Dear ,

Green tea gets a bad rap, largely due to human error. It has many health benefits, but the bitter flavor is an obstacle for some people. It doesn't have to taste that way! When special care is taken during preparation, green tea takes on a rich, earthy flavor.

Secrets of a Smooth Sencha Green Tea

Note, this does not cover the Japanese tradition of making green tea, which is fascinating in both practice and history. In this email, I simply discuss how to make a cup of green tea that's tasty.

Japanese Sencha tea is the most popular green tea on the market. It's also more expensive than other varieties, so it pays to take the time to prepare it properly.

If you have a digital teapot with temperature control, heat your water to 170°F (76.67 °C). If you don't have a digital teapot, boil water in a pot and pour it into an empty teapot once it has reached a boil. Then allow it to cool to 170°F, as determined by a candy thermometer or similar gadget.

This is the perfect time to pre-warm your tea cups with hot water from the tap.

Once your tea water is the correct temperature, add your Sencha leaves to the pot. You'll add one heaping teaspoon of leaves per cup of water.

Steeping time depends largely on the blend of Sencha green tea that you're brewing. Some leaves only need to steep for 15 seconds. Others require a full two minutes. Common varieties require steeping for 60 seconds.

Empty the warm tap water from your cups, and then fill them with deliciously smooth Sencha green tea straight from the pot.

While infusing your body with the healing properties of a good-quality green tea, why don't you nourish your mind with a good book?

X

Dark Knight, Dead Knight

Scottish Ghost Castle Mysteries, Book One

by Diane Lewis

For twelve years, mystery writer Margo Collins has been haunted. An ancient Highlands castle has called to her since her first visit. And her former love, the handsome Lachlan, now laird of the estate, has never really left her heart.

But when she answers an invitation to return to the castle, Margo steps into a real-life mystery, one with a twist she'd never inflict on one of her characters. Ghosts—actual ghosts—have been waiting for her in the home of her dreams.

Instead of the idyllic life she imagined, Margo finds herself facing down restless spirits and pursuing elusive criminals.

With the help of her new furry sidekick and a castle full of quirky characters, can the reluctant Margo unravel a sinister plot and help a wandering spirit find peace? Or will her buried feelings for Lachlan rise to haunt her more than any ghost ever could?

Drop Dead Witch

Familiar Vet Cozy Mysteries 1

by C Farren

Valerie Bartle is called out to tend to a sick familiar and finds their owner, Delilah, a local witch who everybody pretty much hated, dead in her kitchen, turned to stone. Valerie finds herself having to investigate the crime herself when her best friend, Shar, is implicated in the crime.

As Valerie sifts through the suspects, she comes face to face with a man she hadn't seen since school - Ryan Tinsel, the one who got away. He's now a detective, and it's his job to find out the real killer.

Can Valerie find out who really killed Delilah before the killer strikes again? Why is there a unicorn hiding out in her barn? Has Ryan really gotten more handsome since their school days?

A paranormal cozy mystery set in the same world as the Magpie Cove Cozy Mysteries.

Ain't Nothing But a Pound Dog

A Spellbound Hound Mystery

by Jeannie Wycherley

Toby dog suddenly has plenty to say for himself.

The only witness to the brutal murder of his owner, Toby is hexed by a woman with evil intentions. “Speak to none but me,” she tells him.

Wretched and misunderstood, he’s incarcerated in the local pound. With a death sentence hanging over his head, Toby has almost given up hope.

But then he meets Clarissa. Not only is she a witch, she’s a local investigative journalist, and—amazingly—she can understand what he says too.

Finally, he’s found somebody who believes his story.

Can Clarissa save Toby? Will they identify who killed his owner and why?

And will Toby ever eat his fill of sammiches?

Until next time,

Katie O'Keene ☆

P.S. Keep tabs on all of my summer releases by following me at BookBub. Not a member? Click the '+ follow' button on Amazon instead, and as always, thank you for your support!