Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 03-31-17

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

Dear Reader,

Readers reply to my "homebodies" column. If you missed it, it's at the end of today's reader comments.

"Suzanne, we are kindred spirits! I do enjoy going out once in awhile, but my favorite times are at home. I love an opportunity to read, knit, play piano, or try to paint. It is fun to stream a good series with my husband. Lately, I have been much too busy with social obligations outside the house and I am missing my at home time. I do love to travel, and once in awhile, as I am sure you do, we partake of some 'cultural' activity. But you are right, the simple pleasures at home are the best! And it is especially fun when the kids come for a visit."--Gerri D.

"I enjoyed your column today. My husband and I are also homebodies. I sew and read. He gardens, makes wine and beer, and is in the process of moving the wine making supplies out of an extra bedroom into a separate building. We also each work outside the home 40 hours a week. So we love 'staycations' where we vacation at home and work on projects. My family loves to travel. My parents, sisters (and their spouses), and my husband's brother (and his wife), love going places and seeing new things. They don't really understand why we don't travel more. I love reading about someone else 'who enjoys the warmth and simple pleasures of being at home.'"--Jerilyn

If you need an "okay" to love being at home, here's my column...

I'm finally at peace with the fact that my husband and I have become homebodies. I don't know why I struggled accepting the label. It could be because one dictionary defines 'homebody' as: "a person who likes to stay at home, especially one who is perceived as unadventurous." But I'm going with Urban Dictionary's definition instead: "a person who enjoys the warmth and simple pleasures of being at home."

The past few years I'd tell myself my husband and I should be getting tickets to watch a play, we should be attending a concert, we should be going out to dinner, and to the Farmers Market on Saturday, because there's always something to do in Sarasota. Every Thursday I read through the "Ticket," an insert in the newspaper that lists page-after-page of what's going on in the city. Sometimes I'll even circle an event or cut out an ad and put it on the refrigerator, but rarely do my husband and I actually follow through. For some reason we find enough satisfaction in reading about the events and imagining ourselves being there.

Because, the truth is, my husband and I simply enjoy being with each other at home. Yes, we're homebodies who love our house, our five cats, the flower gardens, the bubbles, our grandchildren frequently visit, I love sewing quilts and my husband owns guitars, a keyboard and drums. No--we don't go out much--because the best event is right in our own home, and being together in the same room, feels like we're always sitting in the best seats in town.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: WICKED HOT: A MacKenzie Family Novel (Fiction) by Gennita Low

Mashing up my world with another author's characters is a privilege and I am honored to be given this privilege by Liliana Hart with her MacKenzie family. I wanted to explore an end-of-the-road story. A close family starting anew without their matriarch. Lovers needing a change in their lives. A rogue SEAL heading for a dead end and knowing it.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on WICKED HOT to read more and to email author Gennita Low, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 03-30-17

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

Dear Reader,

Whenever my brother-in-law John, comes to visit, it's become a tradition to have homemade lasagna waiting for him. John exits the plane, picks up his luggage, rides to our house and says, "Where's the lasagna?" And he eats half of the pan of lasagna right away. In his defense, he's been traveling all day long from Washington state, so he's a hungry guy. John could eat lasagna every day during his visit, so I make two big pans with his name on them. It's so much fun to cook for someone who appreciates it so much.

(Your Tuesday and Wednesday book club emails may have been late. Sorry about that. We had technical issues. [I hate it when that happens.] If you ever have a question about the delivery of your book club email, please let me know. Thanks for your understanding.)

Suzanne's Lasagna

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

9 uncooked lasagna noodles (the kind that requires no boiling before you bake them)

1 16 oz carton ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)

8 oz can of tomato sauce (or more to taste)

Ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan

Cook and stir sausage, onion and garlic until sausage is brown; drain. Add stewed tomatoes, including the liquid, (break up the tomatoes a bit more with the spatula after you put them in the pan), add one can tomato sauce, sugar, and basil.

