Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 11-30-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

Today I'm featuring an Honorable Mention entry from this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest, written by Jack Capehart.

One story makes you think of another and Jack's story made me think of my Grandpa Hale. Grandpa always went fishing in quiet, out-of-the-way spots, and many times I would tag along. I can see him now with his high wader boots on, two cane fishing poles in hand, and a strap over one shoulder attached to a wicker fishing basket, that was always full by the time we headed home. Thanks for the memories, Jack.

Congratulations to Jack Capehart...

The First One Got Away

In 1945 when I was seven years old and in the second grade, my father worked in town as a watchmaker, and we lived a mile out of town in a two-story house on three acres of land. Dad was raised on a farm, so he did a little farming on our three acres, in addition to his watch repairing. We had two hogs, one cow, and about 30 chickens. We had no electricity, no running water, and no indoor plumbing, but we had free natural gas because we owned the gas well that was on our property. We used natural gas to cook and light the house.

On a summer day I was wading barefoot in the little stream that ran around our front yard. When I came to the place where another stream flowed from underneath the road, and ran into our creek making a deeper pool, I saw several fish swimming there. Now, these fish were about three inches long, not just the minnows I had seen before, and I decided I'd like to catch one of them but I had no fishing gear.

Well, Dad had a workbench in the house where he worked on watches he sometimes brought home with him, and I had seen him use his many small tools, and knew what long-nose pliers were and how to use them. Knowing that I needed a hook to catch fish, I went into the house and asked Mom for a straight pin. I took the straight pin to Dad's workbench and used the long-nose pliers to bend the pin into a hook shape, and then asked Mom for some strong thread and tied that around the pin, up close to the head of the pin where it couldn't slip off. Then I went back outside and found a stick about three feet long, and tied the other end of the string to one end of the stick.

I was beginning to get excited now and started thinking about bait. I turned over rocks on the creek bank till I found a worm, and then struggled through getting it onto the makeshift hook. Then I dangled the hook in the water where I could see the fish swimming around, and sure enough one of the fish swam over and chomped down on my hook. I gave a sharp yank on my stick and the fish came out of the water and landed on the bank, but since there was no barb on my hook, he spit out the hook and started flopping around and before I could decide what to do next, he was back in the water and swimming away.

Now I was really excited and ran into the house yelling, "Mom! Mom! I caught a fish!" and she said, "So where's the fish?" I told her it had flopped back into the water before I could grab it and she said, "Well go back and see if you can catch one we can have for supper."

Mom didn't seem nearly as excited as I was, and I started thinking maybe she didn't even really believe me.

I think my lesson learned from this event was that hooks need barbs to catch fish, and people need evidence to believe stories.

--Jack Capehart
Honorable Mention, 2015 Write a Dear Reader Contest

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: SCORCHED EGGS, Cackleberry Club Mystery #6 by Laura Childs

I'm thrilled to bring you the 6th book in my New York Times bestselling mystery series. This is a book you can identify with--from my entrepreneurial main characters, to the small town setting of the Cackleberry Club Cafe. Many readers tell me a Cackleberry Club Mystery is comfort food for the mind. And they're just as enthusiastic about my recipes for Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Cheese Popovers, and Scorched Eggs.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SCORCHED EGGS to read more and to email author Laura Childs, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 11-27-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

I've always felt my job here on earth is to do the little things, but I must admit that every now and then I ask myself the same question that Scott Wiley ponders in his Honorable Mention column from this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest.

Your column made me think Scott. Thanks for entering and sharing your thoughts with us.

Congratulations!

Have I made a difference? I guess that question comes up when you're at that middle stage of life, as I am. It has come up more frequently for me since I'm between jobs, working as a freelancer. Some days I look back and wonder if I've made much of an impact--on anything or anyone.

I worked in a publishing company for 15 years. But I recognize fewer and fewer people when I visit there. And little of my work is still around. I volunteer and teach a kindergarten class at my church. But not much tangible results are seen in that. I love it each week. But those five-year-olds grow and move beyond my class, and I wonder if I've made much impact.

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking down the hall at my church thinking some of these thoughts. I walked down the stairs. At the bottom, a young man was holding the door. As I walked out I thanked him. He looked at me. Suddenly a smile bloomed across his face.

"Hey," he said. "You were my teacher. My kindergarten teacher."

"Yes, I was," I said. He smiled broadly at me again.

My thoughts shifted as I walked to my car. Each week my kids and I have fun and we learn. We explore and investigate and play. We paint and stack blocks and read. We create memories.

