Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 03-31-16

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



Dear Reader,

I will baking for these lucky winners of the March Chocolate Chip Cookie Giveaway: Jessica P. (Wood Dale Public Library); Karen B. (Marion Public Library); and Chris G.

If you enter the cookie drawings and have yet to win, keep entering, You could win next. Book club reader Sam emailed...

"As I can't seem to get any of your chocolate chip cookies (not even by FedEx, for which I would pay?) I am going to try to bake the strawberry muffins, using your recipe. I am trying it because all of the ingredients are (easily) available here, which is not always the case. I have baked anything only once in my life; that was a carrot cake, which I baked by following the recipe exactly, to the letter.

That cake came out well, so I am going to use the same method again. My wife tells me that real cooks--and bakers--don't really use that method, they use intuition. I am not sure if I have any of that, so I will stick to my tried (once) and trusted method."--Sam

(Suzanne replies:) You and I are in agreement, Sam, when it comes to baking. Baking is a science and exact amounts are critical based on the results I've had over the years. I might play around with ingredients when I'm cooking a meal, but not when I'm baking. I hope you discover that baking can be a relaxing hobby. It sure works for me and my neighbors love it that I bake, because I share.

In honor of National Library Week (April 10-16), if you have a favorite librarian please send an email and tell me the person's name and the library where they work. Or if you're a librarian, you can nominate a fellow worker. I'll publish some of the emails I receive during National Library Week, and I'll do a random drawing to send a "favorite" librarian a special gift. Email your "favorite" to: Suzanne@DearReader.com

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 this title deserves your attention:

(Fiction)
BUTTERFLY EFFECT by Jill Elaine Hughes

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-30-16

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

Dear Reader,

"Libraries Transform" is the theme being celebrated during this year's National Library Week, April 10-16.

I frequent my local library. Usually I go online, reserve books, and a couple of days later there's an email in my inbox letting me know my requested books are waiting for me under the 'B' section (for Beecher) of the hold section.

The other day as I was leaving the library, even though I'd been there hundreds of times before, I turned around, looked at the big beautiful building, and thought to myself, 'It's pretty amazing when you really think about it. Anyone can go to this building and check out books for free!'

So I invite you to celebrate National Library Week with me. Please say hello to the librarians when you're in the library. And join in the celebration. Bring cookies, hats, horns (they'll make an exception for quiet), and thank the folks at the library for the great job they do.

If you have a favorite librarian please write about him or her and let me know. Or if you're a librarian, you can nominate a fellow worker. I'll publish some of the emails I receive during National Library Week and do a random drawing to send a "favorite" librarian a special gift. Email your "favorite" to: Suzanne@DearReader.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-29-16

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

Dear Reader,

Today you have the opportunity to "chat" with guest author Mesu Andrews. Her new release, Miriam, is the second in the Treasures of the Nile series, introducing Moses' sister, Miriam, and set during the ten plagues and the Exodus. Mesu says she would love to hear from readers and is waiting to reply. Five copies of Miriam are waiting to send to lucky readers. When you send an email, you'll also be entered in the drawing. Email: mesu@mesuandrews.com

Be sure to take this opportunity to "chat" with today's author. Take it away, Mesu Andrews...

The Perils of Podcasting

I think there was a time when I was actually excited about learning new technology. But along with everything else I don't write on a list, I've forgotten it. Facebook is my friend. I can even feel my way around Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. My blog posts every Friday. So what's the issue?

Podcasting. The bane of my existence.

It all began with an innocent comment from my editor. "You should try podcasting." Sounded easy enough. I found dozens of how-to videos on YouTube. How hard could it be?

After a month of failed attempts with every combination of iPhone, Android, Mac and PC devices, a friend suggested I talk to her husband who had done a little podcasting a few years back. I was less than optimistic but agreed to chat with him.

This dear man called and was so patient. He was about ten years younger than me and sounded so confident after hearing what I wanted to do. "I'll do a little research and get back with you," he said, and three minutes later, he called back with the solution.

Three minutes--with a solution that had eluded me for a month.

I was grateful, of course, but the tears that came with the solution were more than just relief. I'm fifty-two, so I cry about everything, but the tears were also more than hormonal. They were about realizing my new limitations--and accepting them.

