“Caitlyn thought her journey to England would be a simple quest to find her family—until a visit to an enchanted chocolate shop in a tiny Cotswolds village changed everything. Witch sleuths, magical mishaps, and a modern-day Mr. Darcy… family secrets, toothless vampires and deliciously dark murders… all await you in this bewitching paranormal cozy mystery!”
Eight years ago, back in 2016, I had an idea for a story and I started writing my ‘Bewitched by Chocolate’ Mysteries…
…and with the release this month of the final volume in the series (A FONDANT FAREWELL: Enchantments & Endings), I thought it would be fun to share some of the inspiration behind the series!
One of my biggest inspirations for the world of “Bewitched by Chocolate” was a book called Thornyhold by my favourite author of all time, Mary Stewart. I read this book in my teens and it made a huge impression on me: the story of a young orphaned woman who inherits a house deep in the woods, from a mysterious cousin who was known as a herbalist and a “local witch”.
There is a light mystery and a bit of romance, a self-assured cat and a gorgeous dog, a heartwarming story of family and second chances…
… but more than anything, it was the tone and world of the story which captivated me: the references to Old English folklore, the subtle touches of magic, the whimsical setting and quirky characters brought vividly to life by Mary Stewart’s beautiful writing.
I have reread this book multiple times since then and still love it with every reading – like the way one would savour a finely-aged wine or whisky, full of rich, subtle flavours that linger long afterwards.
In fact, there is an incantation which I first read in Thornyhold – a genuine folk verse used in England since medieval times to ward off witches and evil – which caught my imagination and which I featured, in turn, in the final volume of the ‘Bewitched by Chocolate’ Mysteries, as a sort of homage to Stewart’s book.
But it wasn’t all just about witches and magic… Anyone who knows me knows that I love my food. 😉
So I knew I wanted to include some yummy treats for my readers to “enjoy” while solving the mysteries in my stories. And one thing that really caught my imagination at the time was the 2000 film ‘Chocolat ‘, starring Juliet Binoche & Johnny Depp, and based on the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris.
Aside from the mouthwatering sequences of chocolate-making in the movie, I loved the ancient Aztec / Mayan mythology, about the magical powers of cacao.
This gave me the idea of blending “chocolate magic” with witches and murder mysteries to come up with my own series. (And I later realised that Judi Dench’s cranky old woman character was the unconscious inspiration for the character of the Widow Mags! )
Of course, nothing inspires me like real-life places and settings… and on one of my book research trips back to the UK, I happened to come across the intriguing legend of the Rollright Stones, during a day out doing field research in the Cotswolds…
An ancient site at the edge of the Cotswolds hills, right on the border between Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, the Rollright Stones are a set of natural limestone boulders dating back to Neolithic times. There are 3 groups of stones but the most famous is probably the King’s Men, a set of boulders arranged in a ring… yes, a stone circle!!
There are various theories about the origins of the stones and what they were really used for… but what really caught my imagination was the folktales and legends surroundings the monuments, such as the stones being “uncountable” (sound familiar? 😉)
So, of course, as soon as I heard these stories, I just HAD to hunt the Rollright Stones down and pay them a visit! Luckily, I found a local driver who could take me directly to the Stones and so, on a chilly grey autumn day, I found myself arriving in the lonely field where they lay…
It’s lovely that the Stones are public access, there for all to see, without any ticket office or barriers – although there is a suggested donation to the The Rollright Trust, to help with maintenance and upkeep. After duly dropping my £1 into the “honesty box”, I walked along a muddy track until I turned a corner… and there they were!
The reason they are called “the King’s Men” is due to a petrification legend which tells of a foreign king who was marching across the Cotswolds with his army, to conquer England. However, they came upon a witch who turned them all to stone… and then transformed herself into an elder tree nearby. It is believed that if the elder tree is ever cut down, the spell will be broken and the Stones will come back to life.
I have to say, with their upright shapes and weathered, craggy features, it was easy to see how these Stones could have once been soldiers… if you used a bit of imagination! 😉
The other famous legend about the stones is that they are uncountable: every time you try, you would come up with a different number. And if you did manage to count the same number three times, then you were granted a wish!
