E-Newsletter Vol.1, No.5

Dec. 2006: There's been lots of changes and happening here at Withywindle over the past few weeks. The biggest, and one we can't wait to unveil is the work being done on our logo by a local graphic designer! Unfortunately, it wasn't done in time for this newsletter, but we hope to have it up on the website in the next week or two - keep an eye out for it!!

We're adding a forum - or bulletin board - to the site in the next couple of days, where readers can gather and discuss favorite books, pass along recommendations, or post reviews. Be sure to add your voice to our growing online community!!

We've also added a news feed to the site; click on the 'Fantasy/Sci-Fi News' link in the navigation bar to view feeds of news and reviews across the genre.

Upcoming Conventions

Two big sci-fi/fantasy conventions are happening in the Boston area this winter: Arisia in January and Boskone in February. We have added a section on our links page dedicated to these and a few other conventions, including the World Fantasy Convention happening in Saratoga Springs in Nov. 2007. Cynthia will be attend these three along with Readercon in July, and will provide news and reviews from each.

We'll be in touch this winter with our new logo, more Withywindle news and offers, and a review from Arisia. Until then happy holidays, and have a great start to your new year!

12/5/06: I can't believe I haven't mentioned this before, but Withywindle has a My Space page (who the heck doesn't, eh?) - stop by and say hello at: http://www.myspace.com/reyncat94

11/16/06: Cynthia Menard, Withywindle's owner will be presenting on coyotes in New England at the Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster, MA on Friday, December 8th at 7:30 PM. For more information on the program, and directions to the Doyle Conservation Center, see The Trustees of Reservation's event page, and search by date.

Withywindle Books will be selling at the Lancaster Market on Sunday December 3rd, from 8 AM - 4 PM. Stop by and browse if you're in the area!

11/14/06: Alright, I admit it - I wasn't going to do National Novel Writing Month (NanoWrimo) again this year but... I had this amazing dream the other night that I just knew would make a great story if I could get it all down... so I'm hooked again. I'll be posting an exerp from what's written so far here in a few days, along with an exerp from my lengthy, but unfinished novel from last year (yes, I know, I never got around to posting it - I swear it will happen this year).

Stay tuned...

- Cynthia

E-Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 4 - Halloween Edition

Oct. 2006: Happy Halloween! Our favorite holiday here at Withywindle Books is just around the corner, and we're excited to share some of our spooky favorites with you! There are lots of new additions to the store, as well as news and happenings, so check them all out! We hope you're enjoying this wonderful season!

We're completely thrilled to announce the acquisition of beautiful condition, first editions of the Dragonriders of Pern trilogy! These books are in amazing condition, and a fantastic addition to any serious sci-fi/fantasy collector's library. Check out our site for more info on each book (images of each title are coming soon to the website, or you can email a request).

As mentioned in our previous newsletter, we're now carrying new books by several small press publishers. Arkham House, Gauntlet Press, and Subterranean Press books have already arrived, and Nightshade and Cemetary Dance books are on order. Many of these titles are signed limited editions, and won't be around for long, so be sure to stop back at our site regularly to find out what's in!

Withywindle Books will once again be at the Lancaster Flea Market in early November - we hope you'll stop by and browse if you're in the area.

We'll have some information on upcoming conferences and conventions in the next newsletter, as well as some great gift ideas! Until then, stay in touch and let us know what you're reading. Happy Halloween!

E-Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 3

July 2006: It's been a busy summer! With a weekend spent at Readercon (see the article below), and a foray into selling small press publications, we're excited about all the happenings here at Withywindle! Stop by our site and browse, and be sure to take advantage of our summer reading sale.

Cynthia's Review of Readercon 17

I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Readercon, a conference of sci-fi and fantasy authors and booksellers held in Burlington, MA in early July. Although the conference ran three days – Friday evening through Sunday, I was only able to attend the Saturday and Sunday events. The Guests of Honor were authors China Mieville and James Morrow. I saw (and heard) more of China as he was in two of the panel discussions that I attended, and his hour-long interview was early enough in the evening on Saturday for me to stay through (I was commuting back and forth from home).

The first panel discussion ‘The Beginnings of Stories and the Endings They Promise’ was well moderated by Michael Burstein (who bore a striking physical and vocal resemblance to Penn Jillette from Penn & Teller), and attended by 5 authors (including China Mieville). Although not as dynamic as the second panel discussion I attended on Sunday, it was still a vibrant discussion of an interesting topic, and gave a future glimpse of China Mieville’s political rant, which we would receive during a portion of his later interview.

I missed a great amount of the afternoon’s events due to stepping foot inside the vendor’s hall (with the honest thought of just having a quick look around), and not coming back out again for another 2 hours. While there, I met the wonderful owners of Dark Hollow Books and Dragon Press, all of whom where amazingly friendly and helpful to a newcomer in the field.

I made it out of the bookseller’s hall in time for China Mieville’s hour-long interview. Clever and intelligent, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to both interviewer and –ee, even through his political diatribe (it helps, I suppose when you agree with the rant).

I started Sunday with a reading from James Morrow’s novel-in-progress “Promethus Wept”; a story about previously aborted fetuses brought to adulthood by futuristic means and set upon their would-have-been parents. Although the reading was fantastic, I found the subject a bit to grim for my taste.

A slide show presentation on ‘The New Solar System: A Place for SF?’ answered ‘yes’ to it’s title question, even though we only got through Venus. The slide show consisted of incredible (and inspiring) photographs of planets, moons and asteroids.

The final presentation was another panel discussion, this time on ‘Social Class and Speculative Fiction’. My brain was a bit full by the time I got to this one, and although I didn’t retain as much, it was a thorough – and often heated – discussion on the view (or lack there of) of class structure in fiction, and how well it might (or mighr not) represent reality.

Before heading home, I had an opportunity to ask China Mieville (who was part of the panel) a clarifying question on a statement he made about the US Green Party, and then headed into the vendor’s hall and talked at length with the owner of Kuenzig Books. Whew! I left for home loaded with info and books, excited to bring it all back to Withywindle!

E-Newsletter Vol.1, No.2

June 2006: Well, this newsletter is going out a bit later than planned, but the new website has been keeping us busy, not to mention all the new books! If you haven’t yet had a chance to visit our new site, please do so at www.WithywindleBooks.com. We’ve gotten in signed books by RA Salvatore, Robert R. McCammon, and Terry Brooks since the past newsletter went out, along with some firsts in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time Series (book 7 is included in our new arrivals above).

Cynthia will be attending this year’s Readercon, in Burlington, MA this July. It is, as their website describes it, “depending on your point of view, either an annual literary conference (except it's infinitely more fun than that) or an annual science fiction convention (except we've stripped away virtually everything except talking about and buying books).” Check out their site for more info at: [http://www.readercon.org]. Cynthia will post a review of the conference in the next newsletter.

We will be at the Lancaster Market this Sunday (June 11th) from 8 AM – 4 PM, weather permitting; come visit if you’re in the area!

“I have never reread a book for its plot or ideas but reread to visit with friends again.”

- Lois McMaster Bujold

E-Newsletter Vol.1 No.1

April 2006: We’re still busy buying and listing books this month, as we approach (and prepare to exceed) the 500 mark for our listed volumes. If you’re interested in seeing some of our titles in person, we will be selling books this spring at the Lancaster Flea Market, known in central Massachusetts as a great place to buy used books at reasonable prices. Keep an eye on future newsletters for our dates at the market.

We are working on finding quality sites to share links with. If you know of any appropriate web sites you think would be a good match with us, please send us a link to them at: info@withywindlebooks.com.

Bookkeeping Tip: Sun damage can be the most costly type of damage for you book collection. To protect books, keep them out of direct sunlight, regardless of the time of year. For further protection of valuable titles, keep books enclosed in a glass-fronted case.

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