`I truly believe we will always need the written word'

Forgive Linda Brown if she is feeling a bit tired now.

Like many bookstore operators across the country, the owner of Milestone Books in Vestavia Hills put in a lot of extra hours in recent weeks preparing for last week's release of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Brown said Potter fans who frequent her store have been asking about the seventh and final volume in the boy wizard series for months. Milestone Books hosted a Harry Potter opening party Friday night before the midnight release.

Brown recently shared views of the newest Harry Potter book, what led her into the independent bookstore business and how Milestone Books is branching out into new areas such as a publishing division.

Do you expect the latest Harry Potter book to sell as well as its predecessors?

Thus far, it looks to be even more successful. The new Harry Potter movie is out; it is the last book in the series. As Rowling has written each book, she has picked up more and more fans interested in the series. I think she is probably ending it at a good time.

It's the seventh book, and seven is a mythical number. I think the character of Harry Potter has matured to the level that you really don't have anywhere to go from here.

How long have you been hearing from Potter fans about this book?

Since the last book came out in 2005, people have been talking about it, and booksellers have been planning for it.

How did Milestone Books come about?

My husband and I lived, and have always worked, in the community since we moved back to the Birmingham area. When Vestavia City Center was being built, we talked of how it would be a nice place for a bookstore, but never saw one go in.

We eventually talked to the developer, who said they thought it would go well with the product mix. We hired a consultant to conduct a feasibility study, held focus groups and interviewed some people from the Vestavia community about what they would like to see. There had never been an independent general bookstore here in the city.

They said this would be a great place for a bookstore, and this is what they wanted it to look like. What you see here is what came out of those talks - comfortable seating and wide selection. We tuned in to what our readers wanted, getting rid of some sections and expanding some sections.

We wanted to be for Vestavia and Hoover what Little Professor and Alabama Booksmith have been for Homewood. We've been open for 3½ years now and have changed to accommodate what we've learned.

I have learned that people in this community don't read romance much. They do read religious books - we've expanded that section twice. We have learned the need to identify ways to make doing business with us easier.

What do you enjoy most about running a bookstore?

I've always had a passion for books and sharing knowledge about how they help you celebrate the milestones of life, how you can learn so much through books.

Some people feel that is old-fashioned because of all the technology out there today, but I truly believe we will always need the written word. I certainly hope so because our world would not be the same without it.

I have a lot of parents come in and say they can't get their child to read. Without being offensive, I feel that is because they don't see them reading. Children, especially the older they get, look at their parents as models regarding what they do with their free time.

If the parent is watching TV every night instead of reading, the children won't be interested in books. It's kind of like exercise - if the children don't see you exercising, they won't build it into their lifestyle.

How do you balance marriage, parenting and running a bookstore?

It's like anyone else working who has a family. It's a challenge. When we started the business, our children were in the fourth grade. It seems to be more of a challenge the older they get. Right now, they're 13, and in a lot of ways, they require and need more than they did when younger.

But they are also old enough now to be involved in the business. My daughter was here earlier decorating the store for the party. My son helped me deliver some books to Vestavia High School, so there are more ways to involve them in the process.

But like every other working mother, it's a challenge, especially running your own business because a part of you always feel you should spend more time with your family, while another part of you feels you should be here.

What led Milestone Books to branch out into publishing?

Since we opened, we've had a lot of people asking us about how to get published. So we diversified by going into publishing. My sister-in-law, Whitney Wadsworth, handles the publishing side for Milestone.

We have now published three books with a fourth title, a how-to-succeed-in-business book, scheduled for release sometime in August. All of the books can be ordered here at Milestone Books. The first was a book by Mark Shaw, a Christian counselor in Birmingham, called "The Heart of Addiction" and its companion book, "The Heart of Addiction Workbook."

Any other additional services at Milestone?

Yes, we are expanding into business-to-business services. Often times, businesses seek books they can present to clients and sales people. This week, I've been making presentations to financial planners and brokers because books make a wonderful gift.

It lasts longer than anything consumable. We've been able to touch lives in a positive way through our books given as gifts. There are so many great books out there, not necessarily investment books, but inspirational and encouraging that brokers, law firms and CPAs can give to clients. That is an area we've done well in diversifying ourselves in.

What is your favorite book and why?

Besides the Bible, my favorite book is Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth." It's a historical fiction set in the 12th century about the building of the great cathedrals in Europe. Right now, I'm reading the sequel he has written 18 years later, called "World Without End."

It's about 900 pages, and I'm about halfway through and it's really good. It comes out in October. I'm reading an advance reader copy.

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com