Dear Reader:

July 31, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-31-13

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

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

Dear Reader,

Do you have a question about the 9th Annual Write a Dear Reader Contest? Send me an email and I'm happy to reply. [email protected]

Jason wants to know, "I have an idea for the Write a Dear Reader Contest but I'm wondering, since I'd be writing about people in my family should I change their names?"

(Suzanne replies:) You can certainly write about your relatives, but depending on what you say about them, you might consider changing their names so you still have a seat at the Thanksgiving table.

If you need ideas carry a notebook with you just in case. Who knows, you might be inspired to write a story about the little old lady I saw at the market the other day buying oranges. One-by-one, the little old lady would give each orange a good, long looking-over before putting it in the plastic bag the grocery store provides for fruit. (Which I didn't find strange at all. Heck, I'm so tired of getting fruit home and realizing it's bad, I sniff the outside of each orange, before I buy it--just to make sure it actually smells like an orange.) The little old lady wasn't sniffing oranges, but it was a bit odd that after giving an orange the once-over, she'd hold it up to the side of her handbag hanging down from her shoulder. After holding the orange beside her handbag for a few seconds, she'd either set it back down, or put it in the plastic bag.

I couldn't resist. So I went over and stood next to her. Not too close, but close enough to see the itty-bitty orange divining chihuahua tucked away in her purse. "Isn't it frustrating buying fruit and when you get it home you discover it's not ripe?" I asked. "So I sniff every orange before I buy it."

The little old lady leaned-in close, slightly opened the top of her handbag and winked, "We sniff every orange before we buy it, too."

Seriously, you don't need to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth at this year's "Write a DearReader Contest." Fiction, nonfiction, or a little mix of both, simply tell a story in 650 words or less. It's all about writing for fun.

See past winners, cash prizes (totaling $600), rules and deadlines, go to: http://tinyurl.com/DRContest2013

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of INCONVENIENT by Margie Gelbwasser and BUBBLE WORLD by Carol Snow. For a chance to win free copies, say hello to the authors, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: THE NIGHT OF THE COMET (Fiction) by George Bishop

A father. A son. A telescope. A beautiful girl across the canal, and a great comet hurtling towards the Earth, reigniting the dreams and longings of one family. These are the stars of my new novel set in 1973 in a small town on the eve of the arrival of Comet Kohoutek.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE NIGHT OF THE COMET to read more and to email author George Bishop, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

Jul 31, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Animals/Nature, Books, Families, Food and Drink, Weblogs, Writing

July 30, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-30-13

Dear Reader,

Two years ago when I was sitting in a hospice room with my friend, author Blaize Clement and her son, John, Blaize asked John if he would like to continue writing her popular Dixie Hemingway Mysteries. I'm so happy John said, "Yes" because the latest book, The Cat Sitter's Cradle was just released and you'll love it. I sure did!

Please welcome today's guest columnist, author John Clement. Send him an email, he loves to talk to readers and he will reply. And of course, he's giving away five copies of The Cat Sitter's Cradle. Email: [email protected]

Take it away, John Clement...

First of all I want to thank Suzanne for inviting me here today. Anyone who's ever met her knows what I know--she's an angel on Earth. Plus she has a bubble-machine. Anyone who has their own bubble machine is at the top of the human pyramid as far as I'm concerned.

Suzanne assured me I could write about anything I wanted, so I'll start with the truth: I'm exhausted. There are a couple of reasons. First of all, it's hot. "Hot as blue blazes," my mother liked to say. Even as I write this I'm fighting with the dog for space on the floor in front of the AC. I don't mean to be dramatic but I can barely take it, and yet I was born on the hottest, most humid day on record in the history of Beaumont, Texas.

It's hard to believe now, but in those days, fathers weren't allowed in the delivery room in most hospitals. They were banished to a waiting area down the hall, where they chewed on their fingernails and the corners of the morning newspaper. My father waited with another father-to-be, a sun-wizened farmer in sweaty overalls, cowboy hat pulled down low over his eyes, who every minute or so would nod and mutter, "It ain't the heat, it's the hum-ditty." Nine hours of hearing "it's the hum-ditty" over and over again and my father left convinced he'd been saying it wrong his whole life. Anyway, you'd think coming into the world as I did on a day as hot as hell in August, I could handle a measly Northeast summer with a little less whining.

