Tales from the Teahouse – 2014 ABNA Entry

by Blake Devillers

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) Entry - this eBook is a sample of the first 3,000-5,000 words; it is not the full book. The ABNA contest is operated on Amazon.com only. Visit this entry on Amazon.com to leave customer feedback. To vote for the Grand Prize winner starting July 8, visit www.amazon.com/ABNA. Just off the beaten path, situated between where you came from and where you’re headed, is Olivia Winthrop’s Teahouse. From the moment you walk in you can sense the magic that exists between each sip of tea and the odd assortment of patrons. From the success-driven salesman seeking his fate in the tea leaves at the bottom of his cup; to the yoga teacher who can’t get enough of Olivia’s chocolate decadence cake; to the waitress, Fiona, who appears unexpectedly at your table, her silvery eyes flashing; customers are inexplicably drawn to the teahouse where, unknowingly, their fates intertwine. The proprietress, Olivia, possesses more than the usual skills required to brew tea and bake cinnamon scones (her specialty). She can hold a mug of water in her hands and make it boil. She can make you forget that you’ve met her before and she can influence the course of your future, simply by placing an extra piece of shortbread on your plate. Along with Midge, her cat, they serve the teahouse customers by helping them to heal their lives. Confrontations abound and etiquette begins to suffer as a rival from Olivia’s past threatens to expose Olivia for what she truly is. Forced to confront her dark side in order to protect her patrons, Olivia discovers that fate and free will are just as intertwined in her life as the teahouse is in her patrons’ lives. An unusual blend of magical realism and fantasy, Tales from the Teahouse is a novel for those who enjoy exploring the human condition and how we are all connected through our actions. Throw a little fantasy into your teacup with a swirl of magic, add two lumps of fate, and you have a bewitching recipe for those who believe magic is all around us.

20 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2014