Gardens, House Plants, What Ifs, Oh My! by Tena Stetler #romance #timetravel #paranormal #gardening

I love to garden both flower and veggie. There’s something about digging in the dirt and watching things grow that is therapeutic for me. But, in Colorado those activities are available only for approximately three months of the year. So to compensate, I also have a full house of plants. Several

Christmas Cactus including one that is huge and over forty years old, a ruffled fern that is twenty-five years old, and a snake plant that was my grandmother’s making it over one hundred years old. Did you know they actually bloom? I also have orchids and African violets, succulent cactus, and a miniature orange and pomegranate tree.

Last year for my birthday, my hubby brought me a curly hose that cuts the watering time in half. What a thoughtful gift. I used to fill gallon bottles with water and carry them all over the house to my plants.  Or maybe he was tired of wet spots all over the floor on watering day. I have well over thirty-six plants. I love looking at them, watching them grow and bloom. I guess you’d say I have a green thumb. Did you know plants keep your house healthy? Even a small plant in your home can help remove three times household toxins commonly found indoors.

In the 1980s, scientists at NASA discovered that plants remove chemicals such as benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the air, making the air cleaner, fresher and healthier for humans to breathe. A medium-sized plant (anything above about eight inches) in a room is all that is required to make significant reductions to the purification of toxic chemicals in the air.

So back to orchids and what ifs. One day, as I was staring at my orchids and wondered what if you could splice bioluminescence into those petals. Yeah, did I mention I write paranormal romance/mystery and fantasy? It’s the what ifs that give me the greatest pleasure and bring about intriguing story lines. I also cavort with magical creatures on a daily basis? Just don’t tell anyone.

This particular what if, brought to life Mystic Maples, a novella from the  Deerbourne Inn series. It’s a fun, feel-good tale  with a bit of mystery mixed in.  It’s on sale for 99 cents right now for a limited time. 

Let me tell you a little about Mystic Maples.  Earth/Fire witch Mercy Rose has an insatiable curiosity that always gets her in trouble. After a break-in at her Colorado flower shop, and a court battle that came to a screeching halt in her favor, she arrived at Deerbourne Inn for a much needed getaway. Looking for peace and quiet, she found just the opposite in a startling handsome but mysterious man and his dog.

Silvanus Forrest’s gypsy/fae heritage is a double edged sword. The land he inherited from his parents is rumored to be enchanted. But when Mercy discovers the truth, his well-ordered life unravels and they’re catapulted into the past to right a wrong. Along the way their lives intertwine and they discover the true meaning of family and love.

Silvanus keeps his family secrets locked away. Mercy is a tenacious creature. If he won't divulge his secrets, she'll discover them on her own but at what cost?

One last revelation, I too, like my character Mercy Rose, have an insatiable curiosity that always gets me into trouble., coupled with my over-active imagination these traits contribute to intriguing story lines for my books. LOL Until next time, don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun.