Shelf Awareness reports that Arts & Letters Bookstore opened October 12 on the Historic Square in Granbury, Texas. The shop offers new books for adults, teens and children. Owner Roxanne Laney said Arts & Letters is her seventh, and final, entrepreneurial business. Starting in January, local artist Jack Fleming, who has created all of the windows, signage, and murals at Arts & Letters, will be teaching art classes for children and teens in the event room.

Describing herself as a life-long reader for whom the bookshop is "my retirement business," Laney said she has been a technical writer and editor by profession. Her other businesses were curated user groups (for software and for business idea exchange), a technical publications service company, an entrepreneurial consultant, a manufacturer's representative and owning a gun range. She and her husband still operate three gun ranges that offer firearms safety and skill training.

In selecting inventory for Arts & Letters Bookstore, Laney said she "resisted the urge to buy only books I like. But I did buy all the books I like--literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, essays. I added mysteries, sci fi, graphic novels and other stuff for the customers. Our store is homey and contains several things I've made, such as the lace tablecloth on the focus table."

Located about forty miles southwest of Fort Worth, Granbury is the county seat of Hood County, and USA Today has named it the "Best Small Historic Town" in the U.S.

"The bookstore is on the square; we have a huge tourist population, a growing permanent population, and weekenders," Laney said. "We have a large lake here, and many, many people own second homes on the lake. That's the demographic. Rich people with second homes, travelers, and a lot of ranchers in the county."

As a bookseller, Laney wants "to be part of the historic community here in Granbury. I want to create an environment where people can come in and hang around, talk to other book lovers, and get recommendations from our employees about what to read. I hope the bookstore will even up the preponderance of boutiques and souvenir shops and round out the offerings of all the merchants on the square. We are adding art lessons for children and teens in the store starting in January. Eventually, it would be nice to have a cafe."

Store hours are Tuesday through Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The bookstore is closed Mondays.  Their next scheduled event is on Halloween, with local author Charles Somervill signing his Mark & Lori mystery books, Granbury Murders and Granbury Assassin. October 31, 1-6PM.