Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 10-31-13

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column at: DearReader.com


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

Dear Reader,

When I listen to my heart, I get wonderful life assignments. It's a little quirky, but I truly believe when I slow down and really listen to me, then my very own self shows me where I'll find happiness, if I'll only listen. I was listening this past Saturday and I did indeed find happiness, so much happiness, I'm still smiling about it. The flower pots outside my friend's store were overgrown. In addition to running a store, my friend has some major health issues going on in her family, so I thought maybe she'd appreciate a new fresh look in front of her store.

"Do you think she'll mind if I replant the flower pots?" I asked my husband.

"You think too much," my husband assured me, and he offered to drive me to the nursery to buy some plants.

I love going to the nursery. Roaming through the plants, it's relaxing and quiets my soul. There's no grand plan in mind about which plants I'm going to buy, other than whether the plants need full or part sun, or shade. Whatever plant catches my eye, I aimlessly put in my shopping cart hardly noticing the colors, no concerns about how the plants will look together in a pot.

So I was surprised when I felt extremely anxious picking out plants for my friend's pots. 'Will she like the kind of flowers I like? What if the pots don't turn out this time?' And then to really put the pressure on, my next thought was, 'I need to make these pots look extra special--a big wow! Because it's for somebody else.'

My plan was to finish the pots before my friend's store opened at noon. I envisioned her walking up to open the store, looking at the beautiful flowers, and wondering who the Flower Fairy might be. It would be my little secret. So I was on the job at 10 AM. Two hours; plenty of time. How long could it take to pull the old plants out, loosen the soil, fertilize, pot new plants, and then water? After all, I work in my flower gardens every week, been doing it for years.

The first huge, round pot I tackled was filled with clumps of tightly woven together roots from past plantings. It was a tug of war, which eventually I won, but at noon when my friend arrived, the Flower Fairy had only finished two pots. Three hours later, which included another trip to the nursery, I finished the job. I was tired, but my heart hadn't led me astray. It was a delightful afternoon's work and it must have shown, because as a family walked by me, the dad turned around, smiled and said, "You just look too happy."

And he was right.

To see the newly arranged flower pots, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/flower-10-30-13.html

* Congratulations to the six winners of Mug Cakes by Leslie Bilderback: Rhonda Brittingham, Terry Glover, Janet Robinson, Eleanor Waterman, Yvette Fontenot, and Dorothea Lam.

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)
PALISADES PARK by Alan Brennert

(Fiction)
LEAVING HAVEN by Kathleen McCleary

(Fiction)
BONE HORSES by Lesley Poling-Kempes

(Fiction)
HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS by Aimee Thurlo

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

 

 

Dear Reader Column 10-30-13

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,

Karma Gone Bad: How I Learned to Love Mangos, Bollywood and Water Buffalo, by Jenny Feldon. Don't miss it--a memoir about going from life as an Upper West Side newlywed to being an expat housewife in Hyderabad, India. And today, we're lucky to have author Jenny Feldon as our guest columnist. Send a personal email "hello" to Jenny at: [email protected]

Jenny told me she loves to hear from readers and will enjoy sending everyone a personal reply.

Welcome to the book clubs, Jenny Feldon...

On Writing and Knitting: Second Sock Syndrome

I learned to knit right after college. Everything about knitting appealed to me--the rich colors, the soft feel of the wool between my fingers, the rhythmic click of the needles. I'd sit for hours in my local yarn shop, lost in the process of creating beautiful things one stitch at a time.

Writing and knitting share some of the same qualities. Tiny parts make up a whole. You can start, erase, start again. Go back in and fix what's not working. Weave things together to make something new. Once you get past the fear of starting over, almost anything is possible.

I'm a process person. Sometimes this works out well, like when I'm baking chocolate chip cookies--usually I'm so over the cookies by the time they're done I don't get around to eating them. Sometimes, it's problematic. Kid craft projects languish forlornly and not-quite-finished in random corners of my house. Before the glue has finished drying on a googly-eyed pet rock, I'm on to something new.

In the knitting world, they call this Second Sock Syndrome. Socks are my favorite things to knit. They're interesting but not complicated, portable, and fun to wear. But here's the thing about socks: they come in pairs. And most of the time, I find it almost impossible to knit the second one.

I have one yellow cable-knit sock. There's one blue argyle for my husband and one rainbow-striped toe sock I knit for my daughter two birthdays ago. By the time I've finished the first sock, I'm already moving into a new mental space, itching to find a new creative mountain to climb.

But sometimes, in knitting and in writing and in life--you just need to finish what you've started.

The day I gleefully hit "send" to deliver the first version of my manuscript (I'd already completed four drafts on my own by then), I couldn't wait to jot down notes for my next project. There was only one problem--the 'second sock' wasn't done.

Five more revisions stood between me and the final product. Like it or not, the second socks in my life weren't going anywhere--I needed to figure out how to make peace with them, or my creative process would be forever stuck in the middle.

So I'm finishing the socks. And the manuscripts. And the pet rocks. With creativity comes a certain amount of responsibility--to see things through to the end, to stick with projects long enough to make something great. One stitch, one word, and one rainbow-striped toe sock at a time.

--Jenny Feldon

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 this week, enter to win a free copy of these books for young children and teens: A VERY, VERY NOISY TRACTOR by Mar Pavon, illustrated by Nivola Uya and SAMMY FERAL'S DIARIES OF WEIRD by Eleanor Hawken. For a chance to win, say hello to the author, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: BONE HORSES (Fiction) by Lesley Poling-Kempes

During an accidental stopover in the Southwest a young woman unearths the details of her mother's forbidden love affair, chilling murder, and courageous last act of redemption.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on BONE HORSES to read more and to email author Lesley Poling-Kempes, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 10-29-13

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column at: DearReader.com


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

Dear Reader,

Someone emailed me the other day and told me that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. They weren't complimenting me, but that's ok, they weren't the first person to scold me for it either.

When I first started writing "Dear Readers" my plan was to write about whatever happened to be on my mind, just like I do now. But a business consultant told me that I should only be writing about books, so I did that for awhile. But it just wasn't me. I know that I write about personal thoughts and weird things that I do, some are sad, some funny, but those are the "Dear Readers" that people seem to respond to the most. I think it's because they have "been there" at one time or another, and it's always nice to know that someone else has traveled a road that's so familiar to you.

When I dig deep and think about the meaning of life one thought always comes to mind. "Maybe we're all here to help someone else." It may just be as simple as that. So perhaps the things that we tuck away in our personal shame closets--the things that we feel embarrassed about or sometimes we're just plain ashamed of--are the very things that other people need to hear about. I figure, the more experiences that we bring to the table, the better equipped we are to help someone else. Maybe instead of hiding our disappointments and embarrassments we should all proudly wear them just like I used to display the Girl Scout badges on my uniform sash.

* Congratulations to the winners of Lies You Wanted to Hear from Guest Columnist, James W. Thompson: Rowshan Daneshy, Millie Malone Lill and Geri LaBreck.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: LEAVING HAVEN (Fiction) by Kathleen McCleary

Georgia has wanted another baby for years. Her best friend Alice donates her eggs to make Georgia's dream come true. But a stunning turn of events leaves both women reeling. A story about what happens when good people make bad choices and hurt the ones they love most. Most of all, it's about learning to be whole.

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

Dear Reader Column 10-28-13

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,

It's a magical thing. I write a column and email it to readers, and readers send an inspiring, fun story back to me.

A story from my Email Bag:

Suzanne, your column is very special to me and I want to share a special [thing that happened] at a store on this past Saturday. I had the neatest experience at a department store. A couple walked up to me, and the lady said she loved my jacket that had lighthouses all over it, and where did I get it? But I'd had it forever, and couldn't remember where I got it.

Her husband jokingly said, "We'll give you $10 for it." I took the jacket off, handed it to the lady, and she got the biggest smile on her face.

"I'll take five for it," I replied. The woman put my jacket on and gave me $5.00. I hugged her and said, "You have just made my day."

To which she replied, "And you mine!"

The lady's husband laughingly said to me, "I hope nobody offers to buy your pants."

True story, and it made me smile all the rest of the day.

--A Happy Book club reader,

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: PALISADES PARK (Fiction) by Alan Brennert

Like my novels Moloka'i and Honolulu, my new novel tells the history behind the history--the renowned Palisades Park amusement park as seen by young Toni Stopka, daughter of concessionaires, who dreams of becoming a daredevil high diver. Performers, pitchmen, the civil rights demonstrators picketing the gates, the underworld bosses meeting in secret across the street...all are entwined in the story.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on PALISADES PARK to read more and to email author Alan Brennert, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 10-25-13

Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily
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AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

Dear Reader,

Yum, yum, in spite of my red food coloring mayhem the Red Velvet Mug Cakes I made were fabulous! So I asked Leslie Bilderback, author of Mug Cakes if I could print the recipe for you.

If you missed yesterday's column, go to: http://tinyurl.com/Mug1024

You'll find the Red Velvet Mug Cake recipe and 99 others in her delightful book, Mug Cakes.

To see my Mug Cake creations and to enter the drawing for a copy of Mug Cakes by Leslie Bilderback (I have six copies for readers) go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cakeinmug.html

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Mug Cake

Makes 2 Mug Cakes

This uber-trendy cake is actually a vintage recipe from the Deep South. It is as red as Scarlet O'Hara's dress thanks to the combination of cocoa powder and cheap liquid red food coloring. Be sure to use the cheap stuff! Fancy food coloring pastes and gels don't work nearly as well. The vinegar was traditionally added to the baking soda as a leavener. With self-rising flour, it's not necessary, but it's added here for its classic zippy flavor.

Ingredients:

1 large egg

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon liquid red food coloring

3 tablespoons buttermilk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup self-rising flour

Pinch of kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cider, white, white wine, or rice vinegar

Methods:

In a large mug, whisk together the egg and oil with a fork. Stir in the food coloring, buttermilk, vanilla, and sugar. Add the cocoa, flour, salt, and vinegar. Beat the batter until smooth. Divide the batter between two mugs. Microwave separately for 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes each until risen and firm.

Topping Ideas: Cream cheese frosting, Marshmallow Fluff, whipped cream, fresh berries, red sugar sprinkles, candied pecans, or chocolate shavings.

Variations

Blue Velvet: You never know when you may need to make a blue cake. It's easily done by replacing cheap red liquid food coloring with cheap blue liquid food coloring. For any other cake color, you'll want to omit the cocoa powder, as it will give all other food colors a tinge of brown. If you make another color, replace the cocoa powder with an equal amount of flour.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: ANVIL OF GOD (Fiction) by J. Boyce Gleason

After conquering a continent for the Merovingian kings, Charles the Hammer wants to put his sons on the throne. His untimely death, however, pits son against son, Christianity against paganism and his daughter's love against her family's ambition. Based on a true story, Anvil of God recreates the gritty reality of another time with characters that resonate today.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on ANVIL OF GOD to read more and to email author J. Boyce Gleason, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 10-24-13

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,

The cookbook doesn't lie. Making a mug cake in the microwave does indeed work. It's a quick way to make a unique dessert and surprisingly the cake tastes great. This is high praise from me. I admit I'm a bit of a baking snob. If the last line in a cake recipe tells me to open the microwave door and pop the pan inside--gasp! I don't feel like I've put any love into it, or that the cake could possibly taste as good as a cake baked in the oven.

So when I was invited to try some recipes from the cookbook Mug Cakes: 100 speedy microwave treats to satisfy your sweet tooth, by Master Baker Leslie Bilderback, my expectations weren't very high, but I was wrong. I made the "Red Velvet Mug Cake" and the "Chocolate Mayonnaise Mug Cake." The cakes were cute and they tasted great.

Both recipes boasted they were fun and quick to make; simply measure and mix the ingredients into a mug and microwave for 1-to-2 minutes. I decided that since I was baking a quick 2-minute microwave recipe, I'd challenge myself to measure, mix and bake the mug cake in five minutes flat. Could I do it? Was I up to the challenge?

Obviously not, because it took me an hour and 35 minutes to make two mug cakes. They tasted very good and were worth the wait, but I had to wade through kitchen mayhem to finish them.

Both recipes used the same ingredients with just a couple of exceptions. So to save time, I decided to use the same measuring utensils for both recipes. "But here's the problem," as my six-year-old grandson likes to say, after you measure red food coloring you need to wash the teaspoon before you use it to measure anything else.

'Hurry, hurry, the 5-minute clock is ticking Suzanne,' so I turned the water on full blast, held the measuring spoon underneath it, and just like adding flour to a mixer that's whirling away on high speed, the red food coloring I was trying to rinse out of the measuring spoon, flew out of the spoon and landed on my shirt, on the tiles on the wall behind my kitchen sink, and then nestled into the groove of the beige colored grout. Red dye on light colored grout--'Hurry, hurry, Suzanne, before it stains,' but at that very moment the cat threw up on the carpet (Barry, my cat, had been munching on grass when I took him out for a morning walk. I remember thinking it was so sweet, he was eating organic.), and before I could attend to the green puddle on my light cream carpet, or the red food coloring splattered on the tile and grout, the telephone repairman rang the doorbell, and in hurrying to answer the door, I knocked over the flour and the container of unsweetened cocoa. Red food coloring, cat breakfast leftovers on the carpet, flour and cocoa on my kitchen counters and floor, and all over me--ding! Five minutes was long gone.

One hour and 35 minutes later as I was surveying the mess, I discovered that if you look hard enough, you'll find a few good things in every disaster. My phone was repaired, the guarantee that promised stains were easy to remove from my new carpet was true, and I discovered that with a little elbow grease, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge does indeed erase the memories of a red kitchen disaster.

The cakes tasted fabulous and I highly recommend Mug Cakes by Leslie Bilderback. I can't wait to make the cakes with my grandkids, and microwaving mug cakes will be one of the holiday activities when relatives come to visit this year. To see my mug cake creations, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cakeinmug.html

Be sure to enter the drawing. I have six copies of the cookbook for readers--but one has a little leftover red food coloring, flour and cocoa on the pages.

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

(Poetry)
THE ANTIGONE POEMS by Marie Slaight/Terrence Tasker

(Fiction)
I, WALTER by Mike Hartner

(Fiction)
WHEN MOUNTAINS MOVE by Julie Cantrell

(Fiction)
ANVIL OF GOD by J. Boyce Gleason

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

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 10-23-13

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,

"How does a writer actually go about writing?"

Today's guest author James W. Thomson will show you the way. Enjoy his guest column and then enter-to-win a copy of his first novel, Lies You Wanted to Hear. Email: [email protected]

Welcome James W. Thomson...

One of the questions writers get asked frequently is how they actually go about writing. In longhand? (According to the obits, Elmore Leonard wrote the first draft of his novels in pencil on unlined yellow notepads.) A typewriter? (A few diehards out there still use them, and, rumor has it, are willing to endure the deprivations of polar explorers to find a shop to service them.) On a laptop? A hand-held tape recorder? An iPhone? (I'd like to believe that some of the young people bent over these devices with thumbs flying are working on the next great novel.) It isn't just nonwriters who ask this question; writers ask it of one another all the time. I guess we're all curious about the creative process. We also know how daunting a blank page can be.

