I made to myself, and had placed a letter in the back of that first novel, inviting book clubs to ask me to talk with them (via speakerphone) during one of their meetings. I included my email address, which as far as I know, had never been done before.

To say that the response from readers was massive would be an understatement. Today, about seven years after I launched my book club program, I have chatted with 3,000 book clubs. Most of these clubs have been in America and Canada, but I've also Skyped with groups from Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America.

I've enjoyed my interaction with readers and have learned a lot from it. Many of the groups I've chatted with have followed my career, and contact me whenever I have a new novel coming out. These same groups drop by my signings when I'm on a book tour, or friend me on Facebook. It's been fun for us all to keep in touch.

In today's world it's easy for readers and authors to connect.

Authors can, and should, build those bridges.

For a chance to win a copy of Temple of a Thousand Faces, send an email to John at: shors@aol.com

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: COME HOME (Thriller) by Lisa Scottoline

An emotional thriller with complex family dynamics that explores the question; Do you ever stop being a mother? Jill Farrow's ex-stepdaughter, Abby, shows up with the shocking news that Jill's ex-husband is dead. Abby insists he was murdered and wants Jill to help find his killer.

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

Dear Reader Column 02-25-13

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,

This is the last day to enter February's Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway.

I'm ready to bake some of my famous homemade chocolate chip cookies for lucky readers. I'll bake and ship them overnight to your door. You open the box, dunk-and-munch the cookies, and then please send me a photo to share with readers. That's all there is to it.

But you must enter to win. To see a happy cookie winner (it's a great photo) and to enter February's Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway, go to: http://tinyurl.com/FebCookie

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: THE LAST DEBUTANTE (Fiction) by Julia London

I'm thrilled about the release of the fourth book in the Secrets of Hadley Green series, The Last Debutante. This regency historical takes us from England to Scotland with Daria Babcock to answer her grandmother's call for help. Sparks fly between the Laird of Dundavie and this English Rose, as they each battle to right a terrible wrong on their own terms.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE LAST DEBUTANTE to read more and to email author Julia London, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 02-22-13

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 tell you a story every day in my column, and you send one back to me. Thanks for writing.

From my Email Bag:

"Suzanne, I printed your Chocolate Lava Cakes email out YEARS ago, and have been hanging onto it, waiting for someone special to make them for. I held onto it through several boyfriends, and even a husband, without making them. Then I got a heart shaped ramekin in a silent auction, and knew what to make for my part of [this year's] Valentine's Day dinner.

The evening went perfectly. I had made the batter and put it into the darling dishes two days earlier, so all I had to do was pop them in the oven and have a perfect dessert. That was, of course, the plan.

We were both running late, dinner was late, the kids were getting irritable (one was getting sick) and we were exhausted by the time he got the kids in bed, and sat down to dinner. We had a lovely dinner and then it was time for my grand finale.

I heated the oven and popped them in. When they were ready, I took them out and (tried) to very gently pop one out onto the plate. It flew out of the ramekin and splattered on the plate...lava running all over the plate with no room for my planned scoop of ice cream, delicately placed in the middle, so you got the hot and the cold sensations at the same time! I almost lost it. He came in to help me and I suddenly had the need to do it 'All by my ownself.' I tried mightily to hold the blazing hot ramekin and the plate I wanted it on with the giant oven mitts I had on...only to almost drop the entire thing on the floor. He gently took the whole thing out of my hands, gave me new potholders, and held the plate while I flipped the ramekin. The cake popped out perfectly, and we took them to the couch to snuggle and indulge in your fabulous dessert.

It was a perfect Valentine's Day--and a lesson in patience and accepting help for me."--Charity

You'll find the Lava Cake recipe at: http://tinyurl.com/SBLava

Have a wonderful weekend.

