This post is dedicated to privately-owned brick and mortar bookstores everywhere. Recently, I participated in a local author’s book fair organized by a woman, Kim Britt, owner of a bookstore in Orlando called Bookmark It, who dedicates herself to supporting local writers. She is tireless. She brings her traveling bookshop to local readings, like events titled “Literary Death Match,” “Functionally Literate,” and “There Will Be Words.” The author event I was part of called “Locally Grown Words,” featured the work of about 25 local authors: fiction, non-fiction, and some children’s books.
Undertow’s Debut
Out of the house and into the world. Hoyt and I spread copies of Undertow, my memoir, on our table, along with a basket of mints for guests who stopped by, an orchid given to me as a gift to celebrate my book’s publication, and two copies of Undertow set on little easels for display. I’m told that the cover (a wistful, seventeen-year-old Charlene at the Young Life retreat in Ocean City, MD, 1969) is a pretty good attention-getter. Some friends and strangers stopped by that day, and we learned a lot about marketing books from fellow authors at the event. Two days later, at a presentation I gave about my cult experience, we set up our table once again and made connections with more eager readers.
Winter Park Bookstore Haven
There is another bookstore nearby. It is in our quaint little town, Winter Park, Florida, and I’m on the docket for a Sunday afternoon reading in the coming year. The Writers Block Bookstore, a nice play on words, is owned by Lauren Zimmerman. She joins with Rollins College and helps when writers are featured to speak there, such as during the Winter With the Writers Literary Festival in February each year. That is an especially important event for me. As I mention in the Acknowledgements section of Undertow, that festival fed me writerly wisdom all through the past nine years as I wrote my book.
Looking Back on 2016
It’s almost the end of the year now. I look back and am mighty grateful for all the love and support from family, friends, professional book editors, and the designer who helped me reach my goal of publishing Undertow by creating my own New Wings Press, LLC . Many former members of The Way have already read it and tell me it has benefited them. That’s the best reward.
I’m grateful, too, for the brave and tireless work of bookstore owners and marketers everywhere who help create community with authors and readers, keeping alive the promise of free speech and freedom of expression for the literary arts in this country.
Although I appreciate any entity (like Amazon) that makes books available, I have a special fondness for the unique boutique bookstore. Think of the movie, You’ve Got Mail. That little bookshop (run by Meg Ryan’s character) in the film had heart and soul and kept personal connections going, as well as a love of reading. Let’s keep that going!
To purchase Undertow at your local bookstore, tell the person helping you that it’s available through Ingram Lightning Source print-on-demand company and give them Undertow’s ISBN number: 978-0-9978747-0-9
ALSO, if you want to buy Undertow at a local bookstore, you can search at Indiebound to locate your local bookstores by entering your zip code. Thanks to my friend, Mary Ann de Stefano, for that tip.
FREE: the first chapter of Undertow, click → here.
Happy holidays to each of you. I wish you much joy and peace in 2017.
Thank you for subscribing to this blog.
Your writer on the wing,
Charlene
Linda Goddard
Thank you so much, Charlene, for your post and support of “Brick and Mortar” book stores!
Nothing can replace the rich and intimate experience of perusing books, have conversation among book-loving folks, and other lovely happenings in a privately owned, independent book store!!!