Steamy in Seattle 2026
March 21 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Need an escape that gives you the giggles, helps you find a handsome orc, or ensures there will be dragons? Join us for Steamy in Seattle 2026 where guests Kimberly Lemming and Stephanie Burgis are in conversation about cozy monster romance!
Happy Ever After may be just a fairy tail (pun intended), but an opportunity to laugh out loud and share your favorite story with like-minded friends is just part of the tea we’ll be serving for you.
We’ll be serving a traditional high tea at Seattle’s beautiful Nordic Museum, featuring a delightful selection of savory finger sandwiches, scones, salad, and delectable sweet treats catered by Lovely Night Catering — and a custom tea blend provided by Friday Afternoon Tea.
So get dolled up for this utterly romantic opportunity to support the literary arts! This event is not just a fundraiser; it’s a celebration of emerging and underrepresented writers — particularly women in the field of speculative fiction.
Costumes (and masks) encouraged!
About Our Guests
Kimberly Lemming is a USA Today bestselling author who is on an eternal quest to avoid her calling as a main character. She can be found giving the slip to that new werewolf that just blew into town and refusing to make eye contact with a prince of a far-off land. Dodging aliens looking for Earth booty can really take up a girl’s time. But when she’s not running from fate, she can be found writing diverse fantasy romance. Or just shoveling chocolate in her maw until she passes out on the couch. WEBSITE
Stephanie Burgis grew up in Michigan (USA), but now lives in Wales with her husband and two kids, surrounded by mountains, castles and coffee shops. She writes sparkling fantasy rom-coms, including Wooing the Witch Queen (the first in the Queens of Villainy trilogy), the Regency Dragons series, the Harwood Spellbook series, and more. She has also had eight fun MG fantasy novels published, including theRaven Crown duology and the Dragon with a Chocolate Heart trilogy. A graduate of the Clarion West workshop, she has had over forty short stories published in various magazines and anthologies, and many of them are included in her collection Touchstones. WEBSITE
Want to start reading ahead? Find our guests’ books at our partner bookstore Beguiled Books or on our Steamy shelf on Bookshop.org
TICKET OPTIONS
VIP: $150
- includes access to our pre-event reception for a meet and greet with our authors, VIP gift bag, priority book signing and seating for the conversation portion of the event.
General Admission: $88 $75 EARLY BIRD UNTIL 2/1/26
- includes event entry and traditional high tea setting. Enjoy tea, treats, and the author conversation.
Virtual Admission: $35
- Can’t join us in person, but want to hear the conversation? Purchase a virtual ticket to join the event in Zoom & participate in the live Q&A.
Steamy in Seattle is a fundraising event supporting Clarion West’s programming including our annual programs, sliding scale tuition, and scholarship programs. Donations are encouraged! Use this form to give whenever the spirit moves you, or participate in special segments during the event whether you are joining us in-person or online to make your donations in exchange for a fun prize or two. Or do both! We’re not going to stop you.
FAQ
Tap each question to expand.
- We’re returning to Seattle’s Nordic Museum in Ballard located at 2655 NW Market Street. The Museum is located on the corner of NW Market Street and 28th Ave NW, adjacent to Habitude Salon and Western Fire and Safety. The area is serviced by Metro buses 17, 40, 44, and the D Line. The event will also be streamed live.
The Nordic Museum is an ADA-compliant venue! ASL interpretation will be made available based on requests. Joining us online? Live captioning in English will be provided by a human being (gasp!).
Steamy in Seattle is a traditional high tea with a fairytale twist. We encourage everyone to dress up in their favorite fairytale dresses and princely finery! If you aren’t sure what to wear, we welcome garden party or country club casual.
The National Nordic Museum’s parking lot is located on the south side of the building and can be accessed from the corner of NW Market St and 28th Ave NW. Parking starts at $2.00 per hour and must be paid at the parking kiosks located at the base of the stairs or online via Premium Parking(Opens an external site).
Alternative parking options are available along NW Market Street, in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the Museum, and at the Hiram Chittenden Locks parking lot—a five-minute walk to the Museum.
Yes! Funds raised from Steamy in Seattle support Clarion West writing workshops, scholarships, and free author and reader events year-round. These programs help bring prominent speculative fiction authors to Seattle and throughout the world through our virtual engagement.
You are helping to support Clarion West just by attending! In addition, you can help by raising your paddle during the intermission! Paddles will be distributed to guests attending in person at registration. Between the conversation and Q&A, we’ll pause things and talk a bit about Clarion West’s work and invite you to “raise the paddle” to give at various tiers. Be one of the first 20 donors to raise your paddle and win a prize!
All donations can be made on site during the event, but donations made during Raise the Paddle will be counted separately. All major credit cards and checks are accepted on-site.
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