Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 7-15-16

 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,

If I'm paying attention and ready to listen, there's a story waiting for me everywhere I go.

I handed the bank teller my deposit and we started chatting about the early, hot, humid weather, which soon led to "The plants sure need more rain, don't they?"

And that's when she told me her "Once upon a time," true story...

"A gardenia plant was growing outside of my window," the bank teller settled back in her chair, "it had been blooming for 15 years in my yard, so abundantly, and it got so tall I had to trim it back a little bit. It was a beautiful plant, blooming right outside my kitchen window. It sounds kind of silly, but every day I'd say good morning to my gardenia plant while I was pouring my coffee. But then suddenly it died for no apparent reason. I expected the gardenia to keep blooming for many more years, because it looked so healthy and I took good care of it. But one day it died anyway, and since it had gotten so big, I was going to ask the man who cut my lawn if he would take it out of the ground for me. But before he could get around to it, I looked out my kitchen window one morning, and noticed a flowering vine had encompassed the gardenia plant--wrapped itself totally around my old gardenia plant and in a way, made it bloom again.

So I decided to let it be, to not to take the dead gardenia plant out, because maybe it was nature's way of making things beautiful and taking care of things. A cycle of life, don't you think? I still can't understand what happened to my gardenia plant. But I guess it's the way things were supposed to be, because whenever I look at the flowering vine, I remember my beautiful gardenia."

If I'm listening, everywhere I go there's a story waiting for me. What a blessing.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

KIDS BUZZ: Serafina prowled kids' imaginations in her bestselling debut and she's back in the middle-grade mystery/history adventure SERAFINA AND THE TWISTED STAFF by Robert Beatty. For a chance to win a free copy, say hello to the author and more, click here.

* * *

This month's PENGUIN CLASSICS book is THE MYSTERIES OF PARIS by Eugene Sue. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag, click here.

Dear Reader Column 7-14-16

 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 remember the first time I filled out an entry form and stuffed it in the cardboard box. The local grocery store in Cuba City, where I grew up, was giving away a variety of prizes to shoppers and I was a winner. It was the very first time I'd ever won anything, and I was especially excited about my prize, a pair of panty hose. (Thank heavens my mother had just recently given me permission to wear lipstick and panty hose.) But obviously I was a little too excited, because as I was pulling up the panty hose, I snagged them with my fingernail and put a run high up in the stocking. So out came the nail polish, a couple of dabs on the top and bottom of the run, and I was ready to go.

I'm curious, have you ever won anything in a drawing anywhere before? What was it? Have you ever entered one of my drawings? If you don't enter my giveaways at the book club, you really should. It's fun and someone always wins, like Debbie--it was a first for her, too...

"Dear Suzanne, when I read that one of the winners of The Far Empty was Debbie M. I assumed it was another Debbie M, as there are so many of us! What a wonderful surprise to find a copy of The Far Empty in my mailbox yesterday! I am fascinated by J. Todd Scott's background and am looking forward to reading what appears to be a fully engrossing, excellent book! Also I have never won anything in my life, so this is very exciting. Thank you!"--Debbie M.

"Suzanne, thank you! I was on vacation when your email arrived and was so excited to see that I was one of the winners of The After Party by Anton DiSclafani. I returned late last evening and what should arrive in the afternoon mail, but my copy of the book. I love reading with the book club and wanted to send you an immediate thank you. Thank you not only for this book but for all that you do to encourage readers with your heartfelt writing--you make reading fun and inclusive for everyone! Thank you again!"--Cheryl S.

