Nancy Olson and Quail Ridge Books & Music

Quail Ridge Books and Music in Raleigh, NC, was the second stop on my book tour. Little did I know that I was about to walk in to one of the great Indie Bookstores where I would meet a dedicated staff and Nancy Olson, owner of Quail Ridge for 28 years. Nancy had just returned from BEA, exhausted, but had stopped in on her way home to meet me.

I can’t begin to tell you how deeply her very kind consideration touched me.

Her colleague, Kent, gave me a lovely introduction and then Nancy stepped up to say: “Thank you for coming tonight. I just wanted to tell you all how much I love this book. It’s truly something special. It’s destined to be a classic.”

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Today a colleague sent me this from Nancy Olson’s weekly newsletter:

“One of my favorite local independent bookstores, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC, is raving about ALICE BLISS. Nancy Olson, the owner, had this to say about it in her most recent weekly email:

“Alice Bliss: A Novel by Laura Harrington (Pamela Dorman Books $15) is profoundly affecting with its story of how a 15-year-old girl, her family, friends and her town cope with the deployment of her father to Iraq. You’ve got to read this book! Absolutely unforgettable–heartrending–I can’t praise it enough. Trust me on this one.”

I just wanted to share, as many, many people (myself included!), trust Nancy to guide them in their book reading endeavors!!”