Welcome to Launch Month @Place & Thyme!
Hello, friends—
This is an exciting time for me, launching this new Substack project! I’m very glad you’ve joined me on this new journey, and I hope you found the August calendar in your inbox yesterday—if you didn’t, you can read it here.
As I’ve been saying for a while, this feels like the right time to begin something new in my writing life. Someone Always Nearby is on its way to the printer and China and I have just finished her 29th mystery (Forget Me Never, coming next spring). For more than three decades, the books, the newsletters (China’s Garden, All About Thyme) and the blogs (LifeScapes and BookScapes) have allowed me the privilege of exploring and sharing the ideas that engage so many of us: growing and using and learning about plants, living in place, crafting, reading, writing, and publishing.
And yes, it really is a privilege! I’ve especially enjoyed your comments and questions, first in the U.S. mail (remember that?) and then via email and online. But most of all, I enjoyed our many get-togethers at libraries and bookstores and clubs and conferences, where you and I could share what was on our minds. Travel isn’t on my agenda these days, and I’ve been missing you. So when I learned about Substack and the many ways it encourages community-building, it immediately felt right. A place for me to dig into some other kinds of writing and for you to share what you think about the questions it raises. We’re all learning how to adapt to a rapidly changing world. I firmly believe that we’ll learn better together.
Who I am . . .
For those who have met me mostly through the books, here’s some background. I began writing commercially for kids in my late teens, took a fifteen-year detour into academic work, then migrated from the university to a long career as a writer: young adult novels, four mystery series and a series of biographical novels, as well as memoir and nonfiction. Along the way, I founded the Story Circle Network for women who want to tell the stories of their lives, many of whom have been my companions on this journey. I left traditional publishing in 2012 and created my own imprint, Persevero Press, where I have published 11 novels and 6 novellas. You can see all my books here.
My husband Bill and I live on a 30-acre corner of the Texas Hill Country, with dogs, cats, and an ever-changing community of farm and wild creatures. I’m a mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I celebrated my eighty-third birthday this year, which makes me (I’m told) officially old-old—a slightly incredible fact I suppose I should get used to. But however old or young we are, we’re not too old for new beginnings. So . . .
What’s Going On Here?
So here we are, at Place & Thyme. I’m calling it “an intentional community” because that’s what it is: a place for us to write, read, learn, share, together. The calendar is likely to evolve but here’s what I currently have in mind.
First Monday. All About Thyme. Yesterday, I mailed you the familiar plant-themed calendar I’ve been sending you (in one form or another) for nearly three decades. It’ll continue to show up in your inbox every First Monday. Occasionally, I’ll also share Green Reads, a few book recommendations I think you’ll enjoy.
Second Monday. Senior Chronicle. Posts on growing older, wiser (well, maybe—at least more experienced), adapting to our changing bodies, minds, circumstances, challenges.
Third Monday. BookScapes. Bookish posts, group reading/writing projects, book reviews, guest authors and interviews. Lots of possibilities here.
Fourth Monday. LifeScapes. Posts about the places we live and the ways place compels and shapes us. I’m interested in exploring ideas about emplacement, displacement, and replacement. And finding meaningful ways to connect with the environments that envelope us.
Lagniappe: A Little Something Extra, whenever it feels right. Political/topical posts, chats, recipes (well, of course!), maybe some flash fiction and short serials by/about the Pecan Springs gang and the Darling Dahlias. Maybe even podcasts, if I get my act together.
Throughout this launch month, I’ll be adding bits and pieces to build out the website, so drop in from time to time to see what’s new. If it’s extra-special, I may email you to let you know about it.
What’s This Thing About Subscriptions?
Substack is a subscription platform. You can join free or paid—entirely your choice. During our launch month, everything at Place & Thyme is free to everybody. Starting in September, everybody will continue to get two posts a month, All About Thyme and LifeScapes, free—the same thing you’ve been getting for years on my website. Supporting (paid) subscribers and sponsors (founding members) will get everything else.
Did I say I’m Excited?
I am! I’m as excited about this new project as I’ve ever been about starting another new book. I’m looking forward to spending a lot of my time on Substack, getting to know the community here and reading the many fine Substack writers. But I’m especially looking forward to what I can learn from Place & Thyme, and from you, and what we can learn and share together. Thank you for coming along for the ride!
All the best,
Susan