by Ruth
In 2024, I received an unexpected message from Amy Walsh, asking whether I would like to be part of a multi-author project. The series takes place in the 1920s and 1930s, and each novella must mention a tea shop, Mrs. Canfield’s Cookery Book (published in 1916), and a fairy tale from the works of Hans Christian Andersen. I hesitated and prayed about it. Could I meet the deadline? What should I write about?
Yet as I pondered, the fragments of an idea took shape. I was drawn to the notion of a young woman—her past a mystery, a telltale birthmark casting a shadow over her sense of worth—forging her way in a hostile world. The themes suggested by the series all came together: tea as a symbol of hospitality and entrepreneurship, Mrs. Canfield’s Cookery Book as a tether to both tradition and reinvention, and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale, a fairy tale about longing, beauty, and grace.
Bolstered by this vision, I said yes. As I wrote, I learned a lot about the Chinese Exclusion Act in the US and Canada and about how courageous souls dared to believe in a kinder, more loving future.
I hope you’ll join me and the rest of the Apron Strings Tea Tales authors for an enchanting journey through history, heartache, and faith.
Note: Zenith of Tea will be released in March 2026 (special $2.99 pre-order at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GNNFT2XM; watch the teaser video at https://youtu.be/uA22giijcf0),
