Tabby Quigsly sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so we can learn more about her. Are you ready? Let’s get to know Tabby.

What is your full name?
My name started out as Tabby Silesta Winslow. I’ve gone to great lengths over the years to avoid mentioning my middle name because no one could ever spell it. I have since learned that Silesta is a variant of Celeste. Why didn’t Mom and Dad go ahead and use Celeste? I like that name. But it’s a moot point as I now have a different surname. The state of Georgia said I had to drop my maiden middle name and keep my surname as my new middle name. So, as of two months ago, my new name is Tabby Winslow Quigsly.

How old are you?
I am 30 years young, but people tell me I have an old soul. That’s possible, I suppose. I’ve led a sheltered life and see things differently than most folks. You see, my twin and I have been hiding from the Paranormal Council our entire life. Mom said we had to keep a low profile. We did, and through time and some paranormal convincing, the council forgot about us. Until recently…

What is your profession?
I co-own and co-manage The Book and Candle Shop with my twin sister, Sage. I also am the shop’s candlemaker while Sage handles the books. By that I mean the reading books and the business side of our shop. Because of my paranormal energy talent, I infuse my candles and soaps with good vibes, which increases our sales.

Do you have a significant other?
Oh, yes!

What is their name and profession?
My childhood friend, Dr. Octavian Henry “Quig” Quigsly IV, and I fell in love and married two months ago. I’m still feeling that honeymoon glow and hope it lasts forever. Quig is the Medical Examiner for Chatham County.

Do you have any children?
Not at this time, but Quig and I are talking about having kids soonish.

Do you have any siblings?
My twin sister, Sage, and I are the only kids in my family. We are fraternal twins so we look different, think different, and have slightly different paranormal abilities. We are very close though.

Are your parents nearby?
Yes and no. My mom, Marjorie Winslow, passed away nearly a year ago. She’s very near as my sister keeps Mom’s ashes in her apartment. My dad, Adam Winslow, vanished 25 years ago. He went out for eggs one morning and never returned. I have no idea where he is or if he’s even alive. I worry about him.

Who is your best friend?
It’s a tie. My twin and I share a special telepathic link, our twin-link and we command each other’s attention anytime we sense strong emotion in the other. We’ve been lifelong confidantes, suffering through puberty and dating with endless conversations about guys. However, I am very close to my husband. Quig’s been a good friend since elementary school, and I find myself confiding in him as well as Sage. It feels right to share my private thoughts with him.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
My black cat is named Harley. However, to set the record straight, he’s not sleek like a bike. He’s built like a tank, and his purring is akin to a motorcycle’s toned-down rumble. In recent years, I’ve wondered if he is a familiar. I’m leaning toward “yes!” Along with Harley’s littermate Luna, who is Sage’s cat, Harley watches over the shop.

What town do you live in?
I live in Savannah, Georgia (USA). The city is known as one of the most haunted cities in America. It has a storied history of shipping, pirates, and yellow fever epidemics. It has always been my home, especially Bristol Street where we live. One of the mass graves from the yellow fever epidemic is under our shop, and that energy reservoir helps fuel my nightly energy recharges. It is absolutely essential to my survival.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
My twin and I own the building housing the candle shop and our childhood apartment is atop the shop. My aunt and her partner Frankie own the next shop/apartment combo and live over the T-shirt shop that Frankie manages. The next building down is owned by my husband Quig. The shop beneath has handcrafted leather goods. Quig and I live over that business.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I love everything about our apartment. I tend to hang out on the living room sofa. It’s a good place to collect my thoughts after Quig leaves for work and before I go downstairs to our candle shop.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
Auntie O’s homemade lasagna and butter pecan ice cream. ‘Nuff said.

Do you have any hobbies?
I’m living my hobby. I love to make things, so candle making and soap making fill a deep-seated need in me to create. I love using different kind of waxes, depending on the season. I also use color and scents seasonally.

