Stories That Stick: Rebecca Thorne on Sapphic Books and the Alchemy of Tomes & Tea

While dreaming up the first officially licensed merch collection for the Tomes & Tea quartet, we caught up with its author, Rebecca Thorne. She reflects on the journey from Can't Spell Treason Without Tea to the upcoming final book, giving us some hints as to what we can expect for Kianthe and Reyna in Alchemy and a Cup of Tea. She also dives into some of her inspirations and what this "silly little story" has meant.

If you haven't visited the cozy world of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, be sure to to check it out! If you're already love Kianthe, Reyna, and the town of Tawny, head on over to our officially licensed merch collection for Tomes & Tea. Expanded collection dropping on June 23! 

What was your reaction to knowing you were going to have an officially licensed merch collection for Tomes & Tea?

Most days lately, I feel like I’m walking on Cloud 9 when I open my email. After almost a decade of trying to make my stories stick, it’s wild to see one truly take off. My jaw definitely dropped when my agent told me Kingdom of Threads was interested in making merchandise! I think merchandise was always on my radar, but it just seemed like a big effort to make it happen. It’s been amazing to see these pieces take shape!!

If one of your characters could design a piece of merch, what would it be?

I think Kianthe would design a map of all the places she and Reyna have had dates (or some romantically suggestive moment). She’d probably meticulously draw it, but when people look closer, it’d have ridiculous things like, “she kissed me passionately in public here,” or “we did… something unspeakable on this island.” And Reyna would haaaate it. LOL. 

Message from Kingdom of Threads: A Kianthe-designed map would be amazing! Her puns and sense of humor are one of our favorite things. We had such fun putting all of the working titles for her romance novel into this adorable book stack sticker.

Which of your characters would you hang out with for the day and what would you do?

I’d hang out with the dragons, honestly. Pill Bug and Gold Coin sound like loads of fun, and I’d love to fly around on Ponder or Visk and just watch them being chaotic.

What has it been like seeing new readers discover Tomes & Tea? And then bringing everyone into the third book, Tea You at the Altar?

You know how sometimes you have a lovely dream, and then you wake up and remember real life? Every single day the Tomes & Tea series has been out in the world has felt like a dream. I wake up every morning to emails from readers and posts on social media, and it’s just amazing to see the impact this silly little story has made on so many of you. I’m beyond grateful. In publishing, we call it a “lightning strike” of success. I can’t believe all the rods I set out in that proverbial field actually worked. I hope to end the Tomes & Tea series with a bang in August 2025–but, you know, cozy-like. >.> 

What are you most excited for about Alchemy and a Cup of Tea? How does it feel to be wrapping up Kianthe and Reyna's story?

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea is my favorite book of the four. I wrote it in like, 9 days? And edited in another week, and that’s the version we sent to print. It was WILD how fast that book came from my fingertips–but of course, I wanted to sink into the fully-fledged version of Kianthe and Reyna I’d been working us towards since the beginning. 

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea focuses on Kianthe and Reyna in their prime, with a bookstore that’s maybe too successful. As they deal with tourists and new responsibilities, the only thing they can truly rely on is their community. It’s warm and cozy and wonderful, but my favorite part is definitely the new dragon–Blue Spruce. :) 

Message from Kingdom of Threads: Kianthe and Reyna in their prime? We cannot wait! To look back to the beginning... who could resist Kianthe's proposal of a tea and book shop? We just had to feature it on the Tomes & Tea pocket journal.

What (and who) are your biggest creative influences and inspirations?

Travis Baldree was a huge inspiration, and without Legends & Lattes, none of my books would have a place on shelves. Other inspiration for me was Tamora Pierce, since I always dreamed of adding my own fantasy quartets to the world. The Tomes & Tea quartet is just the first of three planned quartets, and I can’t wait to pay homage to Tamora Pierce for giving us the Tortall world. 

What are you reading, watching and/or listening to right now?

I’m reading Faebound, by Saara El-Arifi! I recently realized I’m not a huge fan of fae because of the power imbalance between men and women portrayed within, and the squickiness of immortal creatures taking control of human women. But apparently this one is sapphic fae, so I’m giving it a try!! So far, it’s very fun!

As a queer author, what does it mean to have your books out in the world? What has been the best part? 

I think a few years ago, we were lucky to have queer stories portrayed so publicly–especially when it comes to sapphic stories. Straight women tend to gravitate towards m|m, so there wasn’t a lot of lesbian or sapphic love. Now, that’s totally changing, and I’m so lucky to be part of this wave of new sapphic books! I hope someday, my books become the stories I needed as a teenager. 

I can’t pick one best part of this–it’s a conglomeration of a dozen little moments, all of which add up to make me feel like my books really make a difference in some peoples’ lives. I’m so grateful for that chance!

Shop the collection and more from Rebecca Thorne!

A huge thank you to Rebecca Thorne for taking the time to chat with us and share their insights and inspiration. You can explore the officially licensed Tomes & Tea collection right here on Kingdom of Threads!

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea comes out on August 12! Don't forget to pre-order from your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.org. While you're pre-ordering, check out This Gilded Abyss, Rebecca's thrilling sapphic fantasy (think Arcane meets Titanic) , which is re-releasing this fall.

Rebecca Thorne is an author of all things fantasy, sci-fi, and romance, such as the Tomes & Tea series. She thrives on deadlines, averages 2,700 words a day, and tries to write at least 3 books a year. (She also might be a little hyper-focused ADHD.) When she’s not writing (or avoiding writing), Rebecca can be found traveling the country as a flight attendant, or hiking in the Colorado wilderness with her lovely wife and their dogs.