Indie Author Spotlight

We are honored to work with these wonderful authors and highlight their worlds and stories for limited-time collections!

These collections will be available until January 1st!

Anna Applegate & Helen Domico

Two jars of Briarwick Lucien the Pugron candles on a white background
8 oz of Briarwick Lucien the Pugron candle with a black lid on a white background
Lucien the Pugron- Officially Licensed Anna Applegate & Helen Domico Candle
from $6.50
Two jars of Briarwick Kade Blackthorn candles on a white background
8 oz Jar of Briarwick Kade Blackthorn candle with a dark label on a white background
Kade Blackthorn- Officially Licensed Anna Applegate & Helen Domico Candle
from $6.50
Two Briarwick Princess Illiana candles with purple labels on a white background
8 oz purple candle jar with 'Princess Illiana' label on a white background
Princess Illiana- Officially Licensed Anna Applegate & Helen Domico Candle
from $6.50
Sale
Anna Applegate & Helen Domico Officially Licensed Candle Bundle
$66.00 $59.40 Save 10%

About Authors Anna Applegate & Helen Domico

Anna Applegate and Helen Domico met at James Madison University and lived in the same dorm sophomore year. Twelve years later they reconnected over their love for reading fantasy romance books.

What started as random conversations, turned into daily conversations about books and life. One day Anna had an idea for a book, asked Helen if she would want to join and they never looked back.

There are not many people who are given the opportunity to write a book (or three... or heck.. infinite!) with one of their best friends. Together they have been able to push each other professionally and personally, constantly pouring their souls and heartbreak into their writing. ​

When Anna and Helen are not writing, they are avid readers — Helen with her red wine and Anna with her sweet champagne.

Anna and Helen love to connect with their readers and are most active on Instagram. They can be found at @authorannaapplegate and @authorhelendomico.

‘A Court of Thorns and Roses' meets 'The Bachelorette' in this new, exciting fantasy romance!

Eight Fae fight for my hand in marriage. They’re willing to kill for it. But if they discover my secret, my future husband might kill me too.

The King of Brookmere has decreed his daughter is to marry—which means, despite my protests, he’s enacted an archaic tradition, summoning powerful Fae from across the land to compete for my hand in marriage. And more importantly, the throne.

Eight fae will fight in the deadly trials, braving formidable magic and each other to prove themselves worthy of the crown. Including the arrogant, shadow-wielding Kade Blackthorn, who arrived out of nowhere and appears to have far more abilities than he should. In truth, all I’ve ever wanted is for someone to love me for who I am, despite my secrets. An ally. An equal.

While one of the contenders might become my husband, a trusted friend is the last title any of them can win. These men are willing to do anything for power. If they discover my secret, that I’m an heir with no magic, then we’re all doomed.

Blooms of Darkness is the first book of the Broken Prophecy Series, a slow burn, NA / adult romantasy. Readers are encouraged to review the list of content notes inside before diving into this enemies-to-lovers, shadow daddy romance.

Valerie Gomez

Two green Briarwick candles labeled 'Handyman for the Holidays' on a white background
Green 8oz candle jar labeled 'Handyman for the Holidays' by Briarwick on a white background
Handyman for the Holidays- Officially Licensed Valerie Gomez Candle
from $6.50
Two Briarwick Rising Star candles with decorative labels on a white background
Rising Star 8 oz candle jar with decorative label on a white background
Rising Star- Officially Licensed Valerie Gomez Candle
from $6.50
Sale
Valerie Gomez Officially Licensed Candle Bundle
$44.00 $40.00 Save 9%

About Author Valerie gomez

In addition to being a writer, Valerie Gomez is an art director, designer, and illustrator. She grew up in small town Ohio before deciding she wanted to live in a big city. She's lived and worked in Phoenix, Chicago, Detroit, New York City, and now lives in the Washington DC metro area with her husband and son. She is a wife, a mother, a Latina, a Virgo, an introvert, a reader of books, a petter of dogs, a coffee drinker, a grilled cheese sandwich enthusiast, a wearer of sneakers, a lover of rom-coms, a maker of lists, a work in progress.

All he wants for Christmas is to be heard! From the author of Cover Story comes a new cozy romance.

Nestled in the woods of Northern Michigan, everyone looks out for one another in the tiny town of Cherry Tree—especially during the holidays. Repairman Frank Garza will fix your oven on Thanksgiving and accept nothing but a slice of pie in return. But as a nonspeaker, Frank has never felt he belongs. People talk at him, not with him.

When Bennett Oliver and his adorable deaf daughter move to town, Frank finally meets someone who listens. Fixing their new old house has its challenges, and Bennett relies on Frank so much, they’re becoming fast friends. From the way Bennett looks at him, though, the buzzsaw whirring in Frank’s chest tells him they could be “more than friends.” It terrifies him.

As autumn whirls into a winter wonderland, Frank is hesitant to ruin this new friendship by testing romantic waters. But if he could melt the ice protecting his heart, perhaps he won’t have to spend Christmas alone.

A HANDYMAN FOR THE HOLIDAYS is a small-town MM romance novella published as part of the Home for the Holidays Collective and can be read as a stand-alone novel. It features cozy fall vibes, a small-town setting, and lots of swoony moments.

Two queer thirtysomethings—a buttoned-up art director and a comedian—learn first impressions aren’t forever in Valerie Gomez’s sparkling contemporary romance debut perfect for fans of Alexis Hall and Casey McQuiston.

“Don’t panic, just breathe,” Dax Ximénez tells himself after every gig. About to become a household name with the premiere of his own TV show, he should be flying high, and he is…on the surface. But all of the pressure and attention make him want to retreat into the safe cocoon of his warm family home in Queens. The last thing he needs is a prickly art director judging him at his first magazine cover shoot—no matter how handsome he is.

The shoot is a huge opportunity for AJ Bond to prove himself worthy of a promotion at The Modern Gentleman, but Dax showing up late is not a good look. The vibe is off, and AJ’s original vision is going down in flames—until Dax lets his natural charisma and gorgeous smile shine. After the shoot wraps, AJ knows they’re both on the verge of something big, not just professionally.

Neither AJ nor Dax can stop thinking about the other, hoping their magic wasn’t confined to the studio. As the magazine and show launches approach, they’ll rely on each other for support through the highs and lows of success, fame, anxiety…and maybe even love.

Sarah Smith

View all
Sale
Sarah Smith Officially Licensed Candle Bundle
$44.00 $40.00 Save 9%
Two Briarwick Xander candles with blue hockey labels on a white background
Blue candle labeled 'Xander' by Briarwick on a white background
Xander- Officially Licensed Sarah Smith Candle
from $6.50
Two jars of Briarwick Sophie candle with pink and black labels on a white background
Candle jar with a pink label featuring the name 'Sophie' and branding details.
Sophie- Officially Licensed Sarah Smith Candle
from $6.50
View all
3 products

About Author Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith is a copywriter-turned-author who wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie’s stash of romance novels. She’s been hooked ever since. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her lumpia recipe.

Two things matter to me: hockey and getting my stick wet off the ice, if you catch my drift.

But then I meet Sophie Porter.

She’s the Bashers team doctor–and the daughter of my head coach.

And she’s got a proposition for me: fake date so that she can set boundaries with her overprotective dad.

It’s an easy “yes” for me. I’d never have a chance with this beautiful and brilliant woman in real life.

She’s a good girl with a naughty streak–my weakness. She makes me feel wanted and safe.

And when I open up to her about my painful past, she comforts me in a way no one else has.

I’ve never felt this way about anyone before…

I’m falling in love with Sophie…

But no matter how real it feels for me, I know it’s all fake to her.

Fake As Puck is a pro hockey fake dating romance. It is the first book in the Denver Bashers series.

About the Indie Author Spotlight

We love indie authors at Briarwick!

We have been working on this plan for a while and it's finally time to unveil it! We hope to feature a few indie authors each month for limited time scent collections beginning later this year.

Our goals for this project:

• We want to feature a wide range of authors and stories in the fantasy & romance genres.

• These LTO scents will (of course) be officially licensed! We have a standard in-house licensing agreement that we will send over for your review.

A bit about Briarwick:

We are a bookish small business that has been open since 2017 and has grown from a one-woman show in our owner Kate’s kitchen to a team of five in our warehouse studio in Simi Valley, CA! We are a team of book lovers and have been voracious romance & fantasy readers since we were kids. We now read and champion both indie and trad works across our social media pages and are committed to promoting a diverse range of stories through our scents.

Each candle that we create is crafted by the team from start to finish: scent creation, pouring, packaging, and shipping! Our candles are hand poured in small batches to ensure the highest quality, and we use soy wax derived from US grown soy beans, all natural cotton wicks, and Phthalate-free fragrance oils. All of the story-specific products in our shop are officially licensed or made with permission, and we have several years of experience with licensing. We have a proven track record of providing exceptional products and customer service and have over 30,000 five star reviews across all of our distribution channels. Our customers frequently reach out to tell us how much they love that our candles bring them closer to their favorite bookish worlds and stories.

Please note:

• We do not use any form of generative AI, nor will we work with authors who use generative AI in their works.

• Filling out this form does not guarantee a spot in this project. If you are not chosen for this first round, we will reach out to you and let you know when we reopen for the next batch of applications.

• We reserve the right to cancel or not go forward with a collection at any time for any reason. Briarwick does not tolerate any form of bigotry, hate speech, or bullying from our partners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does this project work?

A: If you’re one of the selected authors, we will work with you to determine the scent, color, design and name of the candles and sell them in our shop for one month as an officially licensed collection. If you’re in the LA area, you can even come to our studio and help us craft the candles! We are also planning to spotlight your books & candles on our social media and website for the duration of this collection.

Q: What does officially licensed mean?

A: It means we pay the authors a portion of each candle we sell. We’ll send over our standard license agreement for you to review before hand, and answer any questions you might have. We know a lot of indie authors are new to licensing in general, so we want to make sure you’re comfortable with what you sign. Our agreement is very clear that this is a non-exclusive license and you retain all rights to your work.

Q: Who can apply?

A: Any and all indie authors who write romance and fantasy! We are romance readers at heart here at Briarwick, so any romantic fantasy or contemporary romance or dark romance, etc will fit in perfectly!

Q: Does it cost money?

A: NO! We will not ask you for any money to participate in the Indie Author Spotlight Program! If you’re selected as one of our authors, the only potential cost would be that we’d offer you the ability to purchase your candles at cost plus shipping. Our goal with this program is to create long term partnerships and support the indie author community.

Q: What is the timeline?

A: We plan to keep our interest form open until the end of August, and then choose the selected authors by the end of September. Everyone who applied will be receive an email one way or the other!

Q: Is this my only chance to have candles with Briarwick?

A: Nope! We want to see how this program does, but our plan right now is to open it again later next year. Also, we offer the ability to order single custom candles on our website all year, and our bulk custom candles are always open to order for things like PR boxes, Kickstarters, ARC promos, etc. Please reach out to us at custom@briarwickcandles.com if you’d be interested in bulk custom candles as well! Our order minimums start as low as 10 candles.

THE INTEREST FORM IS CURRENTLY CLOSED.