I may not win an award or have a famous name. But I get to spend time with boys and girls. Maybe something we did will bring a smile to the face of an adult one day.

That's a difference to be proud of.

--Scott Wiley
Honorable Mention, 2015 Write a Dear Reader Contest

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 11-26-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers in the United States.

Turkey, turkey, gobble, gobble--if your Thanksgiving dinner guests didn't gobble down all of your turkey, I have the perfect recipe for your leftovers. It's become a tradition, the Friday after Thanksgiving is my day to make turkey pies.

My quick and easy recipe for Leftover Turkey Pies.

Line a pie pan with ready-made crust and fill it two-thirds of the way with cut-up leftover turkey. Dice a fresh onion, add vegetables (a package of frozen, or leftover fresh veggies from the relish tray). Pour any leftover gravy on top. If Uncle Fred polished off the gravy, open a can of turkey or chicken gravy. I prefer chicken because it has more flavor. Season with pepper. Add top crust.

Bake in a 400 degree oven until golden brown. You've got the perfect leftover turkey pie. It's as simple as that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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)
RAGE/KILLIAN: Bayou Heat Novellas by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

(Fiction)
DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 11-25-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

It's one of my family's traditional Thanksgiving recipes, Crock Pot Dressing. And it's become a classic recipe at the book clubs, too. Every year readers email asking for the recipe (some in a panic the night before Thanksgiving, because they've misplaced their copy), so I'm happy to share it with you early.

Crock Pot Dressing

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cups mushrooms (if you use canned, drain them)
2 eggs beaten
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups chicken broth, or enough to moisten well
13 cups dried bread, cubed
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp marjoram, (optional)

Melt butter in fry pan and saute onion and celery until soft. Mix with remaining ingredients and toss well. Pack in large crock pot. Cover. Cook on high for 45 minutes, then turn to low and continue cooking for 6-8 hours.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 11-24-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the book club New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Samantha Chase. Although Samantha waited until she was in her forties to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Teaching creative writing to students from elementary through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams motivated her to take that step as well.

I'll Be There, the next title in Samantha's bestselling Montgomery Brothers series, releases December 1st, and she's giving away three copies to readers. Say 'Hello' to Samantha and enter the drawing, email: [email protected]

Take it away Samantha Chase...

I am what you might call...an armchair thrill seeker. I have never been one for taking risks or doing anything even remotely thrill-ish. In my mind I do it all the time. I envision myself zip-lining over a forest or sky diving. The truth is, I'm never going to do it. Back in 2002, my sister and I took a vacation together to Disney World--no husbands, no kids, just us. She was more of the thrill-seeker in the family. Well, she made me sign a contract (seriously) that stated that I would go on all of the thrill rides without crying or complaining and I had to tell her she was pretty three times a day. I signed but I didn't think she'd hold me to it. Well, the pretty part, yes, but the rides I thought she'd give me a bit of a break.

She didn't.

So off we went on our vacation together and I did them all. I rode every roller coaster--some of them more than once--and I conquered all of my fears of them on that four day trip. Now I know that in the grand scheme of things, the rides at Disney are still fairly tame. I won't ride 90% of the coasters at other theme parks and I'm okay with it. But for that week, I felt brave. A few years ago we did that trip again with our dad. He's even less of a thrill-seeker than I am! Well, we dragged him on all of the rides and for a minute there, I thought we had killed him on Space Mountain! It was fun to not be the chicken in the group but I completely understood his fears.

I love watching shows like the Amazing Race and seeing the tasks the contestants have to do and then I sit back and imagine if I would be able to do them. Again, in my mind I think I would, but the reality?

Hell no! I'm not bungee jumping off of a bridge or scaling an office building or swimming with alligators. Uh-uh. No way. No thank you. I think I'd even have a hard time swimming with a dolphin!

I know my limits and honestly, I'm okay with them. In my mind, I'm fearless. Just from the safety of my living room.

--Samantha Chase

Email: [email protected] to say hello and for a chance to win a copy of Samantha's latest book, I'll Be There.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: DARING HER LOVE (Fiction) by Melissa Foster

If you're familiar with the hot, sexy, and wickedly loyal Bradens, you'll love race car driver Eric James. Embraced by the Braden family since he first came into the racing business, he shares many of the same qualities that Hal Braden is known for instilling in the Braden men and women. And sweet and sinful Kat Martin is a good girl with a touch of vixen--a woman we all can relate to!

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on DARING HER LOVE to find out more about the book and the author, Melissa Foster. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

 

Dear Reader Column 11-23-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

Tess, a reader at the book club, emailed the other day asking, "What sorts of family traditions do you have for Thanksgiving?"

The food for sure, the menu is the same every year. Everyone knows what's going to be on my table and they expect it. Every year I ask my (grown) son to bring coleslaw to the dinner. He forgot the first year and now when I ask him, he "forgets" again, every year. We smile, it's tradition.

And then there's a Thanksgiving story, a memory from long ago. It's funny, after a while a sweet memory can lose its tug on my heart and it's hard for me to get back to the feelings I felt when it first happened. But when I was sitting on my porch the other day, thinking about something to share with my family as a grace this Thanksgiving, I started thinking about the story. I retold it out loud to myself, right there on the porch, and the magic appeared, by the end I was crying, as if it just happened yesterday.

Let me tell you the story...

It was obvious he didn't want to be in my kitchen. He had been kicked out of every public and private school, and home schooling was a last resort for his parents. I'm sure his folks were jumping for joy, and would have gladly paid double the price when they saw my announcement: 6-Week Cooking Class for Home Schoolers, because it would give them a three hour break during the day.

Ryan was tough looking, the kind of kid that would make you cross over to the other side of the street if you were out for a leisurely stroll. Ragged hair that always looked like it needed to be washed, baggy clothes and big oversized, steel-toed, curb-stomping boots. In his mind, I'm sure he was lookin' cool.

Eight, fifth grade students enrolled in my class, including Ryan. On our first day, when we did introductions, I asked each child to tell me what they hoped to learn. Tough kid's response, "My parents made me come here, sounds stupid to me."

Okay, I could work with that. Maybe?

But Ryan would never give me an inch--it would have been giving in to the establishment to actually enjoy himself, even when he was eating a cream puff. "Well, what do you think? Do you like them?" I was hoping the fluffy white filling might force one crummy smile from him, but no...he was one tough cookie. Nevertheless, I genuinely liked the kid. I respected his pigheadedness. It reminded me of myself when I was his age.

Each student had kitchen assignments, but I didn't press Ryan to do much of anything, except I did enforce a "No Smoking" rule during the three hour class period. But I'd still catch him smoking outside when we'd take a break. I spoke to his parents about it, but they just shrugged their shoulders: "What can you do?"

Ryan wasn't disrupting the class and the other kids accepted his behavior for what it was--so I figured no real harm done. Tough boy would try to follow a recipe every now and then, but he moved so slowly--to emphasize his disgust in being there--that by the time he'd get some cookie batter mixed up we were out of time.

The finale of the six week cooking class was to prepare a holiday buffet for the kids' parents. Thanksgiving was only a couple of weeks away, so we decided to do a half-Thanksgiving, half-Christmas theme with the table decorations. All of the kids showed up for class early on the big day, even Ryan, which surprised me, because I wasn't sure he was going to show up at all.

"Here, these are for the table," Ryan's arm outstretched, his eyes looking away from me, "I made them last night." And he handed me two wooden snowmen, two Christmas trees and a Pilgrim and Indian.

I was stunned, they were adorable. He'd hand carved and painted them, on all sides, so no matter where they sat on the buffet table you'd be able to see the detail of his work. You never know about people. I thought I was going to cry, but I could tell he didn't want me to make too big of a deal about it. His parents were as shocked as I'd been, when I pointed out what their son had made.

Two wooden Christmas trees, two snowmen, and an Indian and Pilgrim, sit on the shelf of my china closet, but every year on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I take them down and put them in the center of my table, and this year, I'm telling the story of the boy who made them for me.

*If you'd like to see a photo of my "treasures" go to:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/tabletop.html

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

Happy Thanksgiving!

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: RAGE/KILLIAN: Bayou Heat Novellas (Fiction) by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

It seems impossible to believe that it's been almost three years since Laura and I shared a conversation where we casually discussed how much fun it would be to write a series together. Neither of us ever dreamed BAYOU HEAT would not only become a USA Today bestseller, but that we would be writing books 17 & 18 to share with our wonderful readers. It has been a wild and fantastic ride that Laura and I wouldn't have missed for anything.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on RAGE/KILLIAN to read more and to email authors, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 11-20-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

Today's Honorable Mention column, from this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest was written by Susan Johnson. Her story reminded me of my early morning porch sitting. Coffee in hand, five thirty in the morning, nature feels safe and is scurrying about in the trees, and watching them makes me feel blessed.