Technology is changing so rapidly that my menopausal, fibromyalgia-addled brain can't keep pace. I was bemoaning the fact to my eighty-six-year-old mama, who has her own email account, loves Facebook, and listens to podcasts regularly. She informed me that the fault did not lie with diminishing brain function; it was technology's fault for changing too fast. You gotta love her spunk.

My mom was the inspiration for the heroine in my new release, Miriam. She too was a spunky eighty-six-year-old who refused to be beaten by life circumstance. Perhaps my mom's influence is the reason my editor's comment to me about trying a podcast was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

My husband might call my determination something else. Stubbornness. Obsession. Regardless of the term, this stick-to-it-iveness can be a good thing--it just needs a little adjusting as life seasons change. I'm convinced, like Miriam and her family, we determined folks live longer.

What about you? Do you need more determination or less? Or do you fall into one of those other categories--stubborn or obsessive? Share your thoughts and comments with me. I'd love to hear from you.
mesu@mesuandrews.com

--Mesu Andrews

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-28-16

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

Dear Reader,

Strawberry muffins. First time I'd ever made them, first time I'd ever made muffins at 5 a.m. Up, down, up, down, all night long. I couldn't sleep, so finally I gave up trying. It was a nice, cool morning, so I took my coffee, and a bowl of fresh strawberries, and sat on my screened-in front porch. Sip a little coffee and slice and chop fresh strawberries. It was oh, so quiet early in the morning, and before the sun came up, strawberry muffins were baking in my oven.

They were divine. The very best way to eat them is right out of the oven. No butter needed, just peel back the paper liner and enjoy!

Strawberry Muffins

I used fresh strawberries, and I also used more than the recipe called for--about 2 cups total. If you use frozen berries, you need to make sure they are defrosted. I think I'm going to try raspberries in this recipe, too.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

Topping
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I did not use all of the topping. Just a light sprinkle of the mixture does the trick.)

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries. Spoon batter into muffin pans.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-25 minutes, depending on your oven. Makes one dozen muffins.

Let me know if you try the recipe.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: BUTTERFLY EFFECT (Fiction) by Jill Elaine Hughes

I'm so excited to be releasing the first two books in the sexy, suspenseful Domino Series! I was inspired to write these books one day when wondering what might happen if I set a romantic/suspense story against today's unstable, often violent geopolitics around the world. Butterfly Effect picks up right where Domino Effect left off---heroine Nancy Delaney and her enigmatic romantic interest Peter Rostovich are trapped in the criminal underworld of the former Soviet Union, and death is on their heels? Can they escape in time? There's only one way to find out...

 Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on BUTTERFLY EFFECT to read more and to email author Jill Elaine Hughes, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 03-25-16

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,

Big, pink bunny paw prints will start in my driveway and lead up to my front door this Sunday. Oh, the magic of make believe.

Three of my grandchildren will be at my house after church this Easter for our holiday dinner. Grandchildren give me an excuse to decorate, but even when everyone is all grown up, Grandma's house will still be filled with colorful spring flowers, Easter bunnies, eggs, and baskets with all the trimmings--along with some not so traditional Easter activities.

Who's going to wear the bunny ears, grass skirt and do the hula, while the rest of us try to toss blow-up rings over top of the bunny ears? My son is usually the victim, but I think this year Uncle Jim will be swaying to the music of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail."

We're a bit of a strange family, but there's also a traditional egg hunt, Easter Bingo (our family plays at least four games of Bingo at every holiday dinner--complete with prizes), and this year we'll be grilling and eating our feast outdoors.

Happy Spring! Happy Easter! Celebrate!

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: AMERICA'S FIRST DAUGHTER (Fiction) by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Did you know Thomas Jefferson left more than 18,000 letters behind for posterity? In this novel, we used those letters to frame a story about Patsy Jefferson's loving but deeply destructive relationship with her father, the third president. A relationship that defined her life and also shaped the identity of the new nation.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on AMERICA'S FIRST DAUGHTER to read more and to email the authors, you'll get a reply.

KIDS BUZZ: Loads of book fun and buzz for kids and teens. Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of PEEP AND EGG: I'M NOT HATCHING by Laura Gehl; and JAZZ DAY: THE MAKING OF A FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPH by Roxane Orgill. 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 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-24-16

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,

Book club reader, Mary T., wrote in response to Tuesday's column, "I bet you'll get a ton of replies from your post on backseat drivers."--Mary T.

