Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 05-16-14

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,

Dunk, dunk, munch, munch. Michelle P., Evelyn D., Donna C. and Liz S., winners of this  month's cookie drawing, will soon be eating some of my famous homemade chocolate chip cookies.

A few book club housekeeping items today:

If a book isn't a good match for you, don't feel guilty about hitting the delete key. We feature a new book every Monday. Or before you hit the delete key, read my daily column, who knows, you might win some of those chocolate chip cookies.

Want to read a snazzier, colorful version of the daily book club? Click on the HTML book club link. You'll find it at the top of your daily read. You can also access each day's read, Monday through Friday.

Missed receiving one of the daily reads? Email if you need assistance, click on the missing read link below my column, or go to the HTML read and access the day you missed. Don't be shy. I'm here to help if you need it.

Be sure to Like DearReader on Facebook, and share it on your own page, I sure do appreciate it. https://www.facebook.com/pages/DearReadercom/291327524280953

Questions or comments about the book clubs? Please send me an email, I want to hear from readers.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book THE HOUSE OF ULLOA by Emilia Pardo. Start reading now and don't forget to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin Totebag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFEF39295A&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: CUTTING TEETH (Fiction) by Julia Fierro

A clique of thirty-something couples, their young children in tow, gather for a 3-day vacation at a ramshackle beach house named Eden. No serpent is required for the sins, carnal and otherwise, to pile up, culminating in an event that changes the group forever. A page-turning, character-driven novel that will keep readers glued as they cringe and laugh with compassion, incredulousness, and self-recognition.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on CUTTING TEETH to read more and to email author Julia Fierro, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 05-15-14

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,

Bubbles, bubbles, readers are getting hooked on bubbles. If you would like to test a bubble machine for me, be sure to enter today's drawing.

Bubble Email Bag:

"Hi Suzanne, my 11-year-old daughter loves blowing bubbles. Yesterday she comes running up to me and asks 'Mummy, can I make a career out of blowing bubbles for people at parties and in the parks?'

I told her that I had met this wonderful lady online named Suzanne, who has a bubble machine, so I told my daughter she might have to invest in a bubble machine instead of the regular bottle and stick she's been using over the years. She laughed and said that was a brilliant idea, and I should find out where it's available online. Then she asked me if we could go to the park, and blow bubbles and watch as people run up to them...LOL...love the fun spirit in this child of mine. Imagine my surprise when I read your column and realized it's all about bubbles. I will show it to my daughter and I know she will be just thrilled to read it and know I did not make up the bubble machine lady."--Daisy

"Suzanne, when I was in Sarasota in February, I purposefully rode by your house to see the bubble machine in action. I made my husband stop the car so I could get out and take some pictures, and was so afraid you'd see me and be annoyed...never in my wildest dreams would have thought to knock on the door."--Kathy

"I took a page from your life book and bought a bubble machine and used it for the first time during my Mother's Day brunch with my family (including grandchildren). They loved it. However, I was not satisfied with the rate and quantities of bubbles. Where did you get your bubble machine?"--Sue L.

(Suzanne replies)

The bubble machine I've used for the past six years is a Chauvet B-250. It's electric, so it continuously pumps out zillions of bubbles. All I need to do is refill it with bubble solution every hour. People walking, jogging, and biking past my house are disappointed if the bubble machine isn't turned on. Word of the bubble lady has spread. Kind of like a fantastic holiday light display, but instead of folks driving by to see the lights, they stop in front of my house to walk through the bubbles.

I've tried many battery operated bubble machines and haven't found one that does the job as good as my electric. But there is a battery operated machine on Amazon and from customer reviews, it sounds like it might be a winner. But I need someone to test it for me. I'll buy the machine and send it to you. The only thing you need to do is buy a bottle of quality bubble solution, fire up the bubble machine when it arrives and report your results, including a photo.