Secondly, my first book came out just a few weeks ago--an astonishingly exhausting and surreal experience in and of itself--but made all the more surreal because it's a Dixie Hemingway Mystery. Before my mother passed away (exactly two years ago this month) she asked if I would continue her series of adventures about an ex-deputy turned pet sitter. If there's anything I know, it's that things go better when you say yes to your mother. So I said yes, even though I was terrified by the idea, and sometimes I wonder if she truly believed I would pull it off.

I hope wherever she is that she can see it. Book number eight! The little world my mother created lives on.... It feels like such a huge tribute to her, and I'm pretty sure everyone in my family feels the same way. My older brother emailed me just the other day to say he still hasn't read it--every time he opens the book and turns to the first page he bursts into tears and has to stop. Apparently I'm not the only one in the family with a penchant for drama.

--John Clement Say hello and enter the drawing for a copy of The Cat Sitter's Cradle. Email: [email protected]

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More about the author: John Clement is the son of author Blaize Clement, who passed away in 2011, leaving him with the herculean honor of continuing her popular Dixie Hemingway Mysteries. His first book, The Cat Sitter's Cradle, is in stores now. John lives with his partner and his pit bull in New York City, where he's currently working on the next Dixie Hemingway Mystery and trying to keep in the shade as much as possible.
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Start writing and enter this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. Cash prizes of $600 and your column will be published at the book clubs. Rules, deadline and past entries: http://tinyurl.com/DRContest2013

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: THREE LITTLE WORDS (Fiction) by Susan Mallery

Have you ever done something embarrassing to get a man's attention? Isabel wrote to her crush for years after he joined the Navy SEALs, but he never replied. Now Ford is back in Fool's Gold. He knows all her secrets--and he's making no secret of his desire for her. A sexy, funny small town romance.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THREE LITTLE WORDS to find out more about the book and the author, Susan Mallery. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Jul 30, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Animals/Nature, Books, Families, Health/Excercise, Weblogs, Work/Careers, Writing

July 29, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-29-13

Dear Reader,

There used to be a dilapidated house with a unsightly, huge blue tarp covering the roof, on the lot next to my house. A mess to be sure. A mess that attracted mosquitoes, too.

I used to wish for the day the house would be torn down and something beautiful and mosquito-free would be built instead. My wish is finally coming true this very moment.

But now I've learned, first-hand, that it's true, "Be careful what you wish for."

Apparently when you put a wish out there in the universe, you need to be very specific about the details. I realize now that my wish was too general. Because the wish in my mind never had a generator running eleven hours a day, or a radio turned up so loud I can sing along, not missing a note, while I'm sitting at my desk trying to work. My wish never imagined that every tree on the lot next to me would be cut down, which meant no more shade for my flower bed nearby, which meant I had to dig all my plants up and move them. I'm starting to hate my new neighbors and they haven't even moved in yet.

I know I should be acting more adult about the situation, and I do have my moments. But kind of like the house next door, my acceptance of the situation--it's a work in progress. And I'm not the only one in my household who's having trouble adjusting.

Cooper, my Maine Coon cat, tried to run away from the noise the other day, and finally out of desperation he ran right up the chimney in my living room. I didn't realize such a thing was possible. But sure enough, I held a mirror underneath the opening of the chimney, and there was Cooper looking back at me. In an old house like mine, built in 1926, there's a ledge inside the chimney, I never knew about and I'm not quite sure what the purpose was, but Cooper took refuge there for three hours.

When Cooper finally came down the chimney, he was a sooty mess. Thirty minutes later after Cooper was all cleaned up and I was exhausted from giving a cat a bath, the two of us laid down for a little nap. Yes, the generator next door was still rumbling, the pounding and sawing sounds were crystal clear, but Cooper and I had changed our focus. When we diverted our attention to something else, the noise faded into the background. So far, most days our new approach has been working pretty good, but Cooper's assured me, if we falter, not to worry, there's room for two in the chimney.

