Eccentric Tea Woman

  Me: (reading a book and listening to jazz on my day off) Tea Muse: (runs inside the house and slams the door, jolting me out of my bliss) ARGH! Me: Hey, are you alright??? What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost! Tea Muse: (runs to the windows and quickly closes the blinds) Shhhh! Me: Okay, now you've got me worried. What's outside? Tea Muse: (whispering) He's following me! (peers through a crack in the blinds, then sighs and sits down next to me) He followed me from the Imaginary Bookstore all the way home! Me: (putting my book to the side) Slow down. Who's HE? Explain! Tea Muse: (snaps her fingers and a cup of Earl Grey appears in her hands) I was at the bookstore as always, when I noticed some guy staring at me from across the place. I didn't think anything of it until I noticed that when I left the bookstore, he followed me! Dark glasses, hair sticking out in all directions, dark brown coat. . . (shaking) He gave me the creeps! Me: Hmmm. . .

  Madeleine, or Maddie to her friends, set her pen down and looked at her black hardback journal. After a full year of writing, mingled with too many cups of black coffee and not enough sleep, she finally finished her third novel. She closed her eyes and allowed the feeling of satisfaction to flow through her like a ray of sunlight. After her first novel was published ten years ago, she went from a nobody to a somewhat somebody. While many dismissed her first attempt into the world of the Written Word, there were some who read The Bookstore and cherished it. Madeleine only wanted to tell stories. Ever since she was a little girl, all she wanted to do was tell a story. Her parents, however, had other plans for her - they thought that being creative was nonsense and a waste of time. Yet, when she presented them with a copy of her first book, they were quietly stunned; deep down, they didn't think she could do it. They thought that with their endless supply of "you're going

  For my next Tea Adventure, I figured I would delve into one of my blends - the new Graymatter tea blend! This blend was inspired by the book A Gray Area: An Erotic Collection by Colorado author and artist J.W. Bullard! In talking with him regarding an accompanying tea blend, I put together a blend consisting of black tea, spearmint (from Asami Tea LLC), cinnamon, and ginger. After letting the blend sit for several days, it was time to brew a cuppa. Our first sips were - WOW! A gorgeous blending of minty and spicy, with the cinnamon and Assam tea mellowing out the ginger. After two sips, I drained my cup with a smile. Bullard's words regarding the blend were - "erotic and sweet". I couldn't have said it better myself. The taste goes rather well with a book that delves into decadent desires and a hunger to feel soft skin against you.  Bullard is currently wrapping up edits for his second novel, The Engine Key, and has other ideas in the works. Both the tea blend and