Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 03-17-16

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,

I've found my passion. I love to write and most of the time my passion is right there on the surface. I feel every word. It's easy to get lost in my thoughts and when I've finished a column, the best part of me is right there in what I've written.

I love it when my passion is burning--when it's difficult to close my eyes at night, because I don't want to waste time sleeping, and when it's not a problem hopping out of bed in the morning, because I can't wait to "begin." But the heat of passion comes and goes and that's frustrating for me.

I want to be able to grab ahold of that passion anytime, anywhere, but sadly it doesn't always work that way. When I have to dig deep, when things don't come as easily as they usually do, my first thought is, 'It was a good ride and now it's over.' But the other day, when I was looking at my Coleus plants, I discovered a new way of thinking about passion.

One of my flower gardens is under a big oak tree and I always plant a lot of Coleus there. Coleus plants like a little sun, but mostly shade, and that's the climate underneath my big oak tree. The setting and the soil in that garden are the perfect match for Coleus and they thrive. Big, huge, overgrown plants fill up the space. The Coleus plants get so big and are so passionate about doing their job that their roots come up right out of the ground. Instead of staying buried a couple of inches underneath, when the Coleus are in full bloom, the stalky stems, with the sinewy roots, actually lay on top of the soil.

The Coleus is so determined it keeps on growing for months and months, nothing stands in the way of that plant. It knows its purpose. It thrives and is a thing of beauty to look at. But eventually, it starts to look a little ragged, not enough so most people would notice, but I've seen the Coleus at its best and I know it's time to cut the plant back and give it a rest.

And I've decided that's the way of passion.

Most of the time the words will flow and be a thing of beauty, but sometimes the writing will be a little ragged--not enough so most people would notice--but I won't let it bother me, because like the Coleus, I just need a little time to renew my passion.

** Anyone can enter and I'm ready to bake, 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

* Congratulations to Pat H., the winner of a copy of In Another Life by Guest Author Julie Christie Johnson.

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:

(NonFiction)
LUST & WONDER: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs

(Fiction)
TEASED: A Dark Protectors Novella by Rebecca Zanetti

(Mystery)
DEVONSHIRE SCREAM, Tea Shop Mystery #17, by Laura Childs

(Fantasy)
THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE by Andrew Blencowe

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 03-16-16

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,

Did Mrs. Ruth Wakefield know what she was doing? Was the recipe born because she was in a panic or a pinch? Or did the chips accidentally fall into the mixer bowl, and voila...the chocolate chip cookie was born?

This week is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Week. If you Google Mrs. Ruth Wakefield, you'll find controversy about whether in 1938, she set out to develop a new cookie for her menu, or if the first chocolate chip cookie was an accident.

Mrs. Wakefield, a gifted cook and a Depression-era owner of the Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, served butterscotch cookies with a side of ice cream and cut-up chocolate as her restaurant's signature dessert--until the day she added the chocolate to her dough and baked up a batch of Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies.

A shrewd restaurateur and marketer, I salute Mrs. Wakefield!

I'm celebrating National Chocolate Chip Cookie week because chocolate chip cookies are an integral part of my life. Baking and giving away cookies to friends and strangers (perhaps a clerk in a store who was particularly helpful, or maybe they looked like they needed cheering up), is one of my assignments here on earth--and boy is it fun!

I'm ready to bake, 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

Who knows what really happened in Mrs. Wakefield's kitchen, but any way you look at it, thank heavens somebody invented chocolate chip cookies, or I wouldn't have the joy of giving them away. Be sure to enter the drawing, I'd love to bake for you.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

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.

AUTHORBUZZ: DEVONSHIRE SCREAM, Tea Shop Mystery #17, by Laura Childs

I'm thrilled to bring you the 17th book in my New York Times bestselling Tea Shop Mysteries. This is a book you can identify with--from my entrepreneurial main character, Theodosia, to the cozy environs of her Indigo Tea Shop. With pacing that moves like a thriller, relevant "smash and grab" story line, and carefully crafted sense of place, reading Devonshire Scream is like taking a thrill ride vacation in Charleston. There's also plenty of tea lore and recipes.

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

* 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 03-15-16

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,

Welcome today's guest author Ruth Logan Herne (Ruthy). There are five copies of her latest book Back in the Saddle, which releases today, ready and waiting to send out to lucky readers. Ruthy says she talks too much and loves to hear from readers, so email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com to say hello and enter her drawing.

Thanks for visiting the book club, Ruthy...

Turning Life's Lemons into Lemonade!

