Yes, there are bookstores in WV

I'm still pretty giddy about Alton Brown's new cookbook and more importantly, excited that he will be doing a book tour along with it. I am, however, unhappy about the fact AB will not be paying my home state a visit. In case you missed it, during my last meeting with him in DC, AB claimed the reason he would not be visiting is because, "there are no bookstores in West Virginia." After I poked him on the shoulder for the comment, he quickly placed the blame where it should be--his publisher.

Now, I'm not certain if AB's new book will be published by the same company as his others, but if so, I need a word with them!

Stewart, Tabori and Chang, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc, has published all of AB's cookbooks thus far and in all of his book tours he has yet to pay the Mountain State one visit. I think Alton may have it right. Those big NYC publishers don't think there are bookstores here, I guess. ;)

I would like to assure AB's publisher that there are in deed bookstores in WV and that Alton has many, many fans who would love to come out, buy his book and meet him. And unlike the disastrous Sandra Lee event scheduled for Charleston back in October, which was canceled because a grand total of 14 tickets were sold, any AB event held in WV will have my personal guarantee that he can out sale dear Aunt Sandy. Heck, I'd buy at least 15 tickets alone.

For the publisher's convenience, I can tell them a few places to hold the event as well.

Taylor Books, Charleston
Empire Books, Huntington
Trans Allegheny Books, Parkersburg
Borders, Huntington Mall
Borders Express, Charleston Town Center
Books A Million, Charleston (where I purchased one of my copies of Feasting on Asphalt.)
Barnes and Noble, Morgantown

Oh, and the Kanawha County Public Library has a nice book festival in October. Then there's the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston. AB would fit in at the science center quite well.

So, there's no excuse for not putting one of those locations on the new book tour... unless AB is avoiding WV because of me ;)