Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 03-30-18

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

Dear Reader,

Every year the Easter Bunny hides my grandchildren's eggs around my yard. She's a detailed bunny, very good at her job. (I'd be happy to give her an excellent reference, if she ever needed one.) The hunt includes "This Way" signs poked in the ground around my yard and each plastic, colored egg is filled with a piece of candy--and each egg is labeled with a name. (I have three grandchildren on the hunt for eggs. So there's no confusion/squabbles, the eggs are labeled with their names.) The kids start the hunt with an empty plastic bucket for the eggs, and the grand finale is finding their Easter Baskets filled with colored grass, jelly beans, a big chocolate bunny and toys.

Being the Easter Bunny's helper runs in our family. When I was growing up my mother worked at the local Five and Dime in our small town. Every year my mother was in the back room of the Dime Store, surrounded by Easter grass, baskets, toy shovels, chocolate bunnies and colored eggs. Mom always made up all of the premade baskets the store sold. I know it's a silly thing, but it's one of the few good, wonderful, whimsical memories I have about her. When you really think about it my mom was everybody's Easter Bunny. So I'm carrying on the tradition--after all I learned from the best.

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

Happy Easter,

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag. 

Dear Reader Column 03-29-18

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

Dear Reader,

We're gonna have a party!

National Library Week is April 8-14 this year. Librarians have chosen the theme, "Libraries Lead." As part of our upcoming National Library Week celebration, readers have been sharing memories about their library and the librarians who work there. I'll be publishing emails from readers during our online National Library Week celebration.

My email box has already been pleasantly filled with reader library stories.

From readers...

"As far back as I can remember my mom took my brother and me to our local library. We would pick out lots and lots of books and carry them home in our library bag, a huge tote bag that was practically falling apart by the time I reached middle school. Fast forward a decade, and I am now working in the children's department at that very same library where I spent so many happy hours as a kid. My favorite part about my job is the excited look on a kid's face when I find them the book they were desperately searching for. It's a special kind of magic." -- Jenne M., Youth Services, Bethlehem Area Public Library

"Sometimes we do win. This morning a young man was sitting in our high school library talking to one of my aides. He told me he didn't have a class and I suggested he find a book to read. He said 'Nah, I've lost the spirit of reading. The books aren't any good.' A challenge I couldn't resist. 'Try this one. Give it twelve pages.' At lunch time his smiling face came back. 'Mrs. T., that was a really good book you gave me. I'm reading it.'" -- Ramona T.

"As a black child growing up in the Washington D.C, area in the 40's & 50's I was not permitted to use the public libraries. Later as a Howard University student, my student ID admitted me to the Library of Congress which I used instead. Moving to Los Angeles in 1957, not only could I use public libraries, but I went to work in the Central Library. When I retired from L.A. Public Library System after 32 years, I was Regional Manager of 13 branch libraries... Not a bad change for a small black child." -- Barbara C.

There's still time to share your story. It's a fun opportunity to join in the celebration. And of course, a party needs gifts. When you send me your thoughts about libraries, I'll put your name in a drawing. One reader this week will win an adorable "When in Doubt Go to the Library" tote bag, and other readers will win free books.

We're gonna have a party!

Email me at: [email protected] and put LIBRARIES LEAD on the subject line.

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)
NO RESERVATIONS by Kristen Proby

(Fiction)
THE ITALIAN PARTY by Christina Lynch

(Fiction)
TWO WEDDING CRASHERS by Meghan Quinn

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag. 

Dear Reader Column 03-28-18

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

Dear Reader,

Congratulations to March Chocolate Chip cookie winners, Norma C., John A., and Mary C., Roosevelt Public Library. Your cookies are in the mail, you'll be dunking and munching soon.

Never, ever, ever, should I go to the market when I'm hungry. It can be disastrous. Everything looks so inviting to a hungry woman.

When I do walk into the market hungry, the first place I head for is the deli counter where they slice the meat and cheese to order. I take a number and wait patiently--but I don't mind, because I'll be rewarded with the first slice.

"Is this thin enough for you, ma'am?" The clerk gently raises the corner of the sliced ham for my inspection and then asks, "Would you like to try a slice?"

It's a repeat performance when he slices my cheese and other deli requests. By the time I move on to another department, I've pretty much curbed my appetite and I can shop without fear of any hunger-induced impulse buys.