I always knew I wanted to be a published author. From the time I first read chapter books, I knew that was my destiny. Back then I didn't understand the concepts of time and choice or inborn talent, I just knew that when I read a book, I wanted to be the one writing one someday.

Then I got married, had six kids, life threw a few major league style knuckleballs and writing got put on hold... But not really!

Because while I was crazy busy raising kids, helping on the farm, working two jobs and helping with school and church, my life was in constant prep mode.

I did a nine-year stint in a classroom with emotionally disturbed children. That experience has been channeled into major and minor book characters. I was able to see the inside working of dysfunctional families, the plusses and minuses of certain aspects of educational programs and staff interaction on multiple levels. Instant book research, and I got paid for it!

I spent eleven years waitressing evenings at a Greek family restaurant, and that hairnet job put change in my pocket, shoes on kids' feet, money in the grocery budget and taught me about Greek family life, Greek dishes, running a restaurant, dealing with health inspectors and keeping the public happy... More book research! I've been able to use aspects of those eleven years in multiple books because I didn't research the topic: I lived it!

For eight years I worked as a bridal consultant for a family-owned bridal shop in Rochester, NY. That delightful position showed me the workings of bridal, but also offered an insider's glimpse at fashion, sizing, accessorizing, sales, coordinating bridal looks, dealing with the public during an emotional time and keeping the customers calm. I've been able to use that information in novels and novellas from Old City, Philadelphia to the Finger Lakes of New York. And to round off the fun stint of nametag and hairnet jobs, I used to make special occasion cakes in my home. Years later I was hired to do cakes and fancy desserts at one of the major grocery stores, where folks would watch as you create delicious sweets and pastries before their eyes. And once again, that became the basis for believable occupations for fictional characters.

I always knew what life had in store for me. I believed that if the good Lord granted me enough time, I'd be an author. He did, and with over thirty novels and novellas to my credit, I am living my dream, but it is absolutely spectacular to look back on those service jobs and know that doing my very best at each one gave me the research and insight to do my very best now...at my dream job, writing books.

--Ruth Logan Herne

I'd love to chat and I have 5 copies of my book to give to readers.
Email me at: loganherne@gmail.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

AUTHORBUZZ: TEASED: A Dark Protectors Novella (Fiction) by Rebecca Zanetti

Chalton Reese has been in the Dark Protector books for years as a secondary but much trusted character. Although he's surprised when the king sends him on a mission to stop a curvy, sexy, stubborn journalist from printing any more articles about possible vampires, he does his duty...and then some. The Dark Protector series has hit several lists and done well, but truth be told, I just wanted to tell Chalton's story, and I'm thrilled to have had the chance.

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

Dear Reader Column 03-14-16

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,

I have four pairs of eyeglasses. Three are prescription: sunglasses, regular glasses, computer glasses, and a non-prescription dark tint pair, that I slide over my sunglasses on terribly bright days. (I have an eye disability, so I need to shield against bright lights.) But this morning, I realized I need another pair of glasses--toenail glasses.

I'm not quite sure when this phenomenon first came about, but the other day when I was trying to polish my toenails, I realized the target was smaller and fuzzier than it used to be. I tried using my computer glasses, but since that prescription was calculated for me sitting in front of my computer, and my feet are farther away, they were of no help. So I decided if the mountain, or in this case toenail, won't come to Suzanne...

...Suzanne's going to have to find a way to hike that foot up closer to her eyes and keep a steady hand while applying polish to her toenails.

Okay, the polish bottle is open, and I'm ready for lift off, up we go, I'm in position, and I quickly start applying polish, "This little piggy went to market, but this little piggy is going to have to stay home"--because my leg gets tired before I can finish.

I've decided I'm going to have to dress for toenail success. Long pants won't do. There's too much resistance when I'm trying to whip my leg up in front of my face, so a skirt is a must, or truthfully I've found I do my best work going au naturel. I've discovered I'm really pretty flexible and things go much more smoothly au naturel, unless my husband is close by and the window blind isn't quite drawn all the way, and my husband yells, "UPS!"

Real funny! That joke never gets old for him, and you'd think I'd have caught on by now, but it's in that split second before I realize what's happening, that I jerk my hand, horrified that the UPS man is really standing in front of the open blind, and the polish gets all over.

So you see why I need another pair of glasses. But I can see it now at my next eye exam, "By the way, doctor, I need you to write me a prescription for toenail glasses. Let me show you what I have to do to polish my toenails. I've brought along a bottle of nail polish, and wore a skirt so I could get in nail painting position. I'm ready if you are. By the way, UPS doesn't deliver around this time of day, do they?"