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

* Enter this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. $600 in cash prizes and you'll have a lot of fun. Get the info: http://tinyurl.com/DRContest2013

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: WELCOME TO LAST CHANCE (Fiction) by Cathleen Armstrong

Let me invite you to stop a while in Last Chance, NM. I think you'll like it here. Life moves a bit more slowly. People are warm, friendly--you might even say a little nosy. But that's just because they care. Lainie Davis was on the run when her old car just up and died, stranding her here. And, if it weren't for those kindly folks trying to help, Last Chance might be the perfect place to hide.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on WELCOME TO LAST CHANCE to read more and to email author Cathleen Armstrong, you'll get a reply.

Jul 29, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Animals/Nature, Books, Families, Weblogs, Work/Careers, Writing

July 26, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-26-13

Dear Reader,

My grandson's Vacation Bible School instructor ordered 100 bananas for the kids this summer. But whoops, instead, the fruit company delivered 100 boxes of bananas to the church.

How many bananas are in one box of bananas? Give-or-take, 80-100 bananas in each box. That's a lot of bananas.

So every family pitched in and took some bags of bananas home. But after a week of eating bananas, my daughter-in-law called asking if I'd bake banana bread. And soon my kitchen counter was filled with bunches and bunches of bananas, that turned into 24 loaves of banana bread.

How do you get rid of 24 loaves of banana bread?

I gave banana bread to my neighbors next door and down the street, and neighbors I hadn't even met yet. "Here's some homemade banana bread. Welcome to the neighborhood." (To my surprise they moved in two years ago.) The mailman, the painter who was painting my living room, a man who helps me with my gardening, I even gave my chiropractor banana bread. But I still had banana bread left, and as tasty as it was, I discovered that too much banana bread, is kind-of-like too much zucchini in your garden. Word gets around the neighborhood. And when you ring, nobody answers. So I've frozen the leftover loaves of banana bread and I'll try again next month.

* Be sure to enter this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. $600 in cash prizes and you'll have a lot of fun. Get the info: http://tinyurl.com/DRContest2013

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Meet authors, win free books and more at this week's Authorbuzz. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Jul 26, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Books, Families, Food and Drink, Weblogs, Writing

July 25, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-25-13

Dear Reader,

Announcing the 9th Annual "Write a DearReader Contest!"

You don't have to be a writer to enter, because it's all about writing for fun.

Write about the day you wore your T-shirt inside out until some kind soul pointed it out to you. Tell us about the stray cat or dog you found curled up on your front porch, and how it was love at first sight. Write about your favorite aunt, a bizarre and whimsical woman who vacuums her living room in the buff. Describe the overwhelming love in your heart when you held your first grandchild, or write about your fear of writing--but start writing about something--because it's time to enter our ninth annual "Write a DearReader Contest".

See past winners, cash prizes (totaling $600), rules and deadlines, go to: http://tinyurl.com/DRContest2013

Have fun! And thanks for entering this year's contest.

* Congratulations to the winners of Letters from Skye by Guest Columnist Jessica Brockmole: Chris Wunder, Dee Stillings, Julee Fournier, Peggy Trittipo, Shelia Walman, Rita Pierini, Caryl Bartholomew, Kristina Kammerer, Millie Lill, Daphne Seymour, Wilma Cazan, Ilene Bertram, Joyce Bartley, Rita Rae Rogers, Ani Kendig, Pauline Rowe, Wanda King, Marlys Frisby, Patty Janssen and Pam Bean.

The winners of The Map of Lost Memories by Guest Columnist Kim Fay are: Linda Hitchcock, Kristin Ems, Stephanie Cull, Carolyn Hoe and Christine LaRue.

