Hello, Fellow Crawford Avenue Retailers! Hope your summer is off to a profitable start. This issue’s Spotlight feature falls on one of our newer neighborhood retailers, Ms. Darla Pettistone, owner of Pettistone’s Fine Books. Now, many of you old-timers will remember that Pettistone’s used to be run by Darla’s great-aunt, Ms. Darla “Dee” Pettistone. Dee founded her bookstore more than a decade ago, locating it in the first two floors of her remodeled brownstone. She ran the shop until her death almost two years ago at the ripe old age of 85. Her niece, Darla, moved to Brooklyn from Texas to take over the reins there almost a year and a half ago. Darla has kindly agreed to answer a few questions about herself and the bookstore for the Crawford Avenue Crier.
CAC: Hi, Darla. Thank you for sitting down with me. Can you tell your fellow Crawford Avenue Retailers about your bookstore?
Darla: Hi, and thank you. Those of your readers who have never been to our shop before are in for a treat. We’re an independent bookstore selling new books of all kinds, along with magazines and graphic novels. We have a wonderful children’s section, and this year we installed a coffee bar in our upstairs lounge for all our customers. We also handle rare and collectible books. Our store manager, Professor James T. James, is a former university instructor specializing in 19th century literature. If you want to buy or sell a vintage book, he can help you out.
CAC: So what is an average day for you and your employees?
Darla: We are open every day except Monday, and our coffee bar is open every morning. Robert, our barista, comes in the first thing to roast and grind the coffee while I’m getting the store ready for the day. In addition to dealing with our customers, I handle all the fun managerial stuff like paying bills and ordering stock. James handles our online sales and auctions on top of assisting customers. We stay busy, but we enjoy our jobs. And, we even get to read a book every so often!
CAC: We’ve heard rumors that you have a very special cat as a store mascot. Can you tell us about him?
Darla: That would be Hamlet. Lots of our customers say he looks like a miniature black panther. He arrived at the bookstore as an abandoned kitten almost ten years ago and was adopted by my great-aunt. Hamlet is in charge of customer service. He keeps an eye on things around the store and in the neighborhood, too. He walks on a leash and harness, so in nice weather he and I stroll for a few blocks each day.
CAC: And, of course, I’m sure Hamlet will be helping out at the big Fourth of July block party that will be held in our neighborhood in a few weeks. You are the chairperson of this festival and actually the one who first proposed it. Can you give our fellow retailers an update on what’s planned so far?
Darla: I’m thrilled to say that all our retailers are participating in this first ever event here, which is meant to bring new business to all the Crawford Avenue merchants. In addition to all the food and drink folks selling their specialties, we’re planning on old-fashioned games for adults and kids, and a live band playing popular tunes. We’ll also have free antiques appraisals courtesy of Bygone Days Antiques and Collectible, martial arts demonstrations by the students of Tomlinson’s Academy of Martial Arts, and some surprise dance moves from the Brooklyn Modern Dance Institute. Jake Martelli, our local private investigator, will give free consultations for people who think they might need her services. Oh, and Hamlet will be making personal appearances throughout the block party.
CAC: That sounds wonderful. I know everyone is looking forward to this event. Now, how about one last question? Some people are saying that your mascot, Hamlet, is smarter than the average cat. In fact, I heard that he had a very big role in solving a mystery down in Florida earlier this year while you and he were on vacation. And he even saved you when you were being held hostage by an accused murderer at the big martial arts tournament last year. Is Hamlet actually a crime-fighter in cat’s clothing?
Darla: Oh, no, those stories are exaggerated. Hamlet likes to stick his nose into other people’s business, but he’s just your everyday ordinary black cat. No super powers for him!
CAC: Well, the rumor mill says differently, but you’re the one who would know. Anyhow, thank you for sitting down with me. We all hope the big Fourth of July block party will be a great success.
Darla: I can guarantee you, it’s going to be a blast!
You can read more about Darla in Plot Boiler, the fifth book in the “Black Cat Bookshop” mystery series, published by Berkley Prime Crime. The first book in the series is Double Booked For Death.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 a.m. eastern on December 4 for your chance to win a signed copy of PLOT BOILER. (US entries only, please.) Good luck everyone!
About the author
Ali Brandon is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series from 
Berkley Prime Crime. Writing under her real name, Diane A.S. Stuckart, she penned the popular Leonardo da Vinci historical mystery series, which received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, as well as a Florida Book Award. A native Texan with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, Diane a/k/a Ali now lives in South Florida. She shares her rural home with her husband and a pack of critters that includes two black cats, Brandon Bobtail and Ophelia.
Visit Diane at www.dianestuckart.com, on Twitter and on Facebook
Sounds good. Thanks for the opportunity.
I enjoy this series and the way Hamlet pushes books off the shelves that help Darla get direction in her mystery solving. As many of your readers will agree Dru, I want to go to that bookstore or work there…it sounds wonderful. Thanks to you and Ali for the chance to win a copy of PLOT BOILER! 🙂 Whoever wins is a lucky reader!
I recently read about the Florida adventure and enjoyed it. Can’t wait to read this one!
i LOVE BLACK CATS. i HAD ONE LIVE TO BE 22.
I have not read this series, but I need to, sounds like my kind of book. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
I am always looking for new authors to me, this book soundps really interesting
This book sounds like a great read. Thank you for the chance to win.
myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com
Great sounding series. An other series I need to get started.
Darla has an enviably great job. Wish I had it. Hamlet would be the icing on the cake for me.
Thanks for the opportunity to read Plot Boiler. This writer is new to me. This series and the Leonardo Da Vince series sound great!! Would love to read bother. Both have themes dear to my heart. My book dealer loves you to. LOL
Thank you for sharing – this sounds like a good book
Sounds like a fun read.
This sounds like a series I would enjoy. Thanks for the chance to win.
In love with Hamlet! “Plot Boiler” is the only one of his adventures I’ve not yet read. Want to win this one to read aloud to my Jackson and Janie Greyhounds!
Love the title. Would love to have this book.
Thanks for the chance to win. I am just getting into this series.
Plot Boiler sounds like a great read. I haven’t read any of the Black Cat Bookshop mystery series yet. Thank you for the chance to win.
A new author for me. Sounds like a fascinating crime fighting duo.
I like the idea of a cat roaming a bookstore and I would love to read this cozy. Thank you for the chance to win.
How did I miss reading this series. It’s sounds like it has everything in a book I want to read. Would love to start this series, thanks for the chance.
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Sounds like a great read.
If I was an owner of a book store I would definitely have to have a resident cat or two. In addition to the cats I would have a sitting area where groups could hold a book club reading. robeader53@yahoo.com
Such a neat series!
I love this series! Thanks for sharing!
A charming book, can’t wait to get a copy! Thanks Dru and Ali/Diane.
Fabulous series. and Hamlet is a super-cat, much like another one I know….. no need to enter me in the giveaway. I’ve read PLOT BOILER and it’s fab!
Thanks so much for the opportunity to win.📖📚
I wonder if Hamlet resents her down-playing of his role?
Darla’s bookstore and her staff, along with Jake, are such a great bunch to hang out with! Hamlet is magical, amazing, loving to Darla any a hero!!!!
I have to add this series to my TBR list.
Hamlet is an awesome cat and I love this series.
I absolutely love, love, love Hamlet and Ali Brandon’s awesome books!!!! I thoroughly enjoyed the first and actually just finished reading this new awesome book and loved, loved, loved it…but I would love it even more if I could win a personally signed copy!!!!! How awesome that would be!!! Thanks so much dearest Dru for the chance and keep writing your awesome books dearest Ali/Diane as they are super duper awesome to read!!!! Give Hamlet a big hug for me…..purr…meow!!!!!
Thanks for this delightful feature and giveaway.
Bookstores and black cats—both are perfect for mysteries. Thanks for the giveaway.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Another Darla and Hamlet adventure – yay!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
Love Hamlet!
Reading a lot about this one, sounds like a good story. Thanks for the giveaway.
Wow this sounds great…I haven’t read in this series yet but I would like to…thanks for the contest.
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
My cat looks like Hamlet, so this has to be a great series. I would love to win a copy of your latest. Thanks for the giveaway.
I love this series. I’m reading Plot Boiler right now!!
I have never read any of the books in this series, but they have been on my wish list for a long time. Thanks for the chance to win!
One of my favorite series!!
Thank you for the giveaway……
Contest is closed.