Heat to boiling, (stir as needed), and then turn heat down and simmer until the sauce thickens. This might take an hour.

Mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and oregano.

Now you're ready to assemble the lasagna.

Put 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay down three strips of lasagna noodles. You'll be repeating the following process 3 times, so your meat sauce, the leftover tomato sauce and your cheese mixture should be divided into thirds. (I don't actually divide up the ingredients, but I "eye" it when I'm adding the layers.)

Cover the lasagna noodles with the meat sauce, add the cheese mixture, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top it off with a layer of Mozzarella cheese and pour a little plain tomato sauce over the top.

Repeat this process another two times. Make sure the corners of the noodles are covered with sauce before you bake.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let the lasagna sit on top of the stove for 15 minutes before you cut into it.

Or, if you want to serve it later, refrigerate the lasagna and then bake it about 55 minutes--be sure to allow another 15 minutes so the lasagna can set after it's done cooking before you serve it. It keeps in the refrigerator all week long. It's great!

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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

(Fiction)
THE PROMISE GIRLS by Marie Bostwick

(Fiction)
NEVER SURRENDER: A MacKenzie Family Novel by Kaylea Cross

(Fiction)
HOT WITNESS: A MacKenzie Family Novel by Lynn Rae Harris

(Fiction)
WICKED HOT: A MacKenzie Family Novel by Gennita Low

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 03-29-17

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

Dear Reader,

I'm finally at peace with the fact that my husband and I have become homebodies. I don't know why I struggled accepting the label. It could be because one dictionary defines 'homebody' as: "a person who likes to stay at home, especially one who is perceived as unadventurous." But I'm going with Urban Dictionary's definition instead: "a person who enjoys the warmth and simple pleasures of being at home."

The past few years I'd tell myself my husband and I should be getting tickets to watch a play, we should be attending a concert, we should be going out to dinner, and to the Farmers Market on Saturday, because there's always something to do in Sarasota. Every Thursday I read through the "Ticket," an insert in the newspaper that lists page-after-page of what's going on in the city. Sometimes I'll even circle an event or cut out an ad and put it on the refrigerator, but rarely do my husband and I actually follow through. For some reason we find enough satisfaction in reading about the events and imagining ourselves being there.

Because, the truth is, my husband and I simply enjoy being with each other at home. Yes, we're homebodies who love our house, our five cats, the flower gardens, the bubbles, our grandchildren frequently visit, I love sewing quilts and my husband owns guitars, a keyboard and drums. No--we don't go out much--because the best event is right in our own home, and being together in the same room, feels like we're always sitting in the best seats in town.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: HOT WITNESS: A MacKenzie Family Novel (Fiction) by Lynn Rae Harris

I watched a lot of Ink Master before coming up with Eva Gray, the tattoo artist on a mission. And Jake "Harley" Ryan--what can I say? He's a smokin' hot black ops warrior--and he's determined to save Eva from herself when he takes on the job of infiltrating a motorcycle gang for the Hostile Operations Team and the MacKenzies. Sparks are gonna fly!

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on HOT WITNESS to read more and to email author Lynn Rae Harris, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 03-28-17

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

Dear Reader,

Today's guest author, Anna Mazzola, is giving away three copies of her debut novel, The Unseeing. Email: [email protected] to enter the drawing.

Anna Mazzola is a writer of historical crime fiction and strange short stories. The Unseeing, is based on the life of a real woman convicted of helping to conceal a murder in London in 1837. Anna is currently working on a second historical crime novel about a collector of folklore and missing girls on the Isle of Skye in 1857. Anna is also a criminal justice solicitor and child wrangler.

Please email and welcome author Anna Mazzola to our book club...

Getting into the writing habit:

How I got into the habit of writing every day

The crucial element of becoming a writer is that you actually write. That sounds obvious, but when you have various things competing for your time, as most of us do, it can be tricky to make the space to write. For me, the key was getting into the writing habit, and it's something I did almost by accident.

