Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 04-16-15

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,

Winners, Authorbuzz and a few book club housekeeping items today...

Do you click on the link to Authorbuzz in your daily read? Each week you can discover new books and authors--many with giveaways--as book club reader, Irene found out:

"Thank you to AuthorBuzz for introducing me to the author Pamela Fagan Hutchins. Although I didn't win the book Going for Kona the author sent me a PDF copy. I loved the book. The story grabbed me from the beginning and one I wanted to keep reading. I will definitely be looking at her other works."--Irene A.

Want to read a snazzier, colorful version of the daily book club? Click on the HTML book club link. You'll find it near the top of your daily email. Using the link, you can also access each day's read, Monday through Friday, in case you missed one.

If a book isn't a good match for you, don't feel guilty about hitting the delete key. I feature a new book every Monday. Or before you hit the delete key, read my daily column. Who knows, you might win a book, some of my homemade chocolate chip cookies, a hot water bottle, or some other crazy prize.

Speaking of winners, here are a few of the recent winners at the book club:

The winner of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper is: Janice F.

The winners of Katie Ganshert's new book The Art of Losing Yourself: Melanie B., Jenna P., Kathryn D., Kathy O. and Linda K.

Judy W. Kim V. and Wanda S. are the lucky winners of Guest Author, Kirker Butler's new book, Pretty Ugly.

And finally, the winners of Guest Author Melissa Falcon Field's new book What Burns Away are: Susan G., Joanne H., Sandi V., Linda F. and Pat H.

Back tomorrow with more book club fun.

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 HOARSE HALF-HUMAN CHEER: An Entertainment by X. J. Kennedy

(Fiction)
MASTER OF FREEDOM: A Mountain Masters Novella by Cherise Sinclair

(Fiction)
HEAVEN TO BETSY by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

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

Dear Reader Column 04-15-15

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 bigger project than I'd imagined and it's a first for me--painting my toilet seat.

Yes, I know the stores are filled with brand new, easy-to-attach toilet seats at a reasonable price. But the toilet seat in my bathroom fits the style of my 1925 home, and it was there when my husband and I moved in. The seat on the toilet is styled like a work of art. And like a fine work of art, I discovered the cost of replacing my toilet seat (gasp) is way, way ($180) out of the range of my pocket book.

My toilet seat isn't broken, it's just worn in places which makes it look like it's not clean. So I Googled the problem and informed my husband that I was going to paint the toilet seat. I knew, from past experience, as soon as I announced I was headed to the bathroom to take the seat off our toilet, my husband would step in and take over the project.

Since I 'asked' my husband to do the job, I couldn't very well complain the other day, when I saw the top and bottom of our toilet seat, hanging down on strings from the rim of our basketball hoop. My husband said he had to find a way to let the paint dry, without leaving marks, and that if the neighbors asked, we should tell them it's modern art. Our basketball hoop is way in the backyard, but anyone walking or driving by, could clearly see two pieces of a toilet seat blowing in the wind.

When I was looking online for the price of my toilet seat, I got a toilet seat education. Did you know...

There's a big and tall seat store with a Big John Toilet Seat? ("For big and tall size consumers.")

Your seat can have an integrated fan and deodorizing system. (Now my behind can smell as fresh as a baby's bottom. Whoops, I think it's 'soft as a baby's bottom.' Maybe there's a toilet seat that applies baby lotion, too?)

Church and Eljer Emblem square-front toilet seat companies invite you to sit a spell on their Zen-inspired colors. Biscuit and Linen will relax and ease your visit to the throne.

Kohler's slogan says they're "always ready to meet the needs of any job, and it's still the best seat in the house." Whisper close seats, padded, heated, and treated to form to your hiney, round or elongated styles, grip tight toilet seats, and pure fresh scent toilet seats, too. A nightlight toilet seat with a soft blue light, and a quiet close. "Shhh!" So as not to wake anyone, or stumble over the cat.

You can wave good-bye over the top of some toilet seats, and it's magic! They flush by themselves. "Good-bye old friend."

And finally, the future is almost here. A personalized toilet seat that will cheer you on! "Suzanne, Suzanne, she's on the can, if she can't do it, nobody can!"