And congratulations to Fred Bean, the winner of the Euchre Cards.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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)
FALCON'S RUN by Aimee Thurlo

(Fiction)
TO SIN WITH A VIKING Michelle Willingham

(Thriller)
THE BLEIBERG PROJECT by David Khara

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

Jul 25, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Animals/Nature, Books, Families, Fashion, Web/Tech, Weblogs, Writing

July 24, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-24-13

Dear Reader,

Today's guest author Paul Stutzman was born in Ohio and raised in Amish and conservative Mennonite church communities. After he lost his wife to cancer, he felt the call to a challenge, quit his job and began a journey hiking the 2,176 mile Appalachian Trail. What he learned during the next four and a half months changed his life, and after completing his trek Paul wrote his highly acclaimed, Hiking Through.

In the summer of 2010 Paul again heeded the call for adventure and pedaled his bicycle 5,000 miles across America. He began his ride at the Northwest corner of Washington State and pedaled to Key West, Florida. On his journey across America he encountered people in all circumstances, from homelessness to rich abundance. Paul wrote about these encounters in his second book Biking Across America.

Email today's guest author, Paul Stutzman, he surely will reply, and your email will enter your name in today's book giveaway: a signed copy of Hiking Through, Biking Across America or Paul's newest title, The Wanderers. Winner's choice! Email Paul at: [email protected]

Take it away, Paul...

In Search of Reality

Recently I made a pilgrimage to Indiana, Pennsylvania seeking information on a favorite author, Edward Abbey. Also known as Cactus Ed, Abbey was born in the Indiana area and attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania before moving west.

Ed achieved cult-like status among environmental activists with books such as The Monkey Wrench Gang and Desert Solitaire. I love the desert and hiking the canyons of the west, and he became a hero of mine as well.

Abbey had the misfortune of being born in the same town as the Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart. Unfortunately, it seems most folks today prefer Hollywood make-believe to real life.

On campus, I approached a security officer and asked her assistance in my quest.

"I've never heard of Ed Abbey," she replied. "But this is the birthplace of Jimmy Stewart."

"With all due respect to that famous actor, he is not my mission here."

"You might ask at the library," she offered. "And be careful where you park. Try the parking garage, but we're checking in students and it's Parents' Week so the first three floors are all reserved. Don't park there! You might find a spot on the top floor, but make sure you pay; we're very firm on our parking policies. You will get ticketed if you transgress!"

"Are you sure you never heard of Ed Abbey?" I tried again.

"Jimmy Stewart for sure, but not Mr. Abbey. Remember, no unauthorized parking!"

I wound through the lower floors of the parking garage, passing several hundred empty parking slots reserved for university employees. If cantankerous Cactus Ed would have been visiting (and still among the living), he would have chosen the first available slot designated for a tenured professor. The words of the security officer, however, still rang loudly in my ears and I arrived at the top floor and obediently paid my dollar to stay within the confines of the law. So much for following in my hero's footsteps.

At the library's front desk, I interrupted a texting student with my inquiry about the shrine that surely must exist to honor my writer friend Ed Abbey.

"Never heard of the man. But Jimmy Stewart was born in this town."

"You're a student here and work in the library and have never heard of Ed Abbey?"

"Don't have a clue to the man, but there's a nice display of Jimmy Stewart mementos just across the room. He was a famous actor; he was born here..." I ignored the rest of his prattle as my attention was taken by a display on another wall. Could it be? Clouds parted, trumpets sounded. Eureka! I had found the shrine to my not-so-famous literary hero. Thrilled, I read excerpts of Ed's writing as a student at the university. It was a reunion with an old friend.

I used my iphone to snap a photo of myself standing in front of the display. That was too much for the inquisitive lady who was watching me through the glass of her cubicle. She came out to greet me, and I discovered she had been responsible for setting up the display. At the library for over 40 years, she, too, was dismayed that students took no interest in Ed's work. She led me to a section of the library holding even more of Abbey's writing.

Satisfied, I took a walk downtown, where I pushed a crosswalk button and was told when to cross--by the voice of Jimmy Stewart.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: THE BLEIBERG PROJECT (Thriller) by David Khara

The idea for this novel came from listening to a woman who survived WWII death camps. For her, laughter was an act of resistance and remembering the best way not to repeat mistakes. In tribute to those who lived through the horrors, I wrote this adrenaline-pumping contemporary thriller. What if Hitler's atrocities were not over?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE BLEIBERG PROJECT to read more and to email author David Khara, you'll get a reply.

