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Don’t tell us you haven’t wondered what it’s like to be Kathleen Kelly from You’ve Got Mail because we know you have! We’ve wondered the same thing which is why we decided to get answers from the co-owner of our very favorite book store: Fabled Bookshop and Cafe in Waco, Texas. If you attended our Raspberry Cordial Gathering in 2019 you know that we had our first night of the event there. It’s a magical place and we talked with co-owner Alison Frenzel to learn all about the ins and outs of owning a bookshop.

While working in marketing and photography, Alison Frenzel did not think that she’d ever see her dream of owning a bookstore come true. But when she met her business partner, Kimberly Batson, the pair realized that they shared a vision for a bookshop that champions reading and the impact it can have on a community. Together they started Fabled which offers new books in a myriad of categories, a cafe that features literary drinks, and a wardrobe you can enter through to the children’s section. Alison is married to Brandon, a First Methodist pastor, and has two children, Ava and Asher. Her favorite books to read usually feature time travel, unrequited love, western themes, and meticulously researched historical fiction.

In this episode we asked Alison all about how Fabled was born, the inner workings of a bookstore, how to choose what to stock, how to create a space where people love to gather, the gift of bookshops to communities and how to encourage kids to read. It’s a cozy and delightful conversation, so grab a glass of Raspberry Cordial and enjoy!

Sponsor: The Little Catholic Box

The Little Catholic Box is a quarterly subscription box for Catholic women.  Each quarter, the owner Erica curates a bunch of fun, unique Catholic items around a spiritual theme.  It’s a delight for subscribers, and a blessing to the artists, creators and small businesses whose items get featured.

They only offer a limited number of subscriptions each quarter, and the signup window closes at the end of September.

If you’d like to try them out, visit thelittlecatholicbox.com/FOC by the end of September and get an exclusive free bonus only available to Fountains of Carrots listeners.

Sign up now for the next box that ships the first week of November!

We are also sponsored by Homeschool Connections

HomeschoolConnections.com is an authentically Catholic resource for home educating families. Their mission is educating the heart, mind, and soul in the Catholic tradition with online classes for 3rd grade and above. They offer live interactive classes as well as unlimited access to recorded courses that are available 24/7/365 with top quality teachers.

If you’re a brand new homeschooler or a seasoned homeschooler, head over to HomeschoolConnections.com to see the great resource they can be for your student!

Connect with Alison:

• Fabled web site
• Instagram

England Trip!

WE ARE GOING TO ENGLAND next summer and we want you to come with us! Check out our previous episode or view the travel details here.

Patreon!

Do you love FoC and want to help us keep doing what we’re doing (and more!)? Well, we have just the thing for you!

Head on over to support the podcast as a patron and get access to special episodes available exclusively to patrons as well as to the FoC Slack community! You’ll also have access to our patron book clubs and receive a cute sticker in the mail from us. We’re reading Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi next and we’d love for you to participate so join today.

Come hang out with us!

Haven’t joined in on the fun with 4,900+ other FoC listeners in our facebook group? It’s your direct line to some fantastic folks who also care about faith, culture, books, and whatever our current masterpiece theatre craze might be! Join in with the link below.

• The Fountains of Carrots Raspberry Cordial Social Club on Facebook (our Facebook group)
• Connect with Haley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog
• Connect with Christy on Facebook, Instagram, and her blog

You can listen to us on iTunes, and we’d love a quick rating or review. If you have an android device we’re also on Stitcher. And as always, you can find all links, show notes, upcoming guests, and listen to all episodes at Fountains of Carrots.com.