Hello friends. I’m proud to announce the grand opening of One Idea Books and Gifts, the brick and mortar bookstore that I co-founded along with my business partner and longtime friend, Lindsey Smith. A few weeks ago, we had an opening day celebration. The best part
of the party was Lilly Belle, our canine guest of honor. Lilly is a poodle who did oracle card readings for customers. She pulled cards from the deck…with her mouth! Astounding! Bravo! You have to see it. Here’s a peek inside the store… You are doing a great job. Chocolate, stationery, and more. Scholastic book fair vibes. I have always been an introvert. As a kid, I got overwhelmed with big crowds and noisy playgrounds with throngs of children hollering like banshees. I preferred to converse with classmates
one-on-one or spend time with adults. Each day at school, I made a bee-line for the quiet library where I’d devour books and hang out with my best friend aka Mrs. Metzenbaum the librarian. As I got older and began my career in writing and publishing, I always fantasized about having a bookstore. Now it’s here!
Come visit One Idea Books and Gifts at 244 Market Street in Leechburg, Pennsylvania 15656. www.VisitOneIdea.com We’ve got books plus creative and luxurious gifts, like chocolate, candles, bath bombs, eye masks, stationery, pencils, oracle card decks, apparel, and more. Nearly every item in the store is made by a woman, BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+ author or artist. We have an entire table full of books written by Tiny Book Course graduates, too! Don’t live in Pennsylvania? You can shop online. We set up an online store in partnership with Bookshop.org. Order any book in the world and it will be shipped to you (just like Amazon, except better) and your purchase will support our independent bookstore. You can also shop online for gifts (candles, apparel, etc.) here. Lastly, if you're an author and would like to have your book featured in the store, please contact us. I want to say thank you to everyone who helped make this bookstore possible—especially my business partner Lindsey. I will never forget when Lindsey texted me a photo of a vacant space and said, “This location just became available for rent. Maybe we should open a bookstore…?” I hesitated at first, but then asked, “How much is the rent?” She said, “It’s only $500 a month.” I said, “Well in that case...I'm in! Let's do it!” Hardwood floors, reasonable rent, and a charming small
town location? How could we not? Happy holidays, everyone. May your 2023 be filled with great books, good health, less scrolling
and screen-time, and time for the priorities that matter. -Alex PS. Tiny Me, sitting at my very first "writing
desk." PPS. What did Tiny You dream about being or achieving? It is never too late. Today is not over yet. PPPS. Today is my dad's birthday! Happy birthday to Don Erik Franzen. Father of three. Attorney-at-law. University professor. Opera enthusiast. Negroni drinker. Lover of philosophy, poetry, ancient Rome, and Greek mythology. I remember you reading bedtime stories to me when I was very small, introducing me to classic works of fiction and fantasy, and teaching me how to reason thoughtfully and communicate well. I
love you so much. You were the very first person to sign up for this newsletter when I started writing it 13 years ago. Thank you for being my biggest fan. |
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