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: LUST & WONDER: A Memoir (NonFiction) by Augusten Burroughs

When you've written a number of books, it becomes clear which ones people remember most fondly. Because they come right up and tell you to your face. For me, those are Running with Scissors and Dry, both memoirs about my insane mess of a life as a teenager and then as a drunk adult. The thing is, I'm not that little boy anymore, and I've been sober for almost 20 years.

So how is it even possible that my life became more of a mess than it ever was? I came this close (holds thumb and index finger a millimeter apart) to completely losing it. I had to absolutely walk away from everything I built in order to survive. But there in the rubble of my smoldering life was the biggest prize you can imagine. And it had been there all along--I just couldn't see it.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on LUST & WONDER to read more and to email author Augusten Burroughs, you'll get a reply.

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-11-16

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

Dear Reader,

I often get reader emails that are complimentary. The one I'm featuring in today's column is a little unusual, but I like being the odd person in the room, and I love to make people laugh. So I took it as a huge, happy compliment when I read it. Thank you so much Barb for writing.

"Dear Suzanne, I'm more of a dog person than a cat person, but I identify with you in so many [other] ways and enjoy your column regularly. Today, I had a moment, that, even as it was occurring, I was thinking, 'This is a Suzanne moment!' (sort of like an 'I Love Lucy' moment!).

I've had dogs for decades. However, I've never brushed a dog's teeth. So I bought a toothbrush and paste set for my dog. It came with a rubbery and bristley finger cot, so I put the brown toothpaste on it (there's something inherently disgusting about brown toothpaste) scrubbed away, and then was done. I figured I needed to wash my hands, so I'd just leave the finger thingy on, wash my hands, and kill two jobs with one quick wash. Only problem was that (evidently) a little water got into the finger thingy and basically caused suction to occur. I tried to roll it off, but the plastic was too thick. I tried to scoot it off, but it was stuck tight. I wrapped a towel around it and pulled and it didn't move. And, of course in my head, I can feel my finger swelling inside that thing, and so I start thinking about taking a knife to it, to nick it a bit.

Luckily, I had a sane moment and found a toothpick and was able to slide it up and under the edge of the finger thingy and break the suction seal...but it was unnerving to have that brightly colored finger cot thing so absolutely stuck tight to the wrong finger!

So, Suzanne, I thought of you today!"--Barb R.

* Congratulations to the winners of all three books in the Wars of the Realm series, including the newest title, The Light of the Last, by Guest Author Chuck Black: Lynn D., Cheryl G., Audrey B., Susan P. and Susan G.

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: RIPE FOR MURDER (Mystery) by Carlene O'Neil

Penny Lively loves running her family's winery, but needs to keep the business growing. When she's approached to invest in a new train line through wine country, Penny and her winery manager, Connor, hightail it to a lavish resort to hear the details. When an investor is murdered, Penny, who's become a sleuthing connoisseur, starts sniffing out the suspect--and discovers that her fellow potential investors have been savoring more than their share of deadly secrets...

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on RIPE FOR MURDER to read more and to email author Carlene O'Neil, you'll get a reply.

 

 

Dear Reader Column 03-10-16

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

Dear Reader,

The young woman was riding an old fashioned bike on the sidewalk in front of my house, where I was planting flowers. "Are you the bubble lady?" she asked.

"Yes, I am." I smiled.

"I'm curious," she said, "whatever made you decide to turn on a bubble machine in front of your house?"

I explained that one day when I was blowing bubbles, the old fashioned way, with a small bottle of bubble solution and a wand, I realized when I watched the bubbles, they seemed a little mysterious and playful, and they always made me smile. So I decided to buy an electric machine and sit back, and watch the bubbles floating through the air every day.

"Well it's nice to finally meet you," the young woman said, "I have to tell you a story. My father died a couple of months ago, and one of the things he'd always told my mother, was if she got lost just drive down Orange Avenue and eventually she would see our street. A few days after Dad died, Mom was driving the car alone, and she got turned around and a little lost, so she headed down Orange Avenue and of course she drove by your house and the bubbles.

When Mom got home, she told me how she had felt lost, and that's when she remembered Dad telling her to drive down Orange Avenue and when she saw the bubbles in front of your house, she knew it was a sign from my father. Mom was crying as she told me the story, so I didn't have the heart to tell her that the bubble lady turns on her machine almost every day."

"I'm glad you didn't tell your mother," I told the young woman, "because who knows, maybe your mom is right. Maybe one of the reasons I was supposed to turn on a bubble machine in front of my house was indeed, just for your mother."

