Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 08-15-14

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,

Congratulations to chocolate chip cookie winners: Karen Rick, Mary Jo Clingman, and Heidi Daum. I'll be baking this weekend and your cookies will be delivered next week. Yum! Yum! Please send me a photo, I sure would appreciate it.

Doing a little book club housekeeping today: If you ever have trouble receiving your daily read, be sure to send me an email. I'm happy to help. Book suggestions, any other suggestions to make the book club more fun? Let me know. Or if you'd like to see an author featured as the guest columnist, send me an email and I'll do my best to fulfill your request.

Hundreds of readers entered this year's Dear Reader writing contest and I'm reading through the entries right now. Thanks for your submissions. The winners will be announced in September.

If you're on Facebook, be sure to "Like" your library's page. To keep tabs on this year's writing contest winners, cookie winners and other happenings at the book club, go to: https://www.facebook.com/pages/DearReadercom/291327524280953

Have a wonderful weekend.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE WOMAN OF LA MANCHA (Fiction) by Karen Mann

You need not have read Don Quixote to enjoy this companion book, a funny, lusty, epic adventure that takes place in the perilous but enchanting world of sixteenth-century Spain. When Luscinda runs away from home, she falls right into the life of Quixote's Dulcinea and becomes not only the object of romantic obsession, but a provocative, daring woman who experiences the full sweep of human capability: generosity and love, hope and perseverance, cruelty and betrayal.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE WOMAN OF LA MANCHA to read more and to email author Karen Mann, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-14-14

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,

Thanks for taking the time to send an email. And a special thanks to librarian Mildred Hottmann Roesch for sending me a delightful apron magazine that's inspired me to try creating my own apron from leftover material I have sitting around the house.

Emails From Readers:

"Hi Suzanne, Thank you so much for sharing your life! Your story about the oven repairman saved me as a humorist at my Toastmasters Club's meeting. I retold your story to my fellow club members and received a huge laugh from everyone when mentioning the '80% accuracy' rule. Love your column and keep up with the good work!"
--Hui

* If you missed the oven repairman column, go to: http://dearreader.typepad.com/dear/2014/05/dear-reader-column-05-29-14.html

"Suzanne, I entered the [Authorbuzz] contest a few weeks back to win one of Tessa Smith McGovern's books Cocktails for Book Lovers. I told her I belonged to a book club and it would be fun to pair a drink with a book. I didn't win, but she wrote me that if I would review her book she would send me one anyway. She did. Truly cute little book, source of good authors as well as cocktails. (I reviewed it on Amazon.) Our August book club meeting, the book is The Paris Wife, by Ernest Hemingway, whose drink is in this book, so I plan to make a batch of mojitos and take them to the meeting and take a photo of her book and us drinking them."--Pat C.

"Hello there: I hope this message finds all well with you. I chuckled when I read your message for today. I actually was still awake when it came in at just after midnight, but saved it to read for later today when I woke. You are partially correct in your answer that YOU are the biggest cause of stress in your life.... You have made soooo many people happy by spreading your wonderful personality and going above and beyond the book clubs by baking cookies, giving away the bubble machines, etc. You are just such a giving person!! So if you must truthfully answer the question, you must put all of us down as an answer, yep, guilty as charged, and happy to be included!!"--Lynn J.

"I do not have time for one more book to read, but 15 seconds into the Black Hour I am hooked. Pick a bad book next week so I can read your note and go on."--Jim B.

* Congratulations to Lisa M., the winner of the gift package from Guest Columnist Laura Benedict, author of Bliss House.

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)
THE ONE (The Only One #1) by Belle Ami

(Fiction)
SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair

(Fiction)
THE GHOST BRIDE by Yangsze Choo

(Fiction)
THE WOMAN OF LA MANCHA by Karen Mann

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

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 08-13-14

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,

Today's guest columnist, Sonya Cobb is an author and advertising copywriter living in Westchester County, New York, with her two children and her husband, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Objects of Her Affection, Sonya's first novel, is about a woman who in the throes of early motherhood, begins stealing objects from her husband's office at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Selling the objects help keep her house out of foreclosure, but it also satisfies something deep inside, during a time when she feels desperate for a sense of fulfillment and purpose.