'nuff said...

...but of course I have a photo of my husband's modern art, blowing in the wind.

Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Modern-Art.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of THE SUMMER I SAVED THE WORLD...IN 65 DAYS by Michele Weber Hurwitz; and ESCAPE FROM THE HAUNTED WAREHOUSE (CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE #185) by Anson Montgomery. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

Dear Reader Column 04-14-15

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 an honor to introduce today's guest author--the famous author, Barbara Taylor Bradford. Barbara visited the book club three years ago and sent me a very nice email telling me how much she enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to interact with readers.

Please send an email welcoming her to the book club, she'd love to reply. Email: [email protected]

Welcome to the book club Barbara Taylor Bradford...


So many people ask me about how I got started in the writing profession. I thought all of you might like to know also.

My story began when I was ten years old. I had been writing little stories since I was seven, and finally three years later my mother loved one of them. She sent it to a children's magazine, who were inviting their readers to contribute to the magazine.

I remember how thrilled I was when I finally received a letter from the editor. Not only were they going to publish it, they had actually paid me for it. Ten shillings and sixpence in the form of a money order. But most important to me was my byline, which I saw a few weeks later. My destiny was sealed that day. I told my mother I was going to be a writer. She nodded, smiled, and from that day on she encouraged me in every way she could. And so did my father. I was an only child and was made to feel very special. They always backed me.

When I was twelve, my father bought me a typewriter, which made me much more ambitious. I started to write short novels, known these days as novellas.

My teenage years were very busy at the girl's school I attended, and it was at this private school that the English teacher took an interest in me. I suppose she spotted a certain talent for writing. It was Ms. Fox who explained that of course I could write a novel, but it might not get published. She suggested that I ought to go into journalism first. And my mother agreed, explaining that I should "live life a little" before writing about it in a novel.

I took their good advice. When I was fifteen and a half, my typing and shorthand teacher at the school arranged for me to meet the woman who ran the typist pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post in Leeds, where I grew up. To my surprise, I was offered a job. I was thrilled.

My parents weren't. They thought I should finish school by staying until I was sixteen. I made a deal with them. Four weeks in the typist pool. If I didn't like it, I would leave and go back to school.

I wasn't particularly happy being a typist, churning out letters from the advertising and distribution managers. Nonetheless, I stuck it out. Two reporters on the paper used to chat to me in the canteen, and I suppose they also saw my determination and desire to be a journalist.

Eventually, I did manage to get moved to the Reporter's Room, where I became a "Cub Reporter." My life had changed and I loved every moment.

At seventeen, I was a fully-fledged reporter. At eighteen, I was made Women's Page editor, after the previous one had left for London. When I was twenty, I too went to Fleet Street where I was fashion editor of Women's Own. Later, I joined the staff of the London Evening News as a feature writer.

I loved being a journalist, and I still write for major UK newspapers.

Over the years applying my trade I never lost the desire to write novels. And one day I did. It was called "A Woman Of Substance." And you all know the rest of the story.

I'd love to hear from you. My email: [email protected]

--Barbara Taylor Bradford
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: MASTER OF FREEDOM: A Mountain Masters Novella (Fiction) by Cherise Sinclair

Courage comes in all sizes. Detective Ware knows the pretty prison counselor is caught up in her past, unable to move on. He figures he's exactly the right Dom to help her break the chains holding her back. I hope y'all will enjoy the latest in the Mountain Masters series.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on MASTER OF FREEDOM 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 04-13-15

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,

I was volunteering, helping my neighbor in her vintage clothing store, when a woman came rushing in an hour before closing time. The woman looked intent on finding something. From my own shopping experience, I imagined she was going someplace that evening and suddenly thought she needed something to go with her outfit. It must be a special occasion, which means I was dealing with a fashion emergency!

"Can I help you?" I asked the panicked woman. "Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Yes, I'm going to a garden reception tomorrow afternoon," she sounded frazzled. "I'm a new mother, so I only have two dresses that fit. One is dark blue, the other is a light cream/pinkish color and I thought maybe a vintage hat would give me a special look. Do you have any hats that might work? And I'm sorry, I don't have much time. Everyone is waiting for me out in the van."

