She nodded and went back to perusing the shelves while Andrew headed over to the cluttered nonfiction section.
The bookstore did not seem to be crowded for a Sunday in early June. The town’s tourist season hadn’t really picked up yet. He expected in a week or two, the place would be hopping. Though Wood Briar was not as popular as some of the towns farther up the coast, like Cannon Beach, Lincoln City or Newport, it still drew plenty of people wanting to enjoy the rugged Oregon coast.
He had a pleasant time combing the shelves, looking for more research books to add to his collection. He was looking specifically for a book on alchemy. He could always order it online but he preferred to buy local when he could. Anything he could do to help out the town’s only bookshop.
As usual, being in a bookstore seemed to settle something restless deep inside. He expected those soothing properties had started after his brother’s death, when their already stiff and formal home had become a place of darkness and grief.
His father had been too busy burying his emotions in work while his mother had retreated into herself. More often than not at loose ends, especially during the summer months, Andrew would escape to the library and if he couldn’t find what he wanted there, he would find his way to his favorite bookstore.
Books had been his refuge, his sanctuary. He lived in books more than real life when he had been young.
He couldn’t regret it. How could he, when his obsession with books had led to his career as a bestselling author?
He was browsing the shelves when he overheard a snatch of conversation from the next aisle over.
“Yes, that’s Andrew Morgan’s latest,” he heard a female voice say.
Naturally, his attention perked up at that. He liked surprising his readers in bookstores. It invariably gave them a jolt of happy serendipity and helped connect him to readers, random moments he could take out to help push him forward during the long hours he spent alone at his laptop.
“I haven’t read that one yet,” a second, younger-sounding woman said.
“You could skip it,” the first voice said in a dismissive tone. “It’s not nearly as good as his last one. And that one didn’t have the same promise as his early works. He’s massively overhyped, in my opinion.”
Okay. This was awkward. Andrew stiffened, keeping his features turned to the bookshelf in front of him.
“You think so? I feel like his books have gotten better and better.”
“I had no idea you liked his books so much, Em,” the first voice said, sounding surprised. “You know he’s moving to town, right?”
“Grandma told me that. How exciting! I hope I get the chance to meet him. I started reading him years ago. I saw the movie last Christmas with some friends and it was amazing.”
“It was good. The books aren’t as good as the movie, if you want my opinion.”
Andrew didn’t know about Em, buthe certainly didn’t want the other woman’s opinion.
He couldn’t approach the other customers now, when it was clear one of them was definitely not a fan of his work—and that she likely would know he had overheard her.
Andrew looked around, wondering how he could escape the bookstore with his son still in the bathroom and his daughter engrossed in finding bookish treasures.
“I can’t believe you don’t like them,” the one named Em said. “I think the whole Starbound Chronicles series is amazing. The world-building is unbelievable, the plots are gripping and his dialogue cracks me up. You’ve never been a big fan of fantasy novels. Is that why you don’t like his books?”
“It’s not my favorite genre but there are some fantasy novels I enjoy. I just don’t like overexposed male authors who tell the same trite story again and again, with wooden female characters who are basically one-dimensional nerd fantasies. Andrew Morgan writes love scenes like he’s never even met a real woman.”
The other woman laughed. “You must not be paying attention to the tabloids lately. Andrew Morgan has definitely met a woman. Didn’t you see he was hot and heavy with Willow Voss? They were seen everywhere a few months ago.”
The other woman snorted. “Publicity hype. That’s all. Ifind it more than a little coincidental that the leading actress of a new movie franchise had an apparently tumultuous relationship with the person who wrote the book the movies are based on. They were just trying to get attention.”
“Mom, I don’t think they really needed attention. The first movie broke box office records, and it’s still breaking them. The second one is going to be even bigger when it comes out at Christmastime.”
Andrew was still trying to figure out how to extricate himself from the unbelievably awkward situation when the two women moved closer, still concealed from him by the tall bookshelf.
“I would love to have him do a signing here at the store,” the younger woman said. “Wouldn’t that be epic? I wonder if he might consider it during the busy summer months, when all the tourists are here.”
“I doubt that will happen. We’re a small fish in a big publishing pond.”
“We are the only bookstore in town. As he’s our new celebrity author, I would think he might want to have a good relationship with us. Plus Grandma is friends with his mom. That has to count for something.”
He should leave, grab his kids and sneak out the door before these women saw him. He didn’t want to embarrass either of them. The only trouble with that was Zara was scouring the shelves for a book, and her brother was still in the bathroom.