"Thank you so much! I can't wait to read the rest of We Could Be Beautiful. I love the book club, and I love how smoothly you run it. Very cool! Thanks for the giveaway!"--Dona

"Dear Suzanne, while I don't always head to the library to check out the books in your weekly selections, this week I must find a copy of Kara Isaac's book to read the complete novel. When my parents died two years ago, I was fortunate to obtain not only an antique bookcase, but many books published in the early 1900's. Recently I have been reading the books to determine which ones I want to keep and which ones I want to pass along to someone else. The first book I read was titled The Joyous Trouble Maker, published in 1918 and written by Jackson Gregory, which happens to be the name of one of the characters in Ms. Isaac's book. I have no idea if she has read any of Mr. Gregory's books, but I really enjoyed The Joyous Trouble Maker and it will remain in the family bookcase. If Mr. Gregory, the character in Close To You, (this week's selection in the Good News Club) is half as entertaining as the protagonist in Mr. Gregory's book from 1918, I am certain to enjoy it immensely. Thanks for introducing me to so many good books,"--Ann S.

I'm giving away a Surprise Package today. No hints about what it is, but you know me, so it will be fun. To enter the Surprise Package Giveaway, click here. 

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 deserves your attention:

(Fiction) Land of the Afternoon Sun by Barbara Wood

(Fiction) Game of Shadows by Amanda K. Byrne

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

* * *

This month's PENGUIN CLASSICS book is The Mysteries of Paris by Eugene Sue. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag, click here.
 

Dear Reader Column 7-13-16

 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, Eleanor Brown was inspired by her own grandmother's time living in Paris in the 1920's, when she wrote her newest release, The Light of Paris. It's the story of two women trapped by their family's expectations: Margie, in 1924, who defies her conservative parents and moves to Paris for one gorgeous summer, and her granddaughter Madeline in 1999, who discovers Margie's story and uses it as inspiration to create the life she hungers for.

Eleanor Brown is the New York Times and international bestselling author of The Weird Sisters. Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, she lives in Colorado with her partner, writer J.C. Hutchins where she teaches writing workshops and is an avid CrossFit participant.

Please email, say hello and welcome Eleanor to the book clubs. Authors love to hear from you. It's a great encouragement and makes their day. Email: eleanorbrowncontact@gmail.com

Putnam Books (Eleanor's publisher) is giving away copies of The Light of Paris. Email putnambooks@penguinrandomhouse.com to enter the drawing. It's always helpful when you include your preferred shipping address, in case you're a winner.

Welcome to the book club, Eleanor Brown...

Recently in a thrift store, I ran across a copy of Judy Blume's classic, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Seeing it brought back a flood of memories, not just because the story was so influential to me, but because this was quite literally a classic book--the copy I held in my hands had been published in 1975.

I stared at the cover--purple-edged, a drawing of a blonde girl-- trying to figure out what was wrong. Because this was the same cover of the copy I'd owned when I was little, except it wasn't exactly how I remembered it.

The purple had been shiny, hadn't it? Almost metallic? And the drawing of the girl more stylized, less 1970's? And wasn't it thicker?

When I went home, I looked up images of the cover online, and confirmed it was definitely the same edition I'd owned as a child. But despite having photographic evidence staring me in the face, it felt--wrong, somehow.

I got to thinking about another childhood favorite--Follow My Leader, by James Garfield, a book about a young boy who loses his sight after being injured by a firecracker. I searched for it and was happy to see it was still in print, albeit with a different cover.

But when I went looking for "my" cover, I had a similar experience to the Judy Blume book. There was the cover that must have been mine, for sure--I remembered the drawing of Leader, the boy's guide dog. But the rest of it? Was that the font? Had there always been that drawing of the boy with those sunglasses kneeling beside Leader? Had the background had so much white in it? Surely not.

The stories that forge us when we were young are so central to who we are. There's a lift in my heart when I run across a copy of Bedtime for Frances, or D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, not just because they are wonderful books, but because of everything I associate with them.

I'm a little afraid to re-read Margaret or Follow My Leader now, much as I want to. If I mis-remembered the covers, have I also forgotten what was on the inside? And if the stories are different than I remember, will it change the way I feel about them? Will it change my memories?

What do you think I should do?