Congratulations, Susan Johnson!

Small Wonder

Nature will offer us joy when we least expect it. We can either accept that gift with open eyes or be blind to the wonders around us. I was recently offered a gift, a brief connection with one of Nature's small creatures.

That afternoon was like any other that week, the only difference being a gentle breeze, which cooled the skin despite the humidity and soaring temperature. The seed supply in the bird feeders was low and I was on my way to refresh them. As I made my way across the lawn, the birds took wing, except for one, busily enjoying its meal. At first I kept the same pace as I approached the feeders, figuring the bird would fly away before I got very close. While several feet away, I thought I'd try to get as close to the bird as possible. I slowed to a snail's pace. The bird took notice of me but continued feeding. As I made my way closer, inch-by-inch, I noticed the bird was different than the others normally at the feeder. It was very small and it's movements a bit shaky. It took a quick peek at me before swiftly dipping its beak into the seeds. I chose those moments of dipping to inch ever closer. Finally I was just inches from the bird and it had still not flown away to safety. Then I noticed its eyes--they were swollen and pink. It could barely open them--they were just small slits. It probably couldn't see me very well. I wondered how it had navigated the yard and found it's way to the feeder. I was close enough to study and possibly even touch it. Taking a deep breath, I slowly raised my hands. I was holding a plastic margarine tub filled with seeds. As I held the tub next to the bird's little feet, I hoped it would partake of my offering. For several minutes the bird continued it's odd dance of peeking and dipping. I felt it would dash off at any moment. A sneeze or a cough would not be good right then. This thought immediately had the effect of making my throat tickle. Swallowing, I waited. Abruptly the bird cocked its head to one side and stared at me with one little eye. It began hopping from foot to foot on the bar of the feeder, like walking on hot coals. I moved the tub closer and suddenly the bird was on the rim of the tub. Holding my breath, I slowly began to move the tub away from the feeder. Imagine my joy when the bird hopped from the tub to my arm, landing just below my wrist! Expecting the claws to feel scratchy, I was surprised to feel tiny toes gently gripping my skin. They were pleasantly cool and dry. Then, with a small chirp, the little bird flew across the yard, a drunken stumble through the air. It perched in a nearby tree, peering down at me.

I saw the bird again a few days later. I wasn't putting out seed that day, just watering and deadheading some plants. It was on the opposite side of the feeder so I could inch closer without being noticed. Just as I was near enough to touch it, the bird saw me. As it dipped its beak into the seed, I slowly put up a finger and touched it just under the tail feathers. They were very soft and cool to the touch. It didn't seem to notice this so I was encouraged and ran a finger down it's back. The bird certainly took notice of that and swiftly flew to the same tree as before, chirping all the while. Perhaps it was scolding me.

I have not seen the bird since, but cherish that small gift of wonder I was given.

--Susan Johnson
Honorable Mention, 2015 Write a Dear Reader Contest

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Meet the authors of these perfect holiday gifts for kids and teens--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Enter to win a free copy of YOU LOOK YUMMY! by Tatsuya Miyanishi; THE NIGHT OUR PARENTS WENT OUT by Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel; LINK by Summer Wier; and THE MOUSE THAT SAVED CHRISTMAS by Douglas MacDonald. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 11-19-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

One of the things that can make a column fun for me, is when I feel a little syncopated beat as I'm reading what I've written back to myself out loud. The words don't rhyme, but there's a little beat in the sentences that makes me smile.

Today's Honorable Mention column, written by Laura Phillips, does just that.

"Chop. Chop." Congratulations, Laura Phillips...

Today would be the day.

Chop. Chop.

It will be the last day of long, down to the middle of my back hair.

This is what I know about hair. I have always had long hair. I grew up with long hair and have always felt most comfortable with long hair. For some people (me) reared within strict religious perspectives, there is a sensitivity and shaming of women who cut their hair.

Today is a day of liberation.

Chop. Chop.

As we left the cancer center, my husband drove the unfamiliar big-city streets. They told me my hair would fall out in eighteen days. I wanted to find a small hair salon. I did not think I could handle the commercialization of the big box or mall salons. I am remembering the cancer blogs I read in terror when I was diagnosed. Cut your hair short, and then get it shaved. It would be nice to find a nice lady to give me the chop-chop today and I could come back in two weeks for the buzz.

I was role playing in my head how I was going to walk into the hair salon and ask for a chop-chop. Could I do this without bursting into tears?