Yes Mary, indeed I did. Readers wrote my column for me today...

"Suzanne, I absolutely HATE to drive with my husband in the car unless he is dozing. Even then, every little bump and he wants to know what I'm doing--like rough places in the road are my fault!"--Laura R.

"I don't think it is necessarily a family backseat driver gene; I think it is that Y chromosome." Cheers,--Judy B.

"I am going through this with my 90-year-old dad. I have to bite my tongue and grit my teeth every time I take him somewhere, because I am 'not going the right way, this way is much better, why do you want to go to Wal-Mart? It's too big. You hit every red light. Why is that?' Sigh.... Girl, I need a bubble machine! LOL!"--Judi K.

"Hmmm, are we both married to the same man? The gene must extend way beyond just your family...."--Teresa

"I truly had to laugh at what you wrote this morning.... I've told my husband, the only way I will drive with him in the vehicle is if he is in the trunk, but since my vehicle is a SUV and doesn't have trunk, I tell him I can tie him to the roof. Needless to say he does all the driving when the two of us go anywhere."--Kathy

"Today's 'Dear Reader' gave me quite the wry smile. When I'm driving, I always have a plan for where we're going, best route to get there that varies by time of day (sometimes shortest isn't best) and even what lane I need to be in at what point.

My wife's plan is 'maximum left turns across the heaviest traffic,' from what I can discern. Actually, she admits she has no plan, it's just when she gets near a store on the list, she'll go there, even if she has to pass it again on the way home.

However, I'm between a rock and a hard place. If I suggest a route, then I'm backseat driving. If I don't, then I listen to a tirade about 'stupid drivers in her way.' On a couple of notable occasions, she's even found herself quite lost when going to some place where she said she knew she was going, then was upset with me for not saying anything.

Don't get me wrong, we do have a solid relationship. Though like you noted, it's a clash of styles when it comes to driving. :-)

Thank you for sharing the joy of reading."--Merritt

"I loved your column this AM. My husband was the same way, must be some kind of a male trait. One time, when he was a passenger, he opened the window to adjust the mirror. I asked him what he was doing and he said he couldn't see what was in the right lane. Really, you don't need to--I do. Leave my mirror alone. Or he would lean his seat back so when I looked over my right shoulder all I saw was him, not if anything was beside me. One time he even asked 'What are you looking at?' Yes, it is easier to let them drive and then we can enjoy the scenery and check out the neighborhood."--Gayle

"Loved your driving experience. It must be a male thing. I have been driving for over 40 years, with NO tickets, but evidently I don't know how to pay attention either. Sometimes, when I am passengering I yell at people, who cannot hear me, because the windows are up, and then my husband will yell at me not to yell at others, and 5 minutes later HE will yell at someone...but that's okay. We have been married 39 years and he is a great person, so we let it all slide."--Sherri

"When my husband drives he tells the drivers in the other vehicles how to drive!"--R.C.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

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

(Fiction)
THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER: A MacKenzie Family Novella by Liliana Hart

(Fiction)
DOMINO EFFECT & BUTTERFLY EFFECT by Jill Elaine Hughes

(Fiction)
TRANSFORMED: San Francisco by Suzanne Falter & Jack Harvey

(Fiction)
AMERICA'S FIRST DAUGHTER by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-23-16

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 guest author, Dr. Michael Guillen, writes about "The Thrills and Chills of Making History" and he's giving away 10 copies of his book, Amazing Truths. Say hello and you'll be entered to win. Email: info@michaelguillen.com And don't miss his column. I loved it!

Welcome to the book club, Dr. Michael Guillen...

 

The Thrills and Chills of Making History

I was Science Editor of ABC News from 1988 to 2002, during which time I appeared regularly on Good Morning America, Nightline, 20/20, and World News Tonight. On many occasions, I faced danger--like the time I nearly lost my life in an accident at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean while doing a report on the Titanic. But happily I survived and now I have a treasure trove of memories, none more exciting than the one I'm about to recount for you.

In November 1992, I had a chance to make history by being the first television reporter to broadcast live from Antarctica to the United States. The feat had never been done before because no civilian satellite existed with a southerly enough orbit to transmit a signal from so far down under. But I contacted my buddies at NASA, and they allowed me to use one of their Tracking and Data Relay Satellites.