Jul 24, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Animals/Nature, Books, Health/Excercise, Religion, Travel, Weblogs, Work/Careers, Writing

July 23, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-23-13

Dear Reader,

Lots of folks win books at the book clubs, readers like Eve Koenig.

From my Email Bag:

"Dear Suzanne,

Thank you for all the opportunities to win books, so exciting when it happens, just read the notice that I was one of the lucky ones to win Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie! I can't wait to read it. I love your book clubs (member of five, and Author Buzz). Keep up the wonderful work, don't know what I'd do without your daily reads!"--Eve Koenig

To see more happy book winners, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/winners-07-13.html

It's time. Do it right now! Enter my ninth annual "Write a DearReader Contest". See past winners, cash prizes, rules and deadlines, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2013/index.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: TO SIN WITH A VIKING (Fiction) Michelle Willingham

Who doesn't want to be swept away by a strong, fearless Viking? But when a ship filled with invaders lands on the shores of Ireland, Caragh O'Brannon protects her people by taking Styr Hardrata as her captive. She's unprepared for the searing attraction to this handsome warrior...but he belongs to someone else.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on TO SIN WITH A VIKING to find out more about the book and the author, Michelle Willingham. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Jul 23, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Books, Weblogs, Work/Careers, Writing

July 22, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-22-13

Dear Reader,

Ta-da! Announcing the 9th Annual "Write a DearReader Contest!"

You don't have to be a writer to enter, because it's all about writing for fun.

See past winners, cash prizes (totaling $600), rules and deadlines, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2013/index.html

Have fun! And thanks for entering this year's contest.

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

Start writing,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: FALCON'S RUN (Fiction) by Aimee Thurlo

Abby was fighting to hold onto the ranch she'd built for disabled chidren. Navajo Detective Preston Bowman had sworn to protect her. A fascinating glimpse into Navajo culture and the Southwest.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on FALCON'S RUN to read more and to email author Aimee Thurlo, you'll get a reply.

Jul 22, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Animals/Nature, Books, Families, Fashion, Web/Tech, Weblogs, Writing

July 19, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-19-13

Dear Reader,

It's tradition. Every summer when Bailey, my granddaughter comes to visit, we bake something quirky and memorable with my good friend Linda. This year Paul, my six-year-old grandson, baked with us, too. He's been baking with me once a week since he was three, so he handles a mixer like a pro.

Our memorable baking choice this year was a polka dotted cake. I'd seen the recipe online a few months back, including photos, and I was intrigued. Because the polka dots aren't on the outside of the cake, three-inch, colored cake balls are hidden inside a three layer cake. So when you cut into the cake, you see big, perfectly round colored polka dots.

You need to mix enough cake batter for a three layer cake and 18 cake balls, so we used box mixes to save time. One cake mix was divided into five portions, each a different color. Then we poured the colored batter into a baking pop pan. (It's a pan that's used to make the popular cake balls on a stick.) The balls need to be under baked, just a tad, because after they come out of the oven, you divide them between three regular cake pans, then cover the balls with the rest of the batter, and then those pans go into the oven to bake.

Because we were baking with six-year-old Paul, Linda, Bailey (who is 18), and I were determined not to initiate any jokes about the colored balls. But no matter how hard we tried, it was impossible not to start laughing when you have to ask questions like:

"How long do we have to bake these balls? Make sure you cover up those balls after you put them in the pan. The balls shouldn't be sticking up through the batter."

And then after the balls were in the oven we discovered, "Oh no the balls are floating to the top of the cake pan. How are we gonna keep those balls down? My balls are browning too quickly. The cake will have bumps in the top, because the balls are breaking through the batter. We might have to slice off the tops of those balls, to level the cake." (Men might be uncomfortable baking this cake.)

