In This Issue (To read this e-letter on our website, click here: mysterypartners.com/Newsletters/060801.html)

Book Report Out and About Lifescapes Herb Snips

Book Report

Spanish Dagger Book Tour: April 2007 To celebrate the launch of China's fifteenth mystery, Susan will be accepting invitations to speak at April events in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Southern California. If your library/garden/herb group would like to invite her, please read this page carefully: mysterypartners.com/TourHostSite/invitation.html. Pecan Springs Journal: A New Blog! China, Ruby, and Susan have put their heads together and come up with a brand-new blog. It's called the Pecan Springs Journal, and you can access it here: susanalbert.typepad.com/pecanspringsjournal. It'll be a little-bit-of-everything weekly blog, published every Monday morning. Come on over to our new place, look around, and let us know how you like it. China's Book of Days The August preview entry for China's Book of Days is on Shaker herbs. To read it, go here: mysterypartners.com/BookOfDays. Herb societies, garden groups, and book clubs, please note that we are offering special prices for group orders of signed/personalized books. These will make wonderful holiday gifts, so start collecting your orders now. Cottage Tales Bookplates By popular request, we now have autographed bookplates for all three of the Cottage Tales. If you'd like a bookplate for your copy of The Tale of Hill Top Farm, The Tale of Holly How, and/or The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood, send a stamped self-addressed envelope to Cottage Tales Bookplate, PO Box 1616, Bertram TX 78605. Be sure to specify which book you want. If you'd like your bookplate personalized, tell us what you want Susan to say. (These bookplates are about 2"x3", so there's only room for a few words.) Wonderful for gift books!

Out and About
Susan will be in Denver on Friday and Saturday, September 1-2. For details of her appearances, go here: mysterypartners.com/Events.html. Susan was recently interviewed by Elisabeth Grant-Gibson, of Windows Bookshop in Monroe LA, about the pleasures and challenges of working with Beatrix Potter as a character. You can download a podcast of the 15-minute interview here: thebookreport.net/podcasts/072006.mp3.

Lifescapes
MeadowKnoll is a busy place in the summer, with books to finish, wildflowers in bloom, and a few summer-time getaways. Read about the Alberts' doings at susanalbert.typepad.com/lifescapes. Please bookmark the site, so you can return often. Or you can go to the website, mysterypartners.com, and scroll down the toolbar to "Crime Partners"—click on "Lifescapes." We've recently added a new feature, allowing you to subscribe to a service that will notify you whenever Susan posts. Go here for details: susanalbert.typepad.com/lifescapes/2006/05/subscribe_me.html.

Herb Snips: A Sunny Idea

A sunny spot plus a handful of herbs brewed in a glass jar equals a pitcher of tasty tea. To brew your herbal sun tea, pick several handfuls of tea herbs, wash and bruise them, and place in a large glass jar filled with spring water. Place the jar where it will receive 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. When the taste pleases you, strain and refrigerate. Mint makes a fragrant sun tea, alone or blended with pineapple sage. Try rose geranium leaves with lavender, or brew up a bouquet of lively lemony herbs: lemon basil, lemon thyme, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemongrass. Want more herb snips? Go to mysterypartners.com/HerbSnips.html.

Killer Plants

Killerplants.com, which is devoted to the mystery and excitement of the botanical connections that enrich our lives and our cultures, is one of China's favorite websites. Herbal lore, plant news and views, and fascinating botanical research. Visit soon, visit often!

Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues with appropriate credit to Bill & Susan Albert.
This newsletter is written and edited by Peggy Moody & Susan Wittig Albert.