The Plot Thickens|Susan Meissner

Susan Meissner is a former newspaper editor and the author of numerous novels, including The Shape of Mercy, Lady in Waiting, A Window to the World (named one of the Top Ten Christian Novels of 2005 by Booklist magazine), and her newest novel, A Fall of Marigolds. Susan and her pastor husband, Bob, have four children. Susan bought the plants for her mini-cactus garden at a farmer’s market where a man played a violin next to a stall of fresh tulips while Susan shopped. Her cactus garden thrives in the hot sun on the south side of her home in southern California. “Here in the most southwest corner of the United States, our spring is always eager to get here,” says Susan. “Usually in late February, we start taking the extra blanket off the bed and rummaging in our closets for flip-flops and garden gloves. My cacti and succulents are always the first to show off their spring wardrobe. I am always amazed that despite their tough and sometimes prickly exterior, cacti and their non-spined sisters are amazingly tender inside. And they like to vibrantly rock their blooms, small though they may be, to remind us that just because you are strong doesn’t mean you can’t be beautiful.” Visit Susan’s website at www.susanmeissner.com.