We walked around the store together, but there wasn't a hat she fell in love with, and really nothing that would accent the outfits she'd described. There was a look of defeat on the woman's face, "Well, it might rain tomorrow afternoon, too," the woman sighed.

But ah, that statement made me think of the vintage umbrellas in the store. They were in fabulous condition--looked brand new. One light blue with an ornate, silver, swirled handle that formed a delicate curve, the other had a cream colored background with dainty pink flowers and a curved, pearl handle. "They're really pieces of vintage jewelry," I told the woman as I showed them to her.

The woman eyed the umbrellas, comparing each of them. A big smile suddenly appeared on her face, and soon she was "trying-on" the pink flowered umbrella, gently placing the pearl handled delight on one wrist, then the other, sashaying, bending her body slightly with a little feminine twist. She stood tall, grinning in front of the full length mirror, the umbrella resting gently over her arm. I could tell she was imagining herself at the garden reception. Ready for rain, but delightfully sassy and having fun in the meantime. The woman twirled around, took one last look in the mirror and asked if she could take the umbrella out to the van and show everyone.

"Absolutely!" I was as excited as she was.

In a few minutes she walked back through the door. "What did they say?" The suspense was too much. It was almost like I was buying the umbrella for myself. It was an absolute favorite of mine.

The woman's eyes looked down at the floor, the smile gone from her face. There were tears in her eyes. "Well, they didn't really like it."

The jurors in the van had given the woman the impression an umbrella was a strange accessory idea. How could they spoil her fun? A new mother, leaving maternity outfits behind, who only has two dressy outfits to choose from to wear to a garden reception. The vintage umbrella was an opportunity for the new mom to feel soft and feminine. I had to try to encourage the woman to ignore the verdict from the van.

"You love the umbrella and it would be such a special treat for you. What matters is how it makes you feel," I told her. But I knew the verdict from the van would stand and overshadow the woman's feelings. Unfortunately, the umbrella was out of "other people's" comfort zone, and with that, they stole away the joy of the umbrella for the woman.

Too bad she allowed them to do it. It's a sad moment when we miss out on joy.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: A HOARSE HALF-HUMAN CHEER: An Entertainment (Fiction) by X. J. Kennedy

My first novel for adults is a comic account of postwar 1946 at St. Cassian's College, named for a medieval teacher whose students stabbed him to death with their pens. Overnight the tiny school has expanded to 4,000, and the Newark Mafia find it a handy front for a racket. The story involves a seventeen-year-old nerd, a slightly alcoholic priest, and a mobster mistress.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on A HOARSE HALF-HUMAN CHEER to read more and to email author X. J. Kennedy, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-10-15

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,

I separated two eggs. Turned my old-fashioned, handheld mixer on and soon the egg whites were a frothy foam. Just what the recipe called for. Then I gradually added sugar to the whirling egg whites, and waited patiently for them to stiffen. I waited, and waited, and waited some more. Waited so long, I finally realized something was wrong and I needed to start over. How could I have messed up the recipe after only separating eggs and adding sugar? The second time around the egg whites stiffened, but little did I know the initial waiting was a foreshadowing of a tasty disaster.

Everything went fine mixing up the rest of the recipe. After the two, round cakes baked, they easily popped out of their pans onto wire racks to cool. But then I decided I didn't want rack lines on top of one of the round cakes. I knew better, but I flipped the rack to reposition the cake, and that's when a chunk in the middle of the cake, stuck to the wire rack. The more I tried to peel the chunk off the rack, the worse the mess got. So I ate the evidence, and decided I'd lop a little extra cream filling in the middle and nobody would be the wiser.

After the cakes cooled, I had to slice each of them in half, but whoops, I trimmed a little too close to the big hole in the middle of the top layer. Okay, I can work with that, too. Instead of a 4-layer torte, it's now a 3-layer torte. I added chocolate cream between each layer and it was time to make the chocolate glaze. It's easy to make glaze. Just stir the ingredients over low heat until it's smooth. I waited and waited, and waited some more. Until I got sick of stirring, frustrated with the torte, didn't care about this stupid torte anymore, took the lumpy glaze off the stove, let it cool, and dumped it on top of the 3-layer disaster. Finished! It was the ugliest mess I'd ever made.

