Two books

The street is still under repair. It’s possible to get to the bookshop door again, but barely. Today’s early snow melted, and the watery remains are freezing. Expectations for sales were low. We met expectations, I regret to say. And yet…we had a 100% sales rate.

We signed copies of Mimi’s adventures for four buyers who’d ordered by email or had bought the books earlier and left them at the bookstore to be signed. French editions, all.

Our much-loved-and-respected doctor came to buy a book for his grand-niece. We signed it, adding coloring pages and stickers. He had happy news about his family. And he looks like his younger self, but even better. It was wonderful to see him, and hard to part. One copy, in English.

Susan and I are thinking of another volume. But where should Mimi & company go next? Sweden? Greenland? Canada? Poland? somewhere warm?

Two children and their mother came in. They’ve been in Fontainebleau for 4 years and were looking for Christmas books. Sue pointed them to “her author and illustrator friends.” The older of the two is more of a reader than her brother. She was shy, but willing to listen to the story. Susan’s illustrations had all her attention.

“How did you make the drawings? what did you use? did you draw them in outline first or make them in color from the beginning?”

All of which Susan generously shared.

And where did she suggest Mimi should go next?

“Singapore,” she said.

One copy, in English. Singapore? High probability. We’ll see.