Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 01-15-16

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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,

Whoops, we had a snafu with the link for the Hot Water Bottle Giveaway in yesterday's column. My apologies, you can enter today. What could be better than a pot of soup and a hot water bottle to keep warm this winter? To enter the giveaway, and to see the hilarious photo from a past year's winner, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/hot-bottle.html

Susan, who reads at the book club, shared this soup recipe with me.

"Suzanne, this is one of Meghan's [my daughter's] favorite soups, and she usually doesn't care to eat asparagus or mushrooms!"

Thanks for the recipe. My husband and I love asparagus and mushrooms, so I bet this recipe will be a winner for us. I have the ingredients and I'm making the soup today. Let me know if you try it.

Cream of Asparagus and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

3 slices bacon
1 T bacon drippings
1/4 cup butter
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
3 T all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 pound fresh asparagus, tips set aside and stalks chopped salt and pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup half-and-half cream

Directions

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble bacon when cool; set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings.

Melt butter with drippings in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir celery and onion in the saucepan until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

Whisk flour into the mixture and cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Add potato and chopped asparagus stalks, reserving the asparagus tips for later. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.

Cook and stir mushrooms and asparagus tips in the same skillet used for bacon until mushrooms give up their liquid, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper, if needed.

Stir mushrooms, asparagus tips, and half-and-half cream to pureed soup. Cook until thoroughly heated. Garnish soup with crumbled bacon.

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

Stay warm,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE (Fiction) by Kate Hilton

Sophie Whelan has it all--a hideous boss, a distracted husband, daycare woes, problem employees, a 40th birthday on the horizon, and a lot of questions about the choices she's made in life and love. But what does she really want?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE to read more and to email author Kate Hilton, you'll get a reply.

KIDSBUZZ: Loads of book fun and buzz for kids and teens in this new year. Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of UP FROM THE SEA by Leza Lowitz and THE LEFT BEHINDS: ABE LINCOLN AND THE SELFIE THAT SAVED THE UNION by David Potter. 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 THE TURNIP PRINCESS AND OTHER NEWLY DISCOVERED FAIRY TALES by Franz Xaver von Schonwerth. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1AFE3FA7E22&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 01-14-16

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Dear Reader,

Burr, it's cold; the perfect time for my yearly cozy giveaway...

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. Later that evening, in my hotel room, I filled up the bottle with steaming hot water, 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 one, but a hot water bottle is one of those practical, workhorse 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.

So don't be shy, cozy up to a warm buddy. To enter this year's hot water bottle giveaway, and see a hilarious photo from a past year's winner, 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
Suzanne@DearReader.com

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

(Fiction)
STRIPPED DOWN: A Blacktop Cowboys Novella by Lorelei James

(Fiction)
LIE IN THE MOMENT by Nicole Camden

(Fiction)
HARD AS STEEL: A Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover by Laura Kaye

(Fiction)
A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE by Kate Hilton

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE TURNIP PRINCESS AND OTHER NEWLY DISCOVERED FAIRY TALES by Franz Xaver von Schonwerth. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1AFE3FA7E22&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 01-13-16

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Dear Reader,

Soup's on at the book club. I asked for soup recipes and you're sending them. I've purchased the ingredients for a couple of the recipes, and hope to get in the kitchen today to start cooking. Book club reader, Linda, shared a great idea that you could suggest to your local library...

Suzanne, for the past six years, my local library has a soup and bread tasting on a Saturday in January. Members of the Friends of the Library bring in Crock Pots of soup and breads. We usually end up with about 15 different soups and at least an equal number of breads that we dole out to the public. We do not charge, but do accept donations.

I also formulate the recipes into a cookbook that we give away to anyone who wants one. The event has gotten enthusiastic response from our community.

In the six years, other than chili, we have never had two of the same soups at an event, despite no one sharing what they are bringing, until last year when we had two corn chowders.

I scour cookbooks all year to find what I think will be the best soup to bring. I didn't mention that part of the reason that this started was because I love soup and my husband doesn't, so this gave me the opportunity to cook and not have tons left over.