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

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 copy of ROOTLESS by Chris Howard, the new teen novel that's getting tremendous praise; I WANT TO DO YOGA, TOO by Carole Roman, a great introduction for young children; and THE LENS AND THE LOOKER (VERONA TRILOGY) by Lory Kaufman, time travel adventure for teens. For a chance to win free copies, say hello to the authors, and more, see www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: THE UNIVERSE-ITY (NonFiction) by Michael Samuels

In The Universe-ity, I examine whether or not years of formal education actually teach society how to become successful. I've created my own successful business as well as published a book, but explain how you do not have to have years of education to live a prosperous, fulfilling life.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE UNIVERSE-ITY to read more and to email author Michael Samuels, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 02-21-13

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,

Out for a walk in my neighborhood, I was thinking, 'Back in the day, when I was a kid, I used to ride my bicycle all over town exploring. Kids don't do that anymore and it's too bad.'

Two blocks behind my home there's a cul-du-sac with a small plot of grass, restricted parking and a nice seawall. Eventually, whenever I'm walking around my neighborhood I end up sitting on the seawall watching the pelicans, looking for dolphins, or investigating what's down below, if it's low tide.

Yesterday when I out walking, I saw a young man sitting on the seawall, and realized he was the boy who had whizzed by me on a skateboard two blocks back. His legs dangling down over the side of the seawall, he was looking out over the water.

'He's in my spot,' I thought. 'Should I stop and do my usual look-see?'

I admit to mixed emotions when I think about saying hello and starting a casual conversation with a teenager, especially a boy. What do I say?

"Too bad it's not low tide," I told him. "Yesterday when I was here, I saw a huge conch shell with something living inside of it." I pointed down into the water right below his feet. "I don't know what was in it, but it was a flat slimy-looking, dark brown animal--so big that its tail was peeking out of the end of the huge shell. I know it sounds strange, but when I was sitting there, like you are now, the 'thing' started slowly moving over towards me. It was fascinating. But no low tide today, so I can't see it, or maybe the animal moved on?"

The boy stood up, leaned over and looked down into the water. "Where was it?" he asked.

"Right there," I pointed, but neither of us could find it.

"But look, there's a crab carrying a shell on it's back," the boy said. I bent down to get a better look. "You've got good eyes," I told him.

"It must be my glasses," he said.

"I'm sure that helps," I agreed, "but I'm wearing glasses, too. I think it's your eyes, I'm a lot older than you are."

Friendly boy, coast is clear to strike up a conversation, I extended my hand, "Hi, I'm Suzanne, and I live just down the street on South Orange."

"Do you know where Yoder's is?" he asked. "I live around there. It's about 20 or 30 minutes away--by skateboard. I just discovered this place a couple of days ago."

"Well, you've found a great spot. Do you like to fish?"

He loved to fish, adding he could carry a fishing pole while riding on his skateboard. So like any respectable fisherperson, I told him my fishing on the seawall stories--minus the ones that got away. I told him how my husband brings our grandsons down to fish, and when they're bitin' they reel-in catch after catch. "The fish seem to go for the shrimp the bait store sells." And I told him about this past Thanksgiving, when we had our family reunion at my home, how all fourteen of us came down to do some fishing.

Back and forth, we talked like two neighborhood friends. Hoping we'd see some pelicans diving for dinner. Looking out over the water, we waited. But we were either too early, or too late.

"It was nice to meet you," I told the young man as I turned to leave, "Hope to see you here again."

Continuing on my walk I was thinking about what a nice kid the boy seemed to be, and I realized that someday, years from now, this young guy would be saying, "Back in the day, when I was a kid, I used to get on my skateboard and investigate the town. It's too bad kids don't do that anymore."

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: LOST AND FOUND (Thriller) by Amy Shojai

What do dogs think? The answers inspired this dog viewpoint thriller. When her nephew and his autism service dog Shadow disappear in a freak Texas blizzard, behaviorist September Day has 24 hours to rescue them from a devastating medical experiment impacting millions of children, a secret others will kill to protect.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on LOST AND FOUND to find out more about the book and the author, Amy Shojai. 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

(NonFiction)
GREAT SEX MADE SIMPLE: Tantric Tips to Deepen Intimacy & Heighten Pleasure by Mark A. Michaels & Patricia Johnson