When I first started writing I wrote in pen on lined tablets, then transferred the text onto a computer. If things were going particularly well and the characters were "talking to me," I wanted to get as much down on paper as quickly as possible. In the process I developed a kind of shorthand that let me abbreviate words and dismiss normal punctuation. When I tried to write like this on the computer I found I got caught up in how the piece looked on the page; this meant I did a lot of editing as I typed and often lost momentum.

Somerset Maugham once said, "There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." It's a funny quip, and uncommonly true. When it comes to getting the words down, each writer has to find the technique that works best for him or her. Then again, what worked yesterday might not work today. But here is something I know for certain: all novels get written one sentence at a time. Even those authors like John Grisham--who write detailed outlines of their plot and create short biographies for each of their characters before they get started on the body of the text--sooner or later must sit down and write their novels sentence by sentence. Learning this became a powerful lesson for me. It meant I didn't have to go off to some secluded spot for an extended period of time to work on my novel. I could write the next sentence while I was sitting in traffic or waiting for my morning coffee to brew. The hard part for me is figuring out how to turn it off. People get a bit exasperated when you're looking right at them, pretending to pay attention, and they can see in your eyes that you're far away, wondering how your protagonist is going to explain the $7300 in cash his wife found hidden in an old pair of sneakers.

Simply send an email for a chance to win a copy of Lies You Wanted to Hear.

--James W. Thomson
[email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: WHEN MOUNTAINS MOVE (Fiction) by Julie Cantrell

It is the spring of 1943. Soon after the break of day, Bump will become Millie's husband. And then they will leave the rain-soaked fields of Mississippi and head for the wilds of the Colorado Rockies. A novel of dark secrets, deep hope and second chances.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on WHEN MOUNTAINS MOVE to read more and to email author Julie Cantrell, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 10-22-13

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,

A reader emailed me the other day and asked, "Suzanne, how are you able to stay so self-assured and confident all of the time?"

The timing was perfect because I was just beginning to write a column, and my opening line was, "It's amazing what I've been able to accomplish. It's hard to believe. If 'they' only knew."

I am fortunate. I've been able to get my bearings, to feel good about myself and what I do. But I didn't always feel like that. I used to study other people--desperately trying to figure out their secret. But I never found one, because the truth is everyone, including me, is just plain running scared sometimes. The demons come knockin'; they do their best to try to make me believe things about myself that deep down, I know aren't true. And for a few minutes, sometimes days, they succeed. But then I recognize the truth and I smile, and I rewrite the story in my mind: I'm the girl who thought she could--who decided to try and who's succeeding. This is always the part of the story that makes me cry. But it's a happy cry, because I'm confident that it's good enough to just be me.

* You can't help but smile when you eat one of my homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies. See for yourself in the photos of recent winners, and be sure to enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway, Go to: http://tinyurl.com/cookie1013

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: I, WALTER (Fiction) by Mike Hartner

In an era where politics was deadly, and everyone worked for the family, read what happened to Walter Crofter as he left his home and set out to find his way in the world.

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

Dear Reader Column 10-21-13

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,

Does the name of a book make a difference in its success? Sandra Dallas, New York Times best-selling author (of 11 novels), has expert advice to share in today's guest column.

And it's easy to enter the drawing for one of three copies of Sandra's latest book, Fallen Women. Simply send an email to: [email protected]

Welcome Sandra. Thanks for visiting the book club today...

What's in a name? As authors, we know the answer is quite a bit. To Kill a Mockingbird would be an outstanding book by any other name, but its title makes it even more intriguing. What if it had been called The Trial of Tom Robinson?

Some books take off just because of the title. That happened with my second novel, The Persian Pickle Club, about a group of 1930s quilters with a secret. The original title was The Interesting Hour Club, the name of author Laura Ingalls Wilder's rural women's group. It was okay, but not great. Then I read that the paisley design was called "Persian pickle" by Victorian women. So I put that together with "club" and came up with the new title. I was an unknown author then, and several book dealers told me they ordered the novel just because they liked the name. Since they had the book in stock, they had to check it out. They liked it, and recommended The Persian Pickle Club to their customers. The book sold hundreds of thousands of copies, primarily through word of mouth. A number of book groups have told me they call themselves the Pickles, after the book title.

