MysteryPartners NewsFlash

Book Report Out and About Lifescapes Herb Snips All About Thyme

Book Report

Nightshade is blooming.... Readers and critics alike love the new China Bayles mystery. Go here to discover some surprising facts about the fascinating nightshade family, check out a recipe, and read the first chapter of Susan's latest novel. It's in your local bookstore now, or you can order your very own signed copy here. Susan's Book Club Friends is a group of book clubs that read and enjoy her mysteries and other works. It's easy to register your club—and you can pick from a whole bouquet of benefits! Details here. If you missed the Nightshade Blog Tour, don't dispair. The drawings have concluded, but Susan's interesting posts and readers' comments are all still available. Check them out here You'll learn lots about the China Bayles series and about the art and craft of writing mysteries, and you'll get to meet some fascinating bloggers.

Out and About
It's early days yet, but we've already started thinking about next April's book tour. If you live in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio and would like to invite Susan to speak to your group, you can read all about it here.

Lifescapes

A new writing project, springtime flowers, and summertime heat. There's always something going on at Meadow Knoll. You can keep up with the happenings on Susan's blog, Lifescapes, for pictures.

Herb Snips: Herbal Sun Teas

Ice-cold drinks are part of summertime fun, and sun-brewed herbal teas are sooo easy. Fill a clean wide-mouth gallon jar with handfuls of well-washed herbs, fill with water, cover, and place in the sun for 6-8 hours, shaking or stirring occasionally. (Kids love to pick the leaves and watch the color deepen.) Here are some delightful combinations: ½ cup each of the leaves and flowers of peppermint, bee balm, and applemint 3-4 green tea bags, plus ½ cup each of chamomile flowers, lemon verbena and spearmint leaves ½ cup each peppermint, rosemary, and lemon balm leaves, 3 sage leaves When the tea is brewed, strain and add honey or sugar. Pour over ice and garnish with an herb sprig. Be sure to refrigerate any left-overs. Read more herb snips.

All About Thyme

All About Thyme is a weekly celebration of herbs, spices, and the changing seasons. It's all about the plants that have given us pleasure, seasoned our food, healed our bodies, and fed our souls. It's about our calendar, too, and the many ways that herbs have connected our human lives to the changing times and passing seasons. Oh, and did we say it's FREE? Check it out!

Subscribe

Please forward this newsletter to anyone interested in mysteries, herbs, gardening, and the writings of Susan Wittig Albert. If a friend has forwarded this to you, enter your email address in the box below, then click the 'Sign up' button.