If you'd like to enter the drawing to be my bubble machine tester, and to see the photos of the tea towels and their winners, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/towel-winners.html

* Congratulations to the winners of Mambo in Chinatown by Guest Columnist, Jean Kwok: Nancy R., Qin T., Becky M., Wendy P. and David F.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: UNTIL I FOUND YOU (Fiction) by Victoria Bylin

When a reformed rebel meets a woman who's cautious to a fault, sparks fly, especially when they're forced to work together at the local newspaper. If you like stories with emotion, danger and a pinch of humor, you'll enjoy this one.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on UNTIL I FOUND YOU to read more and to email author Victoria Bylin, you'll get a reply.

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these titles deserve your attention:

(Fiction)
ONE MORE LAST CHANCE by Cathleen Armstrong

(Fiction)
BRIDGE TO HAVEN by Francine Rivers

(Fiction)
THE HIDDEN CHILD by Camilla Lackberg

(Fiction)
SILENCED by Dani Pettrey

(Fiction)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU by Victoria Bylin

(Fiction)
CUTTING TEETH by Julia Fierro

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book THE HOUSE OF ULLOA by Emilia Pardo. Start reading now and don't forget to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin Totebag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFEF39295A&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-14-14

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,

I'd rather buy a ticket to be backstage during a performance, than sitting in the audience. What goes on behind the scenes, the inner workings of what it takes to create something, that's where the magic happens for me.

Today's guest columnist, author Mary Rickert (The Memory Garden) shares the magic she discovered wandering "behind the scenes"...

My Teacher

I had come to Amherst to visit Emily Dickinson's house, but it was closed. In a way, this seemed right, pacing the yard, looking up at the dark windows and firmly shut doors; was there a poet whose work might be better expressed through a house that could not be entered than Emily Dickinson? Actually, standing in the shadow of her trees, alone in her yard, seemed more intimate than wandering through staged rooms on a guided tour could ever be.

Afterwards, I went to lunch at an Indian restaurant that featured simple furnishings, and a small buffet. I don't remember why I began talking to the man sitting at the nearby table, only that we spoke of Emily and poetry. He mentioned working at the nearby university. I asked if he was a professor there; he smiled and shook his head. No, he was a janitor.

He told me how, growing up in India, his father annually read Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" to him. Now, my new friend said, whenever the season's first snow fell he went to a special place, a clearing in the woods nearby, where he recited the poem about solitude, distance, the sound of falling snow and the inquisitive shake of a horse's harness bells.

I never saw him again, but all these years later, I remember my friend, the janitor, as the best poetry teacher I ever had. When the first flakes fall I recite Robert Frost's poem and think of the father reading it to his son in India, and I think of the son, grown now, emptying trash cans and washing floors, or perhaps, far away in Amherst, standing in a snowy clearing, and I think of Emily too. The snow falls and the bells in Frost's poem ring, and for just a moment we are not separated by time or distance. There is no door closed against words, nor distance words cannot bridge, I think. The snow falls all the way in India, the bells ring forever, and we, who never knew each other and never will, are joined through poetry.

--Mary Rickert

Please send an email welcoming Mary Rickert to the book club and when you do, you'll be entering in a drawing for a copy of The Memory Garden. Mary has three books to give away to readers. Email: mrickert674@gmail.com

"Behind the scenes" of author Mary Rickert:

Mary has worked as a Disneyland balloon vendor and at Sequoia National Park. She lives in Wisconsin in a small city of candy shops and gardens. The Memory Garden is her debut novel. A Nebula-award nominee for short fiction, and a World Fantasy Award winner for her collection Map of Dreams, Mary received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book THE HOUSE OF ULLOA by Emilia Pardo. Start reading now and don't forget to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin Totebag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFEF39295A&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: SILENCED (Fiction) by Dani Pettrey