Of course, I couldn’t resist the challenge! I must say, though – despite my attempts (and I did try very hard!) – I really couldn’t come up with a consistent number. Although I suspect this has less to do with magic and more to do with the fact some of the stones sort of merge into each other in little clusters and some of them are barely peeking above the ground, plus there are so many of them (supposedly 70-ish) and you keep losing track as you’re counting…! 😜
When I visited the Stones (several years ago!) – there was also a temporary sculpture by British environmental sculptor David Gosling and his son erected nearby. It consisted of three figures made of woven hazel, willow, ivy and lime, in the shape of three women dancing in a circle.
They are officially supposed to be “dancing fairies” but to my eyes, they looked more like witches and brought to mind the famous scene from Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Act 4, Scene 1) when the three witches meet and utter the famous lines: “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”
Since they are/were “environmental sculptures”, I don’t know if they are still there or if they have succumbed to the elements and broken down naturally… but I’m so glad that they happened to be there for my visit. They brought the legend of the Stones to life even more and really added to the atmosphere!
You can also walk a short distance across the nearby pasture to view “the King” himself and “the Whispering Knights” – a trio of upright stones leaning into each other, who were supposed to be disgruntled knights huddled together nearby, plotting against the king (also turned into stone by the witch. They really should have gone further away to do their colluding! 😉).
These did have a protective barrier around them as apparently, tourists had been climbing up on the Stones and helping themselves to chunks to take home 🙄 (Aren’t people just awful sometimes?!)
I apologise for my photos being a bit rubbish! It was awfully dark and grey and drizzly that day, so it was difficult to get good pictures… although I suppose it adds to the eerie, lonely atmosphere. It certainly was more true to what England is like a lot of the times than the fantasy of “romantic rain” or “snowy wonderland” that you so often see in rom-com movies!
Visiting the Rollright Stones was a wonderful, otherworldly experience and I came back bursting with ideas and inspiration for my series. As fans of the Bewitched by Chocolate Mysteries know, the first book starts with Caitlyn arriving in the tiny Cotswolds village of Tillyhenge and hearing that a local gamekeeper was recently murdered. His body was found beside the mysterious stone circle next to the village and it wasn’t long before Caitlyn was climbing the lonely hill to see the infamous boulders for herself…
She looked around, a feeling of unease creeping over her. Then she shook it off irritably. Stop it! She was letting her imagination run away with her again! The legends were stories, nothing more—made up by ignorant peasants in times past or maybe even created on purpose to give the stones a more romantic image. For example, that legend about the stones being un-countable… well, that was easy enough to disprove! And she would do it now.
Caitlyn stepped into the centre of the circle and turned to face the stones, beginning to count them. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen… No, hang on… had she counted that one already?
Start again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven… No, that’s not right…
Shaking her head in exasperation, Caitlyn took a deep breath and started again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen… She stopped again, confused. She had tried to start counting from the tallest boulder, so that she would have that as a marker for when to stop—but it seemed like the tallest boulder wasn’t in the place she had thought it was when she came around the circle again.
Feeling even more uneasy now but not wanting to admit it, Caitlyn marched over to the nearest stone. She would put some kind of marker on it, she decided. That way there would be no possibility of further confusion. She was just about to stoop down and find a small rock to place on the boulder when she heard a rustling come from the forest.
She froze, her eyes riveted on the dark shadows between the trees.
There was something moving through the woods. Coming towards her. Fast.
She could hear it moving through the undergrowth, the twigs and leaves crackling under its weight. Some animal—not a horse, it was not the sound of hoofbeats—but something equally large and heavy. Then Caitlyn heard the sound of harsh panting, getting louder and louder…
A dark form shot out suddenly from the forest and rushed forwards, launching itself straight at her.
Caitlyn screamed and lurched backwards as a huge furry body slammed into her chest with the force of a battering ram. She felt a hot breath on her face as she toppled over, shrieking. She landed on the soft turf with a thump that knocked the breath from her body and lay for a moment, stunned.
