Letter to Readers from Dorothy St. James

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Dear Readers:

I’m so happy to be able to visit with you this week. In a little less than a month’s time my second White House Gardener Mystery, THE SCARLET PEPPER, will be released. I can’t tell you how much nail-biting has been going on in this household as the release date rushes up to slap me in the forehead. (I also have a deadline for the third book in the series, OAK AND DAGGER rushing toward me like a freaking tidal wave.) So forgive me for the lack of fingernails right now.

Writing this series about a southern gardener’s adventures in our nation’s capitol has given me the perfect excuse to do two things I love: Travel and Garden.

During the writing of this series, I’ve taken several research trips to Washington D.C., where I’ve toured the White House and its gardens several times, chatted with the gardeners, quizzed the extremely patient Secret Service members, attended a White House tweetup where I had the pleasure of meeting several administration officials, and had a personal tour of the State Department that included a peek into some top secret areas.

And then closer to home, I’ve become more involved with the gardening community as I expanded my knowledge of organic gardening. Just this past week, I lunched with the local Master Gardener coordinator and discussed problems that might crop up in a fall garden.

Nearly everyone I’ve met or interviewed has been extremely friendly and generous with the knowledge that they can legally share. I wouldn’t want anyone to spill state secrets. The one person who was less than helpful, well, let’s just say she provided inspiration for a certain character in the upcoming THE SCARLET PEPPER. All in all, it’s been a wild ride that I wouldn’t have traded for the world!

Connect with Dorothy

Website: www.DorothyStJames.com

Facebook: 
Twitter: @DorothyStJames
Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4457468.Dorothy_St_James

• Dorothy St. James White House Gardener Mysteries

  www.DorothyStJames.com

  Writer of the White House Gardner Mysteries information about her upcoming novels and fun facts about the White House and US federal government. Look for THE SCARLET PEPPER, April 2012, Flowerbed of State: 2011,