Title: The Holy Ghost Speakeasy and Revival (An upcoming Okra Pick!)
Author: Terry Roberts, recipient of The Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Pub Date: August 21st, 2018
ISBN and Price: Paperback (9781684421633/$16.99) Hardback (9781684421640/$29.99) Epub (9781684421657/$16.99)
DESCRIPTION
Jedidiah Robbins is a man on a crusade. From town to town, his Gospel train rides the rails of 1920s Appalachia, spreading the Good News with his daughter and a loyal group of roustabouts in tow. But Jedidiah’s traveling revival company has a secret: in addition to offering the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it also delivers spirits of another kind. Prohibition is in full swing, but The Sword of the Lord train keeps the speakeasies in the towns it visits in business by providing the best that mountain stills have to offer. While beyond the gaze of federal agents, the operation eventually runs afoul of an overzealous small town sheriff and a corrupt judge, setting in motion a series of events that could land them all in chains. Told with haunting lyricism, this is the story of a preacher full of contradictions, a man for whom the way is never straight and narrow. It bends like the river, a river that leads him in the paths of a different brand of righteousness—and perhaps even to salvation.
Contact: Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Director email at marketing@turnerpublishing.com
BOOKSELLERS: MAKE YOUR MARK WITH SIBA
We have very exciting news to share with you. This spring, SIBA researched the ability of our organization and our member stores to generate sales and events in our territory. The results are fantastic, and included in our new SIBA Press Kit. Please take a look! The collective clout of SIBA stores is mighty impressive!
Southern indie booksellers, together with SIBA, reach more than 1.5 million readers. This translates into an average of 10,000 readers weekly per bookstore. You host over 15,000 events annually, and support over 1100 book clubs regionwide. One fourth of you participate in our Circle of Sites homepage banner ad promotion exchange for dues, which generates 2 million impressions annually. Just imagine if every store participated! Your events are promoted in Lady Banks Commonplace Book newsletter to a weekly audience of 60,000 readers. You distribute 500,000 Okra Pick bookmarks and 900,000 Holiday catalogs annually.
Curious how many SIBA member stores report sales to the NYT and Indie bestseller lists? What percentage submit reviews on Edelweiss? How many attend our Discovery Show? It’s all here, and more.
We hope this data will inspire you to consider your part in SIBA’s zone of influence and explore where you might increase effort and engagement to reach more readers and grow your sales. You are making your mark!
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR 2018 PAT CONROY SCHOLARSHIPS
Applications Open for the 2018 PAT CONROY SCHOLARSHIPS, sponsored by PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) invites booksellers to apply for the 2018 Pat Conroy Scholarships. The scholarships honor the late author whose lifetime achievements have meant so much to Southern booksellers. They are made possible by Penguin Random House, whose Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, Dial Press Trade Paperbacks, and Random House Audio imprints publish Mr. Conroy’s works in hardcover, paperback, and audio editions respectively.
These scholarships are for booksellers who have never attended a SIBA Discovery Show, in keeping with Penguin Random House’s tradition of supporting educational programming for booksellers at the event. The scholarships will cover up to $1,000 of the recipient’s travel, hotel, and meal expenses for the Discovery Show first-timers. To be eligible, a bookseller must be a full-time employee of a SIBA-member bookstore, working at any level or capacity.
To be considered for a Pat Conroy Scholarship, booksellers can self-nominate, or be nominated by other booksellers or sales reps. Owners and managers are strongly encouraged to nominate frontline booksellers who are interested in bookselling as a career. The deadline for nominations for the 2018 Pat Conroy Scholarships is July 15, 2018.
Scholarship recipients will be announced on August 1.
The #2018 SIBA Discovery show will be held September 13-15 at the Innisbrook Resort in Tampa, Florida.
To apply, the nominated bookseller should fill out the information below, and email it to wanda@sibaweb.com:
More information here
MEET THE BOOKSELLER: SARA LUCE LOOK
Name: Sara Luce Look
Store and location: Charis Books & More, Atlanta, GA
website || facebook || twitter || instagram
Number of years as a bookseller: 26 years and Charis has been in business since 1974
Best part about being a bookseller? Getting to work at a job I love and feel passionate about...
What book(s) are you reading?:
A Certain Loneliness: A Memoir by Sandra Gail Lambert (out in Sept.)
Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor
About to start the galley of Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Favorite handsell of 2018:
I am looking forward to selling Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg when it comes out at the end of June.
