The Perfect Blend

Jake and Ellie decide to open The Chocolate Moose bakeshop on their small island town in Maine. As they are gearing up for baking chocolate cherry cheesecakes for the Coast Guard to auction off, someone in murdered face down in some of their chocolate! Shelly's tea: Snarky Tea's Chocolate Covered Strawberry Candy's tea: Republic of Tea's Blackberry Sage Cozy Mystery Corn Other Main...

Nobody notices Jenny Dove, so much so that even her family call her the nothing girl. At her lowest point, an imaginary horse name Thomas comes to her rescue and with his help, Jenny begins to see that maybe there is more to her than people think. Shelly's tea: Tin Roof Teas Geisha Chai Candy's tea: Bigelow Sweet Dreams Frogmorton Farm Series: The Nothing Girl The Something Girl Joy to the...

The Alice Network weaves World War I and World War II together. A young socialite seeks the help of a former female spy to find a missing person. Along the way they realize their paths are going to cross in a way they hadn't expected. Shelly's tea: Plum Deluxe's Brunch in Paris Candy's tea: Plum Deluxe's Creme Brulee Earl Grey Links: Interview with Kate Quinn Spies of the First...

Summer is coming to a close, and Alex is no longer welcome. Her boyfriend has sent her to the train station and with nowhere to go, she pretends to be whoever she needs to be to fit in with Long Island's high society. Emma Cline Shelly's tea: The TeaSpot Turmeric Tonic Candy's tea: David's Tea Jack Frosted Mocha Other Links: "What Inspired Emma Cline to Write The Guest?"...

Christa is part of a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains with her boyfriend Kiernan. A bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region forcing the small group to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they'll be safe as they wait out the storm. She couldn't...

There's no such thing as the perfect family... Ruby May travels to Yorkshire to become the new nurse for Mr. and Mrs. England. Her new position at Hardcastle House leaves her isolated and makes it clear that something is not right with Mrs. England. As she cares for the four children, she also must grapple with her own demons. Shelly's tea: Harney and Son's Red Hat Society's Earl G...

It's Christmas Eve at St. Mary's. Max has just been visited by a ghost of Christmas past/present/future all at once and that vision has put an idea in her head. With the help of two companions, they head off on an expedition to bring back some lost historians. Back to AD 60 in Roman Colchester- will they succeed in the midst of a fierce battle? Shelly's Tea: Highfield Cottage Chai Cand...

Grace Adams is stuck in traffic in the sweltering heat. Her daughter won't speak to her, but she is determined to make things right with the perfect cake. And that is when Grace snaps... Fran Littlewood interview Shelly's tea: David's Teas Valerian Nights Candy's tea: True Honey Lavender Lemonade

Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, but an unexpected message arrives asking her to teach three young witches how to control their magic. What's a young, lonely witch to do? Sanku Mandanna Shelly and Candy's tea: Yuletide - it came in her Tea & Tales Book of the Month- please go give her a looksy! Faerie Wine From llewellyn.com: 7 lbs. elderberries, stripped and stalked 3 gallon...

Have you ever watched A Christmas Story? Did you know the movie was based on Jean Shepherd 's In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash? Shelly and Candy delve into his stories while sipping some festive teas. Shelly's Tea: Adagio's Nine Ladies Dancing Candy's Tea: Shelly's mom made old fashioned Russian Tea. Russian Tea: 2 cups sugar 2 cups orange flavored drink mix (we used TANG!)...

Erika Johansen takes us on a twisted dark journey to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Kingdom of Sweets is a tale of Clara and here twin sister Natasha, cursed and destined for some dark magic on Christmas Eve. Shelly's Tea: Adagio Tea's Gingerbread Candy's Tea: David's Tea Sleigh Ride The Nutcracker Alexander Dumas The Nutcracker E.T.A Hoffman

Holly Chase is a rich teenager with a bankrupt personality. She is visited by three spirits, but the campaign to save her is a bust. She wakes up as a ghost destined to be part of Project Scrooge. Will being one of the legendary ghosts of A Christmas Carol help save Holly? Only one way to find out! Cynthia Hand Shelly's Tea: David's Tea Santa's Secret Candy's Tea: David's Tea C...

