New-Book Promotion

Book stores don't sell books. Authors sell books. Customers buy books that people are talking about.

Too often, would-be writers miss the obvious: a successful book does not just happen. There is a laborious followup of promotion and marketing.

The reader needs to relate to or bond in some way with the author.

If you are James Patterson, YouTube helps. Video clips of various famous interviews allow potential fans a glimpse into the personality behind the stories. When Patterson reveals that he grew up surrounded by women ~even his cats were female ~ with that "buzz and purr" still in his head, it becomes clear that the success of his women's murder club series is no accident.

If you are not James Patterson, it takes more than simply putting the book out there on a bookstore shelf.

Photo of The Neat Little Bookshop window sent to us by Carol O'Handley of Kingston. Thanks, Carol.

Everyone Loves Marineland

Yesterday, we spent the day at Marineland.

We often wonder about the logic of our store hours. From the beginning, it was important to maintain consistency so a lot of thought went into which days best served the community and still allowed us time away. A survey of the retail businesses in Cayuga showed that typically everybody did their own thing. A mistake that perhaps small towns often make.

Our Business hours:

Hours are posted on the door; also on bookmarks and business cards:

Wed. 11-5; Thu. 11-8; Frid. 11-8 and Sat. 11-3.

Two evenings accommodate our students and 9-5 people. Whatever your routine or lifestyle, take a minute and come by The Neat Little Bookshop.

Photos: by Lorna

Dave Pearson and The Cottonwood Brass Quintet

Cottonwood Mansion hosted a Peach Social on Sunday with outdoor entertainment provided by the Cottonwood Brass Quintet.

In the photo, Dave Pearson playing the Cayuga Two Step ~ music written in 1906 to honour the Cayuga, a stylish ship that conducted lake tours from Toronto to Buffalo.

Built between 1865 - 70, Cottonwood Mansion is a sixteen room, Italianate style home. Visit the mansion at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion

Photos: by Lorna

Summertime and the Two-Step

Dave Pearson didn't know if he would have the brass arrangement ready for Sunday. He did and the audience tapped their toes to the HAMILTON CENTENNIAL March and Two-Step ~ a piece of sheet music that Dave discovered in The Neat Little Bookshop. Copyright 1913 by Charles Wellinger.

l - r Graham Young, cornet; Ryan Baker, cornet; Dave Pearson, tuba; Mary Ann Pearson, trombone and euphonium and Michael Hindricks, french horn.

Photos: by Lorna

Lest We Forget

Today was a gentle reminder of how swiftly time is passing and we are losing generations of stories, too frequently untold.

Kirk Du Guid has preserved twenty-five veteran's stories in his newest book, Soldiers' Stories. Ordinary men and women who answered the call are telling - for the first time in some cases - extraordinarily modest stories.

Today the author visited The Neat Little Bookshop, signing books and listening to folks reminiscing about their own families' wartime experiences.

Photos: by Lorna. Kirk signing a book for Cathy Pelletier, editor Dunnville Chronicle.

Sunshine and Freedom

The Literature Network has a translation of Hans C. Andersen's, The Butterfly. http://www.online-literature.com/hanschristianandersen/3895

Our thanks to the reader who has provided us with this information and this comment:

"Lovely sentiment and 'The Butterfly' is a bit of a grim (though certainly not Grimm) one from old H.C.A. Typical of him, bitter-sweet, but the elegance of his writing survives even in a good Translation." ~ L.Miller

Thought-provoking and moving. Please pass your comments on to us at lwalker@mountaincable.net

"Just living is not enough said the butterfly. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

Sunshine, Freedom and a Little Flower

"Just living is not enough said the butterfly.

One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

~ Hans C. Anderson 1805 - 1875 Denmark

Novelist, Short Story and Fairy Tale Writer

If the reader knows the work from which this quotation is taken, we welcome your comments.