(Thriller)
SURVIVING CURTIS HALL The Lure of Blood by L. A. Matthies

(Thriller)
SHADOW DRAGON by Lance Horton

(Thriller)
LOST AND FOUND by Amy Shojai

(NonFiction)
THE UNIVERSE-ITY by Michael Samuels

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

 

 

Dear Reader Column 02-20-13

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,

From my Email Bag:

"Suzanne, I have a request. I remember either a column or chapter in your Muffins and Mayhem book about your mother's journal. You said she wrote her daily routine line-by-line lists so to speak. I'm doing a journaling session with my daughter's Relief Society (Women's church group) on the 23rd, and I'd love to have a copy of that item if you can find it."--Norma

(Suzanne replies:) Norma, actually it was my grandmother who sat down at the dining room table every evening and recounted her day in her journal. I'm happy to share the original column with you and the members of the church group. Thanks for asking.

Every night after the dishes were done, before my Grandma Hale would put on her pajamas and settle in for the night, she'd sit down at the dining room table and write down the doings of her day. Grandma's journals were simple, school spiral notebooks, and knowing my thrifty grandma, she probably bought a year's worth every September when they were on sale. Grandma was also the shutterbug in our family, and thank heavens a picture tells a thousand words, because she was pretty closed-mouthed in her journals.

I write about feelings, Grandma wrote about accomplishments. Most of the entries in her journal are a list of "things I did today." But I can understand how reviewing "what I did today" would have brought Grandma a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. It's the same reason I like to do the dishes by hand. I wash 15 dishes; rinse and stack, then stand back and admire my work. Too many days as I'm pulling up the covers at night, and getting ready to go to sleep, I'm thinking, "What the heck did I do today to make me feel so tired?"

Grandma knew. Year after year she kept track. And now I have the joy of learning more about my grandmother as I'm reading how she chose to spend her time. And in-between the happenings of Grandma's day, I'm learning a little bit more about myself, too. I ate coon for lunch at Grandma's one day (Yikes!), and in case I ever need the information, (after finishing reading Grandma's 1958 journal last night) I now know the exact day I came down with the three-day measles, when I started taking tap dance lessons, and that on November 30, my parents bought a trailer home and we moved in two days later.

Knowing these facts doesn't change anything. Most people would say, "big deal"--and they'd be right. But learning these things about myself, it brings me comfort, and makes me feel part of a family, even though my family unit was weak when I was growing up. Grandma was my life-line when I was a kid, and by golly last night, feeling a bit melancholy, she came to this little girl's rescue again. I love you Grandma.

* The winners of Guest Columnist Jane Porter's new book The Good Daughter are: Eileen DeAngelo, Connie Niedt, Sandy Hoefer, Marie Isop, Melvia Chitwood, Donna Nehdar, Mary Robinson, Pat Harmer, Kris Bone and Rita Pierini.

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

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 copy of ROOTLESS by Chris Howard, the new teen novel that's getting tremendous praise; I WANT TO DO YOGA, TOO by Carole Roman, a great introduction for young children; and THE LENS AND THE LOOKER (VERONA TRILOGY) by Lory Kaufman, time travel adventure for teens. For a chance to win free copies, say hello to the authors, and more, see www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: SHADOW DRAGON (Thriller) by Lance Horton

FBI victim specialist Kyle Andrews is sent to Montana to assist with the investigation of a series of brutal murders. There he meets grieving reporter Carrie Daniels, and the two suddenly find themselves caught between a frightening conspiracy and a mysterious, deadly presence. Someone--or something--is loose on Shadow Mountain.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SHADOW DRAGON to read more and to email author Lance Horton, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 02-19-13

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 chocolate covered grasshoppers were sold in the gag gift stores, 12 to a package. But the even funnier thing was--people actually ate them. Get ready, today is caterpillar and chocolate chip cookie day at the book clubs!