My brother-in-law was coming for dinner and the torte was going to be dessert. No problem. I'd hide the torte in the refrigerator and, I'd slice it in the kitchen and excuse how it looked by saying it fell apart a little bit when I sliced it. Forgetting about the torte, I went outside to water my plants.

But when I came back in the house, I saw my husband closing the refrigerator door. Of course he had seen the torte, so I started explaining that I had a little trouble baking today. And he agreed, "Suzanne, I was just thinking to myself thank heavens I opened the fridge when you weren't here, because I couldn't stop laughing." But I did notice he couldn't stop eating the broken bits of cake I'd left behind on the counter.

My husband, brother-in-law and I all had a good laugh over the ugly torte, but we all agreed that it was the best tasting cake I'd ever made. My husband took a picture of me and my torte before I sliced it. Just how ugly was that torte? To see the photo and get the recipe, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cake-mix-up.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of TURTLE AND ME by New York Times bestselling author Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Tor Freeman; and PRINCESS NINA, by Marlise Achterbergh, illustrated by Iris Compiet. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see
http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

Dear Reader Column 04-09-15

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,

"Just mix a little bit of mayonnaise and yellow mustard together, fill the eggs, slice some green olives, garnish each egg with a sliver of olive and top it off with a sprinkle of paprika or dill weed." I was teaching a cooking class to homeschooled children, and that was the verbal recipe I gave to the young man who was in charge of making the deviled eggs. It was the recipe my Grandma Hale had repeated to me many times when I was helping make deviled eggs in her kitchen.

The recipe always worked for me, but fifteen minutes later when I circled back to check on my cooking student's progress, immediately I could see that something was terribly wrong. I'd never seen such a runny deviled egg filling. It had the consistency of soup. We reviewed the instructions. Yes, he mixed mayonnaise and yellow mustard (to taste) just like I'd instructed, so why was the filling so thin? But then I looked down in the wastebasket and there were 12 egg yolks. In my list of ingredients I'd forgotten to mention egg yolks, so he'd tossed those out in the trash.

I was repeating the instructions I'd heard my Grandma Hale tell me for years. Grandma never wrote her recipe down, "Suzanne, just mix a little mayo and mustard together." And that's exactly what my cooking student did.

Grandma made deviled eggs by "feel." When the filling felt right, it was time to fill the eggs. It's still how I make deviled eggs today, but I'll give you some approximate amounts to start with. There are all kinds of fancy recipe fillings for deviled eggs, but my family loves this simple approach for 12 eggs, divided in half. So you'll end up with 24 deviled eggs.

Mash the eggs yolks with a fork
Add 3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
Add 3 long squirts of yellow mustard
Two dashes pepper

Mix well, then wash your hands and stick your finger in the mixture. Taste it, determine what it needs, more mayonnaise or mustard, or both. The mixture should be creamy and taste good to you. Wash your hands again, mix some more and do the finger taste test again, until it feels right.

Slice green olives with pimentos and stick one slice vertically in each egg.

Lightly sprinkle paprika on some eggs, and dill weed on others.

Enjoy!

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)
THE DISTANT MARVELS by Chantel Acevedo

(Fiction)
ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS by Barbara Freethy

(Fiction)
GAME ON! NEVER TO LOVE AND NEVER TO PART by Tara C MacDonald

(Mystery)
COOKIE'S CASE by Andy Siegel

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

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 04-08-15

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,

Emails, emails and more emails from readers sharing the first book that made them love reading. I couldn't resist featuring one last favorite from Barb, because her book is a favorite of mine, too. And, it reminded me of a column I wrote years ago.

"Dear Suzanne, the first book I remember loving was The Little Engine That Could. It had a yellow cover and the pages were thick and shiny. The graphics looked like real photos to me. I kept that book for years, recognizing that those pages were unique. My mother read it to us as kids and I remember her saying 'I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...I know I can.' A book that taught me a lot more than just a love for reading.

All the women in my family are avid readers and it has worn off on the men as well. There is nothing better in life than sitting down with a good book. Thanks for all you do Suzanne. Because of you my library book list is now 71 titles long!"--Barb R.