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 RED DOOR INN by Liz Johnson

(Fiction)
WEDDING NIGHT WITH THE EARL by Amelia Grey

(Thriller)
CRAZY BLOOD by T. Jefferson Parker

(Mystery)
RIPE FOR MURDER by Carlene O'Neil

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 03-09-16

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

Dear Reader,

Julie Christine Johnson, today's guest author, is a runner, yogi, and wine geek. She holds undergraduate degrees in French and Psychology and a Master's in International Affairs. Julie leads writing workshops and seminars and offers story/developmental editing and writer coaching services. Julie makes her home on the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington state with her husband.

In Another Life is her first novel, and Julie is giving away copies to readers. Simply send an email to: olive.gypsy@gmail.com to enter the drawing. When you're typing your email, please say hello and welcome her to the book club. She's waiting to hear from you.

Welcome Julie Christine Johnson...

"What do you write about?"

I'm often asked this, whether during an interview or waiting in line at the grocery store. It's a beautiful question, really. And one I stumble over every time attempting to answer.

Perhaps the askers seek an answer that will help them file my writing in the right drawer: Oh, Julie writes Nordic noir, or star-crossed vampire romances, or Young Adult novels about teenage members of the French Resistance with mystical powers ('ooh, I kind of like that one').

Me? I don't have a genre, or perhaps I have so many that trying to explain what I write about is like trying to eat a bowl of soup while playing Twister. I'm bound to make a mess and pull a muscle.

But that's not the whole truth. Writers have themes woven through their work like golden threads in a tapestry. It's often what we consider a writer's voice--that nebulous construct of writing style and subject matter.

It wasn't until I applied for writing residencies last year and had to complete statements of purpose that I recognized the themes that run like currents under the stream of my words.

I write often about the ways place shapes us; how we are changed by our environments.

As a child of the Pacific Northwest, I was shaped by water and desert, by mountains and valleys. By the tire-and-oil reek of southeastern Washington's shunting yards, where the soundtrack of trains beat its way into my earliest memories; by the impossibility of greens and innocence of rain that was Corvallis, OR in the early 70s; by a small house on a dead end road on a peninsula northwest of Seattle, where the sweet-salt rot of Dungeness Bay wafted on the air as I waited for the school bus; by the righteous fury of winds that scoured the dry valleys of central Washington, where summer skies were endless velvet blankets embedded with diamonds.

These places do something to a kid. They carve a sense of place into her soul while filling her with a longing to explore. She wonders what's on the other side of those mountains, that sea, where those trains would take her, how far she could sail into that sky. They make a writer out of her.

--Julie Christine Johnson

Email Julie, olive.gypsy@gmail.com and you might receive a copy of her book.

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: CRAZY BLOOD (Thriller) by T. Jefferson Parker

They tell you to write what you know, but in my new thriller I wrote what I fear. Few physical things in life scare me more than skiing down a steep mountain, so I thought I'd write a novel about a guy who does it professionally. Actually, two guys who ski professionally--half-brothers, ferociously competitive, bad blood between them--screaming down the mountains against each other for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Anything to win. Scary indeed.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on CRAZY BLOOD to read more and to email author T. Jefferson Parker, you'll get a reply.

 

Dear Reader Column 03-08-16

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


Dear Reader,

In the Heat of the Night by John Ball is this month's Penguin Classic. Sample In The Heat of the Night and don't forget to enter to win a Penguin tote bag, like the one I use, go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA77E3&c=CLASSICS

I was digging through my recipe files the other day and I came across an old favorite: Chicken Waikiki Beach. I used to make it practically every other week, but I realized I hadn't made it in years, and I wasn't really sure why.

Maybe I overdid it and my husband and I got too much of a good thing? It wouldn't be the first time we got carried away and ate so much of something, that we couldn't stand to look at it for quite awhile.

Years ago when my husband and I lived in Madison, Wisconsin, there was an Italian restaurant on Park Street that had a reasonably priced lunch menu and their spaghetti and meatballs was "to die for"...and eventually we did. Spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs, that's what we ordered every day for six weeks straight, the waitress didn't even have to ask anymore.

Finally one day when it was time to order lunch, we came to our senses, looked at each other and in unison proclaimed that we couldn't bear the thought of ordering the usual, and that was the end of our spaghetti and meatballs stint.

Chicken Waikiki Beach is one of those recipes that looks like a big deal to make, but it's not. It's an easy to follow step-by-step recipe that will impress your family and friends--and oh my, does it taste good!

