Although Volume III of Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet has technically been out since mid-October, we held a book launch celebration at Black Swan Books & Music in Staunton, VA on Friday, November 9. The event coincided with downtown Staunton’s Sparkles & Sweets, a pre-holiday promotion that kept stores open late and attracted hordes of shoppers.
So there was a lot of competition in the city from other special offerings. We weren’t even the only thing happening in the bookstore. A new business in town, Crucible Coffee Roasters, had set up a tasting table in the front of the store and was giving away samples. (I never drink coffee at night, but it smelled so good I couldn’t resist; it was fantastic.)
Despite the competition, however, our event was packed. I didn’t count the attendance, but Jamie, the store owner, had put out all his chairs and there were people standing in the aisles, so we were thrilled. The book, as my readers know, is the third in a series of anthologies. Each volume includes 20 stories by 20 writers set in 20 countries. For the launch, three of our contributors to Volume III were present along with one from Volume II. Each talked and read briefly from their stories and then we ended the program to allow one-on-one conversations and book signings. Thanks to Teresa Hudson, J. Thomas Brown, Mark Jacobs, and Chris Cleary for joining me on the program!
If you are interested in the series, Stauntonians can find copies at Black Swan. You can order from the publisher (including a special price if you buy all three volumes), or, of course, you can order from Amazon.com. (I’ve also got copies, so if you see me I’ll be happy to sell to you directly.)