Here's one of the soups from a friend of mine that I made a couple of years ago:

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

12 ounces mushrooms, sliced (you can always use more if you like)
2 cups onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika (you can use either sweet or hot paprika, I like it hot and spicy!)
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth (for a vegetarian version, use water or vegetable broth)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (I find I never add salt to this, as the tamari adds just the right amount.)

Saute onions in a little bit of broth until soft. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon of dill, 1/2 cup of broth, tamari, and paprika. Saute and simmer for about 15 minutes.

In a small saucepan, add the butter. When melted, whisk in the flour to make a paste. Add the milk, and whisk over low heat until thick.

Add the milk mixture to the mushrooms as well as the remaining broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Just before it's done, whisk in the sour cream, remaining teaspoon of dill weed, parsley, and salt and pepper.


Thanks, Linda. Please keep the soup recipes coming this way. I appreciate it, and let me know if your library decides to offer a soup tasting for your community.

* Congratulations to the winners of Mountain to Mountain by Shannon Galpin, a special book giveaway: Beverly D., Lori H., Ray A., Kate M., Malee H., Sara B., Janet T., Charlie M., Kathy B. and Jennifer M.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Hard as Steel: A Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover (Fiction) by Laura Kaye

After a midnight break-in at her apartment, close friends and Hard Ink Tattoo co-workers Ike Young and Jessica Jakes are forced into hiding--and forced to confront the feelings they've always denied for one another. I have always adored friends-to-lovers and forced proximity stories, and this book delivers that and more.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on HARD AS STEEL to read more and to email author Laura Kaye, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 01-12-16

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Dear Reader,

Today I have two book club treats. The first, start reading this month's Penguin Classics book, The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales by Franz Xaver von Schonwerth, click here.

And please welcome today's guest author, Reed Farrel Coleman.

Reed's love of storytelling originated on the streets of Brooklyn and was nurtured by his teachers, friends, and family. A New York Times bestseller, he is the author of novels, including Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series, the acclaimed Moe Prager series, short stories, and poetry.

Reed is a three-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories, and a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year. He has also won the Audie, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards.

A former executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America, Reed is an adjunct instructor of English at Hofstra University and a founding member of MWA University. Brooklyn born and raised, he now lives with his family--including cats Cleo and Knish--in Suffolk County on Long Island.

Reed's newest Gus Murphy novel, Where It Hurts will be released on January 26th, and you can enter to win a copy. Penguin, Reed's publisher is giving away a five copies to readers. To enter the drawing, send an email: putnambooks@us.penguingroup.com

A Writing Life of Crime

I am often asked how it was that I became a mystery writer. There isn't any one answer. How does anyone become anything? I suppose planning has something to do with what we become, but how many people do you know who love their jobs? Very few. If planning was the key factor, why would so many people chart such an unhappy course? In my time on earth I've found that we have much less control over the things we call our lives than we'd like to believe. I owe my career much more to a series of steps and missteps, to luck (good and bad), to happenstance and serendipity, than to anything else.

I grew up in the Coney Island/Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn. I've often said that if you can't write a crime novel set in that area of Brooklyn, you can't write a crime novel. When I was growing up there, the amusement park and surrounding area reeked of decay. The Coney Island I knew was a place of used to be and once was, a place hanging on by its fingernails to glory days now gone. But it was a place of dark romance for me, a romance that was shattered when, as a fifteen-year-old, I witnessed a man die of a gunshot wound not ten feet away from me. Violence has held little romance for me since.

I was raised in an angry household where we communicated by screaming at one another. When everyone is screaming, no one really hears. So as a teenager, I found poetry as a way to be heard above the din. At Brooklyn College in the mid-seventies, I bounced from major to major, settling on English literature, and wound up studying the history of poetry with James Merritt and writing poetry with David Lehman. It was a transformative experience, but it was a transformation delayed. Because when I left school, I got a job, through a friend, in the air-freight business, working first at the World Trade Center and then at the cargo area of JFK. Think the cast of Goodfellas.

Bored with the job after five years, I took a night class back at Brooklyn College. The only English class that fit my schedule: American Detective Fiction. Two weeks later I went to my wife and told her I'd found my calling. I suddenly understood what all the poetry had been about. I had discovered a different kind of poetry in Hammett and Chandler, a poetry I knew I could write. How did I become a mystery writer? I'm still not sure, but planning had nothing to do with it.

--Reed Farrel Coleman

Please email and welcome Reed Farrel Coleman to the book club, go to, http://reedcoleman.com/contact/

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Lie in the Moment (Fiction) by Nicole Camden

Writing this final book in my billionaire tricksters of Boston series was a challenge in more ways than one. I loved Milton, my first hero from "The Lady Vanishes," and I wasn't sure how to make Roland, my new hero, come to life. I was also heavily pregnant while working on the book and had my beautiful son in the middle of completing it. So I was a mess in more ways than one. Still, I adore Roland, and I hope you do as well.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on LIE IN THE MOMENT to find out more about the book and the author, Nicole Camden. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 01-11-16

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Dear Reader,

Soup's on! Or will be if I can find a new soup recipe. Making soup from scratch is going to be one of my hobbies in this new year. I only have two tried-and-true recipes at the moment, so I'm looking for more. If you have a favorite soup recipe, please send it my way.

I don't know what the formal name of this recipe is, I found the ingredients written on a piece of paper in an old recipe box. It's a taco-like soup I've made for a few years. But whatever the name--it's fabulous and you can make it in a Crock Pot. Throw in the ingredients and walk away, doubling the recipe works fine, too.

You Name It Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) beer
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless, chicken breasts

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Stir in taco seasoning. Add chicken breasts, pressing down slightly until they're covered by the other ingredients. Set Crock Pot for low heat, cover, and cook for five hours. Then remove chicken breasts from the soup, shred the chicken and stir it back into the soup. Continue cooking for two hours. Enjoy!

Please do send me your favorite soup recipe. I'd like to make it in my kitchen and share the tasty results with readers.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: STRIPPED DOWN: A Blacktop Cowboys Novella (Fiction) by Lorelei James

Opposites attract...so what happens when two people are very much alike? Playboy rancher Wynton Grant and good time girl, Melissa Lockhart meet at a wedding and the sparks fly between them--in a good way. One night of fun becomes more when a family emergency leaves Wynton shorthanded at the ranch. Melissa volunteers to help out. The time they spend together gives them both more than they bargained for--and learning to lean on each other is harder than they both imagined.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on STRIPPED DOWN to read more and to email author Lorelei James, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 01-08-16

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Dear Reader,

My New Year's desire is to continue looking for grace. So each and every day this year, I'll be looking and listening, because I know grace is waiting for me, if I'll only take the time to recognize it. For me, grace can be a sweet confirmation that I've been kind, and made a difference in someone else's life. Grace can also rescue me, and it's not always a big, dramatic rescue...

Every year after the Christmas holiday, I can't bear to toss out the poinsettias that decorated my doorstep. I feel terrible, really sad, like I'm killing them. In years past I'd make my husband "find good homes" for them when I wasn't around. Three years ago I planted one of the poinsettias in my flower garden. Eventually the leaves died and I cut it back, but then it started growing again and now it's a huge bush that somehow magically knows when to turn reddish-pink every December. But this year there were 10 poinsettias to "find good homes" for, too many to plant in my garden. When I brought up the annual problem to my husband, he suggested I line them up near the curb in front of our house. Whenever we want to give something away, we put it at the curb, and since we live on a busy street someone always stops and picks up the item, usually in only 20 minutes time.

So I lined up my poinsettias at the curb and waited and watched. No takers. But I left the flowers there and two days later a car pulled into our driveway. When I saw a man loading them into his car, I went out to say hello and thank him. When I told the man about the poinsettia sadness I faced every year, he said, "Our meeting was 'meant-to-be.' You see, I teach a horticulture class and I'm going to use these flowers in my next class. So not to worry, Suzanne."

