Book Launch Party: Jade Pearls and Alien Eyeballs

Welcome everyone!

I'm delighted to be the latest stop on Emma Cooper's tour for her new book, Jade Pearls and Alien Eyeballs. Lots of authors have book tours, so why not Emma? I'm glad she's not allowed the publication of an ebook to get in the way of having a party :)

Jade Pearls and Alien Eyeballs is a guide to the world of unusual edible plants. Depending on your experiences some may already be familiar to you like oca or achocha, others will be completely new.

If you've read Mark Diacono's A Taste of the Unexpected or James Wong's Homegrown Revolution, Emma's book makes a superb companion to these volumes. It also stands in its own right as she delves deeper into the history of unusual edibles, the plant hunters who moved them around the world, and today's enthusiasts who are ensuring these crops aren't forgotten.

Pray silence for the author reading *tinks spoon against glass*

It's traditional at these things for the author to give a reading, so this was the element I chose for Veg Plotting. Sit back with a glass of something chilled and a few nibbles to hand and listen to Emma, safe in the knowledge you're having the full book launch experience in the safety of your own home.

Emma's extract ties in neatly with my 52 Week Salad Challenge as her chosen reading is about some unusual salads (take this link for the reading - it opens in a new window, so you won't miss your place here).

Emma mentions Owen Smith - I can thoroughly recommend his blog Radix, which is all about root crop research and ruminations. Like many of the other people we meet in the book, Owen is passionate about his subject and writes a well-informed and witty blog. He even sent me some mashua to try a couple of years ago. I preferred it as a salad leaf rather than a root ;)

Elsewhere at the launch

Traditional book launches usually include reviews and interviews and you'll find these aplenty in the other blogs taking part. Feel free to visit these blogs - this is the mingling bit of the party :)
I'll add the other blogs taking part as and when they happen.

Congratulations Emma, you've written the book I'd love to write. You've inspired me (also tempted by a not-to-be-resisted special offer) to create an edible hedge of chilean guava - one of the Victorian favourites due for revival - on my allotment. Six very healthy plants arrived yesterday :)

Getting hold of your copy

Jade Pearls and Alien Eyeballs is available from Smashwords, where there is another author interview plus a book preview for you to read prior to purchase. It's available in several formats, including a PDF version if you don't have an e-reader. The price is $2.99 USD, which rises to $3.99 after publication on May 1st.

Readers can pre-order from Nook, or those of you with an iPad or similar shiny stuff can pre-order from the iTunes store (USA or UK).

The Jade Pearls and Alien Eyeballs story is poised to continue via Emma's blog. Another recommended read.

Comments

  1. Fiona13 April 2014 at 08:59

    I like Emma's virtual book tour but I hope she'll be doing some real-life readings as well?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Emma Cooper13 April 2014 at 09:48

    I have no plans to do real life book readings, Fiona - I'm not sure how that would even work for a virtual book, since no book store would have me ;) but I'm happy to arrange an informal meet-up later in the year if people want to have a look at some fun plants. Garden Organic Ryton might be nice, with their exotic garden, or the Chelsea Physic Garden in London :)

    ReplyDelete

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