I envisioned marching in and declaring breezily 'It's a new school year! Classes begin in two weeks. Let's have a fresh start. How about something short and sassy to meet those new fresh young faces in my classroom?'

We found a cute little shop. My husband went with me. There were about six salon chairs with stylists chop chopping at every station. As I stood in the open doorway, I looked at them. They all looked at me. Nobody said anything for a minute.

Maybe I was in the wrong place. I was probably in the wrong place.

Everyone in the salon was black. Stylists were black. Customers were black.

"Umm...could you cut my hair? Would you be able to cut my hair?" I tentatively asked the Lady in Charge.

"Sure, honey. I can cut your hair." She does not mind I am a white girl.

Let the chop-chop begin.

I have whispered to Lady in Charge why I want all my hair cut off. "I start chemo on Monday. They said my hair will fall out." I begin to tremble as I whisper this revelation into her ear.

She gives me a little hug. "Oh honey, it is okay. You are going to be fine. Jessie here, her sister just finished chemo. We understand. We do understand. I will cut your hair. You are going to be okay."

She wraps the cape around my neck.

Chop. Chop. Her shiny scissors cut. The long strands are falling like leaves, floating onto the cape, clinging to the cape. Soon, they will be swept away.

Quiet tears are slipping down my face.

Chop. Chop.

I finally stop crying.

My husband is watching. Stoically, he does not cry.

The hair stylist in the adjacent chair looks up from her own work and looks at me.

"Oh my. Oh my! YOU ARE GETTING ALL YOUR HAIR CUT OFF. WHY ARE YOU GETTING ALL OF YOUR HAIR CUT OFF?" She is practically shouting to the entire salon.

"Stop it. Stop it. Do you hear me? Shush. Shush!" Lady in Charge glares at her.

My tears return. I am sobbing loudly and uncontrollably.

"It is cancer. It is cancer." Lady in Charge hisses.

The hair stylist is mortified. She wishes she could take it back. The words are irretraceable.

Everyone in the salon is now looking at us.

I begin laughing. Everyone looks at me and we all laugh.

Another stylist walks over and slowly brushes all the long wisps away from the cape. "You are fine, honey."

I was not in the wrong hair salon.

I was at the perfect hair salon.

--Laura Phillips
Honorable Mention, 2015 Write a Dear Reader Contest

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

"Chop. Chop." (I couldn't resist!)

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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

(Fiction)
THUNDER ROLLS, Episode 8 (Rising Storm) by Dee Davis

(Fiction)
ALL I WANT by Jill Shalvis

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 11-18-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

What a treat to have author M.K. Gilroy visit the book club today.

M.K. (Mark) Gilroy is a veteran publishing executive who has acquired, developed, authored, and ghostwritten numerous books that have landed on various bestseller lists. His newest novel, Cold As Ice, marks the return of Detective Kristen Conner, a character USA TODAY calls "Miss Congeniality meets Castle's Kate Beckett; a lethal, smart, and fun combo."

Mark's first two novels in the Kristen Conner Mystery Series Cuts Like a Knife and Every Breath You Take were #1 bestsellers.

When not writing Kristen Conner novels, Mark creates and publishes book products for retailers, ministries, and businesses. He recently launched a new publishing company, Sydney Lane Press.

Mark holds undergraduate degrees in Speech Communications/Journalism and Biblical Literature, and two graduate degrees, the M.Div. and MBA. The father of six adult children, he resides with his wife, Amy, in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Email and say hello, and enter today's giveaway. Ten copies of Cold As Ice are waiting for readers. But you have to enter to win. Email address: [email protected]

Welcome to the book club author M.K. Gilroy...

I Have Lived a Thousand Dangerous Lives

If people only knew all the dangerous adventures I've experienced in my life, they would truly be amazed--and understandably skeptical. But I can prove it. It's all well documented in black and white.

As a child, my tribe was attacked by Aleuts and then forced to leave our harsh but idyllic island home--I was left behind when I tried to save my brother. After wild dogs killed my only companion, I survived alone for eighteen years on San Nicolas Island off the coast of California. (If you don't believe me, read Island of the Blue Dolphins.)

Still in my youth, I was hired as a cabin boy to follow a map across the sea in search for buried treasure. I was sharp and knew from the start that the one-legged "sea-faring" man couldn't be trusted. Sure enough, Long John Silver took me hostage during a bloody mutiny on Treasure Island. But I came home safely to tell my tale because that salty pirate had some good in him and saved my life. I still wonder what happened to him when he made his escape with a bag of gold. (If you want to know how close to death I came, you'll have to read the book.)

