Goodbye
by ellenclark on Jul.29, 2011, under Book Chat
It is with great sadness that I am closing down the Borders True Romance blog. I have been a huge fan of the Romance category for years and it was a blessing to have my dream job. Having been with Borders for 15 years, I’m going to miss my friends and family here.
I wish all the authors the best of luck and to all you romance readers out there, happy reading and thanks for being with us for all of these years!
Ellen
And now from Borders Romance Expert Kristin Smith:
I started with Borders nine days after graduating from college in 2002 at store #0052 in Westbury, NY. I became a merchandising supervisor and a Romance Expert in one fell swoop in 2005 when I transferred to #0270 in Syosset, NY. In 2008, I stepped down from the supervisor position when I found another full-time job at a local university, but I stayed as a part-timer and as a Romance Expert. I’d close at the store on Monday nights so I could help prep the merch for Tuesday and would show up at my other job the next morning, half-asleep with aching feet. I always had a pile of books on my desk waiting to be reviewed for our romance buyer (first Sue Grimshaw, now Ellen Clark), and ARCs to be read during my lunch hour. Despite my part-time status, Borders continued to be a full-time focus in my life.
The decision has now been taken out of my hands and my tenure at Border is coming to a close. After almost ten years as a bookseller with this company, there are countless people I have come into contact with and I asked Ellen for the opportunity to say thank you.
Thank you to Sue for starting the Romance Expert program and allowing me to develop as a reader & seller. Many thanks also to Ellen for keeping the program going despite those turbulent times.
Thank you to all the authors, publicists, and publishers who added me to their mailing lists and made sure I had all the bookmarks I could handle. Special thanks to Nalini Singh, Cathy Clamp, Cindy Hwang, and Thea Harrison for making me feel like a valuable asset rather than the minor cog I was.
Thank you to everyone who has expressed support and condolences these last few weeks. Deb Marlowe sent me a lovely handwritten note, SourceBooks started the #ThankUBorders Twitter hashtag, and Colleen Lindsay from Penguin has co-created a blog to help Borders employees find future employment. My gratitude and appreciation cannot be fully expressed.
Thank you to Stacey Becker for hiring me in the first place, the ‘classic’ team at Westbury for showing me the kind of bookseller I wanted to be, and the team at Syosset for helping me grow into the future I wanted. Thank you to all the people at the home office who tried their best to get us what we needed: the computers running, the air conditioners humming, and the displays fully stocked.
Finally, thanks to all of you. Thank you for buying books with us over the years, for coming back, and for seeing the end through with us. Thank you for saying ‘thank you,’ for smiling, and for being excited when I handed you the item you wanted. Thank you.
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August 8th, 2011 on 2:44 pm
I will miss the blog. And I will miss Borders the store very much, too.
Best of luck to everyone.
August 8th, 2011 on 1:49 pm
So very sad. I hope all the wonderful booksellers find new situations soon.
July 30th, 2011 on 6:08 pm
My thoughts and best wishes go out to everyone involved in the Borders True Romance Blog. I feel everyone’s sadness, because I am, or was, a Border’s employee also. I miss my store, fellow employees/friends and also many of the wonderful customers that I have met over the years. I am also very thankful to have met some fantastic authors who have become my friends. Again, best wishes to everyone and good luck in your future endeavors.
July 30th, 2011 on 1:46 pm
Thank you for all the time and effort you put into the blog. I’ll miss it.
July 30th, 2011 on 1:40 pm
So sad. I loved checking this place every day before settling down to my own writing or heading off to the evil day job. Chatting with all the fantastic writers and readers always inspired me and I’ve had such fun finding new authors! (sighs)
July 30th, 2011 on 2:56 am
It was wonderful working with someone so supportive of the romance genre, and of my work - thank you. My best wishes to you, Ellen, and the entire Borders team for the future.
July 29th, 2011 on 10:08 pm
Wishing you all the very best since you gave the very best.
It is so sad to see this happen.
Good luck to all of you!
July 29th, 2011 on 6:42 pm
I am so, so sad about Borders closing. I loved my local Borders (which closed earlier in the year) and was okay with driving 30 miles to the next one. Not only did I shop at those Borders but I also made rest stops (for a espresso) at a Borders during long car trips.
July 29th, 2011 on 1:57 pm
It was always a pleasure working with you! I hope you and everyone in the Borders stores and management find a happy place. I’ll miss my conversations with everyone.
Please stay in touch!
Cathy
July 29th, 2011 on 1:56 pm
Thank you, Ellen and thank you, Kristin, for all your enthusiasm and support to a new author. I am deeply saddened by Borders closing, and I wish you all the very best of luck.
Warm regards,
Thea Harrison
July 29th, 2011 on 11:44 am
I’m so sorry to see this happen. I hope all the Borders employees find their dream jobs.
Thanks so much, Ellen and Kristin for everything you’ve done to support Romance.
July 29th, 2011 on 11:24 am
I wish you all the best, Ellen. Am sorry to see this site and Borders go. The end of an era…..
July 29th, 2011 on 11:06 am
Wishing everyone at the Borders family the best in their future endeavors. You will be missed terribly.
July 29th, 2011 on 10:20 am
I wish you all the best and I am truly sad to see you go. I have enjoyed visiting this blog on a daily basis and it’s going to feel weird to not come here anymore. Thank you so much for everything. =)
July 29th, 2011 on 9:33 am
I wish you the best and am so sad to see Borders and all it’s wonderful people go.
Good luck!
July 29th, 2011 on 7:42 am
It is truly sad to think of not having a Borders nearby or all of your wonderful booksellers. Over the years, some of my best experiences and friends have been made at your stores. Your booksellers were always so supportive of romance authors and we truly appreciate all that you’ve done. I only wish that there was more that we could do to avoid what is happening now.
Thank you all for so many wonderful years in the stores and on this blog. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you and I wish you only the best for the future.
July 29th, 2011 on 6:22 am
A fond farewell and the best of wishes to everyone! I have enjoyed visiting this blog on an almost daily basis for the last several years. I have been a commenter and also a blogguest, and I enjoyed it all tremendously! My thoughts and prayers will continue to be with everyone–I understand all too well how this experience hits home! Wishing you all good things : )