Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Two Treasured Booksellers

I'm embarking on a new round of book signings, as my fourth "Snap" Malek mystery novel from Echelon Press, "A President in Peril," is about to be published. While it is extremely enjoyable for me to meet and talk to my readers, it is also a delight to spend time with certain booksellers--particularly those who delight in their work.

The two who rank highest with me oversee far different operations. Augie Aleksy is owner of the marvelous and highly specialized Centuries & Sleuths bookstore in Forest Park IL., a Chicago suburb. As its name suggests, C&S deals in books in the fields of history and mystery. Augie relishes both of these areas, to the extend that he welcomes groups with such specialties as G. K. Chesterton, Sherlock Holmes, and the Civil War to hold their meetings and roundtables in his store. The local chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime also meet at Centuries & Sleuths.

Marilyn Fisher is manager of the Waldenbooks store in the sprawling Fox Valley shopping mall in Aurora, IL, a community that some might term a Chicago suburb although it's the second-largest city in the state. Like Augie, Marilyn loves books--and to my delight, authors. She is enthusiastic about setting up signings, a trait not found in all chain store management. On the numerous occasions I've done signings in her store, Marilyn has eagerly encouraged walk-in customers to meet me and learn about my books.

I'll be doing a signing and Centuries & Sleuths on Saturday, April 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. and at Waldenbooks Fox Valley on Saturday, May 2, from 1 p.m. until dinnertime. My good friend and Fellow Echelon author Luisa Buehler will be joining me at Waldenbooks to sign copies of her sixth Grace Marsden mystery, "The Innkeeper." We always have fun at these dual signings.

(I realize I haven't given any details about "A President in Peril." Shame on me. It's set in Chicago in November 1948 against the backdrop of the closing days of the Harry Truman-Thomas E. Dewey presidential campaign and, as in my previous Snap Malek books, it mixes fictional characters with historical figures and events. End of commercial!)

Robert Goldsborough


Three Strikes You're Dead (A Snap Malek Mystery Book One) (Book One)
Shadow of the Bomb (A Snap Malek Mystery Book Two) (Book Two)
A Death in Pilsen (A Snap Malek Mystery Book Three) (Book Three)


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