A fun time at one of my favorite places…the neighborhood bookstore. Yes, we have one of those old fashioned, independent, neighborhood storefront bookstores. It’s the Bookmark in Atlantic Beach, Florida. My daughter and I went to meet three smart young authors who pen novels for young women. They were making a stop on a promo tour for a new novel they’d written collaboratively. Oh, to be one of them! I’d settle for owning the bookstore but sadly, it’s not for sale. So, third choice, only choice, really, I showed up, sat in the first seat, daughter in tow, and shelled out about $42 for the privilege of owning signed copies of each of their individually authored novels for the teen set. Of course they appeal to me as well. Why not?
Interesting women with interesting lives. Is my own life interesting to anyone other than me? Could I walk in to a venue and talk about something that would compel people to come in to see me? I’d like to think I did that, last Fall, at the East Meets West Conference (China adoption theme). It was fun to hold forth on a topic I consider myself to be an expert in, but as in everything, the internal politics of it all shadowed me throughout the event. But it doesn’t really matter; what mattered was that I did it, people came, listened, asked questions and I was as easy and comfortable with that audience as these three authors today were, with theirs.
My daughter and I had a good time. Thanks to The Bookmark for being the type of shop we sorely need in this country today: NOT a franchise!
Jeannie
The 4th Street Beach Access Literary Review
