Tag: bookstore

Upcoming Schedule

Well, it seems for a bit that I’m back on the travel circuit–I made a stop at a storied bookstore this weekend, go to a celebration of another tomorrow, and then travel for a friend’s book launch the first of November.

Yesterday Bob and I went to Oxford, Mississippi–former home of American novelist William Faulkner and of the University of Mississippi, home of the state-supported residential MFA program. Writing is in the very air there–literally everyone in Oxford is working on a book, if the gossip is to be believed.

To that end, Oxford also features a set of independent bookstores–Square Books, featuring adult contemporary works; Square Books, Jr., housing children’s books; Off Square Books, purveyor of extra and remaindered books, and Rare Square Books, repository of difficult-to-find editions. We visited Square Books because I had talked with them about doing an event earlier this year. We never had settled out how to make that happen, but I did know they stocked some of my books on the shelf.

We went in and were greeted by owner Richard Howorth–we told him it was our first time to be there, so he pointed out the different sections of the store. I introduced myself and mentioned that I’d like to sign the copies of Hurricane Baby they had, so we hunted them up in the Mississippi authors section, and I borrowed a pen from the front counter and signed then, with my hand shaking a bit as it’s prone to do. They seemed very appreciative of that, and we spent sometimes wandering around looking at everything. So that was fun to meet everyone.

Tomorrow I go to Jackson’s independent bookstore, Lemuria Books, for their 50th birthday celebration. I’m just going to go and visit for a bit and tell them how much I appreciate their support over my author journey. Probably will also mention that I have a new book under contract and get that news out and circulating.

Then on November 1, my friend Shannon Evans is releasing a pair of new books, both on antebellum homes in Columbus, Mississippi. Wisteria Place: A House of History and Haunting and Riverview: A Monument to Greek Revival Architecture are pocket histories of these homes that came to define to cityscape of the town of Columbus. And she invited Bob and I to her event, actually being held at Wisteria Place. So we look forward to that.

Anyway. Next week I can update you all on the progress on my second book and where its development stands as of that point. Happy reading and writing, everyone!

Dog Ear Books

No, this is not a post on the merits or calamities of marking your place in a book with a bent page.

Dog Ear Books is a lovely little independent bookstore attached to Wild Fox Coffee in Brookhaven, MS. The bookstore opened last fall after Hurricane Baby was released, and it came to my attention in an email I got at work from Shelf Awareness. Earlier this year, I decided to give them a call and try to work out an event with them. So that event was where I spent most of my day yesterday,

The bookstore/coffeeshop is located in an old home place–the coffeeshop is in the back, likely where the kitchen would have been when people lived there. The other rooms are filled with books, tons of comfortable seating, and bookish items. They have a used-book room, a romance/fantasy book room, a classic book room, and a kids’ book room as well.

We got there before lunch and asked where a good place to eat would be, and they directed us to Friends, a Mexican restaurant across the street. Had a lovely meal there, then came back for frappes and setting up the event. They had a very nice table in their romance room, so I sat there to greet people.

The neatest thing about this event was that there were two events going on around the town–a baseball tournament and a four-wheeler race. Almost everyone who bought a book was in town for one of those events! Some came because of the social media posts about me being there, but I signed books for people from Oklahoma, Louisiana, and surrounding towns in south Mississippi.

The staff, particularly assistant manager Ashley, could not have been nicer. I sold half of their stock of my books and signed the rest so they could offer the signed copies to their customers. It was a good trip, and a good time was had by all.

Next event is another Mississippi Writers’ Guild event for the coastal chapter on June 18 and then a signing at Coffee Prose, our own coffeeshop/bookstore in Highland Village in Jackson. Hope to see some of you out and about! Happy reading and writing!

A Wild Moment

I have documented a lot of surreal moments in my author journey on here–selling the book, preorders, my first review, my first author signing, etc.

Here’s another one for the books.

I was in a Barnes & Noble Booksellers in a local mall. And because I’m a bit delulu, I asked them on a whim if they had copies of Hurricane Baby: Stories in stock. The lady checked her computer and said, “We don’t–but it looks like our sister store in _____ has seven copies. We can order it for you if you’d like, though.”

You could have knocked me over with a puff of wind. My book actually WAS IN STOCK in the local branch of one of the biggest booksellers in the world. My stars–

I didn’t tell her who I was–I just smiled and thanked her.

Today I went to the sister store and FOUND MY BOOK in the huge Mississippi authors section in the front just inside the automatic doors and to the left. A whole stack of them.

I was almost hyperventilating at this point.

But I picked up a copy, took it to the front desk, introduced myself as the author, and asked if I could sign all their copies. They agreed to that, and the manager went to the back to find GOLD STICKERS that say “SIGNED EDITION” on them to place on the front covers of the books. I signed every copy even as my hands were shaking.

FOLKS–I was in a display with John Grisham, Greg Iles, Della Owens, Fannie Flagg, Kiese Laymon, Jesmyn Ward.

Bestsellers. Award-winners. And little old me.

I’ve run out of words to describe the feelings. And that’s saying something.