Wellsboro Bookfest 2019

BOOKFEST IS SATURDAY, OCT. 19 AT DEANE CENTER PRESS RELEASE:

The 11th Annual BookFest will be different.

For the past 10 years, BookFest has been a two-part literacy festival. The first part brought together local and regional authors to talk with people about the writing and publishing process and to sell the books they authored as unique items with local ties that buyers might not be able to get elsewhere. The second part was the used book sale fundraiser with proceeds used by the Wellsboro Area School District libraries to purchase new books.

"We're shaking it up this year, and trying something new," said Kasey Coolidge, manager of From My Shelf Books & Gifts at 7 East Avenue in Wellsboro. A new fundraiser for the school libraries will be at the bookstore from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 during Columbus Day weekend. "It will be a book fair at the bookstore," Coolidge said. "From My Shelf will donate to the school libraries 20 percent of the proceeds from purchases made by bookstore customers on Oct. 12. It does not matter whether those purchases are made in person at the bookstore or online through the bookstore's website. In either case, the buyer must use the code "WASD19." "Families and friends who no longer live in Wellsboro but want to contribute can make their purchases count, too."

"This is a great opportunity for people to start their Christmas shopping early or buy birthday or other presents with the money going to a great cause," said Coolidge.

"We scheduled this fundraiser for Columbus Day weekend when many people will have Columbus Day off. This year the holiday falls on Monday, Oct. 14. There are usually a lot of folks on fall break or fall foliage tourists in town," said Coolidge. "We hope that this event on such a busy weekend will raise more money for our school libraries than the used book sales were bringing in. Last year at BookFest we had more used books than any other year and sold far fewer than we had in the past."

This year's BookFest will feature 20 local and regional authors, 10 of whom are attending for the first time. It is being held on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the lobby at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro and is free and open to the public.

Authors returning to BookFest are:
Kevin Coolidge (children's) Wellsboro
Nick Fidler (fantasy) Williamsport
Lilace Guignard (poetry; memoir) WellsboroBaiba Kreger (memoir) Liberty
Samantha Lienhard (horror; video game scripts) Blossburg
Dawn Lubertowicz (paranormal romance) Tunkhannock
Christy Nicholas (historical fantasy) Corning, NY
Judith Sornberger (poetry, memoir) Wellsboro
Paul Zelinka (motivational) State College
Lanie Zimmer (children's; cookbook) Troy

Newcomers are:
Basil Bacorn (fantasy) Athens
Ron Bonett (mystery) Williamsport
Jim Meade (memoir; business) Wellsboro
Allison Hanson (romantic suspense) Hershey
Peschel Press (mystery) Hershey
P.J. Piccirillo (historical fiction) Brockport
John Simcoe (comics) Mount Wolf
Betsy Stone (education, psychology) Harrisburg
Libby Trostle (children's) Littlestown

For more information, contact Kasey Coolidge at 570-724-5793.

Vote Huck & Finn

Vote Huck & Finn, From My Shelf Bookstore Cats

You may have already read that our bookstore From My Shelf Books & Gifts has been nominated for the Indie Awards sponsored by independentwestand.org. Only twenty five businesses will make the next round and we can't do it without your votes.

Voting to advance us, Huck & Finn, to round two starts now! You can vote several times per day per IP address, that means some of you can vote from home, from work, AND when you are buying cat treats. Voting continues until October 28th. Then the top twenty five businesses will proceed to Round 2. Those businesses should have cats. You cat make that happen.

Your votes helped get us to the top ten last year, but we lost to a bigger business who didn't have a cat, or even a dog.

Your vote can make that happen for From My Shelf Books. You can go to our Facebook page where we will have a link pinned to the top to make voting easier. If you haven't already liked our Facebook page, please do. We have lots of great cartoons, word play, and geek culture. If you love our store, please leave a review. It helps keep us visible and in the ratings.

If you don't do the Facebook thing, you can still vote by visiting www.IndieBizAward.com

Thanks so much for helping us get this far.

Huck & Finn, Bookstore Cats at From My Shelf Books & Gifts

JUST CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO BE TAKEN DIRECTLY TO THE PAGE TO VOTE FOR HUCK & FINN AND OUR STORE, FROM MY SHELF BOOKS & GIFTS

Huck & Finn Have Been Nominated

We're Huck & Finn, and we've been nominated. Well, our bookstore, From My Shelf Books & Gifts has. It's all because of us. So, you should vote for us, every day.

From My Shelf Books & Gifts has both been nominated for the Indie Small Business Award sponsored by independentwestand.org.

"People can vote up to twenty-five times a day per IP address between now and Monday, October 28, for the bookstore and us. That means those who use multiple computers can vote from home, from work, and even their local coffee shop every day."

The 25 businesses getting the most votes will proceed to Round 2, which starts on Oct. 28 and ends on Nov. 17th.

The top 10 selected will be in the running for the Indie Award grand prize. The overall winner will be announced on November 25 and receive an enhanced prize package valued at $25,000.