As a young man I had everything going for me. I was named captain of my own ship. My beautiful fiance awaited my return from sea. I wasn't born rich but I was finally poised to do well for my family and myself. But the night before my wedding, three men I trusted betrayed me. Due to their treachery, everything I held dear was wrenched from me. I was arrested and sent to the dreaded island prison, Chateau d'If, where I spent fourteen years plotting my revenge. My daring escape was the stuff of legends. I can't tell you how rich I became. Did I achieve my revenge? (You have to read the Count of Monte Cristo to find out.)

I've escaped death and been chased by beautiful women, from Siberia to Afghanistan to Morocco to Jamaica, in service of the Queen. (Along with James Bond, I had a license to kill.) I've quietly maneuvered behind the scenes of the Cold War against a brutal, amoral (and suddenly human) KGB director named Karla. (Smiley and I knew how to play the long game and reel him in.)

My adventures started so early, I can barely remember a time in my life that wasn't filled with danger, intrigue, and fighting--and winning--against all odds. I once killed a giant with a slingshot and smooth stone when reading a Bible Story book. I still remember my life as a priest when I built the breathtaking cathedral of Kingsbridge in Pillars of the Earth. I defended the Motherland when Napoleon brought his army to Moscow in War and Peace. (Though my life in court is a 2000-word blur.) After years of futility, I finally put Edinburgh's most notorious criminal, Big Ger Cafferty in prison, only to see the son-of-a-gun get an early release. After he helped me solve a case, the old rumors that I was on his payroll the whole time resurfaced. (Only Ian Rankin knows if Rebus was a dirty cop or not.)

One of the most popular authors of our day, George R.R. Martin, was writing of me--I'm sure of it--when he said: "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."

Dear Reader, I'm guessing you could tell a thousand tales of betrayal and redemption as well.

--M.K. Gilroy

Email [email protected] to be entered in the drawing for a copy of Cold As Ice.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDSBUZZ: Meet the authors of these perfect holiday gifts for kids and teens--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Enter to win a free copy of YOU LOOK YUMMY! by Tatsuya Miyanishi; THE NIGHT OUR PARENTS WENT OUT by Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel; LINK by Summer Wier; and THE MOUSE THAT SAVED CHRISTMAS by Douglas MacDonald. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 11-17-15

Preview a new book every week.
Click here to subscribe to the Online Book Clubs.

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Dear Reader,

Gently lay a piece of lunch meat on a slice of bread, add potato chips on top of the lunch meat, put another piece of bread on top of the potato chips and...

...Smash! It's been my favorite way to make a sandwich since I was a kid.

Enjoy today's tasty Honorable Mention Column from this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest, written by Chanda Veno.

Congratulations!

It was a sandwich. Plain and simple. Three ingredients. But to me it was so much more.

In the hot, humid summers, growing up, I would spend a few weeks with my grandparents. For lunch every day, my grandmother would whip together the absolute best cheese sandwich. It was merely one slab of extra sharp cheddar cheese slathered with real sweet cream butter between two hunks of bakery fresh Italian bread. And always served with a tall, sweating glass of Southern tea so sweet it would rattle my fillings.

Every day, without fail, this was my lunch and I would devour every morsel. When the time would come to return home, my grandmother would pack me the brick of cheese, butter and a loaf of made-that-very-day Italian bread. Even with all the supplies to make my favorite sandwich, I never could reproduce it. My homemade sandwiches never did taste like Nan's.

The magic was not in the ingredients themselves, but in the maker. Cheese is just cheese. Butter only butter. Bread but risen dough. She did more than just coat the bread with butter and a slice of cheese, she poured her heart, soul and love into my lunch. And that is something that can never be replicated.

--Chanda Veno
Honorable Mention, 2015 Write a Dear Reader Contest

* Congratulations to the winners of A Talent For Trickery by Guest Author Alissa Johnson: Linda F., Pam B., and Gay M.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqQ1AFE3FA7574&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: ALL I WANT by Jill Shalvis

In my new title, both an Amazon and iBooks 'Book of the Month,' we meet feisty pilot Zoe Stone and badass federal agent Parker James--a hero who also rescues kittens. Add in a little suspense, a lot of sexy hot times, and a few laughs to boot and you get in Publisher's Weekly words: "incendiary attraction and delightful witty, sexy banter."

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on ALL I WANT to find out more about the book and the author, Jill Shalvis. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.