I had my first child six years ago, and he was a sleeper. He would sleep for two--sometimes three--hours every afternoon. I should probably have been tidying the house during that time, mashing up sweet potato, or speaking to other mums about 'controlled crying.' What I was actually doing was sitting in a cafe, writing, with my son asleep in his car seat beside me. At the beginning, I wrote about anything: the conversations of the people sitting around me, childhood memories, ideas. It didn't really matter what nonsense I was scribbling, because what was happening was that I was getting into the habit of writing. Gradually, it became not something that I pushed myself to do, but something I really wanted to do.

When I returned to work, I only had snatches of time to write, but I carried on, even if it was only ten minutes a day. You can write a scene in ten minutes. Several years and ten drafts later, I'd written a novel. I forced myself to submit it to literary agents just before the birth of my second child, and a few weeks after my daughter was born, I received a call from a brilliant literary agent offering me representation.

Unfortunately, my daughter was NOT a sleeper--no chance of sitting with her for two hours in a cafe. I ended up doing most of the edits to my first novel while standing up at a laptop at home, with her sleeping in a sling attached to me. But in the end, the novel was finished (so, unfortunately, was my back).

People often tell me they can't write because they don't have time, or the right environment, or even the right desk. But almost every writer I know writes on top of a job, family, personal crises and a heavy social media addiction. We just need to make enough time each day to keep in the writing habit--to keep getting the words on paper. They might not always be good words, but they give us something to work with. And they make us feel like we are what we want to be: writers.

--Anna Mazzola

Say hello (writers love to hear from readers) and when you do, you'll be entered in the drawing for a copy of Anna's new release.
Email: [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: NEVER SURRENDER: A MacKenzie Family Novel (Fiction) by Kaylea Cross

I'm thrilled to bring you more of the Bagram crew with this new story about Ace and Ryan. I've wanted to write more about this cast of characters for a long time now. Ace is headstrong and Ryan is such a ham, which makes them a joy to write about. And Ace's grandma... Well, she's one of a kind, and simply had to have more of her story told.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on NEVER SURRENDER to find out more about the book and the author, Kaylea Cross. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 03-27-17

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

Dear Reader,

(Today's column as originally published in my book, MUFFINS AND MAYHEM: RECIPES FOR A HAPPY (if disorderly) LIFE. Enjoy!

I learned how to cook when I was a backup singer for The Monkees.

I was an only child and both of my parents worked every day, including Saturdays. So the weekend chores were left up to me. Every Saturday morning before my mother left for work, she would tape a list on the front of the refrigerator. A typical Saturday list, and my daily list in the summer when there wasn't any school, read:

1. Iron
2. Vacuum the living room and bedrooms
3. Dust
4. Clean the bathroom
5. Fix lunch

NO playing outdoors until your work is done.

Love, Mom

I'd always get the work done, well, most of the time. But the "getting-it-done" part never got started until about an hour and a half before my parents came home for lunch. I'd get sidetracked by other important things, like lip-syncing with the Monkees. "Hey, hey we're the Monkees. And people say we monkey around. But we're too busy singing. To put anybody down."

A bottle of Pledge was my microphone, and a pair of my mother's heels gave me that on-stage look. I'd draw the curtains over the big picture window in our living room--I wasn't ready for an audience yet--then I'd slide back the cover of our dark, wooden console stereo, put the 33 LP on the changer, click the switch, and when the needle dropped, the magic would begin.

Sing a few tunes, then take a break to do a little dusting, and pound the round steak--Swiss Steak was on my lunch menu--brown the meat, add some onions and tomato sauce, put it in the oven, and then it was time to do another set with the Monkees.

Timing is everything when you're on stage and when you're cooking, too. If the backup "do-wahs" come in on the wrong beat, it's ruined. If the meat doesn't have enough time to slow cook, it won't turn out fork-tender. Everything has a rhythm to it: peel the potatoes, set them aside; open the peas, dump them into a saucepan--but they'll have to wait for their cues, because it's time to go back on stage.

