From the Land of SIBAA message from SIBA to its membership
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First Things First...
3/4: Reader Meet Writer - Love at First with Kate Clayborn 3/9-3/12: NVNR Presents: Publicity Speed Dating (register) 3/11: Reader Meet Writer - When
the Apricots Bloom with Gina Wilkinson 3/17- 3/18: IndieCommerce Institute (info) 3/23-3/25: NVNR March Madness: Social Media Retreat (register)
3/30: Reader Meet Writer - A Town Called Solace with Mary Lawson 4/1: Reader Meet Writer - Wild Women and the Blues with Denny S. Bryce 4/5: Sure I'll Be Your Black Friend: A conversation with Ben Philippe and
Luis Correa (register)
The SIBA Bookseller Book Club will meet virtually on Sunday, April 25 at 5PM EST/4PM CST to
discuss Brene Brown’s
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts. Host Candice Huber, owner of Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop in New Orleans, LA, will lead the discussion. Join SIBA's private Book Club Facebook group to be part of continuing discussion between meetings. Libro.fm is kindly donating 10 audio copies to members, first come first served!
The next book club meeting will be on Sunday, June 27 at 5PM EST/4PM CST to discuss Amber Cabral’s Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture.
About our host: Candice Huber (they/them) is a sixth generation New Orleanian who owns New Orleans’ premier geeky, queer, and progressive bookstore, Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop, named after their grandparents. They
also established TALES Publishing in 2018, which has thus far published three books. Candice serves on the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee and on the Science Fiction & Fantasy Task Force for the American Booksellers
Association and is a writing, editing, publishing, and virtual event consultant. In the before-times, they hosted The Writers’ Forum on WRBH Reading Radio, focusing on interviewing science fiction and fantasy authors.
Candice is especially excited to host the SIBA book club because they love communing and discussion with other booksellers and continually learning new and innovative ways to run the bookstore. They are excited to learn and grow with
their fellow booksellers!
FRIDAY, MARCH 5th IS THE DEADLINE to register and submit your store press kit for next week's Publicity Speed Dating event. Over 110 publicists representing at least 60 publishers and imprints will listen to booksellers pitch their stores for events, pre-order campaigns, and more. NAIBA booksellers say this is the most important 15 minutes of the year, and we’re excited to offer SIBA booksellers this opportunity Register | Upload your Press Kit
NVNR Presents: Social Media Bootcamp & Author Programming, March 23-25
Registration is now open for this 3-day “bootcamp” for booksellers who want to elevate their social media game. Learn about best practices and learn different programs.
TikTok (yes!), Canva, and scheduling software are on the agenda, too. Kathy Ellen, NAIBA’s social media coordinator and amazingly creative and knowledgeable force of nature, will walk booksellers through creating content
plans and evergreen templates. In the afternoon there will be breakout rooms by level of comfort and skill in each social media platform, led by experienced SIBA & NAIBA booksellers .
NVNR Presents: March Madness Author Series
Daily from 1:00-2:00 pm, 3/23-3/25
The lunchtime author series is a break in the day for booksellers attending the Social Media Retreat, but the event is open to everyone -- you don't need to be registered for the Social Media Retreat to attend. Each day will feature
a different panel of authors, moderated by a SIBA or NAIBA bookseller.
REGISTER HERE Your registration allows you into all three lunchtime events
3/23 Tuesday at 1PM EST: PRH Kids present Debut Authors with Big Buzz Listen to New Voices with lots of internal publisher buzz and support. PLUS, attendees enter a raffle for multiple winners to receive
finished copies of featured books. Informal “meet the authors chat” after panel discussion. With moderator Kirsten Hess, Let's Play Bookstore, Emmaus, PA and authors Namina Forna, The Gilded Ones; Chrystal
Giles, Take Back the Block; Isaac Fitzsimons, The Passing Playbook; and Olivia Abtahi, Perfectly Parvin
3/24 Wednesday at 1PM EST: Sourcebooks 2021 Spring Author Luncheon: Madness, Music and a Mystery! Special bonus: tiered opportunities for pre-order campaigns, etc, for each book, and more promotional opportunities. Informal “meet the authors chat” after panel discussion. With moderator Christine Bollow, Programs &
Marketing Manager at Loyalty Bookstores, Petworth, DC and Silver Spring, MD, and authors Caseen Gains, Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way; Kate Moore, The Woman They Could Not Silence;
Leah Weiss, All the Little Hopes; and Xio Axelrod, The Girl with Stars In Her Eyes
3/25 Thursday at 1PM EST: Making Light: Scholastic Books that Shine Some books glow like the light of birthday candles while others electrify like neon. Join a panel of five Scholastic authors/illustrators whose
upcoming books spread light and hope from picture books to YA novels. No batteries required! Informal “meet the authors chat” after panel discussion. Complimentary galleys and WISHES poster for the first 50 attendees fill out the request form during the event.With
moderator Jamie Rogers Southern, Interim Executive Director of Bookmarks in Winston-Salem NC, and authors: Justin A. Reynolds, Miles Morales: Shock Waves (Original Spider-Man Graphic Novel); Ralph Lazar, Total Mayhem #1: Monday -- Into the Caves of Thieves & Total Mayhem #2: Tuesday -- The Curse of the Blue Spots; Debbie Rigaud, Simone Breaks All the Rules, Mượn Thị Văn, WISHES; and Gracey Zhang, Lala's Words(A Story of Planting Kindness)
REGISTER HERE Your registration allows you into all three lunchtime events
SIBA TV: Bren McClain on Pitching to Publicists
Bring your authentic, true self. Don't be negative. Watch your "filler words." Be passionate. Don't sweat it if you flub a word.
