Our next stop in Waynesville, North Carolina last Thursday was Blue Ridge Books. What better name for a bookstore selling my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina?

I knew Arcadia’s sales rep had placed the book there in August, so I was eager to see it on the shelf and thank the owners face-to-face. (I wrote letters to all the stores in which the sales rep sold the book the week it was released.) I found two copies of my book in the Western North Carolina section of Blue Ridge Books.

I introduced myself to Christine, one of the Book Associates. She asked me to autograph my books and then asked if it would all right if she added them to the “Autographed Books Make Great Gifts” table near the front of the store. “Of course!” That was a no-brainer!

By then, Jo Gilley, one of the store owners had come out front, so I got to meet her and thank her for selling my book.

Such experiences are encouraging and gratifying.