To make voting easier, a link to voting is pinned to the top of From My Shelf's Facebook page and to the top of the Totally Ninja Raccoons’ Facebook page. Those who don't do Facebook, can still vote for the bookstore by visiting www.IndieBizAward.com.

From My Shelf Books Has Been Nominated!

From My Shelf Books & Gifts has both been nominated for the Indie Small Business Award sponsored by independentwestand.org.

"Only 25 businesses will make it to the next round. We can't do it without the public's support," said Kevin Coolidge, owner of the bookstore at 7 East Avenue in Wellsboro and author of the “Totally Ninja Raccoons,” a children's series he wrote specifically for young reluctant readers.

"People can vote up to twenty-five times a day per IP address between now and Monday, October 28, for the bookstore. That means those who use multiple computers can vote from home, from work, and even their local coffee shop every day."

The 25 businesses getting the most votes will proceed to Round 2, which starts on Oct. 28 and ends on Nov. 17th.

The top 10 selected will be in the running for the Indie Award grand prize. The overall winner will be announced on November 25 and receive an enhanced prize package valued at $25,000.

To make voting easier, a link to voting is pinned to the top of From My Shelf's Facebook page and to the top of the Totally Ninja Raccoons’ Facebook page. Those who don't do Facebook, can still vote for the bookstore by visiting www.IndieBizAward.com.


Just Click on the Painting of the Store by Bob Eckstein to be Taken to the Website to Vote

The Real Cost of a Low Price

I've been a bookstore owner for over 13 years. It's a learning experience and often a rewarding one. I've also become keenly aware of the difficulty of owning a small business in the age of Amazon and Amazon's unethical business practices.

From well-documented and unfair labor practices, to utilizing non-union, contract drivers who are pushed to unsafe limits, to creating virtual monopolies on some items. Amazon does NOT exemplify values most Americans hold dear.

Last week, Amazon broke a publishing embargo. This is a legally binding agreement that retailers must adhere to. Amazon released Margaret Atwood's "Testaments" a week early--perhaps the most anticipated and biggest release of 2019.

Many bookstores had planned pre-release sales, campaigns, and release parties and purchased cases of the book, all in anticipation. Many stores took a significant financial hit by the early and illegal release.

I know some area organizations and churches participate in Amazon's Smile Program. Organizations refer their members to Amazon and receive .5% of sales as a reward. I've seen local community members encouraging Amazon Smile purchases on purchases as a way to found local charities and non-profits.

Consider this, if a book sells for $25, then the organization earns 12.5 cents per book purchased. If 100 people buy a book, then the charity has advertised an ethically questionable business for a grand total of twelve dollars and fifty cents.

Your local independent bookstore, like From My Shelf Books & Gifts, would be thrilled to sell you those books with a bulk discount, and you could help grow your local community. Amazon might be easy and fast, but it comes with an ethical price...

Raccoons love Pumpkins

On Saturday, September 28th, from noon to 5PM at On the Side Books in Bradford PA will be hosting children's author Kevin Coolidge during the Pumpkin Festival. It is free and open to the public.

Author Kevin Coolidge will be signing his children's series "The Totally Ninja Raccoons" for children. The books are written for youngsters and enjoyed by people of all ages.

Last year, Kevin Coolidge published two new books in his new series, “Totally Ninja Raccoons” set in Wellsboro and Tioga County. "The Totally Ninja Raccoons Meet Bigfoot" is the first book in his series about the three raccoon brothers who become ninjas. “The series is for the 7-10-year-old reluctant reader who loves action, adventure and creatures whose existence has yet to be proven, like Bigfoot,” said Coolidge.

In "The Totally Ninja Raccoons meet Bigfoot," the raccoons discover they are not meant to be ordinary bandits, but rather have the potential to be something extraordinary--ninjas. They begin their ninja training and meet their first potential employer--Gypsy the Cat.

Gypsy sends the raccoons on their first mission, to capture the elusive Bigfoot. They quickly find out that things aren't what they seem. Bigfoot isn't the monstrous beast, he's been portrayed to be; Gypsy isn't a benign employer; and cats want to take over the world. And the raccoons learn that sometimes you have to choose your own path if you want to choose your destination.

"The Totally Ninja Raccoons" is a new children's series for second to fourth graders. It is specifically for reluctant readers. "eight books have been published in the series with more to come," Coolidge said.

In the second book, the raccoons meet the “Weird & Wacky Werewolf." In the third, they learn "The Secret of the Canyon" and in the fourth, meet "The Thunderbird," In the fifth book "Catmas Caper" the raccoons have to save Christmas, and in the latest book, the Ninja Raccoons meet the Jersey Devil.

In his ninja raccoon series, Coolidge has included the bookstore’s newest cats - brothers Huck and Finn. These cats receive daily doses of love from the many children and adults who visit the bookstore he co-owns at 7 East Avenue in Wellsboro.
For more information or to purchase his books call On the Side Books (814) 331-4394