Arbor Teas Launches Inaugural Summer Reading Series with The Wintree Waltz

When one thinks of tea and literature, it might conjure images of Sherlock Holmes pouring himself a cuppa, or of snuggling up with a pot of tea and a favorite book. But people don't often think of tea as being a source of literature. That will change this summer, when Arbor Teas launches the first iteration of its Summer Reading Series with Lauren Doyle Owens's The Wintree Waltz, a short novel developed specifically for the Ann Arbor, Michigan tea company.

Beginning June 2nd, anyone with a web browser will be able to read along as the Wintree sisters fall in and out of love over the course of a summer. And, because the novella will be serialized - Arbor Teas will publish one chapter per week for ten weeks - readers just might find themselves cozying up to their devices over their lunch hours or tea breaks.

"We wanted to start a summer tradition, that our customers could enjoy all summer long, and next to iced tea, nothing goes better with summer than a good read! So we called Lauren to see what she thought, and the Summer Reading Series went from a fun idea to a reality," says Aubrey Lopatin, who co-owns Arbor Teas with her husband Jeremy.

"I've long been a fan of Arbor Teas as a company, and of Aubrey and Jeremy as people, and so when they approached me about developing a novella, I didn't hesitate," says Owens.

"For me, it was just natural that the novel be set in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a place that takes on a completely different identity during the summer, as the students leave and the townies take over," Owens explains. "I love this idea of playing with identities, how a place or a person can become something different depending on the decisions they make, or even who they're standing next to. When I started to write about the Wintree sisters, I realized how they're all in a state of flux, that anything could change for them at any moment."

The Wintree Waltz will introduce readers to the Wintree family ten weeks before Jean Wintree, the middle daughter, is set to be married. But, in this Austen-esque marriage plot, nothing goes quite according to plan.

"Literature is full of marriage plots, so I was tapping into a tradition of light-hearted, even magical, stories that take place during this universal turning point. I had so much fun spending time with the Wintrees as I worked on The Wintree Waltz and I hope readers do too," Owens says.

Readers can follow along with Arbor Teas at http://www.arborteas.com/SummerReads/ and connect with other readers on social media using the hashtag #wintreewaltz

About the Author
Lauren Doyle Owens is a fiction writer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Tigertail, Concho River Review and The Seventh Wave. You can follow her on Twitter and find more of her work at http://www.laurendoyleowens.com/

About Arbor Teas
Arbor Teas is an online retailer of organic loose-leaf teas based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their mission is to find the world's best organic loose leaf teas and deliver them as sustainably as possible. To learn more about Arbor Teas, visit their website, or connect with them through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram

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