The Nest is the story of the Plumb siblings, and takes place in New York in the aftermath of 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis. The siblings all come together when they find out that their joint trust fund- one that they are all counting on for various desperate reasons- has been used to get their oldest brother out of a bad situation of his own creation. Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney Shelly's...

This holiday rom-com by Janet Evanovich takes place in Colonial Williamsburg right before Thanksgiving. Megan meets the handsome Dr. Parker while chastising him for neglecting his rabbit. Little does she know meeting the doctor will lead to playing house, making Thanksgiving dinner for both of their families and deciding if they actually "do". Shelly's tea: The Tea Spot's Turmeri...

Two women must put aside their animosity to survive a Wyoming prairie winter in the 1870's. It's a mix of Little House on the Prairie with some juicy soap opera drama. Olivia Hawker' s beautifully written historical fiction book is about betrayal, sorrow, survival and redemption. Shelly's Tea: Republic of Tea's Cardamon Cinnamon Candy's Tea: The Tea and Spice Exchange's...

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 1960's who is fired from her job for being unwed and pregnant and eventually becomes a tv icon on her own cooking show. Shelly's Tea: Republic of Tea's Blackberry Sage Candy's Tea: Tin Roof Tea's Einstein's Equation A Perfect Cup of Tea Toto's song 99 (SO not about the Get Smart Agent 99, but still a nice song)

Shelly and Candy are taking a literary trip to Moonbright, Maine in this 3 for 1 story by authors Donna Kauffman, Allyson Charles and Kate Angell. Who knew there could be magic in cookies? Bellaluna Bakeshop's owner Sofia knows a thing or two about love and finding that just right person. Three different women experience her cookies and love during Halloween in the town of Moonbright, Maine. S...

Shelly and Candy are featuring two books for the podcast of one- two stories that are both about Grace Sherwood, who was accused of witchcraft back in the early 1700's. The Witch of Pungo is a selection of stories that take place in what is now Virginia Beach, Virginia. Louisa Venable Kyle wrote the stories and included some historical background after each. William Huber wrote a fictionalized...

Hal Westaway is a lonely young tarot card reader who becomes involved in an inheritance with a very dysfunctional family and possible a murder as well. Ruth Ware Shelly's tea: Tazo Chai Latte - Dirty Candy's tea: The Republic of Tea Blackberry Sage  Ruth Ware’s murder Mystery Party Game

Four guests come to Hill House to observe and note any unusual happenings. Hill House has a reputation for paranormal activity. Everyone experiences strange things, but only one of them begins to slip from reality. Shirley Jackson was a prolific short story writer. She wrote while raising four children and running her household. She had a knack for gothic themed stories. Shelly's tea: Plum Del...

While doing research for her doctorate, Connie Goodwin discovers a mystery that ties her to not only the Salem Witch trials, but her own family history. Katherine Howe Shelly's tea: lavender, chamomile, lemon zest Candy's tea: Nettle Tea The witchcraft trial of Elizabeth Howe .

After the death of Holly Gibney's mother due to COVID, Holly accepts a job to help find a mother's missing daughter. As she investigates, she realizes that the missing daughter may be one of a few victims of a serial killer. Whew! Shelly and I are long time Stephen King fans, listen in to find out if this meets our expectations. Shelly's tea: Turmeric Tonic Candy's tea: Tension Tam...

Harry Crane decides to lose himself in the Endless Mountain forest of Pennsylvania after the tragic death of his wife. While there, he meets a young girl that disrupts his plans as they both are on a journey to assauge their loss. In Harry's Trees, Jon Cohen has managed to tell a touching story that ties together loss, grief, fairy tales, magic and redemption. Shelly's Tea: Blueberry Wild...

Young Mia Jacob is raised in a strict commune in Western Massachusetts outside the town of Blackwell called "The Community".  Mia’s adventures outside the community are mostly to the town library where she finds a first edition of the Scarlet Letter that seems to describe the community and her mother’s story. This sets Mia on a larger quest after her mother dies and she runs away from th...

Carrie Soto has only known tennis her entire life.  She is a fierce player, known for winning at all costs.  Her determination and focus have not made her popular, and have earned her the nickname Battle-Axe. Five years after her retirement, she is sitting with her father watching  the 1994 US Open.  When Nicki Chan breaks her Grand Slam title,  she decides to come out of retirement to defend her...