A busy weekend and a new tea vendor in town

I'm part of a group of local writers called the Hometown Novel Writers Association, and as a member, I was one of some thirty-five authors who set up shop in downtown Newnan Friday evening to kick off Litfest, a literary-themed weekend sponsored by our Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation.

For some reason I couldn't explain, I felt compelled to head out thirty minutes early, which would have been way early except that my "low tire pressure" light came on just as I approached a local auto place that Alex and I always used. I slipped right in, and the tire wasn't just low but flat. Late on a Friday afternoon, they were quite busy, but the young man told me to pull my car in and he'd get it patched, and he did. I was out of there in thirty minutes, and he didn't even charge me. Isn't that interesting? (The Lord looks out for me!) So I got to my event and set up my little table in plenty of time. I had found some of Alex's books in his office and decided to take them, too, and was glad I did since two customers, like him, were Louisiana natives and wanted to read his novel. I was also pleasantly surprised that one young girl wanted both Emeralds and Envy and Rubies and Revenge and was eager for me to sign them. I'm always happy to find a new reader of cozy mysteries!

We have a great group of authors, including our past president, Mike Brown, whose latest release is The Last Laird of Sapelo, and here, his wife, Connie, who shares my love of antiques, is setting up a poster to promote his new book.

I've also enjoyed getting to know Dr. Ann Rhodes, who writes children's books and inspirational books, and she is quite savvy on social media, as I always take a moment to view her short inspirational videos when I see them on Instagram.

My friend Chellie Phillips writes award-winning business books, has recently added children's books to her offerings, and just presented at a conference in Las Vegas!

And Sharon Marchisello, whom I met at a Sisters in Crime meeting years ago, writes mysteries and also has a book on finance. And of course there were lots of other authors who write books I'm not even familiar with yet, and I'm looking forward to learning about them all.

During the event, a lady visited my table, and I think it was one of my tea books that soon had us discussing teas and teatime. Turns out, she has teas at a new shop called Baker Bag Company near the Courthouse Square (locals: it's next to Murphey Florist), so I paid a visit the very next day.

And yes, I came home with a few goodies: some locally made pepper jelly, which I'd been searching for, as well as two new Plum Deluxe teas, their Gratitude Blend and the Strawberry Immunity Blend. The Gratitude Blend is the only one I've tried so far, and it is delicious, although it's not what I was expecting. It contains "black tea, orange peels, blue cornflowers, strawberries, raspberry leaves, bergamot oil, strawberry essence, love, and gratitude," so I was expecting something fruity, but instead, this just tastes like a very good naturally sweet vanilla tea. I've had four cups of it already, even though it's getting a little steamy here in Georgia, so that tells you how much I've enjoyed this tea. If you're a local, you might be like me and not know about Baker Bag Company, but it's a cute shop and a place I'll be sure to visit when I need gifts, teas, or a new handbag!