Dear Reader, If You’d Told Me Six Months Ago…
That I’d build a bookish little empire fueled by chaos and community—I’d have stocked up on tissues and cold brew concentrate by the gallon.
Okay, be honest—who hit the fast-forward button on the remote?
Because somehow, I blinked, spilled my third iced coffee of the day, and The Charmed Page turned six months old.
Six. Months.
That’s half a year of unhinged bookish joy, late-night shelving sessions, and watching you incredible humans walk through the door and make this dream feel real.
What started as a scrappy little idea to give local authors a space to shine has become something way beyond my wildest dreams (yes, that was a Taylor Swift reference—of course it was). I thought I was building a bookstore. But y’all? You helped me build a whole dang community. And it still doesn’t feel 100% real. Some mornings I walk in and wonder if I imagined the whole thing—then I get hit with that glorious mix of paperbacks, candle wax, and a whiff of chaos, and go, “Nope. We built this.”
And I say we on purpose. Because it’s not just me.
It’s you—yes, you, reading this like the book-loving legend you are. Whether you’ve shopped in store, ordered online, come to an event, or just commented on a post with a fire emoji and a "yaaas"—you are part of this story. From the bottom of my book-hoarding, overcaffeinated heart: thank you.
And hey, supporting a small biz doesn’t have to mean spending money (though let’s be real—every book you buy helps keep the lights on, the rent paid, and the caffeine flowing). But seriously—nominating us for local awards, voting in community polls, sending friends or local authors our way, sharing our posts, tagging us in your hauls, or even just hyping us up online? That stuff matters. You don’t have to drop cash to help us keep turning the page on this weird little dream—but when you do? It makes a world of difference.
A huge shoutout also goes to our local authors—thank you for trusting me and this little bookshop with your stories. We’ve been lucky enough to work with so many incredible writers in the past six months, and I’m constantly in awe of your talent and passion.
And if you’re an author sitting there thinking, “Why hasn’t The Charmed Page reached out to me?”—I swear it’s not because I don’t care—it’s probably because I’m juggling book stacks, planning events, and wondering if iced coffee counts as a meal.
If you’re not posting often or don’t have an email linked, the algorithm may have swallowed your author glow-up whole, and I hate missing good books. It’s not you, it’s the internet. (And maybe the fact that I haven’t slept since release week.)
Check out our author submission guidelines and let’s make it official.
We’ve already done so many cool things together—our monthly Booked & Bedazzled nights are now a whole ✨vibe✨ (and yes, you can now book private bedazzling parties—8 person minimum, max 11, BYO sparkle energy). 
We’ve teamed up with some amazing local businesses like Creative Roots, Paint & Fire, and ACTS Theatre for unforgettable events that brought the arts and lit worlds together.
But trust me when I say—we’re just getting started.
The rest of the year is stacked higher than a TBR in denial. We’re heading to Southcoast Book Festival, applying to fall and holiday markets (because who doesn’t want bookish gifts that scream “I read AND I slay”?), and continuing our Indie Ink Markets for local authors (now open to select bookish vendors, too!).
Oh, and let’s just say... October might come with a little ✨surprise✨.
To sum it all up: I’m just one person trying to build something weird and wonderful in Southwest Louisiana, and I couldn’t do it without you. From the bottom of my book-hoarding, overcaffeinated heart—thank you.
Now let’s make the next six months even more iconic.
Insert montage music here.
(Preferably something from The Lizzie McGuire Movie soundtrack.)
From one chaos reader to another: stay weird, stay bookish.
Bookishly yours,
Riah
Owner, bookworm, playlist curator, and resident chaos goblin at The Charmed Page