To get the recipe and see a photo of the finished dish (my husband and I had it the other day) go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/chicken3.html

Send me an email if you try it and let me know what you thought.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: WEDDING NIGHT WITH THE EARL (Fiction) by Amelia Grey

Tragedy strikes Adam Greyhawke, the man called the beast, when his wife dies in childbirth. He won't put another woman at risk. But he meets Katherine Wright. This beast isn't prepared for a beautiful woman who loves him and will prove he's worthy of a child.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on WEDDING NIGHT WITH THE EARL to find out more about the book and the author, Amelia Grey. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 03-07-16

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

Dear Reader,

My Eat and Run dinner idea received a lot of emails from readers who are going to try it with their families. (If you missed the column, the idea behind Eat and Run is to make dinner less of a time commitment, so my family will get together more often. Dinner is ready and waiting at five, I feed them including dessert, and then by 6:15 p.m. I'm waving good-bye.)

That's the way it's supposed to work. But there was a little problem the first time my family came over for an Eat and Run. I literally had to kick them out the door after dinner. Everyone was having such a good time, talking and shooting buckets after we ate, but I wanted to stick to the allotted time. So I grabbed the basketball on the rebound and told them it was time to go. I could tell they were a little shocked that Mom was throwing them out, but if I didn't, the next time I invited them over for an Eat and Run, they'd remember getting home late, so they might feel the need to decline my invitation.

Readers respond: "What a wonderful idea! I have been wracking my brain to come up with a way to grab some time with family that is quick and enjoyable, but provides the touch-base I miss with them. It is great to read with you Suzanne!"--Karen B.

"GREAT CONCEPT! I see Eat and Run dinners in our future--thanks for sharing"--Ciao, Jo

"Dear Suzanne, 'Eat-and-run-dinner'? You are a GENIUS! This is a great idea. We are having dinner with friends tomorrow night, all of whom have complained how hard it is to get their kids to come for dinner. I'm going to share your solution with them and I know the gals in the group will jump on it. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy reading your posts each morning; they give my day a real kick start. I recently introduced the book club to my mom and she has commented more than once how much she is enjoying starting her day reading the posts."--Karen H.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE RED DOOR INN (Fiction) by Liz Johnson

I fell in love with Prince Edward Island from the first time I set foot on it. I am always plotting my next trip to the island. Come take a journey with me in my new book. What will happen when two strangers are thrown together to restore an old inn? Will they learn to trust each other?

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE RED DOOR INN to read more and to email author Liz Johnson, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 03-04-16

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

Dear Reader,

Do you take advantage of the AuthorBuzz and KidsBuzz features in the daily emails? Heathre, a book club reader from Colorado is very happy that she clicked on the KidsBuzz link...

"Greetings Suzanne, I wrote to author Michel Chikwanine about his new graphic novel, Child Soldier in order to try to win a copy. I am a 6th grade teacher at a local charter school, and I know my students will be very interested in seeing a copy of it, and signed?! WOW! They will be so excited! I was emailed by his marketing assistant to give my address so they could send it to me. I am so tickled!

I am very happy to keep in touch and continue to participate in the book clubs. I just love getting the exciting new book and author information (adults and kids). I have been getting your AuthorBuzz emails for years now. I also bought YOUR book Muffins and Mayhem and just love it. Your stories are so cute and help us connect with you much more. I have made a few of the recipes! Our favorite are the blueberry muffins. Thank you so much for doing this marvelous thing for all the readers!"--Heathre P., Colorado

Please email anytime with your feedback or suggestions about the book club. I really do appreciate your comments. And If you're looking for a recipe that you saw at the book club, you can see all of my recipes and even recipes from readers at: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/susandemo/mweb/path1-17.html

Did you know there are two ways to read your daily book club email? You can continue reading the text version right in your email, but I suggest you CLICK on the link at the beginning of each day's read, to read in colorful HTML. The HTML version has daily tabs which let you go back and read excerpts from the book you might have missed earlier in the week, and you can view the book jacket and author information.

Remember to keep the book club fun. Read guilt-free. If a book isn't a good match for you, simply hit the delete key. Every Monday I feature a new title.

Have a great weekend.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: MY JOURNEY THROUGH WAR AND PEACE: Explorations of a Young Filmmaker, Feminist and Spiritual Seeker (NonFiction) by Melissa Burch

I traveled to Afghanistan at age 21 to film the war for CBS and BBC during the Soviet occupation. Escaping my alcoholic mother, I found that by facing death, living outside my comfort zone and trusting my intuition, I could set a new course.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on MY JOURNEY THROUGH WAR AND PEACE to read more and to email author Melissa Burch, you'll get a reply.