Thirty minutes before lunch time: turn the potatoes on med-high; tilt the lid over the saucepan to let the steam out; set the table. Countdown, only fifteen minutes left: open the drapes; turn down the music; take one last look around the house; and by the time my parents walk through the door, Mike, Davy, Mickey, Peter and I have finished two curtain calls--our last number was "Forget That Girl"--and I'm in the kitchen smiling and stirring the peas.

"Hi, lunch is ready."

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: THE PROMISE GIRLS (Fiction) by Marie Bostwick

What happens when a child prodigy is no longer a child?

Joanie, Meg, and Avery Promise struggled to escape the notoriety and pressure that accompanied the publication of their narcissist mother's bestselling book. Now, twenty years later, a new documentary will help The Promise Girls redeem their artistic ambitions, reclaim their true selves, and uncover shocking family secrets.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE PROMISE GIRLS to read more and to email author Marie Bostwick, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 03-24-17

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

Dear Reader,

Margie, a reader at the book club, sent me this quote:

"There's no angry way to say bubbles."

The author is unknown--I wish it would have been me because I wholeheartedly agree. So I'm giving away a pack of six, four-ounce bottles of Super Miracle Bubbles today. They're cute and small, so they'll fit in your bag. Go to the park or walk down the street and start blowing bubbles. You'll be amazed at the new friends you'll meet.

To enter the drawing, to go:
http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/giveaway.html

Congratulations to this month's Chocolate Chip Cookie Winners, Marianne S., Jemmy P. and Julia K. I'll be baking for you this weekend.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: APPOINTMENT WITH YESTERDAY (Fiction) by Christopher Stratakis

I wanted to share a message of perseverance in the search for the "sweetness of life." In the story, the brutality of Nazi occupation shatters a happy childhood. After the war is over, immigration, alienation and cultural diversities cause extreme pain, emotional breakdowns and family conflicts. Ultimately, love and the will not only to survive but also to succeed triumph over hardships and family tragedy. I hope you will find, in Yanni's story, inspiration for your own journey.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on APPOINTMENT WITH YESTERDAY to read more and to email author Christopher Stratakis, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 03-23-17

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

Dear Reader,

Nancy, a reader at the book club, writes:

"Suzanne, I enjoy your column every day and look forward to it in order to get my day going! In one of your most recent columns, you mentioned raising children, which is not what I learned growing up. I learned children were reared and animals were raised. If you can shed any light on this difference it would be interesting to read it. Thank you for your daily columns..."--Nancy, Roswell, GA

(Suzanne replies:) Nancy, I appreciate you writing. The first response I typed to you, after reading your email, was that you were correct. I too, was reared, not raised. Wow, that sentence sounds a bit strange, doesn't it? Which may be why, after consulting Webster's Dictionary and the English Oxford Dictionary, they both agree that in this day and age, it's okay to raise both animals and children. Just not in the same way. (That last sentence is an assumption on my part--and meant to be amusing.) But to confuse you and me even more, when I looked up 'rear' in the dictionary (besides talking about our hinnies), yes indeed, you can still rear a child and the word 'rear' is used, per the dictionary, "to breed and raise livestock."

To me, 'reared' sounds like a stern, unfriendly word, perhaps that's why we (people in general) have relaxed the word to 'raise.' We raise plants, they look beautiful, we raise vegetables they taste great, you raise kids and (hopefully) they turn out delightful.

Yes, the times they are a changin' Nancy, and not just with the correct usage of 'raising' or 'rearing' children. Your email reminded me of a word that I've used for years. People often give me a strange look when I use the word 'boughten,' so I looked it up, too.

Even though 'boughten' is grammatically correct to say--like 'reared'--because the word is so out of fashion, not many people use it anymore. So it sounds strange when they do and here's the reason why. The dictionary only presents "Historical Examples" of the word:

Boughten [bawt-n] Store-bought
Origin of boughten 1785-1795
Adjective, Northern and North Midland U.S. Nonstandard.