Sometimes I have the title before I come up with the book. That happened with New Mercies, about a woman who goes to Mississippi to find out about the death of an elderly aunt. It's a Biblical verse and part of my favorite hymn, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." I literally dreamed up a book to go with the title Prayers for Sale. I'd read a WPA slave narrative, published in the 1930s, that mentioned a former slave who filled his pockets with prayers written on scraps of paper. He carried a sign advertising "Prayers for Sale." The Bride's House was another title in search of a plot. An architect who toured a decrepit old mansion we bought in Georgetown, Colorado, declared, "It's a bride's house." What a great title for a book, I thought, and went in search of a plot for The Bride's House.

My agent titled Whiter Than Snow when it was a manuscript with the dreary working title of Avalanche. My editor, who has an unerring instinct for titles, came up with True Sisters for a work about the Mormon handcart migration that I had called only "the handcart book."

She also titled Fallen Women, a novel about the murder of a prostitute in 1885 Denver. The original title was Holladay Street, which was Denver's red-light street. It was named for freighter Ben Holladay and later changed to Market Street. My agent took one look at the title and said, "Your readers are going to think this is a Christmas book." Big surprise.

But that remark led to an idea for next year's novel. Its title: A Quilt for Christmas.

--Sandra Dallas

Send an email to enter for a copy of Sandra's book:
[email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: THE ANTIGONE POEMS (Poetry) by Marie Slaight/Terrence Tasker

The Antigone Poems is collaboration between artist Terrence Tasker and myself that was created in the 70's. It is an intensely personal work that I have long wanted to publish, in large part as a tribute to the artist. It is a story of a woman's struggle with power, both human and elemental. My intent with the poetry was to sculpt it to a bare and truthful essence.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE ANTIGONE POEMS to read more and to email author Marie Slaight, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 10-18-13

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,

My husband feels better when he owns a boat. He doesn't have to actually use the boat. It just feels good, knowing there's a boat waiting for him if and when he decides to use it. I can relate. My security blanket is having a dressy-dress hanging in my closet--because you never know.

A girl needs to be prepared. A fancy dress, hat and shoes, one should be ready in a moment's notice with a complete ensemble--just in case.

Yes indeed, I've been ready for the past seven years--just in case.

That's how long my dressy-dress has been hanging in my closet. Hanging around so long that it's out of style. Not that I follow what's in, and what's out. But my personal style has changed, and I can't image myself wearing the dress, even if I was finally invited to "the big event."

The dressy-dress, the ready-in-a-moment's dress, I gave it away last week. It still had the price tag on it. But to ease my guilt, I reminded myself that I bought it at a really good price from the sale rack. And the even better thought is that this girl still needs to be prepared, so this weekend, I'll be shopping for another dressy-dress.

* You can't help but smile when you eat one of my homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies. See for yourself in the photos of recent winners, and be sure to enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway, Go to: http://tinyurl.com/cookie1013

* Congratulations to Krista Rinehart, the winner of a POOF-Slinky 225R Collector's Edition Original Slinky Dog in Retro Packaging.

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 this week, enter to win a free copy of these books for young children and teens: LITTLE BLACK BOOK by Renee Khatami; JET BLACK AND THE NINJA WIND by Leza Lowitz; ENDLESS by Amanda Gray; and CAMEO by Tanille. For a chance to win, say hello to the author, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

AUTHORBUZZ: COUNTING BY 7S (YA Fiction) by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I write books to understand my own life. And I hope that when I tell a story it will have meaning in your life as well.

Counting By 7s is the most personal story I have ever told, which is not to say that it is my own narrative, but I understand the people I'm writing about, and I have tried to make them characters that will live on once you've put the book down.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on COUNTING BY 7S to read more and to email author Holly Goldberg Sloan, you'll get a reply.