Babette Donaldson, Writer

Family Tea Times - New Newsletter

2011-11-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

I've just released the first edition of my new newsletter, FAMILY TEA TIMES.

My Emma Lea Books have always been about tea and families, the world culture of tea and the positive influences that teatime can bring into the home. My new newsletter takes this a step further.

Each month will feature:

1. An article on the Importance of Family Tea Time

2. A tip for starting your own family tea tradition

3. A fun recipe that you might want to try for your afternoon tea

4. A contemporary quote from a respected tea educator or author

5. . . . . more TBA

Subscribe to our newsletter

Please click the image to read the first issue. You will always be able to un-subscribe and your email will never be shared.

More Tea People - David & Eunice Bigelow

2011-09-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

David & Eunice Bigelow

I've had another interview accepted by World Tea News. The opportunity to learn more about the Bigelow Family and their legacy in the tea world made for a very interesting discussion.

Hope you like it too!
Babette

May 2011 TeaZine

2011-05-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

http://emmaleateazine.presspublisher.us/issue/may-2011

We've just published the May Issue of Emma Lea's TeaZine.

World Tea News

2011-05-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

I've been having a wonderful time working with the new team publishing World Tea News. It really is the go-to place for what's happening in Tea Land.

My contributions have been features on some of the diverse people in the tea industry. So far I've been able to interview:

For a short time, all the content of the site is public but in a short time, access to the site will be limited to subscribers.

I will be submitting new interviews every month for Tea People and also articles about Tea Shops.

March Edition - The Emma Lea TeaZine

2011-03-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

We've just published the March issue of The TeaZine

Author Babette Donaldson

2011-02-20T18:34:00.000-08:00

The November TeaZine

2010-11-15T07:07:00.000-08:00


Emma Lea's TeaZine for November 2010

We've just published the November issue of the Emma Lea TeaZine. Click on the image above and check it out.

When is Emma Lea's birthday?

2010-10-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

From "Emma Lea's Magic Teapot"

Samantha J. in Ohio recently wrote a letter asking if I had ever written a story about Emma Lea's birthday party.

What a wonderful idea!

When I was first creating these stories, I did choose a birthday for her but never wrote the story. I always imagined that her birthday is in August so that she could have outside birthday parties - tea parties, of course. Now I think I will work on a new story for this coming year to celebrate.

I have written several annual Christmas Stories, published on our website with the other Magic Teapot Stories. Some of these stories are ones that I've written and others have been contributed by our readers.

If you have questions about Emma Lea or The Emma Lea Books, you can email me at:

info@emmaleabooks.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Babette Donaldson

How old is Emma Lea?

2010-10-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Another question that comes up is about her age.

In the first four storybooks, Emma Lea is in elementary school. Without being specific in the story, the art and subject matter do have her looking a little bit older in the last two books. As you read the series, you can feel as if you are watching her grow up. Some of her interests have been added to the story. She loves to sing. She's curious about people around the world. She enjoys school and has some good friends, especially Sam and Janelle.

Her best friend is Sam. He's in her class at school and in "Emma Lea's Magic Teapot" he is one one of her special wishes - that they can sing together in the talent show.

Then, in "Emma Lea's First Tea Ceremony" Sam invites her to have Japanese-style tea at his home.

More About Emma Lea

2010-10-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

One of the questions I'm most often asked is if Emma Lea is my daughter.

I have to answer, no. I was blessed with two sons and two step-daughters and young woman whom I love as if she were my daughter. They fill my life with such love that I never felt that I needed to create a character to fill the place of a real person.

Emma Lea is a fictional character which means that she was created in my imagination. But she is still very real to me. Writers work very hard to make their characters come to life. But sometimes it feels as if you're just getting to know them. That's how it was for me and Emma Lea.

One of the first things about her was that she is a "problem solver". She's the one who doesn't give up until she figures out a way to make things right for her family and friends. Some of her stories are called The Magic Teapot Stories. In these stories, her way of sharing teatime is often the way to solve a problem.

I will be posting more of the Emma Lea Magic Teapot Stories and telling you more about Emma Lea in the next few posts at this site.

The Northwest Tea Festival

2010-10-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at the NW Tea Festival in Seattle last weekend. As one of just a few such events, I can say that the event drew tea lovers from many parts of the US and Canada. I had the privilege of being a speaker as well as a vendor. My topic, "How To Start A Family Tea Time" gave me an opportunity to promote what I believe to be an important aspect of tea time.

It's always fun to meet the readers of The Emma Lea Books - readers of all ages - and to share a few cups of tea in the process.

About Emma Lea

2008-04-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

The most frequently asked question for any author must be, "How did you come up with the idea for this story - or for this character?" A simple answer is that I started working on a story about how a young girl and her mother resolve a conflict over a cup of tea by sharing a memory of the girl's grandmother. As I worked on that story, Emma Lea and her family became so real to me that I didn't want to write about Grammy in the past tense. And the series of stories came very quickly.

"Why tea?" This question is often asked in writers' groups and bookstore appearances - never when I visit tea shops. The popularity of tea for children is spreading across the country. Thousands of tearooms are hosting special birthday parties for young girls who want to dress up in frills and boas and spend an elegant afternoon with their friends. Families are gathering together for that relaxing time of the day around a simple tea table. In other countries this has been a tradition for hundreds of years. In the US, we are just now realizing the joy and the benefits of scheduling tea time at home.

It is the idea of families and friends gathering for quiet time and conversation that inspires the Emma Lea picture books. It is what has given me my greatest reward from writing the books.