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Susan Wittig Albert
Pseudonym: Robin Paige.
Born in Chicago on January 2, 1940, and raised on an
Illinois farm, Albert got married at the age of eighteen.
Despite the challenge of being a young mother raising three
children born fairly close together, Albert was determined
to get her college degree. She graduated magna cum laude
from the University of Illinois, and earned a Ph.D. in
English from the University of California at Berkeley in
just four years. Her first job, in 1972, was an Associate Professor of
English at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1979, she
became the first woman dean of Newcomb College at Tulane
University in New Orleans and in 1981, she returned to
Texas and became Vice President of Academic Affairs at
Southwest Texas State in San Marcos. Four years later,
however, she abandoned her thriving career to make some
major life changes. Having become thoroughly fed up with
academic politics, she quit and decided to find a better
way to live her life. One change was her marriage, in 1986, to Bill Albert, a
computer systems analyst who would become not only her
husband, but also her partner in many other pursuits—most
importantly, in her writing. Moving to Texas, the Alberts
started off by collaborating on 60-plus young adult novels,
including books in the Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys
series. As they came to appreciate Bill’s talent for
constructing wickedly complex plots, the Alberts moved on
to write a series of Victorian mysteries under the
pseudonym of Robin Paige. Susan also wrote two works of
nonfiction, Work of Her Own: A Woman’s Guide to Success Off
the Career Track and Writing from Life. But it was not
until she created the plucky China Bayles and her savory
mysteries that Susan Albert developed her trademark series.
She created China Bayles, a sleuth who jumped off the fast
track at a big law firm to open a herb shop. Now Albert has
written twelve China Bayles mysteries. Each book is named
after a favorite herb. “Herbs are about coming home, putting down roots, making
connections,” Albert reflects. An avid gardener, she
cultivates her own herbs, both culinary and ornamental, and
never writes about one she hasn’t grown. Also an avid
researcher, Albert enjoys delving into ancient lore,
medicinal uses and symbolic associations surrounding
each “signature” herb. She then weaves intricate narrative
tangles for her star sleuth and supporting cast of colorful
characters.
The stress of working in a high-powered law firm in
Houston
started to get to China Bayles. So she packed her bags,
moved to Pecan Springs, Texas, and opened an herb shop. But
China learned that even small towns are spiced with
murder. Read China's blog at http://susanalbert.typepad.com
Books:
 The Tale of Oat Cake Crag, September 2010
The Tale of Applebeck Orchard, September 2010
The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree, July 2010
Wormwood, April 2010
Holly Blues, April 2010
The Tale of Applebeck Orchard, September 2009
The Tale of Briar Bank, September 2009
Nightshade, April 2009
Wormwood, April 2009
The Tale of Briar Bank, October 2008
The Tale of Hawthorn House, September 2008
Nightshade, April 2008
Spanish Dagger, April 2008
The Tale of Hawthorn House, September 2007
Bleeding Hearts, April 2007
Spanish Dagger, April 2007
The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood, February 2007
China Bayles' Book of Days, October 2006
The Tale Of Cuckoo Brow Wood, July 2006
The Tale Of Holly How, July 2006
  Murder Most Crafty, April 2006
Dead Man's Bones, April 2006
Bleeding Hearts, April 2006
The Tale Of Hill Top Farm, October 2005
The Tale Of Holly How, July 2005
Murder Most Crafty, April 2005
A Dilly Of A Death, April 2005
Dead Man's Bones, April 2005
Thyme Of Death, January 2005
The Tale Of Hill Top Farm, October 2004
A Dilly Of A Death, January 2004
Indigo Dying, January 2004
Bloodroot, June 2003
An Unthymely Death, June 2003
Mistletoe Man, October 2001
Lavender Lies, October 2000
Chile Death, October 1999
Love Lies Bleeding, November 1998
Rueful Death, August 1997
Rosemary Remembered, August 1996
Hangman's Root, August 1995
Witches’ Bane, September 1994
Thyme Of Death, March 1994
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