Obviously the big news is that The Lady in Chains came out at the end of April. I’m sure there’s a lot I could talk about in the book, but I’m trying hard to keep spoilers out of my newsletter. So I’m picking something that isn’t a major spoiler but has a story behind it.

“Bonnie, why would you do that to Brussels sprouts?”

I tend to write about things I like or that I find interesting. For example, I used to be terrified of spiders, but with a lot of work I’ve been able to change that, and now I find them pretty neat. And out of all the vegetables I could have picked, Brussels sprouts made the cut (lol) because not only do I like how they taste, but because there’s a story behind my relationship with them.

I’m not a picky eater but there’s two foods I really didn’t like for a long time. Sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. I try to be open-minded about food and even if I try something and don’t like it, I’ll retry it every now and then to see if my preferences have changed. Now, about ten years ago I started working at the best programming job I’ve ever had. They were local to my area, but were trying to be competitive with great benefits and were copying a lot of the Silicon Valley perks, including free lunches. And by free lunches, I mean they had a dedicated culinary team and they were amazing. I learned a lot from them, got so many good meals, and they even put together a cookbook that I routinely use.

I think you all see where this is going. Yes, they made Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes and when I tried them, I loved them. They completely changed my opinion on both of those foods. And since I wrote How To Survive Camping while I was still working there, of course when I had to think of a food to traumatize everyone with, I picked one that had recently entered my list of “favorite vegetables to eat.”

I make mine using the recipe from that cookbook, which is just cut in two, toss with some olive oil, salt, and pepper; and then roast until they’re a little crispy at the edges.

Yep.

I was really hoping that this would get announced in time for the newsletter and the timing worked out great! Obviously I’m incredibly excited about this opportunity. The way I portray the forest in How to Survive Camping was strongly influenced by my experiences roaming the woods in Connecticut as a kid and I can’t wait to revisit those memories with Hemlock Hollow.

There’s not a whole lot I can share at the moment as I’m at the very start of this project, but I’ve got a handful of chapters written and I’m feeling good about the main character. I think you’ll all like her.

One event left for May at the Blue Couch Bookshop! As always, please help the host out by RSVPing if you’re planning on being there. Thank you!

May 28th: Blue Couch Bookshop in Columbus, Ohio

We should start working on book four, The Beast, soon! I’ve wrapped up a final read-through to get it as close to ready as I can before it goes to my editors. So it’ll be on hold for just a little bit while they work through it, and in the meantime I’ll be working on Hemlock Hollow!