A dark and deadly Gothic fantasy set among plants which have the power both to give life and to take it away. Jessamine has always tended her father’s poison garden and knows the plants intimately. She knows what can kill and what can cure. When orphaned Weed comes to tend the garden she soon learns that his special bond with the plants may be deadly too. Who is Weed and what are the dangers that he can unleash?
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A dark, gothic tale of romance! and murder. In the right dose,
everything is a poison. Jessamine has spent her whole life in a cottage
close to her father's apothecary garden, surrounded by medicinal plants
and herbs that could kill her -- although her father has never allowed
her into the most dangerous part of the grounds! the poison garden.
And so she's never had reason to be afraid -- until now. Because now a
newcomer has come to live with the family, a quiet but strangely
attractive orphan boy named Weed. Though Weed doesn't say much in
words, he has an instant talent for the apothecary's trade, seeming to
possess a close bond with the plants of the garden.
Soon, he
and Jessamine also share a close bond. But little does Jessamine know
that passion can be just as poisonous as the deadliest plants in the
garden -- for behind Weed's instinctive way in the garden is a terrible
secret. The plants can talk to him -- and not just the kind ones that
can heal, but the ruthless ones that can kill too!
"I grew up in the wild suburbs of Long Island, moved to New York City at age 17 to study acting at New York University, and dropped out to be in the chorus of a Broadway musical — which flopped. The show was "Merrily We Roll Along," with a glorious score by Stephen Sondheim. Go listen to the album, you will love.
"Lean and action-packed years of acting, directing, and making drunk people laugh at comedy clubs followed. Becoming a writer seemed the only way out of this Dickensian existence. Little did I know!
"I started out writing for the theater and film, as a lyricist, librettist, playwright and screenwriter. I am proud to be the first recipient of the Georgia Bogardus Holof Lyricist Award, and a three-time recipient of the Richard Rodgers Award for New Musicals, which is administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Yes, you may call me Miss Fancy Pants.
"By 2004 or so I finally was able to woman up and write my first novel for teens ..
"2010 saw the launch of my first middle-grade series, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place (starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ and Publishers Weekly, Junior Library Guild selection, yesss!), and a new gothic YA trilogy called The Poison Diaries.
"For fun I like to garden, bike, kayak, nap, read books and whip up new vegetarian recipes. I live in New York with my two kids, two cats and a small, feisty, red-headed dog.
Biography and author photo taken from Maryrose Wood's website (www.maryrosewood.com).
