Character Guest Post — Hazel Wickbury
A Candlemaker’s Job is Never Done
Hi, everyone! I’m Hazel Wickbury from the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, and I’m delighted to be here with you today. With Halloween quickly approaching, I’ve been busy getting all my seasonal candles in order at my candle shop. My store is called A Wick in Time, located in the heart of my hometown, Crucible, New York. I opened about four years ago, and every year, I try to come up with new scents and aromas to celebrate the autumn season. This year, I’m debuting some new flavors: Spiced Rum Cake and Apple Cider Chai. After smelling these fragrances for a few hours, it’s hard not to work up an appetite in my candle-making kitchen, located right upstairs from A Wick in Time.
Of course, my customers have their Halloween favorites that they want to see on the shelves. My usual fall staples are Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice, Autumn Apple Accord, and Candy Corn Cornucopia. It’s so rewarding to have customers and friends come into the shop every September to stock up on their favorite scents. It makes me feel like A Wick in Time is a valued community business.
I’m also working on a few new aromas for the winter season. In the candle-making industry, I have to be one season ahead of my customers, creating my product lineup and ensuring I have the right ingredients. Not only do I have to make sure my fragrance oils are fully stocked, but I also need to have suitable base materials on hand. I recently began experimenting with coconut wax and love the results. I usually make my candles out of soy, or paraffin wax, if I’m in a pinch, but I might be growing more and more partial to coconut with every new batch. Their scent-throwing qualities are impressive, and the colors of the candles are so much more vibrant. Coconut wax might soon become the new norm for A Wick in Time candles.
Between making candles, branding them, and selling them, you might think I don’t have much of a life outside my store. It is a lot for one person to manage; thankfully, I have help. About a year ago, I brought on Ignatius “Iggy” Alewell as my store assistant. Iggy was looking for part-time work while he tinkered with his in-progress manuscript. He’s such a talented writer. At first, I was honestly worried my store would get in the way of his creativity, but Iggy has been a total champion since day one. Not only has he helped me grow A Wick in Time into a thriving enterprise, but he’s also landed himself a big book deal! I’m so thrilled for him. He’s let me read his manuscript during quiet moments at the store, which is beyond amazing. I’m so glad Iggy found a publisher who understands his potential and rewarded him handsomely for it. Iggy secured quite the nice advance, and with it, he’s searching for his first house. He’s looking to purchase the old Cragmire homestead, which recently came on the market. Iggy wants a home with character—to inspire his writing—so a place with buried treasure rumored to be somewhere on the property seems like a perfect fit.
After Kevin Finchmore’s murder this past summer, the dark cloud lingering over Crucible has seemingly lifted, and I’m relieved that good things are happening to my family and friends. Although, I can’t shake the nagging feeling that things in Crucible might be too good to be true…well, whatever happens, I’m sure we will “candle” it together!
About Too Much to Candle
Candlemaker Hazel Wickbury sets out again to bring the truth to light.
Iggy Alewell, Hazel Wickbury's friend and candle shop assistant, is eager to purchase his own home with the advance from his first big book deal. Iggy is on the hunt for something with character, so what could be better than the old Cragmire house that's rumored to have buried treasure somewhere on its property? Hazel is thrilled her friend has found success, but things in Crucible take a nasty turn when another potential buyer for the Cragmire house goes missing. He was last seen taking a boat out on Lake Glenmyre, and when the rental is found empty, it's clear to police that foul play is involved.
What's worse is that Iggy becomes the prime suspect in the man's disappearance, and Detective Holden Whitfield's thorny, new partner is certain Iggy is guilty. To clear Iggy from suspicion and dispel the darkness penetrating their beloved town, Hazel and her Aunt Poppy team up again to find a killer before their friend gets burned.
Return to Crucible in Too Much to Candle, Book Two in the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries.
About Sarah E. Burr
Sarah E. Burr lives near New York City. Hailing from the small town of Appleton, Maine, she has been dreaming of being Nancy Drew since she was a little girl. After not finding any mysteries in corporate America, Sarah began writing some of her own. She is the author of the Trending Topic Mysteries and the Court of Mystery series. Sarah is also the author of the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries. You Can’t Candle the Truth was a 2022 NGIBA Best Mystery Finalist and a 2022 Silver Falchion Best Supernatural Mystery Finalist.
Sarah is a member of Sisters in Crime, currently serving as the social media guru for the NY-TriState Chapter. She is also the creative mind behind BookstaBundles, a content creation service for authors. Sarah is the co-host of The Bookish Hour, a livestreamed YouTube series featuring author interviews and book discussions. She writes as a member of the Writers Who Kill blogging team. When she’s not spinning up stories, Sarah is singing Broadway show tunes, video gaming, and enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your time visiting Crucible! Thank you so much for the kind words and for featuring Hazel & her friends!
ReplyDeleteAaah this was such a fun character interview! I also enjoyed this one.
ReplyDeleteLovely post!
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