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What are Letters by Lanternlight?

Letters by Lanternlight is a company created by author Dawn Porter that includes snail-mail stories that unfold in a series of letters mailed to you at a rate of 2 letters per month. Stories range from 3 months to 12 months in duration so that you can pick a length that is right for you. Our stories are cozy mystery and PG-rated. There is no on-page violence, romance, or foul language. There is a posted mailing schedule, but in general, letters are mailed on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month (some exceptions due to holidays, etc.). We also offer an all-in-one box where you can have an entire story mailed to you at once to read at your pace. Our letters are easy to read with large font, no hard to decipher script and large 9.5x6 envelopes. They are easy on the eyes.

How can I reach customer service?

You can reach us via e-mail at hello@lanternlightletters.com, via chat at www.lanternlightletters.com, and via snail mail PO Box 900862, Sandy, UT 84090

What do I receive with my story?

Stories range in length from 6 to 24 letters. 24-letter stories are mailed 2 letters per month. Each 6x9.5 envelope contains a letter in the form of a diary entry or letter to another character plus 2-6 interactive elements ranging from recipe cards, newspaper clippings, maps, brochures, etc. We also offer all-in-one boxes for the 24-letter stories if you prefer to receive your story all at once. All 6-letter stories are all-in-one story boxes.

What is the difference between monthly plan and annual pre-paid story and the all-in-one story box?

Annual pre-paid stories are the most cost effective as they give you the lowest price per letter. You will receive 2 letters per month until your story is complete.

If you opt for a monthly payment plan, your billing method will be charged the first of each month at $14.99 per month which will entitle you to two letters per month until the story is completed.

If you prefer to receive your story all at once, you can purchase an all-in-one box. Each envelope will be addressed to "Lanternlight Friend" and sealed with the entire series of envelopes contained in a thoughtfully designed mailer box.

Does my monthly plan automatically renew at the end of my story?

Monthly plans will automatically renew through the entirety of your selected story. Once a story is complete, there is not an auto-renew. You will need to purchase another story either by all-in-once story box, annual pre-paid or monthly payment plan.

Do we have to receive these in order? Are there spoilers?

While each story is a standalone, there may be town characters that are suspects in one story and then show up in another story, meaning they were cleared from having committed the crime. The order of publication of the stories is posted below:

1. Murder at Sugar & Spice Bakery (February 2025) - Huckleberry Hollow

2. The Portrait of Deception (April 2025) - Huckleberry Hollow

3. The Vanishing Compass (October 2025) - Sand Dollar Sound

4. Mistletoe & Mayhem (November 2025) - Huckleberry Hollow

5. The Woman Who Didn't Exist (April 2026) - The Evergreen Express

Are these stories appropriate for children?

Our stories are cozy mystery and PG-rated. There is no on-page violence, romance, or foul language. Having said that, interest in the topics (land deals gone wrong, missing family heirlooms, off-page murders, etc.) is best suited for 16 and up.

Order

How do I order for myself?

Visit www.lettersbylanternlight.com and select the story you wish to receive.

Enter your own shipping address.

Enter your billing information.

Submit your order and look for the confirmation e-mail. Your first letter will be mailed according to the posted mailing dates.

If you are ordering merchandise, add the item to your cart and check out as you would for the story above. Shipping options will present themselves upon checkout.

How do I order as a gift?

There are two ways to order as a gift.

Simply Purchase the Story: When you purchase the story, simply enter the recipient's shipping address (we recommend that you use your own address as the billing address).

Monetary Gift Card: you may purchase a gift card at any monetary value and send to a recipient. They can use the gift card to place an order for their own story or merchandise. Please note that when they place their order, they will be charged sales tax for the state where they will have their story shipped. You may wish to increase the value of your gift card to cover the sales tax.

In either case, you can print and mail, or download and e-mail a Gift Just for You! Notice to get your recipient excited about their special gift.

When will I receive my letters?

Please refer to the Mailing Dates calendar to see when an order must be placed in order to receive a letter by a specific mailing date. If this is a gift, plan your purchase around the mailing dates.

Please allow 2 weeks from mailing in the USA and 4-6 weeks for international mailings.

When will I receive my non-letter merchandise?

Once an order for merchandise other than stories is received, we mail your products within 3-5 business days. You will receive a confirmation e-mail of your order. You will also receive a shipping notice for your order.

My letter or product never arrived. What do I do?

We use USPS for mailing letters and products. Please allow 2 weeks from shipping date (refer to Mailing Dates for letters) within the US and 4-6 weeks for international delivery.

If you have not received your product by those dates we will resend at no charge to you due to damage or loss because of Letters by Lanternlight or USPS.

If a letter is lost or returned to us due to an inaccurate address provided, these letters can be resent at a surcharge of $7 US or $9 international.

We rely on timely information provided by our guests to ensure the correct mailing addresses so that letters are deliverable to the intended person. Please provide an accurate and deliverable address when checking out, and promptly update your mailing address with us if it changes during the mailing period by sending an e-mail to hello@lanternlightletters.com. 

Notifying the post office changes your mailing address with the post office but not with us. After a period of time, they will not forward your mail. If letters are missing due to not notifying us in a timely manner, we can resend one letter at no cost. 

If you need help with a missing letter or product, please e-mail us at hello@lanternlightletters.com with the following information:

Order # or e-mail address that you ordered from

Recipient Name

Story name and letter number that is missing or product name that is missing

Address to send the replacement letter

Please allow us up to 5 business days to look into the matter with USPS and respond.

Shipping

Where do you ship?

We ship via USPS and ship anywhere the USPS ships. Shipping within the United States is included in story orders. Additional shipping will be calculated at check-out for international story orders and any merchandise US and/or international.

What if I move? How do I change my address?

Please promptly update your mailing address with us if it changes during the mailing period by sending an e-mail to hello@lanternlightletters.com. 

Notifying the post office changes your mailing address with the post office but not with us. After a period of time, they will not forward your mail. If letters are missing due to not notifying us in a timely manner, we can resend one letter at no cost. 

Do you send orders internationally?

We ship via USPS and ship anywhere the USPS ships. International shipping will be calculated at check-out for mystery letters and any merchandise.

How do I return an order and receive a refund?

Please note our Refund Policy and reach out to hello@lanternlightletters.com with any questions.

Products

What Products do you currently carry?

Murder at Sugar & Spice Bakery: A Small Town Cozy Mystery by Mail

The Portrait of Deception: A Small-Town Cozy Mini-Mystery

The Vanishing Compass: A Small-Town 24-Letter Cozy Mystery

Mistletoe & Mayhem: A Huckleberry Hollow 6-Letter Mini-Mystery All-In-One Box

The Woman Who Didn't Exist: A Huckleberry Hollow 6-Letter Train Mini-Mystery All-In-One Box

Ultimate Gift Bundles

2 Tiger the sidekick coffee mugs – 16oz.

Gift Cards

Returns & Refunds

What is the return/refund policy?

Our Guarantee

Our guest’s satisfaction is our top priority. If you are dissatisfied, please notify us immediately so we can help you. 

Under certain circumstances, we may issue refunds. If you’ve been approved for a refund by Letters by Lanternlight, the approved amount will be returned to the original payment method within 7 - 10 business days via Shopify. 

See our Return and refund policies here

Billing & Payments

What if I need to change my payment information or billing address?

If you have a prepaid annual story purchase, your order was successfully processed, and no updates are needed, nor are they possible, as Shopify does not store your information. For any new order, you can enter your correct billing information.

If you have a monthly plan, you can cancel or update your billing information by clicking Manage My Plan. You must use the e-mail address that you ordered from. If you have any issues, please reach out to us at hello@lanternlightletters.com  with your e-mail address or order number, recipient name, and story you are receiving.