Another thing I should never, ever, ever, do is go to the market without my notebook and pen. While I was waiting for my deli order to be filled, I felt the urge to start writing a "Dear Reader." But I didn't have anything to write on, except the butcher paper that was wrapped around my thinly sliced baby Swiss. No complaints though, it was the perfect palette, quite inspirational really--a big wide open space to write on. When I went to check out and handed over the baby Swiss package to be scanned, I realized from the cashier's look that I'd better give her an explanation and fast.

"Don't worry, it's not a stick-up note. I'm just a writer who forgot to bring her notebook and this is tomorrow's column." (Reprinted from August 2003)

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

** AUTHORBUZZ **

TWO WEDDING CRASHERS (Fiction) by Meghan Quinn

What is supposed to be an innocent trip, a few days laying out on the beach turns into a lust-filled, whirlwind paradise fling. But when it's time to say goodbye, there is one person who isn't quite ready to part ways. Swoony, romantic, heart-filled, and hilarious. This adventurous romantic comedy full of heart, humor and, heat will make you have all the feels!

Go to AUTHORBUZZ click on TWO WEDDING CRASHERS to read more and to email author Meghan Quinn, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag. 

Dear Reader Column 03-27-18

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

Dear Reader,

Best-selling suspense novelist Kathy Herman's first novel, "Tested by Fire," debuted in 2001 as a CBA national bestseller, and she's since added twenty more titles to her credit, including eight additional bestsellers.

Kathy and her late husband Paul have a blended family of three adult children and five almost perfect grandchildren. She's irresistibly drawn to nature photography, especially when it comes to hummingbirds, butterflies, and beautiful sunsets. Kathy lives in the Pacific Northwest with an adorable rescue cat named Prissy.

Kathy's new book, "Only by Death" will be released April 1st.

Please welcome today's guest author, Kathy Herman. Send a "Hello" to [email protected] and when you do, you'll also be entered in her book drawing. Five copies of "Only by Death" are waiting for lucky book club readers.

Kathy's comments on "Only by Death"

"Only by Death" touched me more deeply than any of my previous books, and that's saying a lot. Perhaps it was because the characters have become dear to my heart, and the challenges they faced are no longer fiction in our changing world. I hope you find the story riveting and hard to put down, but also stirring and thought-provoking.

Thank you Kathy for visiting the book club today...

CANVAS

I love those guilt-free days when I can choose to do absolutely nothing--or choose to do anything my heart desires. A day that is a virtual canvas of opportunity, and upon which I will paint the moments as I go in bold vivid colors, in quieter pastel tones, or even in black and white. On such a day, I don't need to please anyone else. No chores. No deadlines. No commitments. Just a blank canvas that is all mine.

My late husband, Paul, recognized my need for such days, even before I did. Writing professionally requires more hours than I can squeeze into a forty-hour work week. I wouldn't want to be doing anything else, but letting my imagination run free to create suspense requires mental space and intense focus, especially since I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer who doesn't find outlining to be helpful. Paul would guard my writing time, catch the phone, answer the door, run errands, tiptoe quietly so that I could have long periods of uninterrupted time to work. But he also knew it was important for me to recharge, so he insisted on taking me on leisurely drives. On one such occasion, we stopped at a park and chased butterflies all afternoon, and I used the zoom on my new camera to capture amazing shots. That's when I discovered that photographing nature could fill me like nothing else.

Now, with my camera in tote, I can escape into the wonders of nature, where time seems to stand still. Birds and butterflies, forests and flowers, sunrises and sunsets, wildlife, and scenic landscapes (in all four seasons) provide an endless palette of colors. Most recently, after moving to the Pacific Northwest from East Texas, I have added mountains, oceans, and rugged coastline to that palette. In this sanctuary of beauty, my camera lens becomes the artist's brush, allowing me to capture the perfection of the Creator's handiwork. There's never a dull moment or a lack of subjects to photograph. Nature is at the same time stimulating and soothing, cruel and tender, unfathomable, untamable, unstoppable. It evokes more questions than answers. More awe with each encounter. It's a joy to use my camera to capture a snippet of its splendor and share it with others, especially my friends on social media, who seem to enjoy my photographs as much as my books.

In those guilt-free moments you're able to snatch for yourself, how would you paint your canvas? It's definitely worth thinking about.

