Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 08-16-18

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books,
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Dear Reader,

Four bold ladies knocked on the front door of my house on Friday night. "We saw the sign out front that '2 Broke Boys Who Bake' are having a bake sale tomorrow morning, at 7 a.m. By chance are there any baked goods ready to sell yet?"

"Paul, James, you've got customers." My grandsons came running.

Two loaves of pumpkin bread and a dozen chocolate chip cookies sold the night before the '2 Broke Boys' bake sale even started, it was a magical moment (thanks to those four women), who made two boys feel like sought-after entrepreneurs.

Paul and James were up the next morning at 6:30 moving the table, signs, a cooler (to keep the baked goods cold in the Florida heat), a cookie jar shaped like a lighthouse to keep cash in, Paul's recipe box and the pumpkin bread recipe that was going to sit on top of it, in case customers wanted to take a picture of the recipe.

"Do we really want to show customers our recipe?" That was one of the business decisions up for discussion between Paul and James. Paul thought showing the recipe to customers would let them know for sure, that the bread was made from scratch. James didn't think it was a good idea for people to see the recipe, because they'd get their phones out, take a picture of the recipe, and then they wouldn't come back to the next sale to buy pumpkin bread. They'd make their own.

But I commented that unfortunately most people don't have time to bake from scratch anymore, so I didn't think sharing the recipe would be a deterrent from folks buying pumpkin bread. Besides baked goods always taste better when someone else bakes them for you.

Entrepreneurs are always learning new things about their business. Lessons learned from the boys' two previous bake sales: It wasn't necessary to provide samples. Paul said that even though they offered samples of the pumpkin bread at the last sale, only one person took the sample. Another surprising statistic was that Grandma thought chocolate chip cookies would be the first to sell out, but I was wrong. Pumpkin bread was the biggest hit! My grandsons also learned this time around, the costs of doing business. Grandma donated the ingredients for the last two bake sales, but this time I told the boys they needed to figure out how much the ingredients cost and pay me for them. So Paul researched the cost of every ingredient, and when he priced vanilla extract he discovered there is a worldwide shortage right now, because of poor crops. "Grandma the price of vanilla is killing our bottom line!"

But for '2 Broke Boys Who Bake' great tasting baked goods, have great smiles, and remember their please and thank yous, the vanilla shortage didn't end up affecting their bottom line. It was another fun and profitable bake sale, that inspired two young boys to start baking again--real soon.

To see photos, click here.

Enter this week's "Summer Fun Giveaway," and you have the fun of letting me know, in case your name is drawn, which prize you would like (PBS Masterpiece DVD of The Miniaturist, a bright yellow polka dot tablecloth, cupcake toppers, or a random book from my bookshelf). You can enter every day. To enter, click here.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

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

(Fiction)
GETTING SCHOOLED by Emma Chase

(Fiction)
THE MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENT by Jennifer Probst

(Fiction)
HAWKYN by Larissa Ione

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

Dear Reader Column 08-15-18

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

Dear Reader,

Carol, a reader at the book club enjoyed the column and photos of my husband Bob, and cat Natie, investigating strange noises in my stove vent several weeks ago, but she wanted to know...

"Suzanne, your [kitchen] back splash tiles are really charming! Are they original to the house? Yes, I am really nosy!" -- Carol

(Suzanne replies:) I wanted a change, but it was way too expensive to tear out the tile backsplash behind my kitchen sink and counters, and replace it with something different. Nineteen years is a long time to live with the same old thing (The only exception being my husband. We'll be married 41 years this December.), but back to my tiles.

The previous owner, a corporate executive, had just finished refurbishing the 1925 home my husband and I live in, a few weeks before we bought it. The executive's family endured fixing up a historical home, but when it was finished, he was transferred out of the country.

So the kitchen was newly redone when we moved in, and it looked amazing. Just gorgeous. But over the years my style changed. I'm a vintage girl now. The 1925 home is the perfect fit, but since I spend so much time in the kitchen, I wanted it to reflect my homespun style. So I asked Connie, a local artist here in Sarasota, who had hand painted designs in my sewing room, if she could repaint and seal my old backsplash tile. I provided her with some of my favorite vintage designs, and she created some of her own.

I love them! Take a look and let me know what you think. (Yes, we caught the spelling mistake, 'desert' instead of' dessert,' and the tile has been fixed.)

Enter this week's "Summer Fun Giveaway," and you have the fun of letting me know, in case your name is drawn, which prize you would like (PBS 'Masterpiece' DVD of The Miniaturist, a bright yellow polka dot tablecloth, cupcake toppers, or a random book from my bookshelf). You can enter every day. To enter, click here.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

** AUTHORBUZZ **

HAWKYN (Fiction) by Larissa Ione

I love stories that dig deep into family relationships, so when I set out to write Hawkyn, I wanted to bring readers deeper into the world of the guardian angels known as Memitim, as well as update everyone on the extremely important role the founding couple, Azagoth and Lilliana, play in the Demonica Underworld. Hawkyn and our heroine, Aurora, will bring a new, sexy dimension to the Demonica 'verse, and in a way neither of them expected.

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on HAWKYN to read more and to email author Larissa Ione, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-14-18

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

Dear Reader,

Today's guest author, Shari Randall, is a former librarian, who pens the new Lobster Shack Mystery series. The native New Englander lives in a midcentury, modern money pit, not far from a lighthouse and plenty of great lobster shacks.

Shari is giving away the first two books in her Lobster Shack Mystery series: Curses, Boiled Again! and Against The Claw. Please welcome Shari to the book club and when you do, you'll be automatically entered in the giveaway. Email Shari at, lazymermaidmysteries@gmail.com

The Book I'll Never Give Away

Like most booklovers, I've found that the hardest part of downsizing is dealing with all of my books. I've tried Swedish Death Cleaning, read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and believe Less is More. After my last move, I managed the painful process of winnowing my book collection. But there is one book I simply cannot part with, a book I've had since I was ten years old.

What is this relic of my mystery reading youth? The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook: Authentic Detective Methods for Solving Mysteries--the 1972 printing of the 1959 original. Why didn't I have a Nancy Drew Detective Handbook? Did one exist back then? Apologies to fans of Frank and Joe, but I only read the Hardy Boys when I couldn't get my hands on a Nancy Drew.

Why can't I bring myself to let go of this book?

Because, dear reader, whenever I crack it open, I go back in time and fall under its spell. Once more I am a ten year old in pigtails who believes it's entirely possible for two nosy teenagers and their accident prone chum Chet to bring down an international crime syndicate. What makes this book so irresistible? First, there's the style. The Handbook crackles with adolescent male energy, tough guy lingo, and a noir sensibility. The Joe Friday approach delivers facts to wannabe detectives like a .45 delivers lead.

Second, what a trove of information! Among the tips it offers are (TSA take notice) directions for pat-downs, schematics for one-, two- and three-man surveillance, a dictionary of legal terminology and criminal slang ("Dive: a place of poor reputation") and directions for making 'moulage.' If you don't know 'moulage,' I highly recommend this book.

Though many of the forensic procedures have been rendered obsolete by modern technology, and one must no longer carry change for the phone booth in the corner of the drugstore soda shop, spending just five minutes with The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook makes you feel that you can trail a perp, pat him down, and make the collar with the confidence of a teenage detective.

More than anything, The Handbook connects me with the sheer joy of reading mysteries, a feeling I try to channel while writing my own books. Happily--or sadly--you can find a copy of The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook on Amazon for $.01 plus $3 for shipping. But the trip down memory lane is priceless.

-- Shari Randall

Shari is giving away the first two books in her Lobster Shack Mystery series: Curses, Boiled Again! and Against The Claw. Email, lazymermaidmysteries@gmail.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

P. S. I had to look it up...Moulage (French: casting/moulding) is the art of applying mock injuries for the purpose of training emergency response teams and other medical and military personnel.

