Today we’re joined by USA Today bestselling mystery/suspense author Alexa Padgett, who is writing the Cici Gurule Mystery Series as J.J. Cagney. Learn more about her and her books at her website.
This summer has been scorching. Sure, I live in northern New Mexico, but this land is the high desert. For the uninitiated, that means we are higher than Denver, closer to 7,000 feet, and June and July should bring cooling monsoons—the summer rainstorms that cause all kinds of amazing flora to burst across the dusty, often parched land.
Our evenings typically ease into sweatshirt-worthy nights, but…not so much this year. Thanks to that obscene heat-dome in July and my locale’s continued public-pool lockdown, we've branched out into creative ways to keep cool without the benefit of central air conditioning. One of our favorites is lavender lemonade, which I first stumbled across when writing my Rev. Cici Gurule Mystery series.
I’d just started sketching out my characters and the plot for this series when I met a friend for drinks at the Teahouse, one of my favorite dining spots tucked up at the top of Canyon Road. The evening was warm, and I wasn’t interested in an adult beverage, so I ordered the lavender lemonade. Delicious, refreshing—I was hooked.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to the Teahouse’s recipe, but that was okay because I happen to enjoy spending time in my kitchen. Perhaps, in another life I would have been a chef. After many iterations, I found one we all enjoyed: the perfect pairing of tart and sweet--with just the right hint of lavender (from my garden!) for added refreshment. This summer, we often pour a glass over ice and sip it while enjoying our view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Well, all of us except Ash, our Great Pyrenees pup who is a lot like the sweetheart Mona that Cici adopts in the first book.
Lavender Lemonade
Ingredients:
1 cup honey
5 cups purified water
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender
1-1/2 cups lemon juice, about 5-6 large lemons
Bring 2 cups of purified water to boil in a pourable container. (Cici uses a large 4-cup measuring glass. She heats the water to boil in the microwave—usually 4 to 5 minutes.)
Add the honey and stir to help dissolve.
Add the lavender to the water, cover, and let steep at least 20 minutes.
Strain mixture and compost/discard lavender.
Pour into a glass pitcher.
Add lemon juice and another 3 cups of cold water, to taste. Stir well.
A Pilgrimage to Death
A Rev. Cici Gurule Mystery, Book 1
Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won't stop until Cici's dead, too.
With her identical twin sister haunting her dreams, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck. Worse, she must grapple with the knowledge her twin's death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.
The chase is on.
As Cici and Detective Sam Chastain edge closer to the truth, the murderer circles closer. This time, the criminal plots to stop Cici. Permanently.
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