It all started because of chocolate.

Or lack of chocolate to be exact.

Suzanne Selfors and her daughter scoured their home, failing to find a single ounce of the good stuff. Not one morsel of chocolate could be found in the entire house.

For Selfors, an island author, the tragic experience of a home without chocolate served as more than inspiration for a trip to the store — it was inspiration for her next novel.

Selfors is well-known for her children’s books. She has also carved out a niche as a writer of teen novels such as “Saving Juliet,” “Coffee House Angels” and “Mad Love.”

Her newest, and recently released, novel, “The Sweetest Spell” is not only a good read for teens, but according to Selfors, it’s for all ages. That’s mainly because it’s the kind of story everyone likes — or has liked for some time now.

“I tend to retell myths like Cupid and Hermes,” Selfors said. “With this book I took the Midas tale; a king who touches everything and it turns to gold.”

“But I couldn’t get passionate about the gold thing,” she added.

After the inspiring drought of chocolate at her home, she tweaked the story a little. Now that magic touch has a sweeter taste.

“I thought, ‘This is something I could get passionate about,’” she said.

The novel is the author’s first attempt at a fairly tale, boasting all the classic elements including a prince and princess, king and queen.

Selfors, however, wanted her chocolate fairy tale to be a little richer in context.

“While on its surface it’s kind of this romantic fairy tale, there is a deeper theme that I really wanted to explore,” Selfors said. “I thought this was a ripe time in our culture to look into issues of greed.”

“We live in a culture of greed.”

The moral of the tale fit in perfectly with her chocolate-gifted character.

“I looked at this woman who comes from nothing, she has no one,” Selfors said. “Suddenly she realizes she can have everything that she wants. But what does she do if she had to give up her values?”

There’s one way to find out. Read the book.

For readers who hunger for a little more insight, Selfors will appear at The Loft in Poulsbo at 3 p.m. on Sept. 9. She will present “The Sweetest Spell,” and discuss writing the book.

The event, sponsored by Liberty Bay Books, will involve a few chocolate treats, not only because of the novel’s theme, but also because it will be Selfors’ birthday.