Historical Examples:
"Half a dozen straight-back chairs, also 'boughten,' were disposed stiffly against the walls."

So that's the story Nancy. You reared your children, I've boughten my children many things over the years, and now, we've both outlived definitions in the dictionary. Seems like we should get an award for that, doesn't it?

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

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

(Fiction)
THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE by Lynda Cohen-Loigman

(Fiction)
SPIES & STILLETTOS: A MacKenzie Family Novel by Liliana Hart

(Fiction)
AVENGED: A MacKenzie Family Novel by Jay Crownover

(Fiction)
APPOINTMENT WITH YESTERDAY by Christopher Stratakis

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 03-22-17

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

Dear Reader,

I feel I was put here on earth to do the little things. Things you could do without, but they're also things that add so much to life. Linda, a reader at the book club, suggests another way to describe the "little things" in life.

"Suzanne, I love the language and context of your columns. It hits home. I thought this would be a great title for your novel, 'Do you want sprinkles on that?' Of course that's what the ice cream shop [person] asks when you order the most scrumptious sundae or, for me, an ice cream soda with whipped cream, sprinkles, a cherry and a long spoon.

How does that relate to your writing...? We all strive for special pleasures and privileges in life, each desired sprinkle is unique to the individual, however others often share the same desires. Something that binds and separates our human natures. So how often do we get those sprinkles? In your writing, the sprinkles must be treasured as rare events in our complicated, somewhat combative, competitive lives. And...sometimes the sprinkles start out sour and end up sweet. Thanks for your writing. Short and sweet, your sprinkles often grab the heart."--Linda

* Guest author, Sally Hepworth was not planning a book giveaway when her guest column ran recently, but she was so touched by all the wonderful emails she received from readers, she decided to do a random drawing for a copy of her new book, The Things We Keep. The two lucky winners are, Debra W. and Betsy N.

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

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: AVENGED: A MacKenzie Family Novel (Fiction) by Jay Crownover

I've been dying to do a series mashup between the saints in Denver and the sinners in the Point for a long time. This was the perfect opportunity to do that. Throw in some sexy MacKenzies on top of it and you have a hot, irresistible time lost deep in the heart of Surrender. I always knew I was going to give Echo a story when she first appeared in Built. Benny, well he took me by surprise. But if anyone was going to get out of the Point alive it was going to be him.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on AVENGED to read more and to email author Jay Crownover, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 03-21-17

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

Dear Reader,

I've never met Cathy Ace, today's guest author. But from her guest column I can clearly hear her voice, and I think you will, too.

Cathy was born and raised in Swansea in Wales, and migrated to Canada in 2000. She now lives in British Columbia, where her ever-supportive husband (and two chocolate Labradors) ensure she's able to write full-time. Cathy's written two series: the Cait Morgan Mysteries, and the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries. Her latest Release, The Case of the Curious Cook debuted on St David's Day (the patron saint of Wales) March 1st.

Please welcome Cathy Ace to the book club. Authors do indeed feel privileged when they hear from readers. Email: [email protected]

In Cathy's words...

Do authors write, and readers read, with their own accent?

Since we're meeting here, rather than face to face, you won't know what my voice sounds like, so I'll tell you; I have a Welsh accent, and it turns out that's not an accent with which the world at large is overly familiar.

Most Welsh people who become actors, and whose lilt one might therefore expect to be well-known, have levelled-out the hills and valleys of its natural sing-song sound; Ray Milland, Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen, Glynis Johns, Catherine Zeta Jones (honestly, the list goes on and on)--they're all world-famous, but their accent has been, necessarily, adapted to allow them to play non-Welsh characters. The delightfully zany (and talented) Rhys Ifans has managed to convince us he's English for an American TV series (he played Mycroft Holmes in Elementary) though in the movies Notting Hill and The Replacements (he was the "wiry" one!) it was appropriate for his natural Welsh accent to shine through. But there aren't a lot of Welsh characters on the international screens of the world, large or small, so it's not an accent people hear often.