Check your library for her book and enjoy her column today. Please send Sonya an email welcoming her to the book club. And when you do, you'll also be entered in a drawing for a copy of her book. She has three copies of The Objects of Her Affection to give away to readers.

Email: sonya@sonyacobb.com

Take it away, Sonya...

Have you seen the movie Man on Wire? It's about Philippe Petit, the French tightrope walker who, in 1974, strung a wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center and walked across. Petit considers himself an artist, and like most artists, he feels that taking risks is the only way to create something truly original. Unlike most artists, he takes risks that could actually kill him.

I've never walked on a tightrope, but I imagine the scariest part isn't the first step onto the wire--it's the moment you reach the middle. At that point you've gone too far to turn back, and there's an awful lot of wire still in front of you. Quitting is no longer an option.

I've been feeling that way lately because I'm nearing the halfway point of my new novel. When I was writing my first book I relied heavily on a plot outline; I had most scenes mapped out before I ever wrote a word. The outline was my safety harness, and it was very reassuring--it was the first time I'd ever written a novel, and my legs were extremely wobbly.

This time I'm writing without a harness. I wanted to try working less carefully, more spontaneously, leaving myself open to inspiration. It's a mental game, as I'm sure it is for a tightrope walker. You have to keep moving forward without thinking too hard about what you're doing. The minute you say to yourself, "Wow, I sure am high off the ground, I'd better not make any mistakes," you freeze--or worse.

Letting go, trusting my instincts, focusing on the joy of the journey rather than the destination--these are skills I want to cultivate in my life, not just my writing. In the words of Philippe Petit, "Life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion: to refuse to tape yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge--and then you are going to live your life on a tightrope."

--Sonya Cobb
Email: sonya@sonyacobb.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE GHOST BRIDE (Fiction) by Yangsze Choo

Li Lan, a young Chinese woman in lush, 1890s colonial Malaya, hopes for a favorable marriage. But the proposal she receives from the wealthy Lim family is for their dead son, who begins to shadow her mirror and her dreams. Set in the elaborate world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper servants, and burned funeral offerings.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE GHOST BRIDE to read more and to email author Yangsze Choo, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-12-14

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,

I used to tell a little too much about myself when I first met someone, but through the years I've learned how to socially temper when and how much I share. Because giving too much of myself right away--it can scare people. Yet sharing my life, it's who I am. So I can't help myself. It's not that I think I know everything, or that I'm the most important person in the room. I talk about my life, the good and the bad, because I wish that along the way, someone would have shared their thoughts and feelings with me. Growing up I felt like I was the only one feeling afraid, alone, and lost. Someone could have rescued me, if they'd only been brave, and told me a little too much about themselves.

But it's true, too much information too soon, it can give folks the wrong impression--they think I'm a nut in need of therapy. So instead, every day in my column, I tell stories. I write about the things I see around me and how they make me feel. I'm even willing to talk about things that would embarrass most people. I can easily laugh at myself and tell the story about the time I discovered I'd been walking around a room with a lint roller stuck to my butt, when I was trying to impress someone with my business knowledge.

My stories are brave. The most important stories for me to tell are the times that didn't go so well. My fears and inadequacies, when I write them down for other people to read, I hope it's comforting for them to know "they're not the only one." Or maybe they can find solace in the knowledge that someone out there--meaning me--is more screwed up than they are.

And as it goes in life, when I give, I receive. My stories rescue me, too. Because it's in my weaknesses that I find my strength.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: SHOW ME, BABY (Fiction) by Cherise Sinclair

To me, our world's shining beacons are women who have overcome suffering and gone on to live outstanding lives. I love writing about heroines who are dealing with the past and learning to live in the present. Show Me, Baby is the story of Rainie, who has fought her way out of the slums, and finds her reward with Master Jake.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SHOW ME, BABY to find out more about the book and the author, Cherise Sinclair. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 08-11-14

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,

(Suzanne is taking a vacation day. This is a favorite column about Rudy, her cat, who lived for 25 years.)

It's a ritual. First thing every morning, after I make my coffee, I sit on the sofa and Rudy my 17-year-old white cat sits beside me. We drink coffee and watch a sitcom I've TIVO'd from the night before. I've been studying old sitcoms for the past year, trying to improve my humor writing. The first time through, Rudy and I watch the show for the laughs, the second time--we study the laughs.

But yesterday morning I changed my routine. I'd been reading a novel the night before and even though I was on the verge of finding out who "done it," it had been such a long day that I couldn't keep my mind focused on what I was reading any longer, and I fell asleep.

So first thing this morning instead of sitting on the sofa and watching sitcoms, I headed for my sun room. (It's where I do most of my reading.) Coffee and book in hand, I settled into my big comfy stuffed chair and turned on the reading light.

Ten minutes later Rudy came in the sun room, jumped up on the arm of the chair and sat there staring at me, 'What's up, why aren't we sitting on the sofa, in the living room, like we normally do every morning?'

I could clearly see the confusion in his eyes. And when I didn't immediately get up and follow him into the living room, he came back and did another stare-down. This time with even more determination, so I followed him into the living room.

I've got to hand it to Rudy. He knows what he wants and he asks for it. I really should be more like him. Sometimes I expect people to read my mind. I want them to say or do something because it's important to me. But I don't let them know what I need--not willing to give them a clue. 'Well, if I have to ask then it wouldn't be heartfelt on their part.' That's my justification for not saying anything--phooey. Rudy's request felt very heartfelt to me and I appreciated him letting me know what he wanted. In fact it felt pretty good knowing that our regular morning rendezvous was so important to him. A friend letting another friend know what he needs--Rudy's got the right idea.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE ONE (The Only One #1) (Fiction) by Belle Ami

Adelia, a rising star in the equestrian world, is still reeling from her parents' deaths in a tragic car accident when she meets green energy investment banker Miles Bremen. Miles ignites a passion within Adelia she never knew existed, and the two quickly find themselves entwined in a torrid love affair that knows no bounds. This sexy thriller plunges readers into a world of obsessive love and shocking betrayal as Adelia learns that her charming wealthy new husband has dark secrets he would do anything to protect.

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

Dear Reader Column 08-08-14

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,

I filled out a New Patient form in a doctor's office the other day and one of the Tell-Me-About-Yourself questions was, "What's the biggest cause of stress in your life?"

My answer: Me.

It was an instantaneous response. At first I was kind of amused, 'That was a good one Suzanne, pretty funny.' But then when I started to cross out "Me" and tried to think of a "real" answer, I realized that I had it right the first time--and that was a little scary.

I didn't want to seem like a nut when the doctor reviewed the form, so I considered some other multiple choice answers.

A.) Work.

Okay, work is stressful sometimes--and why? Well, let's see, there are deadlines, but then again, maybe "Me" has just-a-little bit to do with the stress in my work. I'm my own boss, I set most of my own deadlines, so exactly who is stressing me?

B.) My husband.

Yeah, there must be something that he does to cause stress in my life. Let's see, he gives me a foot rub every night, encourages me in any new thing I want to try, and is constantly telling me to lighten up on myself. That doesn't sound stressful to me.

So what's up? Why does this stress keep following me around all the time? Wherever I go it seems to be there.

Hmm. Maybe that's a clue.

* Have you entered this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway? If your name is drawn, I bake you some of my Chocolate Chip Cookies, overnight them to you and you get to dunk and munch. To see past book club winners, and to enter this month's cookie drawing, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Cookie080514.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: QUEEN OF HEARTS (Mystery) by Rhys Bowen

The 8th book in NYT bestselling Royal Spyness series, featuring Lady Georgie--35th in line to the throne but penniless and trying to make her way in the difficult world of 1930s England. Usually Georgie is struggling but in this book she is whisked to the glamorous world of Hollywood with her actress mother. Life is no less dangerous among the rich and famous, but certainly lot of fun.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on QUEEN OF HEARTS to read more and to email author Rhys Bowen, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-07-14

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,

I've got a little secret about today's guest author, John Clement; this coming Monday is his birthday. So I just put a card in the mail. John is the son of author Blaize Clement, who originated the Dixie Hemingway mystery series. Before my friend Blaize passed away, she collaborated with her son on the plots and characters for forthcoming novels. Blaize lived nearby me in Sarasota, Florida for many years; her son John lives in New York City. The latest book in the popular Dixie Hemingway series is The Cat Sitter's Nine Lives, and John has just finished the revisions for the tenth book, The Cat Sitter's Whiskers due out next spring.

