Dear Friends of A Novel Experience,  
    
      Halloween 2015 was amazing. Hundreds of little kids...we were trying to figure out what extraordinary event(s) occurred 4-5 years ago because there were that many little princesses, witches, pirates, and monsters out on the streets of downtown Zebulon. Dressed to the nines, unfailingly polite and excited as only a 4 year-old can be by the chance to pick out two pieces of candy from our stash (which we had to replenish three times that evening!). An observation: Parents, you are doing a fantastic job--what a nice bunch of kids! Next year: We will have a costume contest for everyone's pet (we saw some totally funny Halloween dogs) so get ready! And now, our in-house ghoul, affectionately named "Bob" has been dismantled and stored away until 2016 (tell the little ones it is safe to come into the store again--especially since there's a new Wimpy Kid coming out any day now!).

     Before we leave October, we must say how much we enjoyed hosting Gwen Roland's world premier book signing on the 17th--it was so exciting to see one of "our  own" with her first novel (and garnering a spot on the nationwide "Indies Next" list for December!). Thanks, Gwen for your wonderful presentation on how "Postmark Bayou Chene" came to be...and for allowing A Novel Experience to be the "go-to" place for your autographed books!
      On to the holidays! Karen and Chris did a lightening shopping trip to the Merchandise Mart and picked up some lovely gifts--more coming as thoughts turn to what to get that special someone... We have to warn you all though--we don't put out any Christmas decorations until after Turkey Day. Thanksgiving is one of our all-time favorite days and, along with the turkey and dressing, we want to savor our good fortune, our health, and our friends. We'll be closed on Thanksgiving Day but will be open bright and early at 10 on Friday. Holiday hours for the rest of the year are: Monday through Saturday, 10 till 9 pm.

        The nights are getting longer, and cooler (we hope you remembered to turn your clocks back on Saturday night...) and it's a great time to kick back for one evening of classical guitar with Ryan Cummings. Please see a lovely guest testimonial by Walker Chandler who came to hear him last month--always the first Tuesday of the month at 7. Bring along a friend and your favorite beverage and enjoy the music. And, check out the great nature photographs that adorn our walls this month--more on this below!

        It's time for our book clubs to choose titles for next year--if you've been contemplating joining a book club in the New Year consider coming to one of ours in November or December and putting in your two cents for2016 titles. Book groups are great ways to read out of the familiar, to dig deeper into a title, and to bring a book alive and make it relevant to your here-and-now experience. The deadline offers a tiny bit of structure to bump one off of Facebook and into a rich, rewarding experience with a book and a bunch of fellow readers. We recommend it highly.
    

       And, as always, thank you for your continued support of our bookstore. Stop by and  tell us what you're reading as the days grow shorter and the reading lamps go on earlier and earlier.