A day of rock climbing takes a disturbing turn when Kayden McKenna's route brings her face-to-face with a dead climber. Her climbing expertise soon leads her and Deputy Jake Cavanaugh to the realization that the death was no accident. And worse, it seems the killer is onto them. When strange things begin happening in Yancey, Jake is terrified that once again his world may put someone he loves in danger. But the truth is far worse than he could ever imagine.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SILENCED to read more and to email author Dani Pettrey, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 05-13-14

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,

Be sure to check out this month's featured Penguin Classics, THE HOUSE OF ULLOA by Emilia Pardo. Click on the link to start reading and to enter the drawing for a free Penguin Tote Bag. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFEF39295A&c=CLASSICS

Most of the time I'm just living in the moment, enjoying folks and not thinking twice about people's motives. But other days, like today, apparently I'm a paranoid mess.

The bug man just came and went. He was so cheery during his visit, talking about the weather and how glassy the water looked in the Gulf of Mexico today. He'd noticed it as he drove by. The guy carried on such a pleasant conversation that I started wondering, 'What could he want?'

The first thing I thought of was that he must have been the same person who serviced our house last month. Maybe I gave him cookies and he was being nice, hoping I'd give him cookies again.

"Usually I have cookies, but I'm cookie-less today," I told him.

"Oh, you like to bake? Well I sure hope I show up sometime when you're baking and I get to sample some of your cookies."

Okay, so he's never had my cookies. So why is he being so friendly? A man driving from house to house, spraying for bugs and critters and he's such a friendly, happy guy. This is strange.

No, I'm the strange one. What's happened to me today? How embarrassing. Someone's nice and the first thing I think about is, 'What does this person want?'

Okay, regroup. No harm done. At least I caught myself early in the day. I'm the only one who knows what I was thinking, but I'll definitely be baking the next time the delightful Bug Man comes around.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: BRIDGE TO HAVEN (Fiction) by Francine Rivers

In this riveting and highly anticipated tale of temptation, grace, and unconditional love, New York Times best-selling author Francine Rivers delivers big-canvas storytelling at its very best.

And a Bonus Book!

THE HIDDEN CHILD (Fiction) by Camilla Lackberg

Erica Falck finds a Nazi medal among her late mother's possessions and unwittingly sets in motion the unveiling of a past others want hidden so badly, they'll kill to keep it that way.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on the book titles to find out more about the books and the authors. Send the authors an email, they'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 05-12-14

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 old custom of asking to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor is still alive, but at my house it's not sugar folks want to borrow, it's bubbles. Three different strangers have knocked on my door in the past month.

Knock, knock, knock. A boy who looked to be 10 years old called in through my screen door, "Hi, my mom is out in the car, she wants to know where you got that bubble machine."

I walked out to the car with the young man. His mother flung open the door on the passenger side and leaned over towards me, "I'm getting married in a couple of weeks, where did you get that bubble machine? I love it. The bubbles made me smile so much that I drove around the block a few times so I could drive through them again and again."

Knock, knock, knock. "I know this might seem strange, because you don't know me. But I walk by your house all the time and I love your bubble machine. Look at those bubbles!" He was pointing to my bubble machine in the front of the house. There was a good breeze so the bubbles were swirling around like crazy in the sky. "We're having a birthday party for our grandson and I was wondering if I could rent your bubble machine for a day?"

Knock, knock, knock. "Are you the bubble lady? I love your bubble machine. My daughter is getting married in our back yard in two weeks, I was wondering if I could rent your bubble machine?"

"Rent my bubble machine? Oh please," I tell them as I wave my hand in the air. "No, you can't rent my machine, but I'll lend it to you. I'm so happy you were courageous enough to knock on my door and ask."

When I give, I do indeed receive the nicest thank you notes, describing the party and how much fun everyone had with the bubbles. Who would have thought I'd grow up to be the bubble lady.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: ONE MORE LAST CHANCE (Fiction) by Cathleen Armstrong

Sarah Cooley has come home to Last Chance, New Mexico because it never changes. Chris Reed comes to town planning to turn a much-loved local diner into a destination restaurant, one he hopes will bring people from all over the Southwest. But while Sarah and Chris clash over who has the right to define Last Chance, change does blow through the town--in ways they never saw coming.