Please send a birthday email and welcome John to the book club, and he will also enter your name in a drawing for a copy of his latest book, The Cat Sitter's Nine Lives. Email: john@dixiehemingway.com

Welcome to the book clubs author John Clement (his mother would be so proud!) . . .

Recently, I was asked to speak on a panel at a writers conference. The topic was "What is a Cozy Mystery?" If you don't know what a cozy mystery is, welcome to the club. I don't either, even though, technically, I write them...

I didn't plan on being a cozy writer. My mother, Blaize Clement, didn't either. In fact, she didn't plan on writing cozies until she'd already written one. It was Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter, the first of what became a very popular series set in Siesta Key, a sleepy island off the west coast of Florida. The books follow the adventures of Dixie Hemingway, an ex-sheriff's deputy turned professional cat sitter, and much like Jessica Fletcher and Miss Marple before her, Dixie has a curious talent for tracking down murderers.

My mother passed away in 2011, just as she was putting the finishing touches on her seventh book. She had asked me to continue the series, and because I'd been taught to mind my mother, that's exactly what I did. (I wrote about it in a little more detail here, http://dearreader.typepad.com/dear/2012/02/dear-reader-column-02-06-12.html) The eighth book came out last year, the ninth is in stores this month, I've just finished final edits on the tenth, and I'm currently hard at work on the eleventh.

The point is: I ought to know what a cozy is by now.

The panel consisted of six authors, all of whom had been chosen because they supposedly write cozies, and all of whom when given half a chance denied it (albeit with varying degrees of certitude). We all agreed that the term "cozy" is just plain terrible, but we did manage to come up with a basic set of rules that defines the genre:

1) The main character is female;
2) She lives in a small, quaint village;
3) She is an amateur sleuth, not a detective or officer of the law;
4) The amount of sex and gore, on a scale of Zero to Zilch, is Nada; and
5) The maximum number of curse words is (see #4).

The problem with all these rules, of course, is that every one of them has been broken, often very successfully and by very successful authors, chief among them Agatha Christie, the grandest of the grandes dames of cozy writers. And while I've gotten a few letters accusing me of using certain "naughty" words my mother would never have approved of, she herself broke rules #4 and #5 on a regular basis--way more, in fact, than I have.

But one idea that came up during the panel has stuck with me. It's that in a really good cozy, the writer creates an intriguing world where, simply put, the reader wants to be--a world you want to go back to again and again and again. A world that feels like home.

I love that idea.

I think it explains the popularity of cozy mysteries perfectly, especially given how uncertain the "real" world feels sometimes, and it's exactly why I've gotten so much joy writing about Dixie. And since I'm now in the habit of thinking like an amateur sleuth on a regular basis, I can't help but take an even closer look. It occurs to me that I myself am living in an intriguing world created for me by my mother--the world of the cozy writer.

I still don't know what the heck a cozy is, but it's a world I'm very, very happy to be in.

* To enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Cookie080514.html

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)
MIRACLE IN A DRY SEASON by Sarah Loudin Thomas

(NonFiction)
90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN by Don Piper

(Fiction)
A MATTER OF MERCY by Lynne Hugo

(Mystery)
QUEEN OF HEARTS by Rhys Bowen

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

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 08-06-14

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,

I'm ready to bake. Are you ready to dunk and munch some of my homemade chocolate chip cookies? Enter my cookie giveaway today. I'll choose three book club readers and overnight cookies to their front doors. To enter and to see photos of past cookie winners and the most recent bubble machine winner, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Cookie080514.html

Chocolate chip cookies are the #1 favorite of Americans and book club readers, too. (I've been baking cookies for years for my readers and it's the most popular giveaway I feature.) Chocolate cookies are the second favorite, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (my husband's favorite) rank third. Unless you're taking a poll of American rats. Scientists have discovered that rats become quickly addicted to Oreo cookies, and just like humans, they eat the creamy white center of the cookie first. (Though I don't imagine they twist off the top of the cookie, lick out the creamy center and then eat the two chocolate wafers, like I do.)

Thin Mints are the best-selling Girl Scout Cookies and Chips Ahoy! (chewy, chunky, and original--in that order), are America's favorite store bought cookie.

But I still rank my homemade chocolate cookie as number one, and I bet you will, too. Be sure to enter today's giveaway. If your name is chosen, all you have to do is promise to send a photo of you enjoying the cookies.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: A MATTER OF MERCY (Fiction) by Lynne Hugo

Do you love the beach? I grew up near Cape Cod and go there often. In the late nineties, I met oyster and clam farmers working in Wellfleet harbor at low tide. When I learned about a lawsuit to shut them down and how they fought to save themselves, I had to weave that legal drama into a novel. And what's a beach without a love story? If you saw someone you'd known a little bit in high school out alone in a nor'easter frantically trying to save his livelihood, what would you do?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on A MATTER OF MERCY to read more and to email author Lynne Hugo, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-05-14

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,

If I could go back and change something in my life, I don't think I'd mess with the way things were. Looking back, it might seem like saying no, instead of yes, might have been a better choice. But who's to know, and besides even the bad stuff in my life, it's made me who I am today. And I didn't turn out too bad!

Today's guest author, Laura Benedict, takes a look at the gifts in her life and how they've shaped who she is and shares with us a little of what it's like to determine the gifts of the characters she creates. What about you? Send Laura an email, welcome her to the book clubs (she will reply), and you'll be entered in her fabulous giveaway. Win a copy of Devil's Oven, her Appalachian Frankenstein tale, a peacock memo cube (Peacocks are a theme in Bliss House), and an elegant little LED flashlight for reading under the covers. Drop her an email at laura@laurabenedict.com to say hello and to be entered in the drawing.

If you made a list of the gifts that enrich your life, what would it look like? In my own life, I've observed that the gifts and blessings I value most are prone to change, depending on the circumstances.

As a writer, I have the wonderfully godlike job of choosing my characters' gifts. I bestow challenges, too, of course, to keep things interesting and larger-than-life.

Meet Ariel Adams of my novel, Bliss House. At age 12, Ariel had the perfect life--adoring parents, good friends, a talent for dance, a great sense of humor, beauty, plans for the future. But I had to take most of it away to tell her story. She loses her home and father in the accident that left her permanently scarred. She walks with a cane and no longer dances. She rejects her friends because she cannot bear their pity. When her mother moves her across the country to start fresh, Ariel turns bitter and lets her anger drive a wedge between them.

Ariel will never again have a fairytale life, but as Bliss House unfolds, I replace her former gifts with everything she needs to get through the (often violent, harrowing) trials set before her:

--Love. Ariel believes she is able to communicate with her father, that he is watching out for her. Is he really? All that matters is that her love--a love stronger than death--helps her persevere.

--Bravery. While her actions often border on foolhardy, this girl learns to fight back. She may even have to save her own life.

--A forgiving heart. It's not giving too much away to say that--sometime during the course of the story--Ariel begins to understand that her mother isn't to blame for her scars.

--A talisman. One of her greatest treasures is a cufflink she finds in her mother's car. Everything else belonging to her father is gone.

--That sense of humor. It's not as strong as before, but it helps build bridges to the people who care about her.

--Trust. Ariel is reluctant to trust anyone, and sometimes chooses the wrong people. But unless she trusts, she can't move forward.

I didn't notice how different this second list is from the description of how Ariel's previous life was until I read over it a couple of times. In happy times, we may count the outer trappings of our lives as the best gifts, but it's our mostly intangible gifts that make the difference when life gets difficult.

--Laura Benedict
laura@laurabenedict.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN, 10th Anniversary Edition (NonFiction) by Don Piper

Twenty-five years ago I was hit by a truck on my way to church. I was killed instantly and spent the next 90 minutes in heaven. This is my story of death and life and recovery and the search for a new normal. Please take this journey with me and the millions of others whose lives have been touched by this miraculous story.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN to find out more about the book and the author, Don Piper. Send him an email, he'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 08-04-14

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,

You have until 12 midnight tonight to enter this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. I write better under deadline pressure, and I bet you will, too. No time to fret and worry, just write.

Write, read what you've written out loud (that's the best way to edit your copy), go back and make some changes, and click--send in your entry--by midnight tonight.

For all the contest details, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/contest2014/index.html

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: MIRACLE IN A DRY SEASON (Fiction) by Sarah Loudin Thomas

When drought strikes 1954 Wise, WV, it takes an unwed mother's miraculous way with food to teach Casewell Phillips what love and forgiveness mean.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on MIRACLE IN A DRY SEASON to read more and to email author Sarah Loudin Thomas, you'll get a reply.