Scent & Stories: The First Bloom

The First Bloom is our celebration of spring — a gathering for those drawn to story, scent, and slow awakenings.

Join us for the Spring 2026 edition of Scent & Stories, a the debut of our quarterly Southern Gothic literary salon presented by Hemlock & Hearth.

Held upstairs in a private salon space at Elaine’s Literary Saloon, this ticketed evening is reserved exclusively for guests of Scent & Stories. The atmosphere is relaxed yet intentional — a space where like-minded readers and/or fragrance lovers can gather to connect, discover, and linger.

This is not a traditional book club.
It is a layered sensory experience.

Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy:

• A live author reading and signing
• A curated bookstore pop-up from "Long Dark House", a forthcoming DMV indie bookstore & café focused on horror, thriller, speculative fiction, and sci-fi
• Hemlock & Hearth candles, body oils, and fragrances available for sampling and purchase
• A Spring Bloom Bar experience (custom floral bundles available for purchase)
• Complimentary appetizer bar
• A Spring Bloom Bar experience (custom floral bundles available for purchase)
• Complimentary Hemlock & Hearth Votive candle & Body oil Sample (while supplies last)
• Reserved seating in a private upstairs setting

Signature cocktails and full dinner service will be available for purchase from Elaine’s.

More than an event, Scent & Stories is a social literary gathering — an opportunity to meet new people, enjoy indie books and fragrance, support an emerging author, and experience spring in conversation with story.

Candlelight.
Dark florals.
Pages turning softly.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Hemlock & Hearth