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Welcome to 2010

Free Shipping: read all about it.

Dear %%First Name%%,

Welcome to 2010

It's a new decade and we're full of news for the new year here at MLB. You'll find news about our Best Sellers for Dec and last year, our presence on Facebook, the new issue of the MLB News, a summary of how we did for 2009 and more.

This week's special--a ski-slope debut

Even while watching the snow and reading about murder on the ski slopes in This Week's Special you can still keep warm with this lively debut that features a grad student who ditches school and leaves her cheating boyfriend to enjoy life as a ski bum. Save 20% and get free shipping on This Week's Special.

December-January MLB News is here

The December-January issue of the MLB News goes into the mail today but it's available right now on the website as a PDF download.

You can download a copy of the MLB News just like the printed version and even print it if you like. If you print remember to use the Adobe Reader print function not your browser's print button.

As with past issues I owe a debt of gratitude to my army of volunteer proofreaders--The Comma-kaze Squad--who expend extraordinary efforts to root out so many of my errors--typographical and otherwise. Thank you all for your contribution.

How we did in 2009

The month of January is never complete without a few “look-backs” upon which to reflect.

For Mystery Lovers Bookshop this was a year where sales started rather bady but finished strong leaving us with a nice increase over 2008's rather dismal results. Naturally, the recession played a major part in these developments. We pledge to continue to expand modestly, improve daily and monitor overhead costs so we can bring all that’s new and fun in reading, puzzles and children’s books.

In 2009 we presented 77 author appearances for 5 Publication parties, 8 Coffee & Crime events-in the 15th year for this Breakfast series, 4 author dinners, 1 workshop, one statewide convention, 4 Oakmont Carnegie Library events, 4 evening talks, one professional organizational banquet speaker sales, one county library fundraiser by a law firm and the 14th Festival of Mystery with 42 authors, 1806 books sold to 380 readers.

While we reorganized our online and bricks and mortar store, Mystery Lovers Bookshop also attracted the attention of an upscale mall north of Pittsburgh seeking a branch of Mystery Lovers for their customers…decided we needed to focus on the current customers and events in our original location which celebrates a 20th birthday on Halloween 2010.

In 2010 we look forward to the Fifteenth Festival of Mystery, getting our Raven award at the 65th Annual Edgar Banquet from the Mystery Writers of America and to a fulfilling relationship with readers, writers and all who work in this business. May you all have a happy and healthy 2010 and we hope to see you soon…and often. If every person who receives this email bought just one book a month we'd be sure to stay around for another year.

We're on Facebook, become a fan

Finally, we've put a profile up on Facebook for Mystery Lovers Bookshop. Nows the time for all you Facebook folks out there to demonstrate the power of social networking by becoming a fan of MLB. If you do, it will be another way for us to stay in touch.

We'll be using Facebook to notify fans about events in the store and perhaps to make special deals available only to fans.

All of our upcoming events are also listed and we would love for customers to post comments or photos about events that they attend.

Also on Facebook--a video about MLB

With the help of our daughter Alison we've got an introductory video about MLB on our Facebook page. Why not take a look and see what you think.

And finally on Facebook--a discussion of Favorite Mysteries of 2009

We've also put up a post to start a discussion of the mystery you most enjoyed reading in 2009. Maybe even several mysteries that you enjoyed. We thought it would be fun to get a variety of viewpoints about mysteries that folks enjoyed. Why not contribute yours?

New Arrivals

We have a torrent of delicious New Arrivals since our last Newsletter (so long ago). You'll find virtually all the January books here and you can choose between new titles by Robert Crais, John Lescroart, M.C. Beaton, Julie Hyzy, Tamar Myers, Janet Evanovich and many more.

Check our New Arrivals for page for everything new at MLB.

Coffee & Crime series starts up in January

We've set up an exciting program of Coffee & Crime author breakfasts starting in January. Here's what's coming up:

Each of these events begins at 10 am and includes a contintental breakfast and author talk and signing. Cost is $5 and reservations are essential.

What's on the website now

Here's what you can find at www.mysterylovers.com:

Upcoming Events

Jan 16 - Sandra Ruttan - cancelled
Jan. 23 - Alan Gordon
Jan. 30 - Sarah Graves
Feb. 20 - Joanne Dobson

More events...

Start off the new year right--with a book
Richard, Mary Alice and the MLB Staff

Did we mention that we won a Raven Award?

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