I have been selling the paperback of The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, which was my favorite fiction book last year
Best thing you did this year at your store:
Not in our store, but getting to go to Washington DC and be honored as The We Need Diverse Books Bookseller of the Year was pretty huge!
Also selling books at Tayari Jones' book release party for An American Marriage to a sold out crowd at the Alliance Theatre.
Social Media Stats (FB likes, Twitter followers, etc)
Twitter (@chariscircle): 2300
FB (@charisbooks): 6426
IG (@charisbooksandmore): 2081
3500 subscribers on email list.
What are some ways you work with your community?
Because we are a mission-driven feminist bookstore with a non-profit programming arm, we work more directly with our community than many stores. Charis Books co-sponsors public events and sell books at libraries, churches, pre-schools, therapy conferences, conferences, festivals, academic gatherings and more. Our non-profit, Charis Circle, sponsors over 270 events a year at our store and in partner venues, centered around the mission of fostering sustainable feminist communities, working for social justice and encouraging the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. Charis Circle accomplishes its mission by working with artists, authors, and activists from across the South and around the world to bring innovative, thoughtful, and life-changing programming and events to Atlanta's feminist communities. Charis is Atlanta's only publicly accessible dedicated feminist space open 7 days a week, 360 days a year. Charis events range from writing groups, to poetry open mics, to children's story hours, to yoga, to activists strategy sessions and so much more. Charis Circle's work extends beyond the walls of Charis Books and into the schools, streets, and homes of our beloved community members. We exist as a popular education resource for our customers, their families, and the city at large.
Do you have any community partners you work with regularly?
Some of our partnerships include:
- Atlanta Pride
- Atlanta Radical Book Fair
- Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History
- The Center of Civil and Human Rights LGBT Institute
- The Crunk Feminist Collective
- The Decatur Book Festival
- Different Games Collective
- Emory University
- Feminist Women’s Health Center
- First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta
- Georgia Center for the Book
- Georgia Safe Schools Coalition
- The Icarus Project
- Men Stopping Violence
- Phillip Rush Center
- Project South
- Raksha
- Spelman College
- Southerners on New Ground (SONG)
- A Striving Parent
- Trans and Friends
- Women Healing Women, Inc.
- ZAMI NOBLA (National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging)
Do you have passions that carry over into your bookselling life?
I collect cookbooks (mostly regional New England, Portuguese cooking, and vintage baking)
Top priority going into 2018:
Getting ready to move! We will be moving to the campus of Agnes Scott College in 2019. We will be partnering with ASC, bringing our independent feminist bookstore and non-profit to campus. We will not be selling textbooks, but will be adding "school store" items (spirit-wear/t-shirts, toiletries, snacks, school supplies, etc) to our shelves.
Favorite SIBA programming benefit: SIBA Discovery show
THE BOOKS YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE TALKING ABOUT
Submitted this week on Edelweiss+ using the "send to SIBA" option. Thanks to Avid Bookshop, Bookmarks, Bookmiser, Fiction Addiction, Flyleaf Books, Fountain Bookstore, Malaprop's, Page & Palette, Page 158 Books, and The Country Bookshop.
9780062836052 When the Men Were Gone 10/2/2018
"Even a non-football fan will enjoy this"
9781250200013 The Rain Watchers 10/23/2018
"It is hard to put into words how compelling I found this family and how much their love for each other was expressed."
9781510729933 Ride On 5/22/2018
"A post-apocalyptic Young Adult western? Yes, please!"
9781368020039 Hocus Pocus and The All-New Sequel 7/10/2018
"This book will put a spell on you and you don't even have to wait for a virgin to light the black light candle on Halloween!"
9781481476843 Game Changers 7/3/2018
"Venus and Serena’s power, grace and competitive spirit come shining through in the words, and the vibrant illustrations."
9780062430274 Pieces of Her 8/21/2018
"dysfunctional families , obsessive cult hero worship, greed and the witness protection plan. Yes, it all comes together!"
9780440000785 Vox 8/21/2018
"sure to enrage and, hopefully, activate the reader"
9780399246531 The Day You Begin 8/28/2018
"This is the kind of joy, empathy and acceptance I want my kids to feel and I think you'll want yours to as well."
More bookseller reviews
If your store does not have an Edelweiss+ account and need help setting one up, contact Linda-Marie