We were thrilled with the results, but we did learn that if you're making a towering cake, you should freeze the layers, before you start decorating. See the step-by-step photos (of our leaning--just a bit) three-layer cake, including those mischievous colored balls, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Polka-Dot-Cake.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: THE CATERPILLAR AND THE STONE (Fiction) by Erec Stebbins

"Once upon a time in the middle of a beautiful garden, there lived a Caterpillar and a Stone, and they were very much in love." Have you ever had a loss that you survived only by transforming it into myth? This is my fairy's tale of love, loss, and beauty for not quite grown-ups: an illustrated love storybook.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE CATERPILLAR AND THE STONE to read more and to email author Erec Stebbins, you'll get a reply.

Jul 19, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Animals/Nature, Books, Families, Food and Drink, Weblogs

July 18, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-18-13

Dear Reader,

Congratulations to Jan Hildebrant, who won the Shakespeare deck of cards giveaway. If you've never entered one of my crazy, just-for-fun giveaways, you should. They are fun, and someone always wins. It could be you, but you need to enter.

From my Shakespeare Card Email Bag:

"Dear Suzanne, All across Canada, Euchre is the choice card game played during many dark and cold winter evenings. Kids now have been hooked on smart phones, I-pads and social media so I'm not sure if Euchre will survive. But, a newer form of the Euchre card game has taken hold in our city and everyone agrees that it is habit forming. That is the card game of bid euchre, a kind of 'bridge' take on the original game. Bid euchre is played by four players, with two decks of cards, jacks to aces only. Bidding can be wild and entertaining. This may be just the card game to keep waiting diners off their digital devices. And the game forces people to at least converse with one another.

I love your book club, both fiction and non-fiction. I've tapped my local library for countless books you've let me preview on line. Thank you." -- Jan Hildebrandt

(Suzanne replies:) Every other Sunday my dad's parents, and his four sisters and one brother, crowded around Grandma Tindell's kitchen table for some serious Euchre playing. So I knew all the Euchre rules by the time I was six years old, including the strange table talk. "Fishing out, dead-set legend, the ribbit, farm hand or no ace/no face, follow suit, trump, and skunked"--which means that you and your partner lost the game without scoring one single point. Rumor has it that in some Euchre circles a team that gets skunked, also gets a "bum run." (If you and your partner get skunked you must run about a predetermined route--naked!)

I don't remember any naked relatives running around the kitchen, but I do remember my mother frequently making Skunk Beans to take to the Sunday evening game.

Today I'm offering another giveaway. Want to learn how to play Euchre? Enter to win a set of Bicycle Euchre Games Playing Cards. This card set is filled with valuable strategies and techniques (to help you avoid the "bum run"!)

Enter to win a set of Bicycle Euchre Games Playing Cards. Simply send an email to: [email protected]

Other recent winners:

The winners of ON THE NOODLE ROAD by Guest Columnist Jen Lin-Liu are: Mayling Wong, Karla McMurrin, Joy Chu, Nancy Reynolds, Marlys Frisby and Marshall Bennett.

And the winners of CLOSE MY EYES by Guest Columnist Sophie McKenzie are: Amy Whitehouse, Allison Evans, Anne Krivi, Lucille Clark, Eve Koenig, Lois Hume, Mary Robinson, Brenda Gregory and Lynn Demsky.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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)
THE TUDOR CONSPIRACY by C.W. Gortner

(Fiction)
GLOW: A NOVEL by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

(Fiction)
DONNY AND URSULA SAVE THE WORLD by Sharon Weil

(Fiction)
THE CATERPILLAR AND THE STONE by Erec Stebbins

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is DEATH OF A HERO by Richard Aldington. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/July13Classics

Jul 18, 2013 1:05:00 AM | Books, Families, Food and Drink, Web/Tech, Weblogs

Dear Reader

July 31, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-31-13

July 30, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-30-13

July 29, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-29-13

July 26, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-26-13

July 25, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-25-13

July 24, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-24-13

July 23, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-23-13

July 22, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-22-13

July 19, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-19-13

July 18, 2013

Dear Reader Column 07-18-13

Suzanne Beecher

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