--Eleanor Brown

Email Eleanor at: eleanorbrowncontact@gmail.com

To enter the drawing for a copy of The Light of Paris, email putnambooks@penguinrandomhouse.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

KIDS BUZZ: Serafina prowled kids' imaginations in her bestselling debut and she's back in the middle-grade mystery/history adventure SERAFINA AND THE TWISTED STAFF by Robert Beatty. For a chance to win a free copy, say hello to the author and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

* * *

This month's Penguin Classics book is The Mysteries of Paris by Eugene Sue. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag.

Dear Reader Column 7-12-16

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,

Summertime just begs me to read the Classics. I invite you to stretch out in a lounge chair with a glass of lemonade and read a book that has stood the test of time.

A must for anyone who loves Les Miserables or The Count of Monte Cristo, July's Penguin Classic, The Mysteries of Paris by Eugene Sue, is considered to be the inspiration for both books. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin tote bag (just like mine), click here.

Remember to...

1. Keep the book club fun, and 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.

2. If you have a comment, book suggestion, or need assistance, send me an email. I always appreciate feedback from readers, so email anytime.

3. Looking for a recipe that was featured in the book club? Click here to see all my recipes and even recipes from readers.

4. Remember, if you miss receiving one of your daily reads, email. I'm always happy to send the missing read to you. Or, click on the HTML option in your daily read, and not only will you see a colorful book jacket, author info, and AuthorBuzz, you'll find reads from Monday through Friday.

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

Warm regards,

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Game of Shadows (Fiction) by Amanda K. Byrne

There's more than meets the eye when it comes to Cass Turner. She's more than your typical UCLA student--past her flawless appearance, she's a highly trained assassin. She's desperate to leave the business, but when she winds up saving her target's life, she's in deeper than she could have imagined--especially after she falls in love with one of the most prominent members of LA Crime, the mysteriously sexy Dominic Kosta.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on GAME OF SHADOWS to find out more about the book and the author, Amanda K. Byrne. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 07-11-16

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 miss conversation. People don't talk enough anymore, and I'm just as guilty as the next guy. You'd think from the "gotta goes" that we frequently insert into our conversations, that there was a shortage of things to talk about. We're so busy that, "I don't have time to talk now," seems justifiable. But I think we're losing something valuable because of it--the missing pieces that we need to make our lives easier and more enjoyable are out there, tucked away in someone else's experiences.

Someone started a business from a dream; someone has a teenager who's driving them nuts, or they vividly remember getting "the call" from the doctor. Silly and embarrassed, that's how someone else felt last week, and if only they'd told me about it, it would've spared me from feeling like "I'm the only one." We all have the "stuff" that great conversations are made of--a story to tell, a listening ear, or a simple, "This is how I felt when it happened to me."

There's always someone who's been where I'm trying to go. And hopefully when I find them, they'll have the time to talk.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: LAND OF THE AFTERNOON SUN (Fiction) by Barbara Wood

Here is the perfect desert escape. Young bride Elizabeth, a New York heiress marries a disinherited English Baron in the 1920's. They start a new life in the untamed land of the West where they build an agricultural empire. Set in the playground of Hollywood's rich and famous, this is a saga about ruthless ambition, courage, heartbreak, forbidden romance and ultimately, triumph.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on LAND OF THE AFTERNOON SUN to read more and to email author Barbara Wood, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 07-08-16

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

 

Dear Reader,

Today I'm sharing two delightful emails from readers. (You'll get very hungry reading the second email.) Thanks so much. I really appreciate hearing from you.

"Dear Suzanne...I always look forward to reading your thoughts and comments. They never fail to delight and uplift me. I understand and wish you great respite when you are on holiday or vacation. But when you are on a break, I wait for your next words with baited breath. You have surely been given a wonderful gift of self expression. I am so jealous of your creativity and gentle spirit! (Thou shall not covet Diane..). We have similar stories you and I, regarding our lives. I so admire what you do. I'm glad you are wise enough to know that you cannot always pop together a column without struggling. But when you listen to your heart, amazing thoughts appear in your emails! God bless you Suzanne and thanks for all you do!"--Diane

"Suzanne, I just had to write to tell you about my cookie experience! I participated in a 170 adult and 20 children mass choir performing 'Jubilate Deo,' a seven movement choral composition based on Psalm 100. I was so excited about being a part of this that I volunteered to make cookies for everyone for Thursday, the first night of rehearsal. On Tuesday and Wednesday I made 7 dozen chocolate chip, 3 dozen chocolate-peanut butter chip, 6 dozen oatmeal butterscotch chip, 6 dozen snickerdoodles and 6 dozen sugar cookies. I also made 3 dozen each apple-cinnamon, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry-orange and lemon poppy seed mini-muffins, and 3 mini-loaves of pumpkin-raisin bread and 3 mini-loaves of lemon-black walnut bread. I bought plastic trays from the Dollar Store, plated up the treats on individual trays, wrapped them with plastic, put labels on them, and drove four hours down to South Carolina, where the music festival was taking place.

I was absolutely floored by the reaction--people were still thanking me for the cookies they consumed on Thursday night after we concluded our performance on Saturday night! I tend to forget that lots of people don't cook at all anymore, and that home baked treats are, therefore, even more special to them. I'm sure some of the motivation behind my offer was your great example of baking cookies for so many, so thanks!"--Melissa C.

(Suzanne replies:) Oh my gosh Melissa. I'm exhausted just reading about how much baking you did. Think about all the lives you made a difference in by simply baking. I'm constantly amazed at the memories people share when they're eating one of my cookies. They take a bite of one of my cookies, a smile appears and then they tell me a story. "I remember when my grandmother would bake sugar cookies and...."

* Congratulations to the winners of The Far Empty by recent Guest Author J. Todd Scott: Mari R., Pauline B., Pat H., Beverly D., and Debbie M.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: THE LAST BASTION OF CIVILIZATION (Fiction) by Andrew Blencowe

This title is presented as a series of letters and essays written by various intellectuals and leading figures in the year 2041. They chronicle the rise of Japan as the leading superpower and the fall of Western society. Widespread unemployment, rising illegitimacy, and moral and spiritual decline have led the formerly great United States into a period of extreme mob-driven violence. As speculative fiction, it offers a critically insightful look at a possible future based on today's events.

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

Dear Reader Column 07-07-16

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

 

Dear Reader,

We have four already. We certainly didn't need anymore. So it caught me by surprise, but I guess it shouldn't have, because three weeks ago I started thinking maybe we should adopt another cat. The thought went through my mind, I chased it away, common sense dictated, but then the thought came back, and hung around a bit longer and finally it went away.

But then the other day, there it was again. 'You should go and look online at the shelter, Suzanne.' I kept listening to myself until finally I did go and look at the pictures of cats and kittens waiting to be adopted. I scrolled through the photos, and yes, the kitties were cute, but I knew that none of them seemed to be for me. Until....I saw the picture of Lane. Those eyes were looking at me, the gray and white little kitten was staring at me and even when I looked away, I knew her eyes were still on me. Instantly, I fell in love. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was supposed to go and get her, and bring her home.

How was I going to bring up this topic to my husband? "Dear, I think we should adopt another cat from the shelter. What do you think?"

"Suzanne, we have four cats now. Are you out of your mind?" And pretty much that's exactly what my husband said--along with a little eye rolling.

I explained to my husband that I agreed, it did seem like a crazy idea, but would he just sit down at my computer and look at the picture on the screen?

"I think it's one of those things that's meant to be, even though it sounds a little crazy," I told him. "Look at that picture. I swear she's talking to me. How about if we just drive to the shelter tomorrow, go in and look, and if we're overcome with a feeling that we are supposed to adopt her, we will. If we don't, we won't."