Then she became conscious of the heavy weight on top of her. She was being pinned down by two massive paws and panic surged through her as she struggled to get free. She looked up and saw the gleam of fangs in a cavernous mouth and she screamed again with all her might.
The creature responded by leaning closer and, the next minute, Caitlyn felt something wet and slobbery on her terrified face, whilst her ears caught the sound of anxious whining.
Wait a minute… Slobbery? Anxious whining?
Slowly, Caitlyn pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at the creature before her. It was an enormous English mastiff, its saggy face and wrinkled brow furrowed in an adorable fashion as it cocked its head to one side and regarded her lovingly. Its big pink tongue was hanging out of its mouth as it panted and drooled down the front of its chest. Suddenly, Caitlyn realised that the dog had been licking her and that her face was covered in dog drool.
(from Dark, Witch & Creamy (Bewitched by Chocolate Mysteries ~ Book 1))
** If you want to visit The Rollright Stones yourself, they are off an unclassified road between the A44 and A3400, approximately 3 miles north of Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire. The nearest railway station is Moreton-in-Marsh 6½ miles
(You can read more about the Stones, where they are located and how to visit them on their own website: https://www.rollrightstones.co.uk/ )
***
Well, after tramping around the Cotswolds hills in the wind and rain, it was time for some much-needed afternoon tea!
There are a host of gorgeous villages and market towns in the area, most of them with at least one quaint tearoom to try out. Top picks include Broadway, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Moreton-in-Marsh, the two “Slaughters” and Stow-on-the-World but there are so many others further afield.
I headed for the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh, which also conveniently has the nearest railway station ( it’s approx 2hrs from London’s Paddington station). It’s a great place to explore on its own, with a historic High Street featuring many specialist shops, antique emporiums, delis and more. (If you happen to be there on a Tuesday, you can also check out its famous outdoor market on the High Street).
I found Moreton-in-Marsh to be a really good base for exploring the Cotswolds because (aside from the rail connection), it’s located roughly at the juncture of four counties: Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire – so it’s easy to access things in any direction.
There are several “afternoon tea” options here and it’s quite hard to choose! In the end I went to Charlotte’s Pantry Cafe & Tearoom, drawn by its brightly-painted blue doors and windows. It was the quaintest little place!
As it turned out, I had worked up quite an appetite and so I decided to have a “proper” meal of soup and sandwiches instead of tea & scones. And as it was autumn at the time, there were loads of pumpkins and Halloween-themed decorations everywhere, which really added to the “cosy vibe”.
** It seems that since the time of my visit, the family who owned Charlotte’s Pantry Cafe & Tearoom have decided to retire and have sold their tearoom to another local family, who own the famous chain of Huffkins Bakery & Cafe Tea Rooms. I haven’t been to the “new” version so I don’t know what it’s like but Huffkins is renowned in the local area for their baking and afternoon tea, so it’s probably still very good!
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed that little visit to the Cotswolds with me and reading about the inspiration behind my ‘Bewitched by Chocolate’ Mysteries. If you haven’t tried the series yet and would like to check it out, you can find links to all the formats it’s available in (ebook, paperback and audiobook) below:
The BEWITCHED BY CHOCOLATE Mysteries
***
P.S. I often receive emails from readers asking for recommendations for places to have “afternoon tea” in Oxford and the Cotswolds, and I’d been thinking that it might be nice to do a blog post rounding up all the places I’ve visited (with photos!) – do you think you might be interested in that? Leave me a comment and let me know if you do!
I really enjoy all your series….and I now dream on going in vacation in the Oxford area!
GREAT
If I ever get to visit that area one day—I will definitely want to know your suggestions! Great blog post-it’s fun to see how a persons creativity develops and how those influences manifest.
Love your Chocolate series. I read each book in a day. I just couldn’t put them down. I was looking for something different to read and found a new author to enjoy. Thank you so much!
Your books have made me want to travel to the Oxford area and eat a lot of chocolate!
I love hearing about the inspiration behind stories. Books 8 and 9 finally arrived yesterday so I’ll be thinking about this as I read.
