Today is the publication day of my third novel, Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, hot off the presses from Penguin Books.
Because independent bookstores are such a vital part of a healthy literary ecosystem, and because they–like almost all of us–have been doing the best they can to make it through this pandemic, I’ve made it my mission to sign copies of my new book at as many fantastic Chicago indies as I possibly can.
Over the weekend, with the help of my spouse and fellow author, Martin Seay, I went to 6 stores–including Women & Children First, the Book Stall, Unabridged, Seminary CoOp, Pilsen Community Books, and the Book Table! And today, we went to 7 more, including: Madison Street Books, the Dial Bookshop, Volumes Bookcafe, City Lit Books, Roscoe Books, the Book Cellar, and Bookends & Beginnings (pictured above)! We’ll get some more this weekend, including the Book Bin, Lake Forest Bookstore, and Anderson’s. Also, I’ve been doing all this while wearing a beautiful custom-made Cher Ami mask, sewn by my mom and embroidered by my sister Beth:
I feel so lucky to live in a city and a region with such an array of shops with so many smart, dedicated, and enthusiastic booksellers. Independent bookstores, I salute you!