What music do you listen to?
I like soft music. That sounds weird, I know, but music can be “soft” in any genre. I get headaches from jarring music, and that’s also in every genre. That means I listen to some classical, blues, R&B, soft rock, adult contemporary, and whatever else I’ve forgotten to mention that’s soft. Carole King is a good example of an oldies “soft” music person; Michael Buble, Alicia Keyes, and Tracey Chapman are more current examples.

What is your favorite color?
It is impossible to select just one. I love all colors of candles and soaps. Before you think I dress in wild colors, I am a very conventional dresser, loving khakis and white or blue blouses.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Tybee Island beach. It’s just a hop, skip, and jump from Savannah and it has the feel of home, which I need.

Are you a morning or night person?
Definitely a morning person. Towards the end of the day my energy flags. As an energetic, I can fix that, but it would be at someone else’s expense. What right do I have to take someone’s energy if it isn’t an emergency? So I don’t do it, unless the situation is dire.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Sharing a meal with family and friends. My family also enjoys going over to Bonaventure Cemetery and visiting our family plot. My maternal grandparents Rosemary and Dwayne Waltz were felled by an assassin’s bullet in 1980. Truly, one bullet killed them both. What a way to go. Anyway, cemetery visits are a generational tradition, something I remember happening at holidays and birthdays my whole life. I love the visits, except for the ghost dog who always mugs me because he’s so happy to see me.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Never thought my life would be worth a memoir. But how’s this for something off the top of my head: Snips, Snails, and Candle Tales.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I am an amateur sleuth. I have established a relationship with the Savannah PD. Detectives Nowry and Belfor are my contacts, and we know each other well enough to respect the other’s boundaries. Captain Kenzo Hayes is another kettle of fish. I keep him at arm’s length. For someone who doesn’t believe in the paranormal, he sure wants me to use my paranormal talents to solve crimes for him. I will never work for him, but I don’t mind a little consulting now and then.

What is a typical day in your life like?
I love having breakfast with Quig first thing in the morning. Then I often do a prep for our dinner before heading down to the candle shop at ten. I work with shop clerks Gerard or Eve and occasionally Auntie O’s partner Frankie. My cat Harley supervises from a perch on the shelves. If we are low on stock, I’ll make candles or soaps. Sage and I alternate days in the shop so one of us always has an eye on things. After we close, I might run errands or simply go upstairs to our apartment and do home things like laundry, cleaning, etc. Then Quig comes home. We usually eat first but sometimes, as newlyweds, we have some private time first.

Thanks for inviting me to your Q&A session, Ms. Dru Ann. I am delighted to have the chance to share who I am with your blog followers. –Your friend, Tabby

FLAMED OUT – A Magic Candle Shop Mystery, Book 5
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Release: October 2025
Format: Digital, Print
Purchase Link

Supernatural intrigue, a web of lies, and deadly secrets

When a loyal customer begs Tabby Quigsly to look into her uncle’s suspicious death, Tabby can’t say no—even if the police rule it an accident. Dr. Willim Rosemont, a respected psychiatrist, took a fatal tumble down Savannah’s infamous Stone Stairs of Death, but the five people who were with him that night all claim to have seen nothing.

Tabby’s ties to the case run deep—friends, frenemies, and even her husband’s best friend are among the witnesses. Then she uncovers a chilling truth: Rosemont was part of Savannah’s hidden Paranormal Council—the very group Tabby’s been hiding from all her life.

As the August heat rises, so does the pressure. Tabby’s new marriage is reeling from revelations about her husband’s shocking powers, her psychic gifts are spiraling, and the killer is closing in.

Can she unravel the mystery before everything—including her freedom—goes up in flames?

About the author
Valona Jones, aka Maggie Toussaint, writes paranormal cozies set in coastal Georgia. Her latest release, FLAMED OUT, book 5 in the A Magic Candle Shop Mysteries, releases October 14, 2025. Under the name of Maggie Toussaint, she also publishes cozy mysteries and romantic suspense. Her pen name for a three-book science fiction ecothriller is Rigel Carson. In total, she has published 30 works of fiction and won multiple awards. She lives in coastal Georgia, where time and tide wait for no one. Visit her sites: valonajones.com and maggietoussaint.com.