** AUTHORBUZZ **

THE MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENT (Fiction) by Jennifer Probst

Join me on an emotional journey through Italy with the brooding Rip Savage and the determined Caterina Winsor for a battle over the family winery, and for each other's hearts. I'm thrilled to re-visit the world I created in The Marriage Bargain that captured reader's hearts. I loved connecting with both familiar, beloved characters and brand-new ones. Step back into this special world and share Rip and Cat's love story--which begins with the intriguing Book of Spells!

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENT to read more and to email author Jennifer Probst, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-13-18

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

Dear Reader,

There's still plenty of time to celebrate the summer sun and fun. With that in mind, be sure to take part in this week's "Summer Fun Giveaway."

New titles from my bookshelf, a bright, sunny-colored polka dot picnic tablecloth, summer inspired cupcake toppers for cupcakes, and a DVD from PBS.

Masterpiece on PBS, is airing an adaptation of Jessie Burton's gripping, bestselling novel, The Miniaturist. The 3-part broadcast airs Sundays, September 9-23rd at 9pm ET.

Amsterdam's Golden Age comes alive in all its opulence and repressed sensuality in this story of a young bride who receives mysterious packages from a reclusive maker of miniatures--tiny objects that appear to predict the future.

Enter the giveaway and you have the fun of letting me know, in case your name is drawn, which prize you would like (tablecloth, cupcake toppers, a book from my bookshelf or the DVD). To enter, click here.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

** AUTHORBUZZ **

GETTING SCHOOLED (Fiction) by Emma Chase

These teachers are about to find out that love is a hard lesson to learn.... Set against the backdrop of a hilariously relatable small town, first love gets a second chance in this extraordinary new romance.

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on GETTING SCHOOLED to read more and to email author Emma Chase, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-10-18

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

Dear Reader,

Twice a month I drop off my ironing at Martha's house. She's a very soft spoken, timid woman who has built such a popular ironing business, that she can't take any new customers. Laying my head on crisp, starched, ironed pillowcases is one of the ways I treat myself.

I take my ironing to Martha and she calls when it's finished. We've never really had the chance to chat other than, "Hello, thank you and good-bye" pleasantries. But the other day, when Martha called and told me, "Your order is ready. You can come pick it up," there was a long pause and then she boldly said, "It was sad around here yesterday. I was outside trimming hedges with my son. We didn't realize my dog had got outside and had crossed to the other side of the street and when I heard a loud yelp, I was screaming for my son. My dog was hit by a car and died. I guess all we can do is keep going, huh?"

I was crying, Martha was crying.

Being brave and telling people you have a broken heart, most people are inclined not to say anything to anyone, because the room will go silent. The person you're talking to will probably be at a loss for words. Things could get uncomfortable, but not for Martha. It helped Martha grieve to tell me the story. I felt privileged that she told me about her little dog and the ache in her heart, even though it made me sad.

Martha needed to tell the story and I needed to hear it.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

Dear Reader Column 08-09-18

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

Dear Reader,

M.J. Rose, today's guest author, grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. M.J. believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice... Books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it, and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

M.J. Rose's newest novel Tiffany Blues was inspired by her early introduction to stained glass and takes place during the Jazz Age in New York City. Send M.J. a few lines about one of your own stained-glass memories (she absolutely loves to hear from readers), and you'll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice --  MJRosewriter@gmail.com

Learn more about M.J. and see how she may visit your book club, via Skype, at MJRose.com

Please welcome author M.J. Rose...

When I was little, my family spent Sundays at my great-grandparents' house in Brooklyn. It was an old house with a stone stoop in an average neighborhood but to me it was magical. A secret door in the attic led to a hiding place containing an ancient rocking horse. My mother's childhood bedroom remained intact with all her dolls and books still on the shelves--including her Nancy Drews. And in the dining room was a Tiffany stained glass scene of garden, full of lush red roses with a border of verdant green leaves.

I must have seen that window a hundred times and then one Sunday, when I was about eight years old, I noticed how its colorful reflections moved across the oak floor as the afternoon slipped into dusk, before we sat down to eat.

I was fascinated and pointed out the lovely display to my mother. We spent the rest of that visit watching and tracking how the colors moved.

I was still talking about the window's colors when I got home and the next day after school my mother had a surprise for me.

I loved to paint and draw and she'd added to my supplies with vellum paper. She showed me how it let light through and suggested I make my own stained glass window.

I filled the big sheets of paper with intense colors, then cut them up in abstract shapes and finally without waiting for her permission (or the tape she had bought so I wouldn't make a mess on the windows) used Elmer's glue to paste them on one of my bedroom windows.

Most mothers would scold an eight year old for gluing paper to the window. But not mine. She helped me do all the windows turning my room from a Barbie's Den to a fanciful Belle Epoch mansion.

"Look at how beautiful you've made it," she said with delight when we were done.

That's my first stained glass memory. What I now call moments of beauty, that I take mental snapshots of so I can revisit them and enjoy them again.

I learned that from my mother. She always looked for beauty and pointed it out to me on our travels together--be it on a walk to the corner store, in the museum, the park, or to a distant land. She taught me that there is beauty hidden everywhere--from the shape of a tree trunk, to a single broken seashell, to the color of a cardinal's feather, from a Matisse drawing to a reflection of the sky in a rain puddle.

I try to take notice something beautiful every day. I do it for me--because a moment of beauty chases away a little of ugliness in the world--and for my mom who's not here anymore. Feeling for those few minutes, that she's still on the road with me.

I hope you make a stained glass memory of your own today.

-- M.J. Rose

Send M.J. a few lines about one of your own stained-glass memories (she absolutely loves to hear from readers), and you'll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice -- MJRosewriter@gmail.com

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

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

(Fiction)
REBORN by Meredith Wild

(Fiction)
TIFFANY BLUES by MJ Rose

(Fiction)
ROME'S CHANCE by Joanna Wylde

(Fiction)
ROUGH RIDE by Kristen Ashley

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

Dear Reader Column 08-08-18

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

Dear Reader,

Toys we wished for as a kid. Last week's column about the Barbie car my parents gave me (but I didn't have a Barbie), inspired readers to enter my "The Toy You Always Wished For, But Never Received" giveaway.

Enjoy today's walk down memory lane and see who was the lucky winner.

"The toy I wanted was the Barbie head that you brushed the hair and could put on makeup. My parents were logical toy buyers and that wasn't a logical toy. lol" -- Maureen

"Suzanne, I always wanted a Howdy Doody Marionette when I was growing up. The Howdy Doody Show was very popular in the 1950's. Being the eldest of eleven children made it difficult for my parents to afford one for me." -- Maureen

"I always wanted Tinker Toys as a small child...supplement to my Lincoln Logs" -- Susan

"Mr. Machine, my brother received one from our great uncle and I always wanted one too." -- Chris

"I read a lot as a child and croquet seemed like a fun game. I never received one because we had 'outside' to play in!" -- Merrilee

"I have always wanted an American Girl doll that looked just like me! We definitely couldn't afford a $100 doll when I was little. I remember looking at the old American Girl Doll magazines that would come in the mail every once in awhile and just dream." -- Justine

"A box of 64 Crayola Crayons was the item I craved when I was very young. It has become a family joke and I have received a lot of 'substitute' crayons since then. They just did not come at the time I was so desperate for them." -- Karen

What were the most dreamed about toys? Barbie dolls (and accessories), Easy-Bake Ovens and an Etch-A-Sketch.

Drum roll please...and the lucky winner is Elizabeth V. Watch the mail for the toy you've always dreamed of--an Etch A Sketch.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

** AUTHORBUZZ **

ROME'S CHANCE (Fiction) by Joanna Wylde

Do you remember the one who got away?