The Little Engine That Could column reprint.

Remember the book, The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper? It's a favorite of mine. "I think I can; I think I can; I think I can." But lately my engine's been headed in the other direction, "I think I can't; I think I can't; I think I can't." I hate it when this happens.

Don't know how I got off track. I didn't see it coming, but for some reason I'm spending a lot of time thinking about things in the past that didn't go well--the times that I didn't succeed. "I think I can't; I think I can't; I think I can't."

Not too worried about my current derailment though, because I was reading some old writing notes of mine last night and clearly I've been here before.

"Oh, Little Blue Engine," cried the dolls and toys. "Will you pull us over the mountain?"

"I'm not very big," said the Little Blue Engine. "I have never been over the mountain. But I think I can; I think I can; I think I can."

And he did. And I will, too.

(After my original column was featured, a reader set me straight about using the wrong pronoun when I was describing the Engine That Could. The train was not a "he," it was a "she" that saved the day!)

To celebrate the book that Barb and I first loved, today I'm giving away a copy of The Little Engine that Could, by Watty Piper. Enter at: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/giveaway.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of TURTLE AND ME by New York Times bestselling author Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Tor Freeman; and PRINCESS NINA, by Marlise Achterbergh, illustrated by Iris Compiet. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

AUTHORBUZZ: GAME ON! NEVER TO LOVE and NEVER TO PART (Fiction) by Tara C. MacDonald

Stories about Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada bring the city alive and attract us to the characters in this ebook. NEVER TO LOVE introduces James and Sarah who become business partners with passion. NEVER TO PART has Ryan almost getting run over by Sam in her car and soon these two find themselves working together. Find out what happens to these two power couples!

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on GAME ON! to read more and to email author by Tara C MacDonald, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-07-15

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,

Kirker Butler is an Emmy nominated writer and producer. His TV credits include Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, and The Neighbors among others. His latest show, Galavant, premiered on ABC Television in January 2015. Butler is also the writer of the graphic novel, Blue Agave and Worm, and his new novel Pretty Ugly, is a satirical look at a dysfunctional southern family complete with an overbearing stage mom, a nine-year-old pageant queen, a cheating husband, his teenage girlfriend, a crazy grandmother, and Jesus.

Be sure to read Kirker's guest column today. It will set you up for a great day! Please give Kirker Butler a warm welcome to the book club. Send a "hello" email and when you do, you'll also be entered in his book drawing. Three copies of his new book Pretty Ugly are waiting for three readers (US only). Email: [email protected]

Welcome to the club, Kirker Butler...

I'd been working as a producer for E! News, writing banal stories about Julia Roberts going to the dentist, and George Clooney's dating habits, when I was offered a life-changing opportunity. A few years earlier, I'd met a guy named Wil Calhoun who was, at the time, running the writer's room of Friends, the show that defined my twenties. Wil was developing a new show called What I Like About You that would air on the now-defunct WB Network. As a kind of audition, he asked me to come to a table read (a high-stress exercise where actors read a script aloud in front of an invited audience to see if the words the writer poured his soul into actually work), and give my thoughts after. I jumped at the chance and spent most of the day preparing: I read a copy of the script Wil sent me, made notes, scribbled jokes in the margins...I was ready. I put on a new sweater I'd purchased for the occasion, climbed into my elderly Honda Civic, and went to the Warner Brothers lot where a parking spot had been reserved specifically for me. I had made it!

The table read went well, and afterward I was ushered into a conference room where the other invited writers and I took seats around a large table. As we introduced ourselves, I started to recognize their names, and my heart began to pound. My first time in any writer's room and I was sitting with the entire writing staff of Friends. My mouth went dry. Then, Wil came into the room. One of the Friends writers asked, "So, Boss, what's first?" Wil looked around and said, "Well, first Kirker is going to take that 'Extra Large' sticker off his new sweater." I looked down, and sure enough, there was a strip of clear adhesive tape with a repeating "XL" running down the length of my abdomen. All of the Friends writers laughed. I'm not sure if 'mortified' is a strong enough word for what I felt in that moment, but it comes close. "Welcome to Hollywood," I thought as I peeled the sticker from my sweater, and tossed it in the trash.