When the big day arrived, the executive producer of Nightline back in Washington, DC, instructed my producer and me to pretape a run-through of the show as insurance against something going haywire with the planned live shot. And we did.

Finally, the time came for us to do the real thing. As I stood on the ice facing the TV camera--surrounded by my crew, the scientists I was to interview, and some onlookers from nearby McMurdo Station--I was a jumble of emotions. I felt nervous, excited, awed, and proud of what we were about to pull off.

"Ten minutes!" my producer, Rick Wilkinson, called out.

I took a deep breath and mentally rehearsed what I planned to say.

"We've got a problem!" Rick shouted suddenly.

I told myself not to be distracted by the commotion that erupted behind the scenes. Nightline was an important show, and I didn't want to blow it.

As the clock ticked and the commotion continued, a decision needed to be made: Should we go with the pretaped show? Or did we dare go for the live show in the hope that the problem--whatever it was--would be fixed in time? One way or the other, we needed to be on the air at 11:30 p.m. eastern standard time sharp. With less than a minute left, Rick announced, "We're a go! Stand by everyone." That evening we made history; the live shot went off without a hitch.

Afterward I asked Rick what the last-minute problem had been. He told me a mother seal had leaped out of a breathing hole in the ice and plopped herself right in the line of sight of a laser beam that was part of the complex communication chain that carried our live signal from the ground up to the TDRS. At the very last minute, our engineering crew had managed to lure her away with fish.

Now, that's excitement!

--Dr. Michael Guillen

Email: info@michaelguillen.com Say hello, he's waiting to hear from you, and when you send your email you'll be entered in the drawing to win a copy of Amazing Truths.

More About Dr. Michael Guillen:
Dr. Guillen is the host of the History Channel series,Where Did It Come From? and producer of the award-winning family movie Little Red Wagon. For more information, go to, www.michaelguillen.com.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: TRANSFORMED: San Francisco (Fiction) by Suzanne Falter & Jack Harvey

Charley McElroy is a transman spy benched for not paying his taxes. Electra is a socialite-turned-dominatrix rebuilding her life after a messy divorce. Together they uncover an extremist out to destroy the 'hedonists' of San Francisco. Can they get anyone to listen to them...or are they on their own? That's the premise of our new book, a funny, quirky spy novel. We wrote it because we believe even unusual underdogs CAN save the day.

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

KIDS BUZZ: Loads of book fun and buzz for kids and teens. Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of PEEP AND EGG: I'M NOT HATCHING by Laura Gehl; and JAZZ DAY: THE MAKING OF A FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPH by Roxane Orgill. 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 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-22-16

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,

My husband always likes to drive the car when we're going somewhere together and I've decided I might as well let him. There's a long list of wonderful things I could tell you about my husband (we've been married 38 years), but being a backseat driver isn't one of them.

When I'm driving and he's riding along, why you'd think I was new to the city and had no idea where the market, the dry cleaner and our favorite Mexican restaurant was, because my husband thinks he has to tell me how to get there.

"Turn here. No, don't go that way. This way is faster. Turn left. Look out, that car looks like it's coming over into our lane. I think you should drive a little slower, Suzanne."

"I think you should be quiet, Dear."

There have been times I've simply pulled the car over and surrendered the wheel.

Pulling out of a driveway--it takes two. Did you know that? Funny, I remember doing it solo in my Driver's Ed test, and I passed on the first try. When I'm pulling out of a driveway my husband leans over so far to look out the side window, that all I can see is his head when I'm trying to look for cars.

"All clear," he'll assure me.

But somehow I think I'd be the one getting the ticket. "Officer, the accident is really my husband's fault. He told me it was all clear to go."

I'm beginning to think there's a backseat driver gene that runs in our family and our son has inherited it, because whenever we go anywhere together, even if we take my car, my son wants to drive. And if I don't relinquish the wheel, it turns into a bad rerun. I might as well be driving with my husband.

"Mom, you shouldn't go this way. Turn here. It's faster."