--Kathy Herman

You could win one of five copies of "Only by Death," email Kathy, [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

** AUTHORBUZZ **

NO RESERVATIONS (Fiction) by Kristen Proby

I knew, the minute I met Chase in "Blush for Me" that he needed his own hot love story! Chase is the kind of guy that makes most of us grin. He's charming, sexy, and almost cavalier about his attractiveness. We can't help but love him, and he knows it. Well, everyone but Maura, that is. He's met his match in this independent, alluring woman. I can't wait for you to see how their story unfolds!

Go to AUTHORBUZZ click on NO RESERVATIONS to read more and to email author Kristen Proby, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag. 

Dear Reader Column 03-26-18

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

Dear Reader,

Get ready to hoot and holler, we're gonna have an online party! Join me in celebrating National Library Week (April 8-14) at the book club. This year librarians have chosen the theme, Libraries Lead. In honor of National Library Week, I'm giving away library inspired gifts, and of course free books.

As part of our National Library Week celebration, I'd like to share your memories about how your library, and the librarians who work there, have made a difference in your life. When did you start using the library? Did your parents take you to the library when you were a child? What's your favorite thing about the library in your city? Or maybe you're a librarian--what do you love about your job? Or share a favorite memory of working with a patron.

Please send an email and share your stories. I'll be sharing readers' emails during National Library Week. This is a fun opportunity to join in the celebration. And of course, a party needs gifts. When you send me your thoughts about libraries, I'll put your name in a drawing. One reader will win an adorable When in Doubt Go to the Library tote bag, and other readers will win free books.

We're gonna have a party!

Email me at: [email protected] and put LIBRARIES LEAD on the subject line.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

** AUTHORBUZZ **

NO RESERVATIONS (Fiction) by Kristen Proby

I knew, the minute I met Chase in Blush for Me that he needed his own hot love story! Chase is the kind of guy that makes most of us grin. He's charming, sexy, and almost cavalier about his attractiveness. We can't help but love him, and he knows it. Well, everyone but Maura, that is. He's met his match in this independent, alluring woman. I can't wait for you to see how their story unfolds!

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on NO RESERVATIONS to read more and to email author Kristen Proby, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag. 

Dear Reader Column 03-23-18

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

Dear Reader,

'Why do tennis players grunt when they hit the ball?'

I don't play tennis, but the lead question in the newspaper Q. & A. article the other day, caught my attention. Because I have become a woman who hears herself grunt more than once, every day.

Apparently, 'Tennis players grunt with each serve and stroke of the ball, because they are delivering short bursts of power, and grunting has probably been around since our prehistoric ancestors first hefted large stones.'

Me, I'm not hitting tennis balls or working in a rock quarry, my throaty grunts are giving me the burst of momentum I need every time I bend over and reach down to pick something up these days.

I've been blaming my frequent grunts throughout the day on getting older. So it's nice to know my grunts are actually inherited, and since preserving old traditions are important to me, it's my duty to keep the generational grunting alive.

I do worry what the neighbors must be thinking when they're hearing grunts and groans coming from the other side of the fence. I'm grunting to pick up a bag of mulch, but they're thinking... 'The Beechers are at it again.'

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag. 

Dear Reader Column 03-22-18

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

Dear Reader,

A daisy braid, dinner rolls, and a crusty round loaf of French bread. My grandson, Paul didn't have school last Friday, so he asked if he could come over and bake bread. I was delighted, but I soon realized that baking with a curious 11-year-old, in this day and age, requires more than a great recipe and a Grandma to pass on techniques. Grandma needs Google standing by...

"Grandma why do you knead bread dough?"

"What activates the yeast?"

"What is a proofing bowl?"

You'd think Grandma would know the answers to these questions, and I kind of, sort of did, but putting together explanations in actual sentences? Instead I suggested, "Let's Google it, Paul."

With the help of Google and a cold-rise, taped together, spattered with cooking stains recipe, from my 1968 freshman home economics class, Paul and I baked some delicious breads.

Of course I have photos and the recipe, too, click here to view.

* Congratulations to the winners of The Mayflower Bride by Guest Author Kimberly Woodhouse: Peggy T., Marshall C., Lenore B., Patti and Jennifer M.

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 this title deserves your attention:

(Fiction)
THE RECIPE BOX by Viola Shipman

(Fiction)
GODS OF HOWL MOUNTAIN by Taylor Brown

(Fiction)
THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS by Yoav Blum

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

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag. 

Dear Reader Column 03-21-18

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

Dear Reader,

I learned something new this year about St. Patrick's Day from book club members. It's an after-the-big-day realization, from emails readers sent in, and it came as quite a surprise. Did you know that Americans are the only people who celebrate St. Patty's Day by dining on corned beef and cabbage? I didn't, until book club reader Maureen O., wrote...

"Suzanne did you know that in Ireland folks do 'not' eat corned beef and cabbage--ever? It's an American-Irish dish borrowed from Jewish neighbors when the Irish flooded into New York, Boston, and Philadelphia during the genocide-starvations in Ireland. In visiting my Irish relatives in Ireland, none of them had heard of corned beef and cabbage except from American relatives who asked about it. Our family ate baked salmon, scallops, and potatoes with cabbage along with Irish bread on St Patrick's Day." -- Maureen O.

(Note from Suzanne:) From my research, Maureen is correct. Corned beef and cabbage did not originate from Ireland, and the meal isn't actually Irish at all. Corned beef was used as a substitute for bacon by Irish-American immigrants in the late 19th century.

"Hi Suzanne, eleven years ago, my husband and I were lucky enough to go visit Ireland. After a cool, rainy (well, it was probably Irish sunshine) day exploring, my husband and I went to a pub for dinner. We ate one of the best stews that we have ever eaten. In the center of this bowl of Guinness gravy, lamb and vegetables was a rounded scoop of creamy, mashed potatoes. It was delicious, and we practically licked the bowls.

When our waitress came back, she asked if she could get us anything else. We both said, "The Recipe!" She thought that we were kidding, but went back to the kitchen to ask anyway. The photo is the recipe she brought us. I have made some version of this recipe yearly since we went to Ireland, and think of this story every time." -- Emily

The link to see the original recipe can be found here.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

** AUTHORBUZZ **

THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS (Fiction) by Yoav Blum

Sometimes, fate is just another well-executed mission...

This is the story of Guy, Emily & Eric, whose job is creating coincidences--happenings that look like random events but that will cause people to change their own lives. I invite to join me in a journey about fate, free-will and above all, about love.

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS by Yoav Blum to read more and to email author Yoav Blum, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag

Dear Reader Column 03-20-18

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

Dear Reader,

Wade Rouse, today's guest author, is the internationally bestselling author of eight books, which have been translated into nearly 15 languages. Wade's novels include The Charm Bracelet, The Hope Chest, and his current novel, The Recipe Box, about a woman who rediscovers her family--and herself--through the recipes that connected generations. The book was inspired by the author's grandmothers' recipe boxes, and it includes their cherished family recipes.

Wade chose his grandmother's name, Viola Shipman, as a pen name for his fiction to honor the woman whose heirlooms, life, love and lessons inspire his fiction.

Please welcome author Wade Rouse to our book club. Email [email protected]

"Hoppy" Holidays

Think your family holidays weren't normal? My father used to bury our Easter eggs. He believed that it was just too easy to put the eggs in a basket or place them at the base of some tulips. He thought the after-church hunt should be more of a challenge, say akin to The Hunger Games. On Easter, my father would give me and my big brother little spades and hand-drawn maps and send us on our way to dig up the yard. An engineer and child of the Depression, my dad believed in precision and hard work over frivolity.

My mother knew our Easter hunt wasn't typical, but she was none too innocent herself in our holiday dysfunction. A busy nurse who was often on call, my mom once hurriedly dressed me up as a pirate, covering an eye with duct tape and handing me a fondue fork as a sword (she did stuff a wine cork on the end to protect me and other trick-or-treaters).

In fact, all of my family holidays should have been called family "hell-idays": My great-uncle used to dress as Santa every year, carrying around a six-pack of Hamm's beer instead of a sack of presents. Like most kids, all I wanted growing up was to be like everyone else. I relished spending time with other relatives and friends, whose Christmas trees didn't have to be flocked in a foot of fake snow, or whose 4th of July fireworks celebration didn't have to be grander than our nation's.

But as I and my parents grew older, and we began spending holidays with in-laws, I suddenly missed the way my mother smothered our Thanksgiving sweet potatoes in a cloud of marshmallows, and the way my dad sang Irish songs at the top of his lungs on St. Patrick's Day even though we weren't Irish.

