Flamed Out: A Magic Candle Shop Mystery
by Valona Jones
I am delighted to welcome Valona Jones
to Escape With Dollycas today!
Why is five books enough?
By Valona Jones (aka Maggie Toussaint)
When I wrote Snuffed Out, the first book in this Magic Candle Shop Mystery series, I had no idea how far this series would go. I knew it would focus on one fraternal twin, Tabby Winslow, in the U.S. The books would be cozy mysteries with violence and intimacy off the page. Also, paranormal elements would both compliment and confound the mystery solving.
From that first book, we learn that Tabby and her twin sister Sage have been keeping a low profile all of their lives, that they do everything they can to stay off anyone’s radar. This fear of discovery has been nurtured in them since birth. And it’s saved them from a horrible fate, as they slowly discover through the series.
They’re energetics. All of their family can manipulate energy. That is, they can share their energy with people who need a boost. Or, if the Winslows are overextended, they can siphon energy as needed from others. It’s the yin-yang aspect of their talent. Tabby exemplifies the good side of their talent, Sage the negative.
This series is set in modern-day Savannah, GA, known as one of the most haunted cities in the US. The reason for some of that reputation is from two historical yellow fever epidemics, where people died so fast that mass graves were used to bury them. In my fictional story world, the candle shop is on a made-up Bristol Street that is perched atop one of those mass graves.
This energetic talent is both a blessing and a limitation for Tabby and her twin. They can only recharge overnight naturally here in their Bristol Street home above the shop, and they must recharge nightly.
The series begins with Tabby and Sage inheriting and running the family business. They have no business acumen or strategy talent, but they have each other and their beloved Auntie O, who is an assassin. Together they find a way for the Book and Candle Shop to thrive.
In the process, the twins learn more nuanced aspects of their talents. Sage has several boyfriends, Auntie O is in and out of the picture as her new beau hides from his crime family. Tabby becomes involved in a whirlwind romance with her childhood friend, Quig, also known as Dr. Henry Octavaian Quigsly IV, Savannah’s Medical Examiner.
T
he twins learn the hard way how to stabilize their business, who to befriend in the paranormal world, and how to protect their shop and homes from unwelcome people. In the process, Tabby figures out five murders that have the police stumped.
Tabby, Sage, Auntie O, Quig, and the two shop cats have character arcs that resolve in book five, FLAMED OUT. And while I adore these characters and this story world, I have taken them far enough to solve the major problems they began the series with, have given them the tools and life experiences to problem-solve anything in the future, and they now have loving and trusting partners and a growing family.
I hope you enjoy any or all of the books in this series, which don’t have to be read in order to enjoy the mysteries. The first two books of the series are also in audiobook, while all the books are available in digital and print formats.
While the series is indeed flamed out, the joy of these characters transcends the pages for me, and I hope, for you as well.
Thank you, Valona (Maggie), for visiting today!
Keep reading for more information about Flamed Out and the author.
About Flamed Out
Flamed Out: A Magic Candle Shop Mystery
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Georgia
Publisher : Muddle House Publishing
Publication date : October 14, 2025
Print length : 270 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8992357110
ASIN : B0FLW15JCB
Supernatural intrigue, a web of lies, and deadly secrets
When a loyal customer begs Tabby Quigsly to look into her uncle’s suspicious death, Tabby can’t say no—even if the police rule it an accident. Dr. Willim Rosemont, a respected psychiatrist, took a fatal tumble down Savannah’s infamous Stone Stairs of Death, but the five people who were with him that night all claim to have seen nothing.
Tabby’s ties to the case run deep—friends, frenemies, and even her husband’s best friend are among the witnesses. Then she uncovers a chilling truth: Rosemont was part of Savannah’s hidden Paranormal Council—the very group Tabby’s been hiding from all her life.
As the August heat rises, so does the pressure. Tabby’s new marriage is reeling from revelations about her husband’s shocking powers, her psychic gifts are spiraling, and the killer is closing in.
Can she unravel the mystery before everything—including her freedom—goes up in flames?
Great Escapes Praise for Flamed Out: A Magic Candle Shop Mystery
by Valona JonesFlamed Out offers a spellbinding conclusion to the Magic Candle Mystery series. This fast-paced novel provides an action-filled conclusion to this fantastic mystery series. This book is much darker than the others with the secrets revealed that were only hinted at before. However I loved the novel. My only regret is that there won’t be any more to look forward to.
~Storybook LadyFlamed Out delivers a sizzling mix of magical intrigue, a twisty murder case, and high-stakes personal revelations that set a new standard for the Magic Candle Shop Mystery series.
~Books to the Ceiling
About Valona Jones
Valona Jones, aka Maggie Toussaint, writes paranormal cozies set in coastal Georgia. Her latest release, FLAMED OUT, book 5 in the A Magic Candle Shop Mysteries, came out October 14, 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 30 works of fiction and won multiple awards. She lives in coastal Georgia, where time and tide wait for no one. Visit her sites: https://valonajones.com and https://maggietoussaint.com
Author Links
WEBSITE FACEBOOK PAGE AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE GOODREADS PAGE BOOKBUB PAGE
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