About this Event
Buy a book, get a drink ticket, toast Olesya and her new novel, and stay for her conversation with Kirsten Miller at 7pm.
About THE FORTUNE TELLERS OF RUE DARU:
A fearless fortune teller in 1920s Paris must use her powers to divine who she can trust when an exiled Romanov princess and her brother come to her seeking answers about a decades-old mystery…
Spirited Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina’s mother’s untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele.
Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for knowledge about the disappearance of their father, the exiled Grand Duke, cousin of the last Tsar of Russia. Zina, eager to learn more about the spirit world and her powers, performs the séance. She is able to summon the Grand Duke, but to her horror, he starts to haunt the shop, and he seems to know something sinister about her mother’s death.
As Zina delves into her family’s hidden past, dark secrets are unearthed, threatening the home and tearoom Zina and her grandmother have worked so hard to build, not to mention their very lives.
About the speakers:
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore is the author of and . Originally from Moscow, she was raised in the US and graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in English/political science, and from Northwestern School of Law with a JD. She practiced litigation at a large law firm for several years before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. Now she is happiest writing novels in a variety of genres, including fantasy, paranormal, gothic horror, and historical fiction. She also loves exploring Eastern European history and folklore. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Tor.com, CrimeReads, Writer’s Digest, Historical Novels Review, Bookish, Washington Independent Review of Books, among others. She lives in a wooded, lakeside suburb of Chicago with her husband and two daughters.
Kirsten Miller is the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels for young people, including the critically acclaimed Kiki Strike trilogy and How to Lead a Life of Crime. Her first witchy adult novel, The Change, was a GMA Book Club pick in 2022. Her second, Lula Dean’s Little Library ofBanned Books has been a favorite choice of book clubs since 2024. Her latest novel, The Women of Wild Hill, returned to the world of witches just in time for Halloween 2025. Kirsten’s books have been published in over twenty-four languages and have been nominated for multiple awards, including a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award and the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction. She lives in Brooklyn where she’s working on a (hopefully!) hilarious new satire.
Event guidelines:
Each ticket includes either a copy of THE FORTUNE TELLERS OF RUE DARU or a $15 Twisted Spine gift card, alongside a drink ticket for beverage at The Twisted Spine.
Additional copies of the books will be available for purchase at the event.
A signing will follow the discussion.
If you have any questions about the guidelines or to request accessibility accommodations, please contact [email protected].
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Twisted Spine, 306 Grand Street, Brooklyn, United States
USD 17.85 to USD 36.90
