Bookstore Love: The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, N.C. (Guest Post by Laurie McKay)

As part of a new blog feature in which I swoon over my favorite bookstores, I've invited author friends to share their own bookstore love. Today, I'm happy to welcome Laurie McKay, author of the middle grade fantasy VILLAIN KEEPER (The Last Dragon Charmer #1), to tell us about one of her favorite bookstores. Here's Laurie!

The Country Bookshop

I grew up near Southern Pines, a quaint and bustling town. It’s an amazing place with an amazing bookshop.  The Country Bookshop is actually over sixty years old. I always like it when things are older than me. Also, notice the cool hound on the sign. What’s better than books and hound dogs?

Authors from across the US visit the shop and do events. It’s pretty fantastic to walk into a shop with so much history that still feels so current, and that has such a great collection of books.

That’s one of my favorite things about the bookshop. They’re a cool, local, independent bookstore that supports best-selling authors and also local authors, that works with the community and with the nearby schools, and that does great things to get kids reading, and to get kids books.

Here’s a great view from inside. Notice the carafe and cups by the window? You know what’s better than books and dogs. Books, dogs, AND coffee.

They have a nice YA section. In real life, it’s not blurry. That’s just my picture taking lack of skills.

And a great MG and kid section. When I stopped by recently, there was a cardboard castle. Books, castles, coffee, and dogs. What more does a book, castle, coffee, dog lover need? Nothing. That’s what. Except maybe a photo. That grinning person standing in front of the castle is me.  

I remember buying books there when I was a kid. It was such a thrill when they stocked my book. They even set up a window for me during my visit. Yes, that’s a large awesome sword among the books.

Thank you, Laurie. The Country Bookshop sounds (and looks) awesome. How exciting for your book to be featured in the window with a giant sword! And huge congratulations on VILLAIN KEEPER. I hope it finds lots of bookstore love itself ;-) 

Readers, Laurie's book is available NOW from HarperCollins at your local bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble! Check it out:

Unexpected magic, villainous teachers, and dragons in disguise await readers in the first book of a delightful new tween adventure series by debut author Laurie  McKay.

All his life, Prince Caden has dreamed of being sent on a quest to slay a dragon. But before he has the chance, he is ripped from his home in the Winterlands of Razzon and finds himself in Asheville, North Carolina—a land with no magic and no dragons. But a prince must always complete his quest. And the longer Caden is in Asheville, the more he realizes there is magic in this strange land after all. More important, there may just be dragons here, too. But what if Caden’s destiny isn’t to slay a dragon, like he’s always believed?

Fans of Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil and Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories will be transported by this first book in an epic new series for middle  grade readers about a brave young prince’s quest to find answers, honor, friendship—and what it really means to be a hero.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laurie McKay is an author and biology instructor who lives in Durham, North Carolina. When she’s not working, she spends time with her family and her two elderly dogs. You can find Laurie at lauriemckay.net, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest!

Share YOUR bookstore love! If you'd like to offer a guest post featuring your favorite bookstore, email me here!