Wednesday's session with Bren McClain, Making the Most of Your Pitch to Publishers was scheduled to help booksellers prepare for their fifteen minutes of fame in front of publicists during the upcoming NVNR Publicity Speed Dating event. McClain, who is best known to booksellers as the author of the Southern contemporary classic One Good Mama Bone, also has thirty years' experience as a communications coach. The tips and suggestions she offers are valuable
in all sorts of situations. If you've ever had to appeal to your city council as a business owner, or respond to a question from a reporter, or give a talk to a local civic group, or address a room full of parents...you get the
idea...then this presentation will help.
Applications Open March 3 for Binc Foundation 2021 Higher Education Scholarship Program
Applications will be accepted March 3rd through April 15th, 2021 for the Binc Foundation’s annual higher education scholarship program. The 2021 scholarship program supports bookstore and comic book shop owners and employees, and former
Borders Group employees by helping their dependents, spouses, and partners pursue their higher education goals. Binc will again this year award seven (7) $3,500 scholarships to the dependents of bookstore and comic shop employees
and one (1) Karl Pohrt Tribute Scholarship award of $5,000 will be granted to an independent bookstore or comic book shop employee who has overcome a learning adversity or is a nontraditional student. Details and submissions here
WNDB Call for video volunteers
Bookworms! We're looking for young volunteers who love a) books, b) nerding out over them online. If you can't get enough bookish content on blogs, TikTok, Instagram, and/or YouTube, we want to hear from you! This
is a call for volunteers who are passionate about bookish content online. Do you save funny Booktok videos for later? Who are your favorite follows? Which tags and trends are you loving? We want to hear all about it! Volunteers
will touch base with the Social Media Manager to talk all things bookish and will be a vital part of helping WNDB shape our own channels. Learn more details and sign-up to become a WNDB video volunteer.
Reader Meet Writer: Upcoming Events
Are you interested in joining the circle of bookstores
sending invites to their customers? Please email Linda-Marie and we'll discuss what's involved.
Love at First by Kate Clayborn Thu Mar 4th 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Double RITA® nominee Kate Clayborn lives in Virginia, where she spends her days reading and talking about all kinds of great books. Kate loves to hear from and connect with readers—follow her on Twitter, on Instagram,
and on Facebook. Visit her at www.kateclayborn.com to sign up for her newsletter.
When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson Thu Mar 11th 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Gina Wilkinson is an award-winning journalist, author, former foreign correspondent, and documentary maker who’s reported from some of the world’s most intriguing and perilous places for the BBC, NPR,
ABC, and other renowned public broadcasters. During two decades living and working in hotspots across the globe, she spent more than a year in Baghdad under Saddam Hussein. At that time, Iraq was virtually sealed off from the
outside world, and Gina lived under tight surveillance. One of her closest Iraqi friends even worked as a secret police informant, reporting on her every move. Gina now works in international development, supporting efforts
to end poverty in the developing world. She lives in Australia and can be found online at ginawilkinson.net.
This week on Circle of Sites
Read more about SIBA's Circle of Sites Program (aka the "banner for dues" program) and find out whether your store is eligible to participate and
receive free membership dues.
Read This! Recently Posted on The Southern Bookseller Review
LAST WEEK'S BOOK BUZZ: Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz On Edelweiss
Spotlight on Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz
"I originally wanted to call the collection 'Sticks and Stones,' you know, like the whole childhood thing," Dantiel Moniz told Bomb Magazine.
"...but a friend was like, “Milk Blood Heat” encompasses every other story in the book. She was right. These are really elemental words, but they’re also the elements that make up human life. Milk that nourishes you,
blood that runs through your body, and anything living has heat or needs heat to live."
What booksellers are saying about Milk Blood Heat
Dantiel W. Moniz has captured the complex essence of Florida and the workings of the female body with stunning and flawless intuition. Within this lush collection are stories that are each strong and sure in their execution.