Rome McGuire only spent one evening with Randi Bryant. She was the sweetest, sexiest girl he'd ever met, and that night she staked a claim on his heart. The next day, wildfire swept through their town. Randi and her family were forced to evacuate, losing everything. They never returned. Eight years later, Rome spots her at the grocery store. She's come back for her high school reunion, but she'll only be in town for the weekend. Now he has two nights. Another chance. This time, he's not letting her go.

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on ROME'S CHANCE to read more and to email author Joanna Wylde, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-07-18

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

Dear Reader,

Today's guest author has won the Barry Award and been shortlisted for the Edgar, MacCavity, Agatha, and ITW Thriller awards, among others. Her latest book, The Prisoner in the Castle, is about the murder of secret agents imprisoned on a remote Scottish island--who lives and dies will affect the outcome of World War II.

Please welcome Susan Elia MacNeal,  the New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope mystery series.

Susan is traveling this summer, but feel free to visit her on Facebook.

Definitely Not Having an Affair

When I first started traveling solo, to do research for the Maggie Hope series, I swear my late mother-in-law thought I was having an affair. Women of her generation just didn't leave their husbands and children to go alone, as I was doing. The scandal!

(I assure you, dear readers, I was not having an affair. Or, if I was, it was with my current book. And, maybe a little bit even with myself.)

You see, I'd never travelled alone before. When I was younger, in my twenties, I had no money to travel and usually just managed to get myself places, and then stay with friends. In my thirties, I traveled with my husband and then husband and young son. It was only in my forties, as the Maggie Hope books were taking off, that I decided to travel on my own, to do research--and also perhaps a bit of soul-searching.

I've had amazing experiences on those trips: walking the same hallways Winston Churchill and his secretaries did in London's Cabinet War Rooms. Imagining the lives of the young Princess Elizabeth and Margaret at Windsor Castle. Visiting a secret agent training camp in Scotland. ("Don't pick up anything metal!" I was warned. "We still find the odd grenade here, even after all these years!") Sipping champagne in Paris. I've had amazing experiences and also made wonderful friends.

There are also the less-than-enchanting experiences. Being verbally and physically harassed in Edinburgh. Lying on the ground in a restaurant in Honolulu when a drive-by shooting had been called in, waiting to see who would come first--the shooter or the police.

Catching the norovirus in Glasgow, not knowing anyone in the city, let alone the country. Being in Berlin in dark, rainy November and feeling weight of the Holocaust, without anyone to talk to (well, at least in person--thank goodness for Skype). Still, these are part of the whole--and I wouldn't trade that whole for anything.

As my son has gotten older (and is now able to deal with long-distance travel), I've realized I want to take him and my husband with me on these research trips. There are so many benefits to travel together--new memories, making friends, sharing desserts! That person to look to, to say, "Did you just see that?" And so, this summer, we're all going to London and then Scotland--and I feel grateful and blessed to be a wife and a mom, and also to introduce my loved ones to some of the places and people I'd come home raving about.

Still, I think despite bringing my husband and son along on this coming trip, you might just find me going off on my own every once in a while. I'll get to remember the person I am when I'm not a wife and mom. I get to hang out with my characters. And I get to remember that while I'm no novel heroine, I am the lead character in my own life. No, no affair--cross my heart--unless it's with my books and myself.

--Susan Elia MacNeal

Connect with Susan on Facebook.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

** AUTHORBUZZ **

TIFFANY BLUES (Fiction) by MJ Rose

When I first read that Louis Comfort Tiffany's Long Island magnificent mansion, full of his stained glass and artwork, had burned down in 1957 and no one knew why--I knew there was a novel there!

So I've taken a bit of history--everything about the magnificent mansion and Tiffany (the store and the man)--is true. And I've added a fictional plot line about Jenny Bell, a 24-year-old painter who has a very storied and tragic past. The book has gotten some great reviews I'm very proud of as well as being chosen as a Indie Next Pick for August.