I'm ready to bake some of my famous homemade chocolate chip cookies for lucky readers. I'll bake and ship them overnight to your door. You open the box, dunk-and-munch the cookies, and then please send me a photo to share with readers. That's all there is to it. But you must enter to win. To see a happy cookie winner (it's a great photo) and to enter February's Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway, go to: http://tinyurl.com/FebCookie

Enter the cookie contest with peace of mind. There won't be any caterpillars alongside of the chocolate chips. But there were plenty of readers who responded to last Friday's, "Who Am I?" caterpillar contest. I found a bizarre caterpillar munching its way through my flower gardens and asked readers to see if they could tell me what kind it was.

PhilisAnn Bodle, Supervising Librarian at the King County Library, was the first to correctly respond:

"The curse of being a librarian--I just had to check this out. It was fun to do the search. Thanks for sharing."--PhilisAnn

You are correct, your prize is in the mail, PhilisAnn. Although it can go by different names, including Big-Eyed Horny Caterpillar, it always ends up as the Elephant Hawkmoth--with pretty pink and green colors. (I'm still sorting through all the emails looking for the other four winners. Many of you did not have the correct name, but came up with some really cute names of your own.)

Enter the Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway, (and if you missed the caterpillar there's a photo of him on the cookie page, too) go to: http://tinyurl.com/FebCookie

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

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

AUTHORBUZZ: SURVIVING CURTIS HALL The Lure of Blood (Thriller) by L. A. Matthies

Attempting to avoid the violence at Hibernia High, Tristen and his friends transfer on a sports scholarship to the elite Curtis Hall boarding school. Hometown lacrosse heroes, the boys are tested as they attempt to assimilate into a student body where excelling is the norm. Events spiral out of control and danger threatens not only to sever the bonds of friendship, but take their lives as well.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SURVIVING CURTIS HALL to find out more about the book and the author, L. A. Matthies. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 02-18-13

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,

Where does an author find inspiration? Today's guest columnist, author Jennifer McVeigh shares her journey with us. Email and welcome Jennifer to the book clubs and enter her Advanced Reading Copy giveaway. She has five copies of her first novel The Fever Tree for readers.

Take it away Jennifer...

People always ask me--so what inspired you to write The Fever Tree? And of course there are lots of answers: the Victorian diary on which the story is loosely based, the landscape of southern Africa, my fascination with a character--a girl who cannot recognize love until it is too late. But there is a different answer; one I have talked about less.

I grew up as a tomboy, happier making blood brothers in the woods than painting my nails scarlet. I longed for adventure--real adventure, and spent my weekends camped in an old army tent in the garden, where the dawn light filtered through holes in the canvas (were they bullet holes or cigarette burns?). When I was twelve my dreams came true--my father took me to East Africa on safari.

We rode horses for ten days across the Masai Mara, camping at night under a sky glittering with stars, listening to the low grunts of a lion carry far across the grasslands. We galloped with herds of zebra, clouds blackening into storm. The plains lit up underneath to an iridescent gold, and I remember thinking as the horse pounded beneath me that there could never be anywhere in the world as beautiful as this. We chased ostrich, and--on a hot day--stripped the saddles off our sweat soaked horses and pushed them deep into a lake until their feet left the ground and they were straining and blowing, and it felt as though we were flying. I fell madly in love with the simplicity of the life and the exhilarating dangers of the bush.

One afternoon towards the end of the trip I felt acutely light headed. An hour later I was in the grip of a high fever. I remember the local hospital--a small, flat concrete block with the toilets ankle high in urine and water, and a man with a muddy looking bowl of instruments submerged in water who pricked my finger with one of them and took a blood sample. Malaria they said. There were no planes available to fly me to Nairobi hospital and by the time my father managed to charter one I was hanging on by a thread.

I recovered in Nairobi but the trip left me changed. The exhilaration, the adventure, the vast, remoteness of the landscape, and--at the end--the terrible sickness, had a profound effect on me, and these experiences lie at the heart of The Fever Tree.

To be entered to win one of the Advanced Reading copies of my book The Fever Tree email me at: books@jennifermcveigh.co.uk and tell me about a place which has changed you.

All the best,
Jennifer McVeigh

Tune in tomorrow for my February Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway.

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

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

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