Amy Stewart

"The best-selling author of Girl Waits with Gun and Lady Cop Makes Trouble continues her extraordinary journey into the real lives of the forgotten but fabulous Kopp sisters ... Deputy sheriff Constance Kopp is outraged to see young women brought into the Hackensack jail over dubious charges of waywardness, incorrigibility, and moral depravity. The strong-willed, patriotic Edna Heustis, who left home to work in a munitions factory, certainly doesn't belong behind bars. And sixteen-year-old runaway Minnie Davis, with few prospects and fewer friends, shouldn't be publicly shamed and packed off to a state-run reformatory. But such were the laws--and morals--of 1916. Constance uses her authority as deputy sheriff, and occasionally exceeds it, to investigate and defend these women when no one else will. But it's her sister Fleurette who puts Constance's beliefs to the test and forces her to reckon with her own ideas of how a young woman should and shouldn't behave. Against the backdrop of World War I, and drawn once again from the true story of the Kopp sisters, Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions is a spirited, page-turning story that will delight fans of historical fiction and lighthearted detective fiction alike"--

In this darkly comical look at the sinister side of our relationship with the natural world, Stewart has tracked down over one hundred of our worst entomological foes-creatures that infest, infect, and generally wreak havoc on human affairs.

"Life after the war takes an unexpected turn for the Kopp sisters, but soon enough, they are putting their unique detective skills to use in new and daring ways"-- Winter 1919; the war is over. Norma is summoned home from France, Constance is called back from Washington, and Fleurette puts her own plans on hold as the sisters rally around their recently widowed sister-in-law and her children. To help support them, Fleurette does clandestine legal work for a former colleague of Constance's. She becomes a "professional co-respondent," posing as the "other woman" in divorce cases so that photographs can be entered as evidence to procure a divorce. When one client's suspicious behavior uncovers a much larger crime, Fleurette investigates. -- adapted from jacket

A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. In Wicked Plants, Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature's most appalling creations. It's an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend. You'll learn which plants to avoid (like exploding shrubs), which plants make themselves exceedingly unwelcome (like the vine that ate the South), and which ones have been killing for centuries (like the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln's mother).Menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings create a fascinating portrait of the evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.

Award-winning author Amy Stewart takes readers on an around-the-world, behind-the-scenes look at the flower industry and how it has sought—for better or worse—to achieve perfection. She tracks down the hybridizers, geneticists, farmers, and florists working to invent, manufacture, and sell flowers that are bigger, brighter, and sturdier than anything nature can provide. There's a scientist intent on developing the first genetically modified blue rose; an eccentric horitcultural legend who created the most popular lily; a breeder of gerberas of every color imaginable; and an Ecuadorean farmer growing exquisite roses, the floral equivalent of a Tiffany diamond. And, at every turn she discovers the startling intersection of nature and technology, of sentiment and commerce.

"Trailblazing Constance's hard-won job as deputy sheriff is on the line in Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit, the fourth installment of Amy Stewart's Kopp Sisters series"--

From the back cover of this book: Mary Applehof resides in the Kalamazoo,Michigan area where a healthy crop of worms feeds on her garbage. As owner of Flowerfield Enterprises, she has dedicated the past ten years to researching, developing, and marketing products and services related to the conversion of organic materials via earthworms. In 1980 Appelhof coordinated a major research workshop held in Kalamazoo on the role of earthworms in stabilizing residues. Proceedings from the workshop were subsequently compiled by her and published under her supervision. A skilled photographer, she holds master's degrees in education and biological sciences. Membership in organizations which emphasize conservation of the earth's resources includes the National Recycling Coalition, which she serves as a director, and Organic Growers of Michigan. An enjoyable readable, realistically described account of how you can convince earthworms to process your garbage for your benefit. ~ H. Lewis Batts, Jr., Ph.D. Executive Director, Kalamazoo Nature Center Recycling is good ecology good economics. This guide shows personal commitment to a better use of the waste we generate. A commitment to fewer landfills, more appropriate use of energy and the return to a more independent, yet socially responsible system of waste disposal. ~Mary Brown, State Representative, Michigan Legislature This expertly written, practical and educational manual is a must for every home. Applying the innovative and convenient conservation strategies will be rewarding to you and your environment. I know...worms eat my garbage, too! ~ E. Scott Geller, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Waste is a resource out of place-whether it's your kitchen scraps or the manure your worms will produce. Mary's book lets you scale your time, your garden needs, and your worm power to work for all the living things in your household. Nobody gets a free lunch? Worms do! Your garbage. ~ Bethe Hagens,Ph.D., Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning, Governor’s State University A practical guide to a better way to re-use your household garbage. Mary Appelhof is one of the new breed of gentle, sensible entrepreneurs who is creating a path to the Solar Age. ~ Hazel Henderson, Futurist and author of The Politics of the Solar Age

"The best-selling author of Girl Waits with Gun returns with another adventure featuring the fascinating, feisty, and unforgettable Kopp sisters. After besting (and arresting) a ruthless silk factory owner and his gang of thugs in Girl Waits with Gun, Constance Kopp became one of the nation's first deputy sheriffs. She's proven that she can't be deterred, evaded, or outrun. But when the wiles of a German-speaking con man threaten her position and her hopes for this new life, and endanger the honorable Sheriff Heath, Constance may not be able to make things right. Lady Cop Makes Trouble sets Constance loose on the streets of New York City and New Jersey tracking down victims, trailing leads, and making friends with girl reporters and lawyers at a hotel for women. Cheering her on, and goading her, are her sisters Norma and Fleurette that is, when they aren't training pigeons for the war effort or fanning dreams of a life on the stage. Based on a true story, Girl Waits with Gun introduced Constance Kopp and her charming and steadfast sisters to an army of enthusiastic readers. Those readers will be thrilled by this second installment also ripped from the headlines in the romping, wildly readable life of a woman forging her own path, tackling crime and nefarious criminals along the way"--

Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet? In The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol over the centuries. Of all the extraordinary and obscure plants that have been fermented and distilled, a few are dangerous, some are downright bizarre, and one is as ancient as dinosaurs—but each represents a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history. This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology—with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners—will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party.