The Hour Draws Near!
- arealescapist
- May 15, 2014
- 5 min read
Good morning all! How goes that first cup of coffee? It’s after six a.m as I write this, so I’m somewhere between my second and third cup, AND my girlfriend recently bought chocolate-covered espresso beans that I’ve been popping like candy from a pez dispenser. So technically, I’m nearing something like my seventh cup. Anyways, as I send my letter to “Coffee-drinkers anonymous,” you should check out the rest of this update. As you know, my latest book A Soldier’s Allegiance will be sold at the Book Warehouse in Conway New Hampshire on May 21st, and allow me to say thank you for all the support and questions you’ve been sending me! I’ve had a great time responding to some of them. As I was answering one particular question, I realized I have told you little about the owner of this bookstore, who is a very good friend of mine. So I decided to interview her and put our little Q&A on here for you. First off, for those who don’t know, SHE’S A DRAGON! …What? Don’t believe me? Well you shouldn’t, I’m sure that was just caffeine showing its growing unruly hold it now has over me (But how awesome would that be to see Smaug in his own bookstore? Freakin’ awesome, right?). Anyways, here is the interview with my good friend, and owner of the Book Warehouse, Maryann Eastman.
What inspired you to open a bookstore?
- I have been lucky enough to have been raised in a Library, my mom was and still is the town librarian, going on 45 years! I learned to read at age 5 and being an only child at the time, I developed a love of books. Within the pages of a book, I could go anywhere, see everything, do anything...It was freeing, life-expanding. When I was in High School, I was a member of the Library Council, which was a club for students with good grades that allowed us to go directly to the Library instead of going to study hall. I learned a lot working there! Then, in college, my work study program placed me with the College's Research Librarian. After college, I worked in a retail grocery store for many years, then left and took a job in a bookstore. At last, I had found my true home!! After working for a large bookstore chain for about a decade, the store closed. Several months after that, the Corporation that I had worked for contacted me and offered me a franchise....so after much thought, a lot of sweat and swearing, I opened a bookstore!! My love of books, and book people continues to grow...I meet the most interesting folks!! And I truly love my work.
Do you have a particular section of the store you dislike? Or one you like above the rest? Why?
- I am not a big fan of the Business section....no real reason, really...it is just a subject that I do not read about on a regular basis. My true love is of course, Science Fiction and Fantasy. For me, Sci-Fi utilizes the best of our forward-thinking writers...new worlds to explore, new species to communicate with, new adventures to be had...it's a very exciting genre. So many of the devices that we take for granted in our everyday lives were things dreamed up by science fiction writers decades ago. Then scientists went to work and figured out how to make them work! Fantasy plays to my love of Fairy Tales and Magick...as a child I collected the stories, still do.
Cheerios or Lucky Charms?
-Neither. I prefer Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries!
When you were a part of the store, The Luna Gallery, you did several tarot readings. Do you still do those at the bookstore?
- I still do Oracle card readings, as well as pendulum and energy work at the store. I try to schedule the readings either before the store opens for the day or after it closes, as I am a one-woman show here!!
Red or green dragons?
- Green dragons for their wisdom and healing abilities, red dragons for their passion and fighting skills, Blue dragons for their musical abilities, and purple dragons for their deep connection to everything. (Lest we forget the whites, and the golds...for all that they bring as well.)
What are some of your favorite books? Why?
-Jeesh, I have to pick? OK, here goes... I re-read “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson every few years...because he scares the crap out of me at the same time that he is making me laugh. I re-read “Bet Me” and “Faking It” by Jennifer Crusie at least twice a year because both stories make me laugh and feel good. I read anything by Christopher Moore...because...you guessed it...he makes me laugh...right out loud, side-splitting, breath-catching, snorting, bed-shaking laughs. The cat often gets peeved at me and stalks from the room because I am laughing so hard! I read mysteries because I like to solve the puzzles, I read romance because..hey, I am in love. I read paranormal stuff because it is just so fascinating, and I read Spiritual books because they reassure me that I am not alone in my quest to understand and develop a deeper relationship with The Source.
You’ll be stuck on an island for one year. What is the one item you bring?
-I bring....someone interesting to talk to.
What do you find is the best thing about owning a bookstore?
- The books. No, the people. No, the book people that come in!! Setting my own schedule, picking the books to sell, inviting cool and interesting people to do workshops or book signings in the store, and reading and discussing good books!
Many of our conversations have been about fantasy books and their connections with our own natural world. So, that being said, I ask the important question: Fairies or Pixies?
- Well, it has to be Fairies, because Pixies are a subset of the Fairy Realm....I really think that one cannot have Fairies without having Pixies, too. Kind of like Dragons and Knowledge, or Unicorns and Wings!
I’m sure you can tell by reading her responses, Maryann is, naturally, a very happy person. Every time she and I are together we seem to be the cause of mischief (we enjoy every second of it). And to be honest, with the response I received from that dragon question, I’m a little nervous she knows as much about dragons as I do, or maybe more. I can’t have that. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE! …Sorry, there’s that coffee thing again. Allow me to go take care of this…and by “take care of this” I mean “refill my mug, it’s getting low.” Plus, I must return to my Dragon’s Den and continue writing. So, until next week, keep your dragon on its leash, I’d love to meet you and your scaly friend when you pick up my book!
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