Q&A with Susan Albert discussion

This is my new-new series, first book just out this month. Anybody read it yet?

As I've posted in about 247 different places - OK, 3 - I love your new series. As we "discussed" earlier, the setting and the ways of the ladies did remind me so much of my childhood - the canning, the flowers, the making do with little, the gardening. Susan, you stated that you realized, while writing the book, how much you were affected by the depression while growing up. I've thought about that all day. I think I was, too. Both of my grandmothers even wore dresses more than slacks, and never jeans, until they died. This is really going to be a delightful series!

When I was a kid, my mother's frugality annoyed me. For instance, she reused paper towels, which I thought was silly. (Now, of course, I know better and have adopted many of her "use it up" practices.) She learned to be frugal in the Depression, when there was no money to buy things. And I'm glad now that I was able to learn some of those Depression lessons, even when I didn't understand where they came from.

I have this book in The Pile and plan to get to it before the end of the month. I enjoy reading about the Depression. My parents were born during the Depression, so neither of them really remembers it, but my grandparents used to tell stories. One of my grandmothers didn't throw much of anything away. When she passed away in 2003 at almost 93 it took a couple of months to clean her house out. She had piles of saved aluminum pie pans and the old aluminum TV dinner pans. All kinds of things like that. "You never know when you might need one!"

I think the Depression did that to people--but thrift and frugality were much more common then (and in the decades before the 30s) than now. Now, we're deluged with stuff, so there's not much point in saving. That wasn't true when your grandmother was growing up.

I'll be very pleased if the books in this series make people think about issues like this one!

The depression played a very important part certainly, but today there are convience stores on every corner and for most it's a five minute drive to get everything you need. Back then you had to stop at the butcher, the grocer, etc.

Fred wrote: "... Back then you had to stop at the butcher, the grocer..."

But now we're at the mercy of the supply chain and just-in-time stocking! What happens when there's a sudden stoppage, for any reason? Will we go hungry? In a small community in the 30s, each merchant had his/her own suppliers, usually fairly local. There might have been shortages, but there was greater flexibility, especially in rural areas.

That's why I chose to write about a small town: I wanted to show people relying on the local community for what they needed. There will be more about this in future books in the series, and it looks like an emerging theme in the China series, too. (I do have an agenda, yes!)

Everybody, if you're feeling swamped by this discussion, just uncheck the Update Feed box in your Goodreads profile and groups. Then you can drop in when you want.

When I go to the store, I am in awe of the amount of food in the store. It is regional chain and there are probably 10-15 stores in in a 15-20 mile radius. Then you can add the Kroger store. Where does all this meat and produce come from. I remeber in the 50's going with my grandparents to the Farmers Market and stopping by a mom and pa IGA for there groceries. the store being the size of 1 1/2 car garage.

I've been looking at pictures of grocery stores and meat markets from the 30s, and it's clear just how dramatically our food habits have changed. I wrote a review of Anna Lappe's Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do about It Obviously, our food choices are having a dramatic effect on the world we live in. Huge issue, IMO.

I think there was a saying: "the land of plenty", but we still want more. Not related, but somwhat is. Last week the heat index hit 103. The area school buses don't have A/C. The school ocrp said that parents could drive their children to school or keep them home.

Fred wrote: "I think there was a saying: "the land of plenty", but we still want more..."

One of the lessons that's coming for us (IMO) is that we're going to need to learn to want *less,* not more. I'm just finished reading/reviewing Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, by Bill McKibben. He makes a strong argument for respecting limits (although it may be too late).

In the Dahlias series, I want to show people who are being forced by circumstances (the national economy) to live within limits but who intend to make the best of it.

I haven't yet read The Darling Dahlias, but am looking forward to the series. I agree that it is VERY important in these times for people to think about what they're using up and/or reusing. I learned frugality from my parents who survived The Depression. (My 94-year-old mother is still going strong and recently moved "back to the farm" at Long Creek Herbs.) Besides, I am a big fan of China; was delighted to learn another favorite (Robin Paige) was actually the "Susan and Bill team"; have been charmed by the Cottage Tales; and have learned quite a few good tips for my own writing from following your newsletters and blogs. I don't know where you find the time to accomplish all that you do, but Thank You!

Suzanne, when you're doing what you love (I know you know this!), there's always time to do just a little bit more--and the great value of the Internet is that it allows us to keep and make available some of that "little bit more." What a miraculous archive it is, of all our efforts--especially in these times, and in the change times to come.

Are you Josh's sister? I'm asking because Jim mentioned that Josh's mother was at Long Creek. If not, forgive. If so, small world!

Yes, I'm Josh's sister. I understand J&J will be in Austin next weekend and will try to call you. I met you and Bill YEARS (it seems) ago at Tom and Enid's Historicon in Boulder where we talked about your Robin Paige novels and about how you "grow" a series. Hope we'll meet again some day ... in the meantime, I'm enjoying "keeping up with the Alberts" via the Internet. Regards!

Suzanne wrote: "I met you and Bill YEARS (it seems) ago at Tom and Enid's Historicon in Boulder where we talked abo..."

Bill and I remember Historicon fondly: it was fun and interesting and I always learned something new when we went. And of course, Boulder is a great place to go. Too bad it stopped happening.

One discussion that comes up on another group is when should the mystery present itself. In Dahlia, it didn't appear until the middle of the book. I thought you were "setting the scene and introducing the characters".

Your thought as to when the mystery should show up.

In all the series, the body (or whatever kicks off the mystery) often doesn't appear until around p. 100. In fact, my DIL claims that she can open the books to p. 100 and find the body.

I do this because I feel that in cozies where the detective is an amateur, the author needs to set up the mystery situation and motivate its realistic occurrence in the detective's life. (Most of us don't stumble over bodies very often.) Also, readers really enjoy China's herb shop/gardens, and I feel it's best to put that material up front.

If I were writing a police procedural or working with a professional detective, it would be a different story--as it will be in the Pecan Springs books (to come) that feature Sheila or McQuaid as central characters. There, the protagonist's business is solving crimes, so the motivation isn't so necessary.

Susan wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "I met you and Bill YEARS (it seems) ago at Tom and Enid's Historicon in Boulder where we talked abo..."

Bill and I remember Historicon fondly: it was fun and interesting and I alwa..."

AGH! Would that this was still occurring. I work in Boulder! Assuming you mean Boulder CO...

I just received notice from my tiny rural library that they are holding "The Darling Dahlia's and the Cucumber Tree" for me. I will pick it up tomorrow and probably get nothing else done - just read :-D

I just saw "Long Creek Herbs" mentioned in an above post. Love that site - order a lot of dried herbs from them.

Lindy wrote: "I just received notice from my tiny rural library that they are holding "The Darling Dahlia's and the Cucumber Tree" for me. I will pick it up tomorrow and probably get nothing else done - just rea..."

Oh, good, Lindy! Enjoy your reading day. Long Creek Herbs is the home of Jim Long, one of my favorite herbalists. You can always trust his products.

I just started THE DARLING DAHLIAS this morning so have only read a few pages. My husband gets up at the crack of dawn on Saturday to play golf, so I'll be able to really get into after he leaves.....he ALWAYS makes so much noise that he wakes me up!