I am so in love with your style of writing. You make every scene a scene with you in it. I never read any of your books that I don’t actually see you and muesli there doing the things the things the characters do. I have never been to England but feel like I have through your books. You seem to be such a nice person and if I lived in Australia i am sure we would be great friends. Keep up the great work and let us get to know you better!
I have read and listened to every one of your books they are amazing I can’t wait for more to be released, I would love to be entered into the competition and win one of your wonderful prizes, the death by chocolate series is my absolute favourite
It was a brilliant series, reminded me some remote Cotswold villages 🙂
Besides your enjoyable cosy mysteries, you’re a dab hand at travel writing! It would be great to see a round up of tea shops, etc., that you’ve found along your research trails. It was so interesting to read about the Rollright Stones. Such fascinating legends and folklore. x
Your descriptions of the Cotswolds and that ring of stones is amazing. You’d make a great travel writer. Was sad to see Bewitched By Chocolate series end, but looking forward to new books from you.
Really enjoyed your Bewitched by Chocolate series. I especially loved Nibs. I have visited England once…would love to go back and explore some of the non-touristy places.
Really enjoyed both the Bewitched and the Tea Room series, though both felt like they were a bit cutoff at the end. Would like to either see a spin-off on Caitlyn’s story or maybe a bit more of a full-circle closure for both Caitlyn and Gemma?
I thoroughly enjoy your writings. In fact, I tend to compare other authors with your style but, in my opinion, none have matched! Some have been close though! I have read several of your books from the Tea room series and some also from the Chocolate series and I have enjoyed them all. I really like your newsletters too, and of course Muesli!
Thanks for a look behind the scenes at this series. I’m enjoying reading them!
Love your sharing and love all your work, Hysin-Yi. <3 Would love a free book or series! Excited for what's next!
I totally love all your books, I think I have read them all and the last one to read is part two of the last chocolate series. I love stone circles and the origins behind them, they are also in my all time series of Outlander where they send people back in time to the 1700’s – brilliant to watch if you have time to watch it (if you haven’t already?).
I’ve enjoyed your books so much! I have such a great picture in my head of the Cotswolds from your descriptive writing that I hope to visit one day.
I have loved ready “Bewitched by Chocolate” series. I hate to say goodbye. I haven’t finished the final one yet..prolonging the end.
I love traveling to new places. Thanks for sharing via this post.
I need to visit this tea room! And the Cotswolds in general! Thank you for the tips and wonderful books 🙂 love your writing and look forward to reading them all:)
It was fun reading about your inspiration for the “Chocolate” series. I’ll probably never get the chance to visit myself so I enjoyed your pictures too.
I would love to read and see photos of best place to visit in Oxford and the Cotswolds, especially the tea rooms.
Love all of your books!
I just love your newsletters and blogs – and of course your books – hopefully one day I too will get to visit the Cotswolds in real life.🤩😍🤩
I love your books and being able to see the places you have visited that inspired you, makes reading them seem so real. I would love to visit all the places you have been, and reading about them in your books, magically makes it possible!
I have listened to most of the books in several of your series through Audible. I really like Bewitched by Chocolate and hate to see it end. I really want to read your latest one and I’m not sure I can wait for it to come to Audible.
Charlotte’s pantry cafe and tearoom looks like such a lovely place to visit 😊
Fun to see posts on afternoon tea places you’ve been to
I love your books. It was sad to see Bewitched by chocolate series come to an end, was like saying goodbye to an old friend. Love the Oxford tearoom mysteries too – read them all and now looking forward to more books by you.
Mary Stewart is one of my favorite authors! My sister and I particularly enjoyed The Ivy Tree when we were teenagers. Somehow we never ran across Thornyhold, but it is now on my “to read” list, since you so highly recommend it! Would love to see your thoughts (with photos!) about where to have tea in the Cotswolds. I’m an armchair traveler, so your photos and descriptions allow me to visit places I could never see otherwise. Thank you!
I love to read your posts. It makes your books come more aluve.
Love the last book, first half of last book, Bewitched by Chocolate, A Fondant Farewell. I am excited to find out the next part to the cliff hanger ending. Love all your series. Thanks for the laugh and excitement. Cheers!