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: DOMINO EFFECT & BUTTERFLY EFFECT (Fiction) by Jill Elaine Hughes

I'm so excited to be releasing the first two books in the sexy, suspenseful Domino Series! I was inspired to write these books one day when wondering what might happen if I set a romantic/suspense story against today's unstable, often violent geopolitics around the world. As a former journalist myself, I also wanted to create a strong young heroine who finds herself caught up in a story assignment that becomes much, much bigger and more important than just her and her budding career. Nancy Delaney is the protagonist I wish I could have been in my own twenties.

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

 

Dear Reader Column 03-21-16

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,

Mother always told me it wasn't polite to stare, but I couldn't help myself. In fact, helping one's self was exactly what was going on at the table next to mine. It was the most entertaining lunch I've ever had, and at one point, I had to put my napkin up to my face so people wouldn't see me laughing.

Three women, probably all in their 60's, were eating lunch together. Obviously they were friends, hopefully very good, "forgiving" friends, because the woman sitting in the middle was eating off of everyone's plate but her own.

It wasn't like in school when you might swap a PB&J for a tuna salad at lunchtime. No, this woman just seemed to feel that everyone else's lunch looked more interesting than hers and she wanted to taste it to be sure.

"Are you going to eat that?" She was pointing to a partially eaten piece of rye bread that her friend had just finished taking a bite out of. And before I heard a reply, she devoured the bread--the bread with her friend's teeth marks still in it! Then she announced, "Rye bread is good for you." And the next thing I knew she was eyeing her other friend's half-eaten soup.

I expected to see a slap of the hand, but no, her friend merely surrendered her soup and the table conversation continued without skipping a beat.

The waiter came, cleared the soup and bread dishes, set the main course down, and yes, I heard the magic question again, "Are you going to eat that?" And before her friends could reply, I saw her claim a tomato and kosher dill pickle. Yes, every meal is a buffet for this dear woman, as long as she's eating with friends--close, understanding, forgiving friends.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

* This month's Penguin Classics book is IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER: A MacKenzie Family Novella (Fiction) by Liliana Hart

Can you believe this is the 17th MacKenzie story? What a rollercoaster ride we've been through with this family--heartache, love, loss, marriage, children, death--but through it all they stick together. Now revisit Surrender, Montana and enjoy Mia and Zeke's story.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER to read more and to email author Liliana Hart, you'll get a reply.

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-18-16

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,

When I have a new idea, "Shh!" I don't want to tell anybody else about it, at least not right away.

I'm not superstitious, or worried that someone might steal my new idea. No, I'm more afraid of someone killing my dream all together. Especially in the beginning when I'm still in the exciting, anything is possible stage, where nothing can break my spirit, except--hearing too many times, "Oh, no, that won't work because..."

People don't intentionally set out to squash creativity, but I'm here to tell you there are a lot of talented idea killers walking around. It's a skill friends and family don't even realize they possess and unfortunately, for most of them, it comes naturally. I'm fired-up, practically breathless, in the middle of describing my new idea, my arms are waving around in the air, but even before I get to the really "good part," I see the verdict in front of me. The lines in their forehead are all squished together and the lower half of their body is bobbing up and down, like a kid who has to go to the bathroom, but he has to wait his turn, and at this point I don't want to stop talking, because if I relinquish the floor I know what I'm going to hear, "Oh, no, that won't work because..."

So, in the beginning, it's much safer to keep my new idea close. I need to sit with it for awhile, and maybe add a few new things, before I open it up for discussion. Because if my little-bit-of-genius hasn't had time to really become part of me, it's not going to be easy to brush aside negative comments. And every time I have to re-rally the excitement in my own mind, it's more likely I'll simply dismiss my dream.

Yes, I do have a new idea, but, "Shh" it's not safe to tell anybody else about it--at least not yet.

** Today is the last day, and anyone can enter, so be sure to enter this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway. To see smiling faces of the last cookie winners and to enter the drawing, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cookie-02-25-16.html

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE (Fantasy) by Andrew Blencowe

What if, by the passing of just two events, Japan and Germany had won World War 2? My new novel is a work of speculative fiction in which alternate history is explored, and consequences examined.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE to read more and to email author Andrew Blencowe, you'll get a reply.

KIDS BUZZ: Loads of book fun and buzz for kids and teens. Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of PEEP AND EGG: I'M NOT HATCHING by Laura Gehl; and JAZZ DAY: THE MAKING OF A FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPH by Roxane Orgill. 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 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS