Kiri Callaghan at Briar Rose Winery: The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Spite & Spellwork

STEP INTO A STORYBOOK EVENING

Join The Spine & Vine at Briar Rose Winery as we welcome Kiri Callaghan to celebrate the release of The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Spite & Spellwork, the spellbinding second book in the Hemlock Saga, arriving October 6, 2026.

Tucked away from Temecula’s larger wineries, Briar Rose feels like a little world of its own. Designed in the 1970s by a Disney animator and inspired by the cottages of Snow White, its whimsical, storybook setting feels perfectly suited to an evening of witchcraft, mystery and magic.

Kiri will be joined in conversation by cozy-fantasy author J. Penner, author of A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic and Death Meets Cute. The conversation will be followed by a book signing.

Copies of J. Penner’s books will also be available for purchase and signing during the evening.

Witchy, whimsical and storybook-inspired attire is encouraged—but never required!

EVENT DETAILS

Thursday, October 8, 2026
6:30–9:00 PM

Briar Rose Winery
41720 Calle Cabrillo
Temecula, CA 92592

Ticket: $42
Guests must be 21 or older.

YOUR TICKET INCLUDES

• Admission to the release celebration
• One copy of The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Spite & Spellwork
• A conversation between Kiri Callaghan and J. Penner
• Book signing access
• One drink ticket, redeemable for a glass of wine or a nonalcoholic beverage
• Access to our fantasy-inspired local vendors and The Spine & Vine’s bookmobile

Additional books and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the evening.

MEET OUR VENDORS

Ember & Alder
Hand-poured, nontoxic soy-wax candles

Katherine the Great Designs
Fantasy-inspired and officially licensed cards

Dewey
The Spine & Vine’s beloved bookmobile—and the place where our bookstore story began

ABOUT THE BOOK

Changeling Avery Hemlock and human Saga Trygg are back on the case when a witch is murdered and the clues point Saga toward her own family’s buried secrets.

When a notorious witch turns up dead under impossible circumstances, Avery Hemlock is called in to investigate—and Saga Trygg finds herself pulled right back into the mess of Fey politics, curses and conspiracies she swore she didn’t want to touch.

The deeper Avery and Saga dig, the stranger it gets: cursed artifacts gone missing, case files sealed by the mysterious Winter Council and a web of secrets that somehow all lead back to Saga’s family. Meanwhile, Avery’s sharp tongue and bad habits aren’t exactly making friends in the courtroom—or helping her avoid the pull of her infuriatingly endearing neighbor.

With murders piling up and the line between justice and revenge growing thinner, Saga and Avery must decide whom they can trust, what they’re willing to risk and just how much trouble a murderer with nothing left to lose can stir up.

NEW TO THE HEMLOCK SAGA?

The adventure begins with The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic & Murder, a cozy fantasy mystery introducing human hearth witch Saga Trygg and changeling investigator Avery Hemlock as they navigate magic, murder and the dangerous divide between the Fey and human worlds.

Copies of the first book will be available for purchase at the event for anyone who would like to begin at the beginning.

BOOK PICKUP

The copy of The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Spite & Spellwork included with your ticket will be available when you check in at the event.

If you are unable to attend, your included book will be available for pickup at The Spine & Vine after the event.

PLEASE NOTE

All ticket sales are nonrefundable. Guests must be 21 or older. Each ticket includes one beverage; additional drinks must be purchased separately during the event.