Go to AUTHORBUZZ click on TIFFANY BLUES to read more and to email author MJ Rose, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-06-18

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

Dear Reader,

When I was a kid, once a week fish was on the dinner menu. My dad loved to fish, his dad and mom loved to fish and they had a trailer by the Mississippi--everyone who lived in the little community were serious fisherpeople. Crappie, Walleye, Bluegill, Catfish, and carp (that nobody ate unless it was smoked), were plentiful in the Mississippi. So I like fish, but I can't stand to cook them. My husband does all the cooking when it comes to fish, and today I'm sharing one of his favorite fish recipes, fish tacos. A great tasting dish for a light summer meal.

Fish Tacos
Serves 4

2 T olive oil
2 T fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 T fresh orange juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound skinless fish filets
1 T canola oil
8 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups thinly shredded green cabbage or lettuce
1 cup fresh tomatoes, mixed with cilantro/ or your favorite light salsa

Mix olive oil, lime and orange juices, garlic, oregano and onion slices together. Put fish filets in a baking dish, pour the marinade mixture over top, turning the fish so that both sides are coated. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet (cast-iron if you have it). Medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade. Reserve the marinade, including the onions. Arrange the fish in the skillet in a single layer. Don't crowd the fish or it will steam. Cook for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the fish over and cook on the other side until it is done, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer fish to platter to keep warm.

Add the marinade, with the onions, to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently until the onions are caramelized and tender (about 7 minutes). Set aside. Warm the tortillas and fill with the fish and cheese, cabbage and tomato fixins. Enjoy!

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com

** AUTHORBUZZ **

REBORN (Fiction) by Meredith Wild

With thirteen romances under my belt, I was eager to challenge myself to write something with a slightly different rhythm. In a way, stepping into suspense gave me permission to create a world that was more intense than anything I'd written before--more dangerous, more disturbing, and rich with opportunities for my characters to be challenged and grow. The Red Ledger Series, a tale about Tristan Red, an assassin whose newest mark, Isabel Foster, is also a long lost lover, allowed me to do that.

Go to: AUTHORBUZZ click on REBORN to read more and to email author Meredith Wild, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 08-03-18

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

Dear Reader,

This week's fun giveaway is about the toy you always wanted when you were a kid, but never received. Are you still dreaming about getting your very own Barbie, GI Joe, Silly Putty, Etch a Sketch, Slinky, or maybe the Hot Wheels Collection? There's still time, you're never too old, your childhood dream could still come true. So be sure to enter this week's giveaway. Tell me about the toy you always wished for and if your name is drawn your wish will finally come true. To enter, click here. When you enter this week's giveaway, tell me about the toy and don't forget to include your mailing address, in case you're the winner.

Readers take a walk down memory lane...

"Suzanne, I loved your story about the Barbie car without a doll. My sister and I always wanted Play-Doh, but our mom said it was too messy. When I shared your story, it brought back memories, and laughs. Thank you." -- Lolita

"My sister and I always wanted a hula-hoop and a Chinese jump rope, but our Mom wouldn't buy us either one." -- Debra

"GI Joe (a hunk to date my Barbie!)" -- Amy

"I always wanted a real Care Bear. I loved Care Bears--I had the coloring book, checked out the story books from the library, and watched the cartoon, but never had one of the stuffed bears." -- Rashel

"The toy was a Chatty Cathy. You and the other readers bring back so many memories!" -- Linda

"Way back in the 50's, there was a doll advertised on TV (on the two black and white channels we could fuzzily receive if the wind wasn't blowing too hard). I believe her name was Tressie. There was a key that one could turn in her back and her hair would 'grow' from short to long and vice-versa. I wanted that doll SO badly! But, my dad had died, we were scraping by, and there certainly wasn't money for that doll." -- Barb

"Richie Rich comic books" -- Karen
"Microscope with prepared slides" -- Laurie
"Mrs. Beasley Doll" -- Michele

"My toy I never got was a Bionic Woman Doll." -- William
"A snow-cone maker" -- Marty
"The Thingmaker" --Leslie
"Cabbage Patch Kid" --Erica

You can still send in an entry. Click here to enter. Tell me about the toy and please include your mailing address, in case you're the winner.

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

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com