A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors: Lynn Austin guest post

Lynn Austin is joining us today with a guest post and Blog Tour giveaway below. I’m excited to partner with seven wonderful authors and JustRead Publicity Tours in sharing about A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors! Make plans to attend this event with Lynn Austin, Susie Finkbeiner, Jocelyn Green, Laura Frantz, Kate Breslin, Amanda Barratt, and Joanna Davidson Politano.

you are invited…

A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors
September 2, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Chicago

Join us for a tasteful evening with tea and talk of books, writing, history, and the power of story. Emceed by Chris Jager of Baker Book House, seven novelists will share what inspires them, tales from the research files, what they’ve learned on the journey, and their hope for readers.

Learn More about A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors

coffee or tea? which will it be?

guest post by Lynn Austin

As newly-weds, my husband and I lived in Bogota, Colombia for two years, a country renowned for its great coffee, I hadn’t acquired a taste for coffee yet, but oh, it smelled SO good! At one of my husband’s orchestra concerts they served tiny cups of coffee at intermission and I decided to try one. Did I mention how GOOD it smelled? The coffee was what the Colombians called tinto, and what I’ve since learned is like expresso. It’s a gigantic wallop of caffeine in a miniature cup. I don’t think I slept for a week!

Years later, we moved to Canada, where my husband performed with another orchestra. My Canadian friends introduced me to tea—not the kind that comes in little bags with dangling strings, but real, looseleaf tea, brewed in a pot. I’ve been swimming against the tide of coffee drinkers ever since.

To me, the main difference between tea and coffee is a matter of speed. We use coffee to wake up and get us going in the morning, brewing it quickly in pod machines and transporting it in large, metal to-go cups as we race to work or drive the kids to school. We speed to the drive-through at the coffee shop and speed away. We invite friends to grab “a quick cup of coffee” with us.

Tea is entirely different. A true tea drinker seldom goes to the drive-through for a morning cup because to make tea properly takes time. First, the teapot must be warmed, then the water is boiled before being poured over the leaves. It’s left to steep for a few minutes, covered with a tea-cozy to keep it warm. Then you sit and sip from a porcelain teacup and have a leisurely talk with friends. No one invites a friend for a “quick cup of tea.”

The point of coffee is to get you going, usually at a rapid pace so you can multi-task. The point of tea is to slow you down, to relax. It’s something you linger over with good friends and maybe a tiered serving dish with tiny sandwiches and scones. We’ve all heard of tea-sandwiches but I’ve never heard of coffee sandwiches. Coffee is a fast-food, tea is a slow one.

And so, dear readers, that’s why I’m excited to take part in the Novel-Tea event on September 2, 2023 in Chicago’s elegant Palmer House Hotel. The hotel itself seems like a relic from a calmer, quieter, horse-and-carriage era. It could easily be the backdrop for one of my historical novels. The tea won’t be served in to-go cups or giant, coffee mugs, but sipped from proper teacups. Best of all, it will be a time to slow down and chat with friends and your favorite authors in a leisurely manner in a beautiful setting. Even if you’re a coffee-lover, please join us as we slow down, turn back the clock for a few hours, and enjoy our tea.

about the authors

Lynn Austin, whose titles include Long Way Home, Chasing Shadows, and If I Were You. Connect with her at LynnAustin.org.

Amanda Barratt, whose titles include Within These Walls of Sorrow, The White Rose Resists, and My Dearest Dietrich. Connect with her at AmandaBarratt.net.

Kate Breslin, whose titles include In Love’s Time, As Dawn Breaks, and Far Side of the Sea. Connect with her at KateBreslin.com.

Susie Finkbeiner, whose titles include The All-American, The Nature of Small Birds, and All Manner of Things. Connect with her at SusieFinkbeiner.com.

Laura Frantz, whose titles include The Rose and the Thistle, A Heart Adrift, and Tidewater Bride. Connect with her at LauraFrantz.net.

Jocelyn Green, whose titles include The Metropolitan Affair, The Windy City Saga series, and The Mark of the King. Connect with her at JocelynGreen.com.

Joanna Davidson Politano, whose titles include The Lost Melody, A Midnight Dance, and The Love Note. Connect with her at JDPStories.com.

Purchase tickets to attend A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors

tour giveaway

(1) winner will receive a tote bag, one bag of Pride and Peppermint Novel Tea, plus a $20 egift card to BakerBookHouse.com!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 12, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 19, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

enter giveaway

tour schedule

Be sure to visit more stops on the schedule for guest posts, interviews, and book reviews featuring all seven authors! How far are you from Chicago? Are you considering driving or flying to attend A Novel-Tea Evening?