Boswell Book Company

2559 North Downer Avenue at Webster Place

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211

(414) 332-1181, www.facebook.com/boswellbooks

Our Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm, Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm

and we're always open at boswellbooks.com!

Boswell Book Company Newsletter Friday, August 14, 2015, day 2325

Since you subscribe to the Boswell email newsletter, you know that we host a lot of events. A few of our events each year are ticketed, but most of them are free. That said, we need to prove ourselves to publishers by showing strong book sales, even for free events, and that's why we're testing a program this fall called Preorder Signing Priority on three upcoming events.

Here's how it works. When you preorder or purchase the book from us, you will get your line letter ticket in advance. If you go to a lot of events, you know these line letters determine the order in which you get your book signed and meet the author. There are 20-30 of each letter, starting with A and continuing through B, C, and so forth.

Reserve your line letter by preordering the featured title on the Boswell website, in the store, or by phone. You'll get your line letter when you pick up the book. At at a certain time, generally 4 pm on the day of the event, we'll start giving out the remaining line letters to everyone attending, whether or not the attendee bought the book from us.

The three free events that are part of the program this fall are Katherine Applegate on September 25, Jenny Lawson on October 27, and Sarah Vowell on October 31. The first two events are at Boswell, while the third event is at Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall. We have a little more about Katherine Applegate's event below. As a head start, here are the links to order Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy and Sarah Vowell's Lafayette in the Somewhat United States.

Announcing Katherine Applegate at Boswell on September 25, 6:30.

Katherine Applegate, winner of The Newbery Medal for The One and Only Ivan, is coming to Boswell for her newest novel, Crenshaw, an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience. Publishers Weekly offered praise that "this accessible and moving novel demonstrates how the creative resilience of a child's mind can soften difficult situations, while exploring the intersection of imagination and truth."

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary. Our buyer Amie was an early reader of the book and loved it.

For this event, Boswell is participating in the National Crenshaw Food Drive, partnering with the Hunger Task Force for this program. Please bring in non-perishable food items during the month of September and we will bring them to the Hunger Task Force for collection. Per the Hunger Task Force, across the state of Wisconsin, 18% of children live in households below the poverty line. In Milwaukee County that number jumps to 33%, and in the city of Milwaukee 43% of children live in households below the poverty line, over twice the state rate. As Applegate's publisher says, "The statistics are daunting, and underscore the truth of the food drive's tagline: Crenshaw is imaginary. Childhood hunger isn't." More about the national food drive here.

This event features Preorder Singing Priority. Preorder a copy of Crenshaw from Boswell, or purchase it in advance of the event, and you will get your line letter for the signing with your copy of the book. You can preorder on our website, by phone, or in person at Boswell.

Jennifer McMahon at Books and Company in Oconomowoc, Tuesday, August 18, 7 pm.

Jennifer McMahon grew up in her grandmother's house in suburban Connecticut where she was convinced that a ghost lived in her attic. This curiosity about the supernatural has carried over into her novels, in which her gripping and atmospheric stories often have mysteries that, upon first reflection, might not observe the laws of nature.

Her latest is an atmospheric, gripping, and suspenseful tale that probes the bond between sisters and the peril of keeping secrets. The Night Sister is set at the Tower Motel, once a thriving attraction of rural Vermont (the setting for most of her novels) and now stands in disrepair, alive only in the memories of Amy, Piper, and Piper's kid sister, Margot. The three played there as girls until the day that their games uncovered something dark and twisted in the motel's past, something that ruined their friendship forever.

Publishers Weekly writes that "McMahon effectively creates an atmosphere of horror, and readers willing to entertain magic realism in their mysteries may find the Slaters's secrets compelling." And of The Winter People, The Miami Herald proclaimed it "one of the year's most chilling novels...as scary as it is enthralling." Take a road trip to Oconomowoc and enjoy an evening with Jennifer McMahon (photo credit Michael Lionstar) at Books and Company on Tuesday, August 18, 7 pm.

Boswellians Love Books for Kids.

August brings a summer bounty of great books for kids. One recommendation from Boswellian Pam Stilp is Yard War, by Taylor Kitchings. "This is Mississippi in 1964. Medgar Evers has just been killed nearby and the Civil Rights Act just passed, but is being ignored by most. The era is seen through innocent eyes of 12-year-old Trip Westbrook, who causes an uproar when he invites the son of the family maid to join a neighborhood football game. The neighbors are appalled, leading to concerned phone calls and escalating to bullying, graffiti, and more sinister threats to the family. I felt transported back in time to this important era in the history of the United States by this thought-provoking novel. Yard War is fiction, but, it is based on events from the author's life. Although it deals with heavy subjects, it also contains a lot of humor, and the voice of these boys rings true." Available August 18, for kids 8 and up.

From Barbara Katz, here's Appleblossom the Possum, another book for kids ages eight and up, written by Holly Goldberg Sloan and illustrated by Gary A. Rosen. "What a dilemma! Appleblossom the possum has been well-trained by her Mama to stay away from possum enemies, like humans and dogs. Now the unthinkable has happened, and she is in a home with humans and a dog! Two of Appleblossom's brothers are on a quest to save her - or can she save herself? Told in a charming conversational style (great to read out loud), this book celebrates the special bond between siblings. Filled with humor, theatrical happenings and perfect, expressive illustrations, this book is super special!"

For kids ages 13 and up, Boswellian Phoebe Dyer recommends The Accident Season, a new novel from Mo�ra Fowley-Doyle that comes out on August 18. "For Cara and her family, every October is known as the accident season. Bumps, bruises, broken bones, and sometimes even fatal injuries seem to plague their family around this time. But this year, the year that Cara turns 17, the accident season is going to be explosive. Not because of the accidents themselves, but because the secrets that hold the key to the start of the accident season will be revealed. As someone who loves Ireland and lived in Galway, I was drawn to this book even more so than I would have been just based on the description. It did not disappoint. The four main characters have an attitude that is quintessentially Irish and behave like real teenagers would. The story is thrilling and enthralling, but the characters are what really make it un-put-downable!"

Check out more great summer reads on the Kids' Indie Next List.

Before we go, we'd like to tell you about one more special event happening in the Milwaukee area that you'll be interested in, especially if you've doing some writing. It's the Mount Mary University Publishing Institute, starting with a free opening reception and talk from Bridget Birdsall, "How Self-Publishing Led to Finding an Agent and Healed My Soul," on September 25 at 7 pm in Steimke Hall on the Mount Mary campus.

Then on September 26, join fellow writers for a day long event exploring the many facets of publishing. Learn more about query letters, custom publishing, writing communities, and landing your first book deal. Plus, practice pitching your project with an agent. The keynote speaker is Dean Bakopoulos, author of three novels, including Summerlong. Currently at Grinnell College, Bakopoulos was the founding director of the Wisconsin Book Festival. He will talk about his evolution as a writer, reading from his most recent novel, and discussing how books, work, and life have inspired his own life and writing process. As folks who have heard Bakopoulos speak at Boswell can attest, he's a very knowledgeable speaker who is also very entertaining.

Other featured speakers include Ann Angel, Kim Suhr, Mitch Teich, Rochelle Melander, Joanna MacKenzie, Grace Menary-Winefield, and Regina Brooks of Serendipity Literary. Tickets for the daylong event are $75, $65 for students with a valid ID. A one-on-one pitch session is $25 extra. More on their website.

As always, thank you for your patronage and apologies for the typos,

Daniel Goldin with Amie, Anne, Barb, Carly, Conrad, Eric, Jason, Jane, Jannis, Jen, Mel, Pam, Phoebe, Sarah, Scott, Sharon, and Todd