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August: Books, Community & Connection
Published 9 days ago • 4 min read
C.A. Bathgate, Author of the Dragonshadowed Series With Cheryl Fountain Author and Owner of Raspberry Press.
Hello everyone,
Summer always seems to move a little faster than I expect. Somehow, here we are already well into August!
This summer brought something new for me. Instead of attending the St. Albert Farmers' Market solely as Cheryl Fountain Author, I attended two markets under the banner of my publishing company, Raspberry Press, alongside fellow author C.A. Bathgate.
It was a bit of an experiment when we started—and I'm happy to say it was a success!
More Than Selling Books
Of course, we sold lots of books, which is always wonderful. There is something incredibly special about watching someone pick up a book, turn it over in their hands, read the back cover, and decide that this is a story they want to take home.
But some of my favourite moments weren't actually about the sales.
We met new readers. We talked about books and writing. We connected with people who had stories of their own that they were eager to publish.
And it reminded me of one of the things I love most about this work.
Books create connections.
A story begins with one person—sometimes as nothing more than an idea quietly forming in their imagination. Eventually, those words make their way onto a page. And if we're lucky, they find their way into someone else's hands.
Suddenly, an idea that once existed inside one person's mind is being experienced by another.
I think that's pretty magical.
Our Raspberry Press markets gave us an opportunity to be part of that connection in a very tangible way, and I am grateful to everyone who stopped by our booth, bought a book, asked a question, entered our draw, or simply chatted with us about stories.
And a special thank you to C.A. Bathgate, author of the Dragonshadowed series, for sharing the booth—and the adventure—with me!
Literacy in the Park — August 27
The conversations I've been having about books and literacy this summer aren't quite finished yet.
On August 27 from 10:00 a.m. to noon, I'll be attending Literacy in the Park as a guest author. The event is hosted by the Centre for Family Literacy, and it's FREE!
Literacy in the Park is an opportunity for families to come together and celebrate reading, learning, stories, and literacy in our community.
After attending the Centre for Family Literacy's AGM earlier this summer as a finalist for the Lois Hole Memorial Literacy Award, I'm especially happy to have another opportunity to support the work they do and celebrate something that has played such an important role throughout my own life.
📅 August 27 🕙 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. 🎟️ Free to attend!
I've been thinking a lot about literacy this summer.
We often talk about literacy as the ability to read and write—and, of course, it is.
But it is also so much more.
Literacy gives us the ability to share our thoughts and ideas. It allows us to learn about people whose lives are different from our own. It gives us tools to express ourselves, advocate for ourselves, imagine new possibilities, preserve memories, and pass stories from one generation to another.
Literacy is also:
A child curled up with a book.
An author sitting down to write the first sentence of a story.
A family reading together.
Two people standing at a market talking about a book they love.
An aspiring author finally saying out loud, "I've always wanted to write a book."
These are all little pieces of the same thing: words connecting people.
And perhaps that's what I'll remember most about this summer. Not about how many books we sold, but how many conversations those books started.
As summer begins its slow transition toward fall, I'd love to leave you with something to think about:
What has literacy given you?
Maybe it's a favourite childhood memory. A career. An escape during a difficult time. A way to express yourself. A love of learning. Or simply the ability to lose yourself in a really good story.
It's something many of us use every single day, and something worth appreciating.
Thank you for continuing to read, connect, and follow along with me.
xo,
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I'm an author, book coach, and editor who loves to talk about publishing, writing, storytelling, and personal development. Subscribe to my newsletter to learn about my upcoming books, for inspirational messages, and for information on how I can help you get your books out into the world too!
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