. --Damita Nocton, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC
Southern short fiction is a genre unto itself and Dantiel W. Moniz is a welcome addition to the cannon. In MILK BLOOD HEAT she takes us into the minds of young girls experiencing their many firsts, old men seeing their last,
mothers who desperately wish for their child and pregnant women who do not. Though they are not explicitly connected, each story explores the nature of hunger -- for food, blood, companionship. I cannot wait to see what
comes next. --Faith Parke-Dodge, Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, NC
Each piece packs a different sort of power, examining the subtleties of relationships—between friends, parents and children, husbands and wives, mothers and unborn children. The writing is raw and visceral, just as the title
"Milk Blood Heat" suggests, and the characters' feelings and bodies often can't be contained, no matter how hard they might try. This collection will dazzle and unsettle you at the same time. --Lady Smith,
The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, AL
Dantiel Moniz's short story collection is the embodiment of a sultry Florida summer evening. Electrifying, edgy, and natural, these stories contemplate girlhood, race, the essence of human connection, and the darkness that
lies within us. A phenomenal debut and an author to keep an eye on. -- Gaël LeLamer, Books and Books, Coral
Gables, FL
My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, Erika Meza (Illus.) On Edelweiss | Buy
I loved that this picture book introduces young readers to the refugee crisis at the Mexico-US border in a friendly and colorful story. The story doesn’t hide the unfairness, but it ends on an optimistic note.
My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, Erika Meza (Illus.) (List Price: $17.99, Kokila, 9780593111048, 8/24/2021) Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal On Edelweiss | Buy
Priya has moved all the way across the country from New Jersey to Stanford to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. But when she gets Lyme disease from a tick, everything is out on hold while she moves back home to deal with her
chronic disease. She’s in pain most of the time, bit ends up finding solace in those with similar conditions online. She discovers one friend in particular, Brigid, lives only about an hour away and when Brigid disappears
from the group and stops answering texts, Priya steals the family car to visit her. However, she instead of Brigid, Priya finds an enormous dog/wolf-like animal locked in the basement. She accidentally lets it out, but locks
it in the bathroom and calls animal control. But all they find in the bathroom…is Brigid. This was a fun story that also shed a light on how hard it is for people who have a chronic illness, but also the great friendships you
can find if you’re open to it.
Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal (List Price: $18.99, Quirk Books, 9781683692348, 4/27/2021) Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser, Inc. in Marietta, Georgia
Linda-Marie: Reading:The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett (fans of The Crown will love the first in a delightful detective series starring Her Majesty the Queen as sleuth) and Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by
Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (inspiring advice for improving the quality of your work and personal life) Listening: The Lover’s Waltz Radio Station on Pandora Watching:The Great British Baking Show, BAKE!
SP: (Still) Reading:The Snow Ball by Bridgid Brophy and Sisters and Rebels/Jacqueline Dowd Hall. Listening:to new-to-me singer Melody Gardot's beautiful album Currency of Man and
the podcast True Story with Tig Notaro and Cheryl Hines which makes me laugh Watching:WandaVision.
Lucy: Reading:The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai - “A steamy second-chance romance filled with laughs and “Awwww” moments!” Listening: NPR’s Throughline Podcast - “The hosts trace how certain moments and movements in history are affecting current cultural and political happenings.” Watching:Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist - “I love a good musical anything, and this show is positively bursting with heart!”
Nicki: Reading:Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman (while constantly fanning myself), Women and Other Monsters by Jess Zimmerman because I can't resist a good feminist take on
myths and fairytales, and Inferno: A Poet's Novel by Eileen Myles, which is making me nostalgic for the seedier parts of Boston I used to knock around in during college. Listening: Enchanted Isle by VOCES8. Actually, I'm sort of going through the whole VOCES8 oeuvre because I am a little obsessed. Watching:Doctor Who reruns with Peter Capaldi as The Doctor.
1. The Four Winds Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s, $28.99, 9781250178602 2. The Paris Library Janet Skeslien Charles, Atria, $28, 9781982134198 3. The Midnight Library Matt Haig, Viking, $26, 9780525559474 4. Hamnet Maggie O’Farrell, Knopf, $26.95, 9780525657606 5. The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett, Riverhead Books, $27, 9780525536291
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Charlie Mackesy, HarperOne, $22.99, 9780062976581 2.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster Bill Gates, Knopf, $26.95, 9780385546133 3. Just as I Am Cicely Tyson, Harper, $28.99, 9780062931061 4. Four Hundred Souls Ibram X. Kendi, Keisha N. Blain (Eds.), One World, $32, 9780593134047 5. A Swim in a Pond in the Rain George Saunders, Random House, $28, 9781984856029
Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Supporting independent bookstores in the South SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
Thank you for your interest in SIBA, Nicki Leone SysAdmin
nicki@sibaweb.com
THANKS TO OUR INKREADIBLE SPONSORS:
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805 You have received this email because you are currently subscribed to receive general correspondence. Please click @@unsubscribe_url@@ if you
no longer wish to receive these communications.
The SIBA Bookseller Book Club will meet virtually on Sunday, April 25 at 5PM EST/4PM CST to
discuss Brene Brown’s
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts. Host Candice Huber, owner of Tubby & Coo’s Mid-City Book Shop in New Orleans, LA, will lead the discussion. 
Are you interested in joining the circle of bookstores
sending invites to their customers? Please 
Love at First by Kate Clayborn
When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson
