Something to warm you up
Today is blustery and alternating squalls of rain with vivid sunshine: California in winter, in other words. Still, from my office window I can see the neighbor’s redbud tree in glorious bloom, so spring is on its way.
Rain or shine, today is a good day to cuddle up with a hot cup of tea and a book. Did you know I’ve made teas to represent the succubus and angel in the As Above, So Below books I wrote with Brian Thomas?
The main character of Lost Angels and Angelus Rose — to my mind, although Brian might argue — is Lorelei. She’s a “young” succubus, who remembers the French Revolution. She worked the rock bands in LA in the 1960s and 70s, when Asmodeus was taking over the music industry. (Those short stories have appeared in my collection Unsafe Words and Tales of Evil, edited by Angel Leigh McCoy and Alison J. McKenzie.) Those form the backstory that led her to the angel Azaziel.
If Lorelei drank tea, it would be a spicy chai. I started my blend with Adagio’s Masala Chai as a base. In the novels, Lorelei’s signature cocktail is vodka and cranberry juice. I decided to add dried cranberries to the tea, along with dried apple pieces to symbolize temptation. Then I boosted the ginger in the chai to make it a bit spicier. Finally, I added cardamom as a nod to Asmodeus, Lorelei’s boss, who was traditionally a Persian demon.
Lorelei’s tea has a wonderful spicy aroma, full of cinnamon and clove. It tastes slightly fruity, with a buzz of ginger at the finish.
On the other hand, Azaziel is an angel who fought on the Fields of Heaven when Satan and his followers rebelled. Azaziel fought hand to hand with the demon Nebiros and cast him into Hell.
Afterward, Azaziel was sent down to Earth to watch over humans before the Flood. He befriended a group of Cain’s granddaughters and fell in love with one of them. When the command came to abandon Earth to the Flood, Azaziel couldn’t allow his beloved Anah to drown, so he tucked her up under his wings and carried her to another planet — according to Lord Byron in Heaven and Earth, A Mystery.
Because he disobeyed, Aza has been sentenced to Earth. He isn’t a Fallen angel, but many of his angelic siblings have never forgiven him for ever loving anyone other than God. In consequence, Aza is terribly lonely. Then he crosses paths with Lorelei.
Azaziel’s tea has a base of Adagio’s Assam Melody tea, to which I added Adagio’s vanilla-flavored Cream Tea. (I’m not sure Azaziel is all that vanilla, but I wanted to indicate Heaven and purity.) The tea is flecked with petals of pink peony, blue lavender, yellow marigold, and red rose, to symbolize the Fields of Heaven.
It is a really pretty tea, with all its flower petals. It has a wonderful flavor, friendly and welcoming, and makes a nice contrast to Lorelei’s spicy, fruity tea.
You can buy the teas online from Adagio.com. Adagio allows you to try a sample tin of each tea, which is what I’ve photographed here, or to buy a 3-ounce pouch or a 5-ounce tin. The teas are available individually or in “ships” that give you a discount when you buy both of the 3-ounce pouches. My preference is the reusable 5-ounce tins, which are really handsome.
Lorelei’s chai: https://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=162653
Azaziel’s floral tea: https://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=162654
You can check out all the rest of my tea blends, too: https://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/list.html?userId=566763LR
I created the tea after the novels were finished, but I’m so pleased with how they turned out that I wish I’d written them into the books.
Speaking of which, you can pick up the novels in paperback or ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Indie Bound — or you can buy the “boxed” set of paperbacks directly from me and I’ll include a little gift. Here’s the link for that: https://lorenrhoads.com/product/as-above-so-below-set/
