Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 03-17-15

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 invited me out to breakfast this morning. He'd read about a new restaurant in the newspaper, and he thought we should try it.

"I'd love to," I told him. "Just give me a minute to brew some coffee."

Now making coffee may sound like a strange thing to do since we're going to a restaurant for breakfast, and I'm sure someone there would gladly serve me a cup. But let me explain.

Whenever my husband sets out to find a new restaurant, it's always an adventure. And from past experiences, I've come to realize that I'd better take my coffee along with me--because it could be awhile before we find the place--and truthfully, most of the time, we never actually find the restaurant at all.

And sure enough, after about 20 minutes of meandering, I had the feeling that again this morning, we were on one of his famous wild goose chases. I knew better than to ask the question--because the answer is always the same--but what the heck, "What address are we looking for Dear?"

"Well, I don't really know. The write-up said it was off of Fruitville Road somewhere."

And of course, as usual, he can't remember the name of the restaurant, but he assures me that the reviewer said the omelets were superb. Up and down the streets we drive. We're looking for a new restaurant we don't know the name of, we don't have the address of, and our only hope at this point is that there's a sign out front with bright, yellow, flashing letters: Superb Omelets!! Yes, this is the place!

My poor husband. He's given up. He looks so sad. "Don't worry Dear, it was a nice thought. And look, there's a Starbucks, and just in time. Turn here, my coffee cup is empty."

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS, by Guy Boothby. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA722E&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: COST OF LIFE (Thriller) by Joshua Corin

How much are you worth to the ones you love? The terrorists who have taken Flight 816 hostage are going to auction off its passengers. The passengers who receive the highest bids will be released. Those who receive the lowest bids will be executed.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on COST OF LIFE to find out more about the book and the author, Joshua Corin. Send him an email, he'd love to hear from you.

 

Dear Reader Column 03-16-15

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 typing with one hand today because I was sewing when I was tired. I had a sewing teacher who drove me a bit crazy because she was overly systematic, which took away the joy in sewing, "You MUST hold the thread this way when you are threading the machine" when obviously one hand or the other didn't really make a difference. But she did give me one good piece of advice that I wish I would have heeded yesterday, "Don't sew when you're tired. You'll make mistakes." Yep, that's exactly what I did. Instead of slicing the material on my cutting board, I sliced my finger. Big time! As I was holding my hand underneath running water, trying to determine whether or not I needed to go to urgent care, in my mind I could see the sewing teacher standing over me, and scolding, "Didn't I tell you not to sew when you're tired?" (I swear there was a bit of twinkle in her eye that she was proven right.)

Yes, the teacher was right about not sewing when you're tired, but not because you'd make mistakes. I do that anyway. Instead, I've taken her negative advice and switched it up a bit. I choose to remember her warning, because I want to keep sewing fun. When I'm in my sewing room, surrounded by colorful pieces of material, I do indeed feel like I'm back to being a kid in Miss Minnie's Candy Store. Penny candy displayed in jars on the counter, take a small, brown paper bag and fill it with one of this, two of that--being sure to get my favorites, red and black licorice. When I'm in a fabric store, surrounded by colorful bolts of material, I fill my cart with one of this and one of that and I'm back to feeling like a little girl in a candy shop.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS, by Guy Boothby. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA722E&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS (Fiction) by M.J. Rose

I'm very proud to let one of my favorite booksellers tell you what she thinks about my new book...

"As soon as I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Featuring Paris during la Belle Epoque, romance, art, and--my favorite part--witchcraft, this book is sensuous, smart, and absolutely enthralling."--Ann Mayhew, Magers & Quinn, Minneapolis, MN

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS to read more and to email author M.J. Rose, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 03-13-15

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,

Watch for a special on cream cheese and get ready for some hootin' and hollerin', and some "How could you do this to me?" antics. Get stocked up so you can play a real good practical joke on the ones you love this April Fool's Day.

Kate, a reader at the book club, sent me this idea...

"HI Suzanne, a good and simple practical joke:

Replace top of stick deodorant with cream cheese ;o)

My kids and their cousins did this to their uncle's deodorant and it was a big hit for the pranksters...it is now one of our favorite vacation stories. They found this trick by Googling 'how to prank your UNCLE.' Oh how times have changed. Good Luck!!"--Kate

Dianna, another book club reader recommends we save her older brother's idea for a hot summer day:

"Hi Suzanne, my older brother never got tired of this one. When my mother was out of the kitchen, he would use a rubber band to hold the handle of the spray nozzle down, then wait around nonchalantly to see who got a surprise shower. He never failed to get a good laugh! Thank you for all your stories."--Dianna

Congratulations to Linda F. from Northland Public Library, Patty R, and Carol E. The three sock winners. No foolin' around, I'm going shopping for their socks today and I have a list of their requests. Linda says, "I love socks with wild patterns or multicolor stripes or even a right and a left with two related patterns--what fun!" Carol E. would like her socks decorated with cats and Patty R. requested, "I'd love something fun. I have lots of boring monochromatic socks!"

Watch for your socks in the mail, and please be sure to send a photo.

There's still time to win this week's giveaway. To enter my hot water bottle giveaway, so you can cozy up to a bottle of your own, and see the hilarious photo a previous winner sent. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/hot-bottle.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS, by Guy Boothby. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA722E&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: ONE AMONG US (Thriller) by Paige Dearth

Step inside the mind of a kidnapped child. Understand the humiliation, helplessness, loneliness, and tragedy. Ask yourself, what would you do if you were a child being held against your will? Strap in and be prepared to experience a range of emotions that will make you scream for justice.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on ONE AMONG US to read more and to email author Paige Dearth, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 03-12-15

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,

We are fortunate to have author M.J. Rose visit the book club today. M.J. Rose is a the Co-President and founding member of International Thriller Writers, and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz. She runs the blog, Museum of Mysteries. Her newest book, due to be released on March 17th, is The Witch of Painted Sorrows.

M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice... Books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

Please welcome M.J. to the club and when you do you'll also be entered in a drawing for a copy of The Witch of Painted Sorrows. There are 3 copies waiting for readers. Email: [email protected]

Welcome M.J. Rose...

Museum of Mysteries

Being interested in and writing about the mystical and magical, and the arts including cooking and perfumery, is in my blood. My great grandmother, who was French, hailed from a long line of Jewish gypsies. Grandma Berger (what we called her) read cards and used a crystal ball for decades to tell fortunes. She was in other words, a witch. And what I heard about witchcraft and the occult when I was a child is what inspired The Witch of Painted Sorrows.

Grandma Berger was the one who gave me a Ouija board when I was ten. I used it for the first time during a sleepover at my house. We were a group of six girls all in PJs, giggling and scared. We put our fingers on the planchette and then asked the first question. Nothing happened. We waited. And then came the eerie moment when the planchette started to move under my fingers. I still have the sheets of paper filled with rows of letters without spaces as one of my friends tried to keep up with the quickly moving message indicator. The 'spirits' told me that I would fall in love early, that it would last a long time but ultimately break my heart. (And eventually it happened just like that.)

As I grew up my great-grandmother's card and crystal ball readings continued as did my interest in the paranormal and spiritual. Shortly before she died, and left me her own magical crystal ball, my great-grandmother tried to save my life.

I was nineteen, and studying painting at Syracuse University. One morning Grandma Berger called my mother. In an urgent voice, she told my mother that I was going to be in a fire that afternoon and she needed to warn me.

My mother called, told me what Grandma Berger had said and asked me please, wherever I went that day to stay near an exit.

I did. But nothing happened.

Or so I thought.

At nine that night my boyfriend, who went to Cornell, called. He sounded terribly shook up. His apartment had burned down that afternoon. He was all right, but all his clothes, books and records were destroyed.

And along with them fifteen canvases I had painted. Through my paintings, I had indeed been in a fire.

As a young girl Grandma Berger worked in a flower field in Grasse, France, picking jasmine that went on to be used in one of the great iconic perfumes of the early twentieth century--Chanel No. 5.

Unable to afford such a luxury, my great-grandmother learned how to make her own fragrances, skin creams and potpourri. Scent remained one of the joys and indulgences of her life.

She married at sixteen and, with her husband, came to America where she raised seven children, grew flowers in window boxes, cooked, told fortunes and wrote down her recipes.

Grandma Berger foretold her own death, at 96, painlessly in her sleep. One of the treasures she left behind was her crystal ball--which I have. Another was a journal with recipes in it. For the food, fragrance and beauty treatments she loved. For years the journal was lost and the recipes with it. But four years ago, I discovered it in the lining of an old suitcase and it is with great pleasure that I share one of my wonderful treasures with you.

To see Grandma Berger's unique recipe, go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/susandemo/mweb/path4-21.html

To enter the book drawing, email: [email protected]

--M.J. Rose

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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

(Fiction)
AFTER A FASHION by Jen Turano

(Thriller)
THE STRANGER BOX by Pamela Cuming

(Fiction)
ALMOST PERFECT by Diane Manning

(Thriller)
ONE AMONG US by Paige Dearth

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS, by Guy Boothby. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA722E&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-11-15

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 own three hot water bottles, most people don't even own one. That theory isn't based on any scientific study, but rather on a comment the minister made one Sunday morning from the pulpit. He was telling a story about his grandmother, and when he mentioned Grandma's hot water bottle, he paused and reflected, "Who would even know what to do with a hot water bottle?" People were laughing, but I almost raised my hand. "Pick me, pick me." Not only do I own a collection of three hot water bottles, but I have compelling hot water bottle stories to share. You'll want to buy one, too.

I remember my very first purchase. It was my second trip to New York City in the winter. Memories of freezing my toes were still fresh in my mind, so I bought a hot water bottle and neatly rolled it up in my suitcase. Filled up the bottle with steaming hot water, later that evening in my hotel room, and my toes were toasty warm all night long. Now I never leave home for an overnight stay without one.

Hot water bottles get a bad rap. Yes, I admit they're "only-a-mother-could-love-ugly," and the institutional colors don't entice people to buy, but a hot water bottle is one of those practical, work-horse sort of products. When you need one, nothing else will do. Sprains, pains, too much gardening, lean up against a hot water bottle for an hour and I'm good as new.

My cats will vouch for them, too. When we have freezing overnight temperatures in Florida, several times during the night my husband hops out of bed to go and refresh the hot water bottles tucked away in the make-shift houses he's made for the stray cats we've adopted. Those kitties would be happy to provide marketing testimonials, "Mew, mew...we love our hot water bottle!"

I'm an honest marketer, so I'll share both sides. The only downside of a hot water bottle I've experienced is waking in the middle of the night thinking I've wet the bed, but then being relieved to discover it's only the hot water bottle that's sprung a leak.

*You won't believe the photo a previous winner from New Jersey sent to me. To enter my hot water bottle giveaway, so you can cozy up to a bottle of your own, and see the hilarious photo. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/hot-bottle.html

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS, by Guy Boothby. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA722E&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: ALMOST PERFECT (Fiction) by Diane Manning

Two unlikely friends, an old woman and a lonely fourteen-year-old boy, take an aging champion standard poodle to the Westminster Dog Show and heal their troubled families.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on ALMOST PERFECT to read more and to email author Diane Manning, you'll get a reply.

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-10-15

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,

Okay, I admit it. Tickling, poking, "accidentally" brushing my glass filled with ice water up against my husband's bare back, hiding his cereal bowl when he heads to the fridge to get some milk, locking the door behind him when he takes out the trash, and then smiling at him through the screen--all annoying little things that kids do. I'm supposed to be an adult, so why do I do these things?

"You were an only child. That's the problem," my husband assures me. He says I didn't have anyone to tease when I was a kid, and so I'm a late bloomer in the prankster department. Brothers and sisters (he has three brothers) would've whooped me good if I had pulled that stuff on them, he tells me, and the thrill would have been lost long ago.

He may be right. But in the meantime--since this only child is inexperienced in the practical joke department--if you have any clever ideas, email them my way.