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

Dear Reader Column 05-09-14

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,

Cards lined up on the runway waiting for take-off, my daughter has developed a system for making sure she gets birthday and holiday cards sent out (on time), to everyone in the family. But whoops, air traffic control had a little mix-up this year.

"Happy Birthday Mom!" Love, Sam

It's a very cute card. When I opened it animated cats and kittens popped up, peeking out from behind flowers. (I think I could even hear a meow or two.) Wow, my daughter is really organized this year, but maybe a little too organized. My birthday isn't until May 26th. I didn't want Sam to feel embarrassed, so I sent her this email:

"Thank you for the birthday card. It's never too early to start celebrating!" Love, Mom

And my daughter's reply:

"There are so many family birthdays in May and June I thought I had a full-proof system lined up on my dresser. But whoops, I must have accidentally sent your birthday card first. Your Mother's Day card will be coming on your birthday!" Love, Sam

Don't forget Mom this Sunday.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE PROMISE: A Tragic Accident, a Paralyzed Bride, and the Power of Love, Loyalty, and Friendship (NonFiction) by Rachelle Friedman

Just weeks before my wedding, four of my friends threw me a bachelorette party. At the end of a perfect evening of dancing and celebration, we decided to take a moonlight swim. One of my friends playfully pushed me into the water...two feet too far from the deep end. That chilling moment changed our lives forever. I broke my neck and was paralyzed from the chest down. On the night of the accident, we five girls made an unspoken agreement to never reveal the name of the friend who had pushed me into the pool--and our bond has remained unbroken. A story of finding the incredible strength inside each of us that we never knew we had.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE PROMISE to read more and to email author Rachelle Friedman, you'll get a reply.

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 kids and teens: The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow and Nerd Camp 2.0 by Elissa Brent Weissman. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-08-14

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,

Everybody asks, but authors hate it when they do. Read all about it in today's guest column written by author D. F. (Don) Bailey...

"A novelist? So...do you write dialogue?"

"Yes. Almost every day," I said.

She paused. "Well. I just don't know how you do that."

So began one of the more pleasant conversations about writing that I've had in months. To my surprise, it unfolded with a complete stranger in the midst of an evening cocktail party.

When I let slip that I write novels (which I avoid, for reasons apparent in the following paragraphs) the most common reply is a complete show-stopper: "So, what's your book about?"

Now I know most people are well-meaning and just trying to get along in a social situation that's uncomfortable for everyone. However, this question is equivalent to asking a composer, "So, can you hum a few bars for me?" Or a dog: "Can you shake a paw?"

To make matters worse, this idle chatter usually unravels in a room surrounded by trays of luke-warm, fried dipping-foods, where the best response I can muster is something like, "Have you seen the dill-pickle tray?" A civil reply, I think, considering the sort of tirade that drunk, mid-30s writers holler aloud. ("What's it about? It's about the fact that I opened a vein to write this story with my blood.")

So you can imagine my delight to hear an intelligent question about dialogue! This was a woman worth talking to. I actually had to think how to explain the process of writing dialogue; that it's more about listening than speaking.

Like all else in the narrative process, I told her, composing dialogue is part of the "creative flow." Everything is apparent, you know what you are doing and where you are headed. You attend to recording the experience, the action, the feelings--and the words spoken by your imagined characters.

The immersed writer is listening carefully to what her characters are saying. She (the writer) sees the characters before her and shuts away all awareness of herself. She listens to what they whisper, what they murmur, what they say to one another at work, in bed, as they set off to the moon.