And there is grace.

To see photos of the poinsettia bush, and a number of other holiday photos, click here.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: The Secret Wisdom of the Earth (Fiction) by Christopher Scotton

Timely and timeless, a dramatic and deeply moving novel about an act of violence in a small, Southern town and the repercussions that will forever change a young man's view of human cruelty and compassion.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on The Secret Wisdom of the Earth to read more and to email author Christopher Scotton, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 01-07-16

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Dear Reader,

I'm feeling lazy lately. I do what I have to do, but I don't want to go the extra mile. I think about things I'd like to do. I can picture myself doing them. I'm smiling, it looks like I'm having a good time--all the outward cues are there.

But I don't actually get going on many of those extra things. For some reason, thinking about them is enough for me right now. I'm disappointed with myself. I feel like I'm backing off of life a bit--it's so unlike me. It's a new experience and it makes me uncomfortable because I don't know how to act--what to feel.

How do I give myself permission to do less? Should I give myself permission to do less?--that's the real concern.

I enjoy a lot of freedom in my life--I've worked hard to set it up that way. Hmm, worked hard--this working hard, it's paid off. Sounds like a good thing.

My work always has a deadline, but it's up to me when I want to actually put forth the effort. As long as it's finished on time, I can work at 3 a.m. or 3 p.m. No one knows the difference and no one cares.

Disciplining myself as an adult has never been a problem for me until recently. Somehow, someone put a healthy dose of guilt in my emotional makeup and it's done its job all these years. Maybe it's worn out? Or weather permitting, just getting a bit unruly?

"Work hard, work hard Suzanne." You're a good girl if you work hard.

So I've always worked hard--perhaps too hard sometimes. But life is balancing experiences and working hard doesn't exempt me from any of them. Could that be the thing I need to pay attention to now?

Maybe I've put in my working hard--working-real-hard-years--and now it's time for more balance: success, failure, joy and sadness, helping a friend through a crisis and every now and then baking an apple pie.

* What a way to start the New Year! I'm sending each of the 21 winners of the Book-A-Day Giveaway a book from my bookshelf. Congratulations to these lucky winners: Jessica M., Mary W., Terri B., George D., Debbie M., Connie B., Mary B., Kris T., Merrill H., Mary Beth S., Scarlett D., Leeanne F., Stephanie S., Holly W., Michelle C., Patti H., Alla U., Susanne T., Dominique H., Katherine K. and Barbara B.

And congratulations to the winners of Fallen Land by Guest Author Taylor Brown: Jan T., Ellen M. and JoAnn W.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

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

(Fiction)
WHERE SHE BELONGS by Johnnie Alexander

(Fiction)
FIRST TOUCH by Laurelin Paige

(Thriller)
THE GUEST ROOM by Chris Bohjalian

(Fiction)
THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH by Christopher Scotton

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

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 01-06-16

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Dear Reader,

Today's guest author, Becky Kopitzke, is the author of The SuperMom Myth: Conquering the Dirty Villains of Motherhood. As a writer, speaker, singer, dreamer, lunch packer, snowman builder and recovering perfectionist, Becky says, "Parenting is one of God's greatest tools for building our faith, character, and strength--and it's not always pretty."

Becky lives messily ever after with her loving husband and their two young daughters in northeast Wisconsin, where a pink indoor trampoline fills half the once formal living room.

There are 10 copies of The SuperMom Myth: Conquering the Dirty Villains of Motherhood waiting to be sent to readers. To enter the giveaway, simply email: rebeccakopitzke@gmail.com

Welcome Becky Kopitzke...

If You Think You Want a Dog

"No." My husband narrowed his eyes and gave his head a curt shake.

"What do you mean, no? You don't think I'd take good care of it?"

He stared at me a moment then stuck his nose in a book. "Just--no."

"Well, the girls would love it."

"Yep, until we tell them it's their job to clean up the poop."

"Hmmpf. Good point." Because I don't want that job, either.

Somehow I got it in my head that I want a dog. Not for me--for my daughters, really. And I suppose I don't actually want a dog, but a puppy. You know, a cute, fuzzy, moon-eyed, floppy ear thing--kind of like a Beanie Boo only living and breathing and yapping at the mailman.

The crazy thing is, I don't even like dogs. They shed, they pee on the rug, they need to go out for walks in subzero weather. That's a lot of work. Smelly work.

But I do like the idea of a dog. Pets are a key ingredient in a happy childhood, right? Nothing says America like two kids and a Cocker Spaniel. So I imagine the joy on my children's faces when I surprise them with a bow-tied box hiding their new best friend inside.

To be honest, that's kind of how I imagined motherhood, too.

I figured the doctor would hand me a precious little face to love forever--and I'd spend my days dressing her in footie pajamas and reading Eric Carle books at naptime.

But kids come with responsibility. Heartache. Exhaustion. And poop. So. Much. Poop. I learned early on that tremendous joy and bottomless challenges are inseparable facts of parenting.

Babies grow and giggle and take their first steps. But they also scream and vomit and spit out full mouthfuls of spaghetti.

First graders read and write "I love you" onto construction paper artwork that rivals the Mona Lisa in its beauty and worth. Yet they also break bones on the playground and refuse to pick up toys.

And let's not even talk about the teen years, in which I imagine my girls will hurl boxing gloves toward their mother even as they grow into the dearest friends I've ever known.

As parents, we love our children to the depth of our souls. Yet we're also vulnerable to the same depth of pain.

Is parenting worth all that?

You better believe it is.

So I'm going to get that dog eventually. And I will relish its snuggles even as I gag at its drool.

Because that's the beauty of family life. We take the blessings with the mess, and in the end it all adds up to a life well lived, a heart well loved, and proud victory over the stuff that tried to trip us up.

Because let's face it. Poop only makes us stronger. Amen?

--Becky Kopitzke

Say hello and enter Becky's book giveaway, simply email:
rebeccakopitzke@gmail.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE GUEST ROOM (Thriller) by Chris Bohjalian

A novel of suspense about a marriage in crisis, two remarkable women, and that one moment you wish more than anything you could take back. It's about as close as I've come to writing a Breaking Bad sort of thriller. (No blue meth, but a cataclysmic bachelor party, Russian gangsters, and a couple of Makharov pistols.)

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE GUEST ROOM to read more and to email author Chris Bohjalian, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 01-05-16

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

Dear Reader,

My gift to you this holiday season has been the Book-A-Day Giveaway. Today is the last day, so be sure to enter. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Book-12122011.html

All winners will be announced in Thursday's column.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: FIRST TOUCH (Fiction) by Laurelin Paige

Emily Wayborn finds herself entangled with Reeve Sallis, a known playboy and shady hotelier, in search of her former best friend Amber. As she starts to unravel the mystery, starting with seducing Reeve at one of his hotels, she walks the line between danger and answering the questions she has come for. Will she save Amber or her heart? I hope that your shelves have been aching for a romantic suspense reminiscent of Rebecca.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on FIRST TOUCH to find out more about the book and the author, Laurelin Paige. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 01-04-16

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,

My gift to you this holiday season is the Book-A-Day Giveaway. I'm choosing winners every day, so feel free to enter every day.

Enter today's drawing to win a random book from my bookshelf, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/Book-12122011.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: WHERE SHE BELONGS (Fiction) by Johnnie Alexander

Can love redeem a broken past?

Shelby Kincaid longs to recreate for her daughters the idyllic childhood she had growing up on her family farm. The last thing she needs is interference from AJ Sullivan whose family stole and then destroyed her homestead. This is the first novel in my new contemporary romance series, Misty Willow. With a strong sense of place and family history, this series explores the ties that bind us to home--and the irresistible forces that draw us to each other.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on WHERE SHE BELONGS to read more and to email author Johnnie Alexander, you'll get a reply.