One of the things I do as an author is attend crime-reader conventions, which provide a wonderful opportunity for readers to meet their favorite authors. During these conventions panels of authors answer questions about their work; I've learned this is the time when those who've read my books suddenly realize I speak with "a funny accent."

I don't think we acknowledge, as readers (which is what I am, the same way you are), that we read in our natural accent--but that's not necessarily the accent the author possesses. Thus, the words roll around in the author's head in a way they might not in the head of the reader. Until readers who met me expressed their surprise at my accent, I have to admit this had never occurred to me, despite the fact that I am keenly aware of using different vocabulary and speech patterns for characters with differing backgrounds.

So, what about you? Do you try to make the dialogue of characters from other parts of the world "sound right" as you read them? Or do you allow the words on the page to flow over you, filtering them through your own accent? Having thought about this question, I'm now pretty sure I try to do the former, but lapse into the latter quite quickly. As an author, I'll keep trying to write with the correct accent, and hope that my readers enjoy my work, whatever theirs might be.

--Cathy Ace

Email: [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: SPIES & STILLETTOS: A MacKenzie Family Novel (Fiction) by Liliana Hart

I'm thrilled to announce the MacKenzie Family World is returning! I asked four of my favorite authors to create their own characters and put them into the world you all know and love. These amazing authors revisited Surrender, Montana, and through their imagination you'll get to meet new characters, while reuniting with some of your favorites. These stories are hot, hot, hot and packed with action and adventure.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on SPIES & STILLETTOS to find out more about the book and the author, Liliana Hart. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 03-20-17

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

Dear Reader,

The 12-year-old boy was sitting in the plush chair next to my husband. They were both in the hot seat. Periodically the boy's mother would come out of the dressing room with a different outfit on, turn her head slightly, smile, and ask her son, "What do you think?" And then, just as she was leaving the runway, I would appear wearing my latest "hopeful." Hopeful that the red print skirt looked as good on me as it did on the hanger and now it was my turn to ask, "What do you think?"

Back and forth, back and forth, you could tell both the boy and my husband were familiar with this routine, and neither of them seemed to mind. The chairs were cushy and the two of them were talking nonstop and periodically laughing and looking around, as if to see if anyone was listening.

"You're going to be in this position many times in your life," I overheard my husband telling the boy as I was heading back to the dressing room, "so let me give you a few pointers. Some things I've learned through the years."

Hmm, pointers? What were these secrets my husband was passing on to the younger generation? Of course I couldn't resist listening in. So I hid around the corner and eavesdropped in between runway appearances.

"Let's say your mom, girlfriend or wife, (you'll probably have one of those last two some day) is showing you a dress, but you don't like it," my husband told the willing student, "when she asks what you think, don't ever come right out and tell her you don't like the dress. Instead, withhold your opinion, and say something that will encourage her to take another look in the mirror, so she can decide for herself about the dress."

What could the boy possibly say to avoid giving his opinion? My husband recommended a long pause and then saying, "Well, I don't know."

'Well, I don't know?' Hey, wait a minute. Didn't my husband just say that to me a couple of minutes ago, when I was modeling the red print skirt? Where's the mirror?

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE ENCHANTED APRIL, by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqT1A55E35225F&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE (Fiction) by Lynda Cohen-Loigman

Since my 1947 family saga was published last March, the response has been overwhelming! One of the year's greatest thrills was when it was selected as a finalist for the 2016 Goodreads Readers Choice Awards. I can't wait for more of you to discover this story. Find out what happens when two sisters-in-law give birth during a blizzard in a Brooklyn brownstone, and follow the consequences of the secret choice they make that snowy night.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE to read more and to email author Lynda Cohen-Loigman, you'll get a reply.