From time to time she makes small errors or misinterpretations, and for a moment her self-awareness returns and she slips out of the creative flow. She thinks, no that's not what he said ("kill me")--he said, "kiss me!" When she has it right, her self-awareness evaporates again and she re-submerges into the creative flow. Hours can pass this way, working in and out of the stream, running with and against the currents. The writing session is followed by a sense of dissipation. And elation. Yes, it's an act of love.

So the next time you're talking to a writer, try this: "So, tell me what your characters talk about." After a bit of back-and-forth, raise your eyebrows insightfully and ask, "And which ones drive you absolutely crazy?"

I guarantee that your author will not ask for the dill-pickle tray. Who knows, you might even land an invitation to dinner.

It's such a pleasure to be able to visit the book club today. I'm giving away five copies of my novel, The Good Lie. For a chance to win, email me your name and mailing address before May 25 using the online form on my website: http://www.dfbailey.com/contact.php It may take a little time, but I answer all email.

--D. F. Bailey

About the author:

Don's novel, Fire Eyes, was a finalist for the W.H. Smith First Novel Award and Exit From America, made its debut in 2013. For twenty-two years he worked at the University of Victoria teaching creative writing and journalism. In the fall of 2010 he left the university so he could turn his pre-occupation with writing into a full-blown obsession.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: With so many new books out every week, we promise these titles deserve your attention:

(Fiction)
IN THE MIRROR by Kaira Rouda

(Fiction)
THE HAZARDS OF HUNTING WHILE HEARTBROKEN by Mari Passananti

(Fiction)
A SWEET LIFE by Brenda Novak

(NonFiction)
THE PROMISE: A Tragic Accident, a Paralyzed Bride, and the Power of Love, Loyalty, and Friendship by Rachelle Friedman

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

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-07-14

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,

Reading your emails is the best part of my day. Thanks for taking the time to write.

My Reader Email Bag:

"My schedule is so crazy right now that I finally had a moment to sit down and read over your emails from last week and I particularly loved your Follow Your Heart post! I'm the Early Start Bookmobile manager and I have no one to blame for my schedule but me--I create the schedules for all my stops. Wednesday is the busiest day in my schedule, I see almost 200 kids and do nine story times in one day. I come home exhausted and wanting to crawl into bed but I still have one teen and one tween at home who expect dinner and conversation (all I want is popcorn and wine--why can't they be happy with popcorn and milk)!

So two weeks ago, I decided enough was enough and created mystery Wacky Wednesdays. It's spontaneous for them but I have to plan for our visits while they are still in school--once summer comes I'm going to write down a bunch of ideas and pick out of a jar so that it will be a mystery for all of us. I decided we needed a little fun and craziness in our lives. Life stinks sometimes but I try to find some joy in the everydayness of our crazy lives because I know that very shortly I will be the only one in the house and yes, I'll be eating popcorn and drinking wine!"--Loree S.

"Hi Suzanne, I always look forward to seeing what you will include in your little personal anecdotes at the beginning and enjoy reading every one of them so far. Also I enjoy having the opportunity to preview a bit of a new book so I can know whether to get it or not."--Daisy S.

"Hi Suzanne, I saw a couple this weekend at a Walmart in SW Indiana, and the woman sooo reminded me of you. She was neatly dressed, in black; had a black tee, black flats & black flats. But she had a scarf around her neck, I think it was white. Her hair was just like yours. I was sooo close to running up to her and grabbing her hand to tell her how much I love your column!

I decided I really need to thank you, yourself, not a look-a-like' in the Wally-world parking lot. Thank you so much for what you do. It's a instant feel good moment reading your notes each day. Please continue."--Lori L.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: A SWEET LIFE (Fiction) by Brenda Novak

Don't miss this digital boxed set of contemporary romances by fourteen bestselling authors for only $2.99. Including stories from Bella Andre, Barbara Freethy, Heather Graham, Julia Kent, Susan Mallery, Carly Phillips, Jennifer Probst, RaeAnne Thayne, Rachel Van Dyken, Susan Wiggs, Lauren Hawkeye, Steena Holmes and Jane Porter as well as my own full-length novel, A Baby of Her Own. Please note this limited edition collection will only be available during the month of May and all proceeds go to diabetes research.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on A SWEET LIFE to read more and to email author Brenda Novak, you'll get a reply.

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 kids and teens: The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow and Nerd Camp 2.0 by Elissa Brent Weissman. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 05-06-14

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,

Living a life less ordinary suits me just fine. It takes courage to stray from normal and I try to stray every chance I get. Doing things differently keeps life exciting, and more importantly keeps me true to myself.

The bright, pink-haired teenager I walked by the other day--it's a-okay with me. People with pink hair give the world a little unexpected color, but it's not a good look for me. I know, because on one trip to the salon, when I was getting my roots touched up the stylist miss-measured the formula and I had pink roots--at least for a couple of hours.

Living a life less ordinary--It doesn't always have to be something monumental: don't eat lunch just because it's noon, I might have a hamburger with pickles and onions for breakfast if that's what my body seems to be craving. Sometimes I do my work in the middle of the night and nap during the day. I can work from an office in my home and if I didn't want to get dressed all day long, well who's to know, but me. Reporters have interviewed me while I was still in my pajamas and the story turned out just fine.

Someone once said to me that I always seem comfortable in my own skin and it's true. Most of the time, I am. I realize I don't always see things the way other people do, and that someone else's path in life might look a lot different than mine, but that's okay, because I appreciate their diversity. I can only hope they appreciate mine.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE HAZARDS OF HUNTING WHILE HEARTBROKEN (Fiction) by Mari Passananti

Zoe thinks her world will implode when her fiance dumps her. After a decade off the market, Zoe feels like a teenager about to be eaten alive by the New York dating scene. Enter Oscar. He's handsome, charming, attentive and rich--the perfect boyfriend. But does he harbor a dark secret? Or will Zoe torpedo her newfound happiness by indulging a far fetched suspicion?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE HAZARDS OF HUNTING WHILE HEARTBROKEN to find out more about the book and the author, Mari Passananti. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 05-05-14

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,

Laughter is the best medicine and I was laughing earlier today. Belly laugh, slap your knee laugh. Laughing in-between coughing, wheezing and blowing my nose. Light headed for days with a horrible cold, I was starting to rebel. Sick of being sick, I decided to go about my normal routine. Rest, plenty of fluids and chicken soup weren't bringing the cure fast enough. So I whizzed through the dishes, emptied all the trash, picked up and put away stuff that wasn't where it should be, and loaded the washer with whites.

Swish, swish, the agitation sound was comforting, like the white noise in a massage room, until BEEP, BEEP, THUD, THUD. "Alert, alert," something is terribly wrong inside the washer. When I opened up the lid, I was looking at a big wadded-up ball of clothing. Fabric gets heavy when it's soaked with water. Grunting and groaning, (weak from sneezing and wheezing) I lifted up the 50 pound water weighted white ball and started peeling away the sheet surrounding the outside.

Towels, socks, pillow cases, my blue shoe---'My blue shoe?' My blue leather shoe-- you know you're sick--real sick when you wash your shoe. Yes, laughter is the best medicine.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

P.S. I imagine you're wondering if the shoe is ruined? I'm wondering that, too. At the moment of this writing, my blue shoe is drying in the sun. If it survived, I'll wash the other one so I have a clean, matching pair.

AUTHORBUZZ: IN THE MIRROR (Fiction) by Kaira Rouda

Jennifer Benson has it all: a great career, a perfect husband, two kids and plenty of friends. The only problem is she may be dying. This novel a realistic story about Jennifer's loves past and present. It asks the tough question, if you knew you might die soon, what choices would you make? As you read Jennifer's journey, ask yourself how many warnings you ignore every day.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on IN THE MIRROR to read more and to email author Kaira Rouda, you'll get a reply.