Dear Mrs Hanna, thank you so much for the gift of writing your wonderful books for your readers to enjoy. I loved (and and still love) every single one very much. Now I am a little bit sad the chocolate series is finished and hoping for a sequel of your garden series soon.
Best wishes from Gemany to you, your husband and of course Muesli! Your’s, Christiane
Someday I would love to visit the Cotswolds; however my nine rescue kitties don’t like me being gone for long.
Thank you so much for sharing your lovely trip. It all sounds so wonderful. Your series sounds wonderful, too. Chocolate, a cat, and magic.
I have enjoyed several series of yours, esp. The English TeaRoom series. I started the Chocolate series and enjoyed it up until Book 5 where by Chapter 7 the grim violence of the mystical characters turned me off, and I stopped reading. Too bad, it was a wonderful blend of magic and your cozy mysteries, not mention CHOCOLATE. I don’t know whether to skip on to Book 6 or not…
PS We had a cat named Toby that found us one day years ago when just a tiny kitten. He and Muesli could be twins.
I have “read” (on audio) every book – all four series – multiple times. I LOVE hearing the narration. I have listened to hundreds of books and yours are my absolute favorites to listen to when I need to relax. They are particularly wonderful to listen to while knitting and crocheting. Please keep writing. I love your style and quirky characters! And, of course, I adore Muesli and the other kitties in your books. Sending love from California!
I loved the inspiration behind the series, it’s very cool to see behind the scenes like that. You have inspired me to reread thornyhold. You should try Dorothy Gilman’s Thales Folly if you haven’t, since you love Thornyhold. another favorite is her A Nun in the Closet which also has a bit of herbal lore. I need to catch up on the chocolate series. Was hoping the kindle thing would resolve and I would be able to get from the library. Thank you for the Blog and the newsletters and of course the books. You are awesome at the quirky. Owen and Cookie send Muesli their best wishes as do I.
lauren
I enjoyed reading about the legend of “The King’s Men”. I would enjoy visiting England and visiting many of the monuments & tea rooms.
I enjoy all of your books. Just found your blog. Love reading about your travels.
I love hearing about your research, I feel like I’ve been there because your picturesque words explain the scenes thoroughly. I haven’t started your Bewitched By Chocolate series, but I’m excited to get started.
I want to visit the Cotswolds after reading your books! So charming!
I have had a free ebook of book one for 7 years but have not started the series. I am prone to grabbing a physical book when looking for something to read. I do post my reviews on Goodreads, where I keep track of what I have read and when. Congratulations on finishing the series.
I felt such an affinity with Caitlyn, and was intrigued with all the other characters in the “Bewitched By Chocolate” series. Being a little shy and the opposite of Pomona myself, totally saw the story and development through her eyes. And especially with the dashing gentleman, James!
Thanks so much for the “sweet” ending to the series! You did a fine job of tying together the loose threads from the earlier stories. ( Though I had thought Pomona’s nemesis was going to show up and cause some kind crisis for the finale!) I agree with the reader from Florida–I’d LOVE to read about the wedding someday! Blessings to you, Muesli, and your family.
I’m on the next plane to visit Cornwall see the sights and have that afternoon tea.
You are an amazing writer!! I first discovered you in Deadhead and Buried. Gardening and Cats—what’s not to love?!? I have become a big fan, and love all your series!! I was delighted to sign up for your newsletter, which has so many wonderful stories, and adorable pictures of Muesli!! Looking forward to more books from you!!! 🙂
When my ebook broke and I couldn’t read any of your books I got so
Upset I took my food money and had to go to best buy to get
Another book i just love your stories and the people sound so real
I was so sad that that was the last book in the series. I have looked forward to each one as it came out. Now I’ll just have to start over
Your trip sounds amazing .Like you I enjoy Mary Stewart’s books particularly her King Arthur series. In childhood in Cornwall ( I now live in Perth Australia)we were told not to tell the pixies where we were going as they would for sure lead us astray. Excitedly I blurted out our destination and we never got there!