Hastings Celebrating Move

Spokane’s book-buying scene continues to expand. The North Spokane outlet of Hastings Book Music & Video moves a block north this week, growing in the process.

The current site, 7304 N. Division, will close its doors on Monday. On Thursday at 9 a.m., it will reopen at 7706 N. Division, in the old Best store location.

According to Jeff Lovejoy, community relations coordinator for the four Hastings stores, the store will spurt in size from 11,000 to 30,000 square feet.

“It’s almost three times as big,” Lovejoy gushed over the phone recently. “It’s a nice, big store.”

In celebration of the move, which situates the store just north of the North Division Cinemas, Spokane blues band Too Slim and the Taildraggers will perform at 8 p.m. Other features, reports Lovejoy, will include special sales, give-a-ways, raffles and various special events.

On Saturday alone the events will include:

At 10:30 a.m., Martha Lou Wheatley will promote Public Television station KSPS at a special story-time for children.

At 11 a.m., former major league baseball pitcher Don Larson will sign copies of his book “Perfect Yankee.” Larson also will sell autographed pictures for $5 and $20, autographed baseballs for $15 and $18.

At 1 p.m. a local author holiday book fair will feature personal appearances by the likes of Jessica Richardson, Frank Mace, Vicky Cavin, Don Anderson and Jeanne Kjack.

In other Hastings news, make sure to take in the weekly Saturday-morning children’s story times offered at each of the Spokane-area stores. Sessions at the Lincoln Heights (in the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center) and North Spokane outlets begin at 10:30 a.m.; the Shadle (1704 W. Wellesley) and Valley (15312 E. Sprague) story times begin at 11 a.m.

Hastings stores are open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. For further information on the above, call the respective stores: Lincoln Heights at 535-4029, Shadle at 327-6008, Valley at 924-0720 and North Spokane at 535-4342.

Speaking of story time

Spokane’s only children’s-only bookstore, the Children’s Corner Bookshop, is offering a pair of story-time events for December.

First up is Sara Edlin-Marlowe who, at 2 p.m. today, will tell a series of world stories from such countries as the Philippines, Japan, Korea and China. On Dec. 13, Jacquelen Baucom will tell a medley of holiday stories.

For further information, call 624-4820.

Self-publishing revisited

The monthly meeting of the Spokane Author & Self Publishers will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the Stockyards Inn Restaurant. Dan Vollmer, author of “Crossing America by Water,” will lead a discussion on the use of brochures and direct mail in book promotion. Anyone who has self-published a book or is interested in self-publishing is invited to attend.

Books to be signed

Coeur d’Alene author Gladys Dawson Buroker, author of “Wind in My Face,” will sign copies of her book from noon to 2 p.m. today at the Book & Game Co. in Silver Lake Mall, 200 W. Hanley. For further information, call (208) 762-2304.

Former Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus, author of “Cecil Andrus: Politics Western Style,” will sign copies of his memoir beginning at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Hastings outlet in Coeur d’Alene, 101 Best Ave. For further information, call (208) 664-0464.

Don Anderson, author of “The Price We Pay,” will sign copies of his book from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Hastings store at Lincoln Heights. On Saturday, Anderson will talk about how to do research for a mystery novel from 5 to 7 p.m. at Dark City Books, 111. S. Cedar.

Frank Bartel will sign copies of his novel, “World That Never Was,” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington.

Tony and Suzanne Schaeffer Bamonte, co-authors of “Manito Park: A Reflection of Spokane’s Past,” will sign copies of the book from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington.

Doug Hurd, author of two collections of commentaries he records for KPBX public radio, will sign copies of the books from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Valley Hastings.

Dick Hoskins, author of “Lies of the Land, the Truth of the Matter” and other comedy compilations, will sign copies of his books from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Hastings outlet in Shadle Center.

The reader board

Frank Mace, author of “The Story of Wake Island,” will read from his book at 7 p.m. Monday at the Shadle Hastings, 1704 W. Wellesley.

Various contributors to “Pontoon Anthology,” a collection of poems by Washington poets, will read from the book at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Judy Laddon and Larry Shook, editors of “Awakening,” a collection of essays by various writers concerned about the Y2K problem, will read from the book at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Laurie Carlson, author of “Sidesaddles to Heaven,” will read from her books at 6 p.m. Friday at the new North Division Hastings, 7706 N. Division.

Brad Reynolds, S.J., will read from his newest Father Townsend mystery, “Cruel Sanctuary,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Steve Oliver, owner of Dark City Books, will read from his latest Moody mystery, “Moody Forever,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Auntie’s Bookstore. On Dec. 10 and 17, at his own store from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Oliver will offer a two-night workshop on “basic elements of writing a mystery novel.” The cost is $20 for both nights. Dark City Books is located at 111 S. Cedar. For further information, call 744-9243.