Step into Zumar

Where some truths aren’t spoken. They’re steeped.
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UPCOMING RELEASE


The Teahouse Opens Soon

Like Saffron in Sunlight is a slow-burn fantasy romance about a sentient tea shop, an ancient bond broken by betrayal, and two wounded people who must decide: whether to let the past burn them, or trust that the rarest things grow slowly.


RELEASING SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2026

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A pirate ship sails during sunset, casting a dramatic shadow on calm ocean waters against a colorful sky.

Tales of Zumar

Before Zumar was a town, it was an exile. A murdered healer. A djinn-cat bound in chains. Women who walked away from everything and built a tea shop in the desert. This is the story of how they did it—and who came after. Tales of Zumar is a collection of short stories of the characters from Like Saffron in Sunlight.

The Cast of LSiS

Leila runs a sentient tea shop in a mountain town called Zumar. Ka'ele arrives with a fire in his blood, a title he has abandoned, and a talent for deflecting every question she asks. The shop breathes between them. The past hunts them both. And neither of them is ready for what comes next. Like Saffron in Sunlight—a slow-burn fantasy romance.

Project Seasick

Current WIP follows the infamous pirate captain the Monsoon Devil, a legendary maritime terror hiding one catastrophic secret.
Only his First Mate, the world’s greatest navigator and his oldest, most trusted companion knows just how much work it takes to keep both the captain and his myth afloat.
Set aboard the feared Tide Eater, the story blends mythic sea folklore, dry humor, and dangerous waters.

Meet the Storyteller

Alia Zohar, Builder of Worlds and Writer of Healing™️


A physician turned writer. She writes for the tired. The overwhelmed. The emotionally dysregulated. And the ones who need a warm hug after a long day.


C.S. Lewis said something worth knowing once—someday you'll be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. That's who Alia's reader is. Her stories are not simply an escape from the world. They are a return to warmth, comfort and healing. A return to that pure, nostalgic sense of childhood wonder and joy wrapped up in warmth and comfort for the adult they have become. Brewed in poetry, her first language and love. Her worlds are inspired by her heritage, being both Arabian and African.


She writes about moody sentient tea shops, theatrical lizards who walk the desert for their charge, and djinn-cats who refuse to leave. About bonds that heal across centuries. About women with magical legacies who build homes from exile and wounded princes who learn to stay.


Welcome to Zumar. Pull up a chair. The kettle is always on.

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Subscribe to the newsletter for once a month corespondance about the progress with the stories, behind-the-scenes glimpses into the writing, and the slow journey toward publication.

Contact me

I love connecting with my readers, fellow bookdragons, and anyone who believes in the magic of a good story. One you return to again and again.
Whether you have a question about my books, want to share your thoughts, or are a blogger or book club reaching out—my inbox is always open.

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