My family wasn't "normal," I realized, and that was okay, perhaps even a gift for a writer. More than anything, my family made me realize that being myself was important, that listening to my own voice would take me far, and that once I gave up what made me unique I'd be just like everyone else. My parents are now gone, but their love, memories and influence remain.

Which is why in a couple of weeks--in honor of my father--a few eggs will be buried in my yard, and guests will be given spades and maps. Because that's how my family does Easter and always will.

--Wade Rouse

Please say hello to wade. Email [email protected]

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

** AUTHORBUZZ **

GODS OF HOWL MOUNTAIN (Fiction) by Taylor Brown

This new novel transports you into a world of folk healers, moonshine runners, and serpent-handlers in the high country of 1950s North Carolina. Upon returning home from the Korean War, whiskey bootlegger Rory Docherty and his legendary healer grandmother Granny May must pit themselves against dangerous mountain clans, revenue agents, and the secrets of their own dark past.

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on GODS OF HOWL MOUNTAIN to read more and to email author Taylor Brown, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag. 

Dear Reader Column 03-19-18

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

Dear Reader,

Reading emails from readers is the best part of my day. Thanks so much for sharing. I really appreciate it.

Reader Mail...

"Suzanne, I wanted to let you know how much I like being a member of this book club. Your column [the other day] highlighted all the benefits [of the book club], but for me there is another, less tangible 'prize.' That is knowing that when I click on your email, there's a good chance that hundreds of others are opening theirs as well. We are all reading a snippet of your book selection, we are all reading your column; we might win a book. I appreciate especially your 'honest' columns, where you reveal the personality flaws or quirks that so many of us share. And so many of your readers are librarians. I am not, but admire the profession. So thanks again for writing your column and keeping this group going." -- Sue M

No Eggs, No Problem, Start Baking

"Hi, Suzanne, my in-laws had divorced years before I came on the scene, and I was friendly with both of them. Shortly after our marriage--not quite 30 years ago, before my father-in-law's birthday, I asked him what kind of cake he wanted. He responded that he wanted the chocolate cake my mother-in-law used to make. So I called her and she dictated the recipe to me over the phone.

After we hung up, I thought it was strange there were no eggs in the cake, but she had told me that it was a recipe handed down from her grandmother, so I guessed perhaps it was a Depression-era conservation measure and I forged ahead. While making it, I found I had to beat it on high for quite a while to get the batter to look right. It baked up fine, I frosted it, and my father-in-law said it was great. I continued to make that family recipe for years--and it always brought raves. Now this is no fancy cake--just a simple 9 x 12 pan cake with a delicious, slightly grainy icing.

About five years after I started making the cake, I made it for a family gathering that included my mother-in-law. As everybody was enjoying the cake, I commented that it was the only cake I had ever made that contained no eggs. My mother-in-law got a funny look on her face and replied that it had two eggs! I showed her the piece of paper that I'd written the recipe on when she read it to me over the phone--no eggs! To this day I still do not know if she accidentally omitted the eggs, or if she wanted her version to be better. Here's the recipe, including the eggs:

Great Grandma Fisher's Cake

Dissolve together: 1 1/2 C sugar & 1 1/2 C buttermilk or sour milk (we like the sour milk version better) Melt and cool: 3 oz baking chocolate & 3 Tbsp butter Gradually add to sugar/milk mixture: 2 1/4 C flour & 1 1/2 tsp baking soda & a dash salt Beat in 2 large eggs & 1 1/2 tsp vanilla Beat in chocolate/butter mixture, beating until light.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

Frosting: Combine 1 1/2 C sugar, 3 Tbsp butter, 1 1/2 oz baking chocolate, dash salt, 1/3 C milk, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until at a rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, still stirring, then remove from heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, and beat until spreadable. OK to frost the cake when warm. Enjoy! -- Devon M.

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

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

** AUTHORBUZZ **

THE RECIPE BOX (Fiction) by Viola Shipman

My new novel is inspired by my grandmothers' beloved recipe boxes and filled with treasured family desserts like cherry chip cake and peach-blueberry slab pie. We all have old, flour-flecked, handwritten recipe cards with treasured recipes, ones we ask our moms, grandmas and sisters to make because they capture beautiful memories. Like a favorite family dessert, The Recipe Box is filled with love and sweetness, things we could use more of these days.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE RECIPE BOX to read more and to email author Viola Shipman, you'll get a reply.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, by Joan Lindsay. Start reading now and enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag.