Phyllis has been a book lover...well, I'm guessing her whole life. I've known her online for years and years, and she knows her stuff and has ALWAYS BEEN a big, big, big supporter of authors. A few years ago she decided to fulfill her lifelong dream of opening a bookstore. Yes, the economy wasn't great, but many of us have come to that place in our lives where we decide it's now or never. And we dive in because not doing it is no longer an option. That's how it is with pursuing dreams. Coincidently, Phyllis and I both pursued our dreams at the same time. She dove in and opened a bookstore, and I dove in and wrote The Orchard.
But the economy continued to slide, and print books... Well, we know how it's going with print books. And then...construction. I once did a signing at a bookstore that was surrounded by road construction, practically required a hardhat, and seemed in danger of falling off a cliff. The place was deserted because of course nobody could get there. So I'm kind of imagining the same scenario with Phyllis's store. These construction projects are business killers. I see that all the time in Minneapolis and St. Paul. But anyway, Phyllis ended up turning that open sign to closed. Temporarily. She plans to find another (cheaper) location, and also plans to narrow the focus of the store. I think this is a doable plan, with more of a focus on local authors. This seems to be a successful formula for many bookstores. But anyway, she's set up a funding campaign similar to Kickstarter. Check it out and please pass the word. We need our indie stores, and we need booksellers like Phyllis who love books and love to talk about books and love to share books.
http://www3.indiegogo.com/darkhorserebirth
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