Hi all!

First, I have some not-so-good news to share. We had to push back the release of Grow Your Own Spices to January 5th because the first shipment of books was damaged in transit.

Now, on the upside, the new copies are all set to be shipped out starting on January 5th. I just received my early copy. So, I can now officially verify that the hardback book is even more beautiful than I imagined!

The binding is sturdy and durable. The image and illustration color is rich and saturated. And the sections are so easy to navigate! It even smells good – no nasty toxic glues here!

Also, as a kind of apology/consolation for the book not being available for the holidays, I made a video (below) with a tour of some of the pages. In it I also share all sorts of juicy/insider details about the publishing process — starting with where the idea came from (which may surprise you). I talk about the research/gardening writing stuff, collaboration with the other contributors, and all the details that go into making the beautiful finished product.

Personal IOU for the Holidays

Finally, for those of you who were hoping to give this as a gift for the holidays — since the book won’t actually arrive until the New Year — I’d be happy to send your recipient a personal “IOU” message.

I know it’s not the same as holding a book in your hands. But I’m hoping that a personal message from the author (me) will help the special people in your life feel appreciated (which is really why we give gifts, right?)

Just email me the following details to exploresimplestead@gmail.com.

• Where you made your purchase (e.g. Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books A Million, Independent bookstore name, etc.)
• The name and email address of the person you are giving it to, and
• Why you want them to have this book.

Then, I’ll use that information to write that important person a personal greeting, including some tailored gardening advice, and I’ll let them know the book will be arriving in January.

Thank you all so much for your support! Also, be on the look out for my future posts coming up soon on harvesting horseradish, pruning, and learning to grow vanilla…at the zoo (seriously)!