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#HistFicThursdays - Things to Inspire - Artwork

 This month's #HistFicThursdays have been all art-inspired, so I'm sticking with that theme! A couple of months ago, the Things to Inspire  blog was about sketches . Today's is about finished pieces of artwork! Artwork has been an inspiration for millions of people across thousands of years. Just like a book, the finished product can (hopefully!) be an inspiration. Over the years, we've collected one or two pieces of old artworks, and these are a few... Religious artwork has always been used as an inspiration and, historically, this was how the majority of people interacted with biblical stories. This was a barn find - probably created for someone's own interest judging by the naive style of artwork. It looks like it might have been from a panelled wall at some point. I wonder what happened to the rest of the panels and what story they might show when they are all together... Of course, not all artworks are paintings! Here is a scrimshaw of the Battle of Flamborough
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#IndieApril Interview - Ryan Clark

Today's #IndieHero is a little bit different...she works at an independent bookshop! It important to support indie bookshops, and I can't quite put my finger on why an independent shop gives you that special feeling of satisfaction! Perhaps it's the personal touch...perhaps it's because the people who work there share your love of reading...

 Ryan works at Gibson's Bookstore in Concord. It was very exciting writing the questions and sending them all the way across the ocean! I love the Internet because it enables us to do this and, what's more...! Gibson's has a fantastic website so please check out the link at the bottom of this page!
Picture from Facebook...check out the link after the interview

Interview
1.       I hear that Gibson’s Bookstore is the largest independent bookshop in New Hampshire. What is the best thing about working there?

Gibson’s is the best! It feels like the heart of Concord, NH - a total staple of the community, and it’s amazing to be a part of that!

2.       It appears Gibson’s has an epic collection of books – a bit of a reader’s paradise really! What is your favourite age range/genre of books?

We have SO MANY BOOKS! It's an amazing place to browse. Depending on my mood, I tend to gravitate either towards thrillers/horror, contemporary romance, or anything from the Young Adult section, but I'm fairly game to read just about anything! 

3.       I just discovered I could buy ebooks from Gibson’s, and therefore support indie bookshops! This is excellent, as I live in North Scotland so I can’t get to New Hampshire very easily! But I always like to hold a book in my hands, rather than an ebook reader. What do you prefer? Ebooks or paperbacks?

I definitely lean towards a physical book over an ebook, but I am actually reading a digital galley of Susanna Clarke’s forthcoming novel PIRANESI (due to be published this September) on my laptop, and that’s been great!
In addition to ebooks, we also offer digital audiobooks through libro.fm for the US and Canada, and we also ship books worldwide!

4.   I noticed you also do “The Laydown” – Gibson’s monthly podcast. What advice would you give to other independent business who want to start a podcast?

Yes! We are into our second year of “The Laydown” podcast, which is a total blast. I host it with two of my fellow booksellers, and we chat about what we’re reading, books we’re excited for, and all sorts of other literary topics! Anyone looking to start a podcast should first have a general format of their episode, a theme that can keep them chatting for a while, and an idea of a schedule that allows for recording and editing. We upload episodes once a month, occasionally uploading bonus episodes with author interviews or other fun, less structured content. 

5.       If you could become a character in any book, who would you be?

That’s such a great question! I think I would quite enjoy being one of the reveurs from THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern so that I could follow the circus from place to place and visit the tents over and over again, getting to know the performers and the other reveurs.  

6.       I noticed you have a gorgeous dog on your cover image! Do he/she also like reading books, or do they prefer to eat them in a quiet corner somewhere?
That’s my 4 year old Australian Shepherd, Fenway! She is extremely respectful of my books, and has never chewed one, but she does prefer when I give her attention over reading. She’ll often stick her face in front of my book to remind me that instead of reading, I could be petting her. 

7.       Have you ever considered making a transition from bookseller to author? What is the dream book you might write, if you did?

Every November I participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) where I attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days, ultimately ending up with a short novel. That’s about as far as I take it, though. I rarely, if ever, go back and read what I’ve written previously. Maybe someday, though! Becoming a mom made me want to write some children’s books, and being a horror enthusiast, I’ve always wanted to write something truly scary. I haven’t quite gotten there, though! 


Well, after that interview, I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out for Ryan's name appearing on any books. If you do get down to publishing, give us a shout and we'd be delighted to review your book!
I really enjoyed that interview, and not just because Ryan was so nice about the questions I wrote! It's great to see the inner workings of an independent bookshop!
Thanks for taking part in our #IndieApril interview, Ryan, and for being a spectacular #IndieHero

Find Out More...go on...


twitter.com/RyinWonderland
twitter.com/gibsonsconcord
www.gibsonsbookstore.com/
libro.fm/gibsonsbookstore 
facebook.com/gibsonsbookstore 
instagram.com/gibsonsbookstorenh 
instagram.com/momerathsreads 
instagram.com/missfenwayclark 
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