Dear Bookseller,

Hope this finds you well. In this issue Agatha nominated author V. M. Burns writes about South Carolina’s Turning Page Bookshop and their adorable canine mascot, Perry Mason, plus we have news you can use including how to apply for our $500 We Love Bookstores grant.

My Favorite Bookstore:

Turning Page Bookshop of Goose Creek, SC

by V.M. Burns

I don’t live in South Carolina and to be completely honest, I’d never heard of Goose Creek before I stumbled across its owner, Valinda Miller, on Facebook. Valinda tagged me in a podcast she’d done which related her journey toward owning an independent bookshop. Valinda shared the honest truth about the reality of starting a business, good and bad. She talked about the hurdles she’d overcome to achieve her dream and in the middle of this, she gave a shout out to me and mentioned my Mystery Bookshop series as one of her favorites. I was humbled and extremely grateful that someone I’d never met took the time to promote my books.

Over the past few years, I’ve followed Turning Page Bookshop’s progress, especially through the pandemic. Valinda has, thankfully, managed to keep her independent bookstore open by focusing on online sales. Now that things are opening back up, I’m hopeful that not only will I make my way to Goose Creek, but that I’ll get a chance to see her adorable dog, Perry Mason. Turning Page Bookshop sells books in all genres, but only a true mystery lover names their canine companion after a literary sleuth. As the only Black owned bookstore in the entire state of South Carolina, I sincerely hope that she will not only survive, but thrive.

https://turningpagebookshop.com/

V.M. Burns is the Agatha nominated author of THE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP MYSTERY SERIES, The RJ  FRANKLIN MYSTERY SERIES, and The DOG CLUB MYSTERY SERIES.

You can follow her on:

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vmburns

Website:  vmburns.com

We Love Bookstores Grant Winner

Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, Ohio

Congratulations! Joseph-Beth Booksellers is the winner of the July Sisters in Crime We Love Bookstores grant. Joseph-Beth has been in operation since 1986 when the first store was opened in Lexington, Kentucky. The second location opened in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1993. Both locations also have the Bronte Bistro, a casual dining restaurant.

The booksellers wrote: “During the Covid pandemic, being flexible and the support of the Cincinnati and the Northern Kentucky communities has allowed Joseph-Beth to keep the doors open. The community support has been incredible. We are truly grateful to each and every person who has supported us during this trying time.”

Know of a bookstore that could use the $500 Sisters in Crime grant? Share the link. It's easy to apply. https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/WeLoveBookstores

To find out more about all SinC offers, including live webinars, please visit our website.

Thank you for all you do for your community. Remember, Sisters in Crime loves bookstores.

Best wishes,

Robin Agnew

WLB@SistersinCrime.org

We Love Bookstores Coordinator

Sisters in Crime is the premier crime writing association focused on equity and inclusion in our community and in publishing. Our 4,500+ members enjoy access to tools to help them learn, grow, improve, thrive, and reinvent if necessary. They also gain a community of supportive fellow writers and readers, both peers to share the peaks and valleys of writing, and mentors to model the way forward.

Sisters in Crime hosts LIVE webinars each month. Webinars last 60-90 minutes depending on the topic and the audience questions! These webinars are open to all.

We've put our member books in a spreadsheet that we'll update every month, and send as part of this newsletter. This month's releases are on a separate worksheet. Feel free to sort by author name, book title, or author location.