Valona Jones, author of Candle with Care, a Magic Candle Shop mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us why the beach is her sleuth Tabby’s happy place.

Welcome, Valona. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

The story setting for my A Magic Candle Mystery Series is Savannah, Georgia. It’s a storied city, the oldest in Georgia in fact, and the historical nature provides a rich backdrop for a paranormal series. Adjacent to Savannah and across an expanse of salt marsh is Tybee Island. I contrast the busy cityscape of Savannah with the idyllic seashore of Tybee Beach.

If you are new to the series, my amateur sleuth is Tabby Winslow, a psychic candle maker who lives in Savannah’s Historic District. Her twin sister Sage co-owns the Book and Candle Shop directly underneath their residence. Both sisters have the ability to give and take energy from others, among other gifts. As we all know power is neither good nor bad, it’s what people do with power that matters.

Rest assured both twins are on the right side of the law, but the way they solve crimes involves their extra senses and therefore not admissible as evidence. The crux of the story is the juxtaposition of the twins and law enforcement, each working in their own capacities to bring a villain to justice.

With the friction from law enforcement and the increasing scrutiny of the villain, the twins are in a veritable pressure cooker. They need a place to just “be.” That place is the beach on Tybee Island. The road to the island is long and winding (and a nightmare in traffic) but it also serves to help decompress the twins. When they are at the beach, in all seasons, the world and it’s concerns are not their priority.

So what is it about the beach? The shore is a unique environment that blends tidal movement, ocean breezes, wide expanses, and treasures in and on the white sands. And there’s the Vitamin D that comes from sunshine. Anyone who has ever been to the shore knows what it is like to feel that first deep breath of salty air. There’s a sense of life going on and you can immerse yourself in it or be an observer. There’s no right or wrong way to “beach.”

For my twins, it is the different environment and the wild energy of the waves that draw them, time after time. It’s a restorative place to mind, body, and soul. It centers them and more importantly gives them a needed time out from the case and their personal life.

The twins mirror my personal feelings about beaches. However I was recently asked a question about their energy abilities and the beach. With all of the natural energy at the beach, are the twins absorbing that energy and effectively recharging at the shore?

The question took me by surprise, but I have to admit, it makes perfect sense. So, while I won’t make a big deal of it on the pages of the story, consider that the twins can absorb beach energy. That makes it a super-special place to visit.

What’s your happy place?

Thank you for sharing this with us, Valona, and good luck with Candle with Care, the latest book in the Magic Candle Shop mystery series. Readers can learn more about Valona Jones by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook, Bookbub and Goodreads pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

 Amazon Kindle – Apple – Kobo 

About Valona Jones: Valona Jones, aka Maggie Toussaint, writes paranormal cozies set in coastal Georgia. Her latest release, CANDLE WITH CARE, book 4 in the A Magic Candle Shop Mysteries, came out on February 11. 2025. Under the name of Maggie Toussaint, she also publishes cozy mysteries and romantic suspense. Her pen name for a three-book science fiction ecothriller is Rigel Carson. In total, she has published 29 works of fiction and won multiple awards. She lives in coastal Georgia, where time and tide wait for no one.