* No foolin', you can start reading this month's Penguin Classics, A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS, by Guy Boothby. Don't miss it. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag just like mine: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA722E&c=CLASSICS

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: THE STRANGER BOX (Thriller) by Pamela Cuming

"You have to deal with things as they come at you. Everybody faces challenges. Either you rise to them or let them break you," explains Eden, the protagonist in this fast-paced psychological thriller. A mother and a daughter caught like two white dwarf stars in separate orbits, destined to collide. Though she does everything in her considerable power to insure the child never finds out who she is, the vain and self-obsessed Katherine Blair is unable to change the course of her destiny or evade Eden, the resourceful daughter whose pursuit is fueled by the desire for revenge.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE STRANGER BOX to find out more about the book and the author, Pamela Cuming. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 03-09-15

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,

Sit back, put your feet up on the porch railing, have a glass of lemonade and spend an afternoon in Mayberry.

If you missed last Thursday's column about Mayberry: http://dearreader.typepad.com/dear/2015/03/dear-reader-column-03-05-15.html

Readers share their 'Mayberry' experience:

"My Dear Suzanne, Many times as I've read your columns I've composed a response to you in my head, but today is the first time I feel like I have no choice but to write to you. You may live in Mayberry, but I live in Stars Hollow. In case you never watched Gilmore Girls, Stars Hollow is the quirky, mythical town in Connecticut where the show took place. On days when the real world gets to be too much for me, I retreat to Stars Hollow, sit in the gazebo in the town square, and watch all of the crazy townies walk in and out of Luke's diner. It's soothing and relaxing and makes me happy to pretend I'm there, if only for five minutes. That's not too nuts, is it? Tell you what, you say hello to Aunt Bee for me and I'll pass along your good wishes to Lorelai and Rory. (Rory never went anywhere without a book or two to read, so she's probably a kindred spirit too. I imagine her now with a Kindle always in her hand!)

Thank you so much for the time and care you take with your daily column. It's always a joy to read. Thanks as well for the range of books highlighted through the book club. I've definitely had the pleasure of reading quite a few excellent books I may not have otherwise taken the time to pick up, if not for the intriguing pages posted here.

I hope you have a lovely day, whether it's in Mayberry or Florida!"--Carol G. (Really in Fort Wayne, Indiana)

"Hi Suzanne, I have the good fortune of living in North Carolina not far from Mayberry. I also embrace the Aloha spirit which is as sweet and kind as living in Mayberry. Good for you. We all need those reminders to banish unkind thoughts and try to be polite."--Karen K

"Thank you, Suzanne, for putting into words how I feel. I like to surround myself with pleasant thoughts, images and people as much as possible."--Jerilyn H.

"That's a GREAT thought. We have a lot of negative things in our lives that try to take over. It's such a relief just to enjoy the simple things in life. It's almost like you need a buzzer to go off when you slip down the negative side of life to bring you back to the Mayberry side."--Teresa B.

"Hi Suzanne. I don't have a blog, but I shared today's introductory post on my Facebook page. I think some of my friends would enjoy the thoughts you share with us daily."--Chaney B.

*I'm ready to shop for socks, I know it sounds crazy, but it was such a hit the last time I did this, I'm shopping for socks for readers once again. When you enter, be sure to include your sock size, color and style preference. Enter today. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/giveaway.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: AFTER A FASHION (Fiction) by Jen Turano

From the first time I watched My Fair Lady years and years ago, I've been intrigued with the idea of the downtrodden, yet self-sufficient heroine, striking up an alliance with a wealthy, society gentleman. That intrigue was what inspired me to write the story of Miss Harriet Peabody, a mere hat maker, and Mr. Oliver Addleshaw, a gentleman firmly entrenched within New York high society during the Gilded Age. If you're a reader who enjoys rags to riches stories, this might very well be the perfect book for you.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on AFTER A FASHION to read more and to email author Jen Turano, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 03-06-15

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 can do this!"

When I'm repeating that declaration to myself I know I'm in for a wild ride. Probably starting down the road on a new venture, and can't imagine actually pulling it off. But something about it feels so right to me.

"I can do this!" I remember whispering those words to myself the first time I had a business appointment in New York City. Wearing a dark suit, hoping to look important, clutching a bag of my homemade chocolate chip cookies in my hand (I figured cookies couldn't help but make a great first impression), I took a deep breath, went through security and offered my card to the receptionist. "Breathe, Suzanne, breathe, you can do this."

"I can do this. I want to do this." It was my turn. I stood up and started walking to the front of the church. I'd written something in memory of my mother, and I wanted to be the person who read it. When I walked past the casket I whispered, "I can do this for you, Mom. I can do this."

When I wake up in a panic in the middle of the night the words, "I can do this," soothe my heart and quiet my racing mind. Because in my heart I know I'm on the right path. Trust in yourself Suzanne.

"You can do this."

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

*I'm ready to shop for socks, I know it sounds crazy, but it was such a hit the last time I did this, I'm shopping for socks for readers once again. When you enter, be sure to include your sock size, color and style preference. Enter today. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/giveaway.html

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: THE FLAME (Fiction) by Christopher Rice

This is the scariest thing I've ever written. It's not about serial killers or strange parasites. It's about being true to yourself and following the desires of your heart. It's the story of a magical candle that gives one young woman the courage to embrace her love for her husband and her closest friend. THE FLAME is my attempt to join the diversity and daring currently on display in the erotic romance genre.

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

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of THE RED BICYCLE by Jude Isabella, illustrated by Simone Shin. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-05-15

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 do my best writing when I'm living in Mayberry. Yes, I live in Sarasota, Florida, but in my mind I spend a lot of time sitting on the front porch of my house in Mayberry, just three streets over from the courthouse where Andy and Barney are keeping the peace. I make different choices since I've taken up residence in Mayberry. Life is more fun in the slower lane, and I rarely watch anything violent, which includes the evening news. Murders, children being abducted, cruelty to animals, folks just being downright nasty to each other, I realize these things happen, but watching them being replayed hundreds of times on television, or reading about them day after day, it wouldn't help the victims, or do anything good for my life either.

The folks in Mayberry have problems, too, but they try to find gracious ways of solving them. And they're polite, even when someone deserves less. Not being born and raised in Mayberry I'm far from being a model citizen. I try my best, but sometimes I still lose my temper and have to chase nasty thoughts out of my mind. But I've discovered that spending time in Mayberry, surrounded by people who try their best to live a good life, it's rubbing off on me and I like how it makes me feel.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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

(Fiction)
A HARVEST OF HOPE by Lauraine Snelling

(Fiction)
AMISH PROMISES by Leslie Gould

(Fiction)
THE LADY MEETS HER MATCH by Gina Conkle

(Fiction)
THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

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

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-04-15

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 little crazy, but it was so popular with readers the last time I did it, I'm shopping for socks for readers once again. Send me an email describing the style, color, and size of socks that would bring your ten little toes such delight, and if your name is drawn, I'll personally go shopping for new socks for you.

Ten little toes, all curled up in new socks. Be sure to enter today. I'm waiting to shop for your socks!

To enter, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/giveaway.html Be sure to include your sock size, color and style preference.

* Congratulations to the winners of Then Sings My Soul by guest columnist Amy Sorrells: Gayle S., Sarah S., Lisa Rose M., Becky M. and Sheila W.

And the winners of From Worry to Wealthy by guest columnist Chellie Campbell are: Susan G., Vicki J., Dorie F., Jody P., and Pam B.

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: THE LADY MEETS HER MATCH (Fiction) by Gina Conkle

Did you grow up with fairy tales? Those beloved childhood staples live on today. My upcoming book, The Lady Meets Her Match, gives a new slant on an old story: What if Cinderella doesn't want her shoe back? I invite you to join the fun.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE LADY MEETS HER MATCH to read more and to email author Gina Conkle, you'll get a reply.

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of THE RED BICYCLE by Jude Isabella, illustrated by Simone Shin. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.