My husband accepted my reasoning, because I've always been careful about adopting cats. In the past when we've visited shelters, I haven't always found "the one" and that's okay. We'd go home empty handed and wait for another time.

The next morning, we did indeed go to the shelter and when we walked in, there she was sitting in a cage by the front desk, two-month-old, Lane. We took her out of the cage, my husband and I looked at each other, and we started filling out the paperwork to adopt Lane, whose name we've changed to Natie (formally Natalie Beecher). My husband named her. We sure do love Natie--and it appears our other cats do, too.

(See, it 'was' meant to be.)

To see photos of Natie go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/cat-07-7-16.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 deserves your attention:

(Thriller)
LITTLE GIRL GONE by Gerry Schmitt

(Fiction)
HER AUSTRALIAN HERO by Margaret Way

(Fiction)
READY TO FALL by Olivia Dade

(Fiction)
THE LAST BASTION OF CIVILIZATION by Andrew Blencowe

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

 

 

 

Dear Reader Column 07-06-16

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

 

Dear Reader,

Something was troubling her. I could tell she was holding back tears, but we were strangers. So I only looked her way and smiled--but the look in her eyes--I wish I would have asked if everything was all right.

The look in her eyes.

I'd seen that look before. It was the look in my Grandma Hale's eyes. We'd just returned home from Grandpa's funeral and the strong woman, the grandma who I'd never seen cry until today, looked at me from across the living room and her eyes were begging for an answer, "Oh, how am I going to go on?"

The look in her eyes.

It reminded me of the look in Leona's eyes. Leona was sitting in a lawn chair on a hill, away from the commotion, but close enough to hear the auctioneer selling her possessions one-by-one. She had to leave behind her pink house on the corner and move into a nursing home, and the frightened look in her eyes was searching for an answer, "Oh, how am I going to go on?"

The look in her eyes.

Yes, something was troubling the stranger. I could tell she was holding back tears and I wish I would have asked, because I'll always remember the look in her eyes.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: READY TO FALL (Fiction) by Olivia Dade

When you fall off a bike, you get right back on. But what if you don't know how to ride one in the first place? You get yourself a hunky instructor, that's what! But even when you've got things all planned out, they can go way off track, to someplace you never considered...

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on READY TO FALL to read more and to email author Olivia Dade, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 07-05-16

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

 

Dear Reader,

Today is a first!

First time we've had an active military guest author. (In fact he lives on a base.) And I do believe it's the first time we've been graced with a SF author.

Please welcome author Sean Danker to the book club. Sean has been writing since he was fifteen. He read entirely too much Asimov in college, and now we're all paying the price for it. His hobbies include biting off more than he can chew, feeling sorry for himself on Twitter, and telling people to lighten up. He is currently serving in the military on a base in North Dakota. Since he's on duty this week he's not available to answer email.

Sean's lastest book is Admiral, the first book in the new Evagardian series.

Take it away Sean Danker....

Dangerous Research

I remember reading two specific novels in which the authors' commitment to meticulously researching their subject matter became an obstacle to me enjoying their books. One of them had learned a great deal about some cultural stuff, but in the book it was distractingly clear that these copious details were just the product of a lot of reading and a desire to include as much as possible. It felt forced, and it hurt the book. My immersion suffered because I noticed, and I had to slog through all that extra detail, which didn't add much.

In the other case it was historical information; that author couldn't go five pages without drawing some parallel from his characters to Alexander the Great or somebody. By the second or third book in the series, that was getting noticeable.

I'm not calling these guys out, I'm just giving examples of how well-intentioned research can go wrong. It's not a question of to research or not to research, because I don't really consider it optional--but the information has got to be implemented in such a way that it doesn't hurt the story.

But I can't throw stones, because it seems like I fall on the other side of it. I recently wrote a space book, and space can be a technical place. It seems I can't go anywhere without being reminded how painfully inadequate I am in terms of technical and scientific street cred.