But...as we started the rewrite I soon discovered no one was safe from the jokes. Everyone got a taste of it. Nothing was off limits: writer's divorces, drug problems, weight, everything was fair game for comedy. The goal (of course) was to make the script funnier, but I realized the ultimate goal was to make the other writers laugh. As the night went on I began to realize I hadn't been humiliated, I'd been initiated. I was in the club.

--Kirker Butler

Say hello to Kirker and enter to win: [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS (Fiction) by Barbara Freethy

Meet the Callaways! Sara Davidson goes home to forge a relationship with her estranged father only to discover disturbing family secrets. Her life is further complicated by the reappearance of her high school crush, Aiden Callaway, a smoke jumper caught up in his own mystery.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS to find out more about the book and the author, Barbara Freethy. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 04-06-15

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,

Experts say laughter lowers stress, boosts the immune system and can help lower blood pressure. Laughter is even good for the digestion. If you're sharing a meal with friendly people who are having a good time, you're much less likely to need an antacid pill afterwards.

Our family won't be needing any antacid pills anytime soon, because at every family gathering we're entertained by three voices, each reciting a different grace before the meal. (Including Easter Dinner this past Sunday.) James, my six-year-old grandson delights in saying a grace he first learned in preschool. "Thank you for the world so sweet. Thank you for the food we eat. That you for the birds that sing. Thank you God for everything."

Proud that he knows every word by heart, James rattles off grace lickety-split. But not before two other voices join in. Kind of like singing the round "Row-Row-Row Your Boat" at Girl Scout Camp, soon three voices are coming-in on different beats. James starts the grace 'song,' "Thank you for...", eight-year-old Paul chimes in with his own memorized version of a completely different, "Bless this food..." prayer and Great Grandpa (who refuses to replace his old broken hearing aid, which means he can't hear) sees that everyone at the table has their head bowed and hands folded, so unknowingly he joins in the canon, too, reciting a formal "Bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies..."

Then in the spirit of a singing round, each prayer-reciter finishes up their blessing at different times. "Amen, Amen, and Amen." It's a miracle the rest of us can keep a straight face and hold back the laughter.

At our next family gathering, I think I might join in the round, too. "Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub! Yeah God!"

I'm baking today, so if you were one of the chocolate chip cookie winners, watch for your package. And please take a photo and send it to me. I really appreciate it.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: THE DISTANT MARVELS (Fiction) by Chantel Acevedo

Maria Sirena tells stories. She does it for money--she was a favorite in the cigar factory where she worked as a lectora--and for love, spinning gossamer tales out of her own past for the benefit of friends, neighbors, and family. But now, like a modern-day Scheherazade, she will be asked to tell one last story so that eight women can keep both hope and themselves alive.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE DISTANT MARVELS to read more and to email author Chantel Acevedo, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 04-03-15

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 a detailed person when it comes to planning events, right down to where the wastebaskets need to be placed. But when it comes to my life, which I guess is really the biggest event of all, I follow my heart.

It's funny, because when I look at how I do things, I chastise myself for not doing it the way experts recommend. "Plan for your future, lay out goals so you know where you're going and put into place ways to measure your progress." It's sound advice, but apparently it's not for me, because I keep coming back to following my heart.

My days aren't planned, so my heart doesn't know where it's going until it gets there. I'm sure it's not the most efficient way of living a life, but even when something doesn't work out, if I followed my heart I can look back and feel good about my behavior and choices.

Following my heart has brought me many joyful returns. I didn't set out to be a writer, simply started writing a note to readers every day. Didn't plan to become a book club facilitator, or a woman who sews quilts, or bakes cookies for friends and strangers, or someone whose yard is filled with beautiful flowers and bubbles from a bubble machine. But that's what happened to this woman--who followed her heart.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

AUTHORBUZZ: GOING FOR KONA (Mystery) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

True story: My husband made me mad one day, so I decided to kill him...in a book. In Going for Kona, his wife, Michele, must push her grief aside as she races to save her family from the killer the police don't believe is real.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on GOING FOR KONA to read more and to email author Pamela Fagan Hutchins, you'll get a reply.