In one online gathering place I visit there's a pretty qualified science and SF crowd, and I'll see them looking at spaceships or other things from films or entertainment. I listen to them tear that stuff apart from a technical standpoint, when it all looks perfectly fine to me. I'm not there in person, but if I was I'd be really quiet, looking awkward, and feeling insecure.

And my father's an engineer who's forgotten more about science than I'll ever know, so sometimes I'm not even safe offline.

So some guys do too much research, or at the very least include too much of that research in their writing--while I'm over here worrying that I'm not doing enough. Obviously it's situational, but that question's always on my mind. How much research does this project demand? And how much should I make a point to include?

I don't know the answer. I'll have to do some research and get back to you.

--Sean Danker

Don't miss seeing this...for more of Sean's thoughts, be sure to watch his excellent video, "Realism and Hard Science Fiction." I must admit I'm not a huge SF reader, but I really enjoyed the video. You can easily view it at his website: http://evagard.com/

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: HER AUSTRALIAN HERO (Fiction) by Margaret Way

My warmest greetings to my much valued long time readership and welcome hopefully to a new audience. I must tell you, dear readers, dysfunctional families have provided me with the background for many of my books. I think of the entire subject as a bottomless well I can always dip into. I truly hope you this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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

Dear Reader Column 07-04-16

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

 

Dear Reader,

I'm on holiday today, but I leave you with one of my most memorable 4th of July picnics.

I rarely eat a brat, but I'm originally from Wisconsin and once a year I indulge in a Wisconsin Brat--today's the day! I'll be firing up the grill. Hopefully I have better luck than the last time I tried...

My husband usually does all of the barbecuing at our house, but today I thought I'd surprise him and grill a couple of burgers for us. I'd never fired up the grill so I had to resort to actually reading the directions. I don't like manuals, but since I was dealing with gas and a flame it seemed like the wise choice--just in case. Ka-boom!

Took the cover off of the gas grill, opened the lid, turned on the gas, flicked the ignite button several times, just like the directions said, and poof! Like magic, the flames appeared and I didn't even have to light a match. Feeling pretty impressed with myself, I picked up my two hamburger patties and was just about ready to place them on the grill, but instead I started screaming.

Roaches, spiders and some other crusty-looking bug I'd never seen before (maybe it's a gas-grill roach)--bugs and more bugs were running for their lives, in every direction, to get away from the just-lit flame. It was all I could do to hang onto my plate of burgers. I was running, the bugs were running, I was screaming, I could swear I heard bugs screeching--why didn't the manual tell me about this? I'm not a fan of spiders, and heaven knows I can't stand roaches, but the thought of turning them into crispy critters, I did feel some remorse for turning up the heat on them.

So there I stood holding a plate with two uncooked burgers, desperately trying to regain my composure so I could approach the gas grill and finish making lunch, and I was a bit teary-eyed and trying my best to apologize to the roaches and spiders who were now hiding out in the bushes behind the grill.

I'm leaving the barbecuing to my husband.

* Penguin Random House has put together a collection of presentations made by authors at several librarian events this year. I thought you might enjoy looking through the videos of authors and maybe find one, two or several you are interesting in watching. To see the list of video clips, go to: https://www.youtube.com/user/rhlibrary/videos

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

Happy 4th!!

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: LITTLE GIRL GONE (Thriller) by Gerry Schmitt

Writing as Laura Childs, I've penned the New York Times bestselling Tea Shop and Scrapbook Mysteries. Now, under my own name, I'm proud to introduce the first title in my Afton Tangler Thriller series. And what a thriller this is... On a frozen night in an affluent Minneapolis neighborhood, a baby is abducted from her home and her teenage babysitter violently assaulted. The parents are frantic, the police are baffled, and the trail is growing cold. Enter Afton Tangler, family liaison officer who pulls together random clues and sniffs out a sinister woman who creates "reborn" dolls!

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on LITTLE GIRL GONE to read more and to email author Gerry Schmitt, you'll get a reply.