📚 This Week at From the Ground Up Books! 🚂📖

"If you’re cold, read a book. If you’re sad, read a book. If you’re procrastinating, read ten books."

Hey, book adventurers! We’ve got a jam-packed schedule this week, from author signings to tarot readings, writing meetups, and free snacks (yes, really). Let’s dive into all the literary and paranormal chaos happening at Platform 205 and Bourbon Barrel!

📅 TODAY: Holistic Fair & Tarot Readings

📅 Saturday, February 15, 2025🕛 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM📍 Platform 205, La Grange

The universe (and our event calendar) has spoken—it’s a Holistic Fair day! Whether you need some Reiki, crystals, or a tarot reading from Jenny Floyd to confirm you will be rich and famous someday, we’ve got you covered.

📖 Book Signing with T.M. Lore (Carmen DaVinleam)

📅 Saturday, February 15, 2025🕑 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM📍 Bourbon Barrel, Shepherdsville

If you love meeting authors, getting books signed, and pretending you don’t already have 50 unread books at home, then come hang out with T.M. Lore (Carmen DaVinleam) for a signing event!

🧙‍♀️ Save the Date: First Annual Witches Night Out

📅 Friday, October 24, 2025🕔 5:00 PM onward📍 Downtown La Grange, KY

Mark your calendars for a bewitching evening filled with:🧹 Witches Dance Parade🛍 Vendors & Shopping🍔 Food Trucks🎶 Music & Fun

Start dusting off your pointy hats and broomsticks—this is going to be a night to remember! More details to come.

📍 Follow the event updates here

✍️ The Literary Lynnch Pen

📅 Tuesday, February 18, 2025🕕 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM📍 Bourbon Barrel, Shepherdsville

📅 Wednesday, February 19, 2025🕕 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM📍 Platform 205, La Grange

Attention, writers! Whether you’re drafting your first novel, battling writer’s block, or just looking for an excuse to hang out with other creative minds, The Literary Lynnch Pen is here for you. There will be writing advice, inspiration, and absolutely zero judgment for excessive coffee consumption.

👐 Free Reiki Share Event

📅 Wednesday, February 19, 2025🕕 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM📍 Bourbon Barrel, Shepherdsville

Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Starting to believe your TBR pile might collapse and trap you forever? Come to this Free Reiki Share event for an evening of relaxation, good vibes, and stress relief.

✒️ PenCrafters Writing Mentorship Program

📅 Kicking off Tuesday, March 4, 2025!🕖 7:00 PM📍 Platform 205, La Grange

Writing a book? Struggling with plot holes the size of Kentucky? Need guidance from experienced authors? Then PenCrafters is for you! Join us for seven weeks of mentorship, support, and probably a few rants about character development.

🎙️ "Weirdos in the Wild" Live Podcast Recording

📅 Saturday, March 22, 2025🕖 7:00 PM📍 Platform 205, La Grange

AJ and I are hosting a LIVE recording of Weirdos in the Wild, where we talk ghosts, cryptids, and all things spooky with Chris McGill & Jamie Best from Dimensions Radio. Who knows—Livinia the bookstore ghost might even make a guest appearance!

☕🍪 Sample Sunday Starts March 9! (A.K.A. Free Snacks & Book Browsing)

📅 Sunday, March 9, 2025🕛 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM📍 Platform 205 & Bourbon Barrel

You told us you wanted a café. We told you we needed money to make that happen. So we came up with Sample Sunday!

How it works:📌 We let you sample potential café menu items.📌 You tell us what’s a hit (or a hard pass).📌 We remind you there’s a GoFundMe for this café dream to become reality.📌 Everyone wins.

Want a say in what we serve? Vote on next week’s samples in-store or on social media!

🛤️ Passport Programs: Collect Stamps, Earn Rewards!

📅 Launching April 1, 2025

📖 Kentuckiana Author Trail Passport

• Buy books from local authors, collect stamps, earn rewards!

• Like Pokémon, but for books.

🚂 Read & Roam Passport

• Travel between Platform 205 & Bourbon Barrel, get stamps, win prizes!

• The best excuse to visit both stores (besides, you know, needing more books).

📚 Volunteer Opportunities

Love books? Want to be part of the best bookstore in the multiverse? We’re looking for volunteers to help us bring literary magic to life. Whether it’s helping at events or just spreading the love of books, we’d love to have you.

📍 Apply here

✨ Rebranding in Motion! ✨

If you've been following along, you know we’re giving our bookstore a fresh new look. Platform 205 is now the official concept for our La Grange store, celebrating our town’s deep connection to train tourism. Meanwhile, Bourbon Barrel is the new identity for our Shepherdsville store, embracing the heart of the Bourbon Trail while keeping books at the center. Both stores remain part of From the Ground Up Books, but now with their own unique flair!

📦 Subscription Boxes – Have You Signed Up?

Our Books and Brews Box is in full swing! Choose from Mystery/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, or Local & Indie Authors—delivered straight to your door with a special extra surprise in each box. If you haven’t subscribed yet, now’s the time! Your perfect monthly read (and maybe a little caffeine boost) is just a click away.

🚂 Honoring History – The Ballard House & Livinia Ballard

Our La Grange bookstore has a story to tell, and it begins with Livinia Ballard, a woman ahead of her time. In the 1800s, women weren’t allowed to own property—but Livinia changed that. After her husband’s passing, she fought in court and won, becoming one of the first women in Kentucky to legally own her home. Today, we are incredibly proud to be a 100% woman-owned business operating in the very house she fought to claim.

Some say Livinia never left. Footsteps echo upstairs, paintings shift, and a presence lingers—but we believe she’s still here, standing guard over the place she made her own. And we honor her by making sure this space continues to uplift and empower.

📣 Stay Connected!

For the latest updates, event announcements, and occasional ghostly interference, follow us on Facebook and visit our website.

📍 Visit Us:📖 Platform 205: 205 E Main Street, La Grange, KY🥃 Bourbon Barrel: 160 Frank E Simon Ave, Shepherdsville, KY

Phew. That’s a lot of bookish goodness. But that’s how we roll. See you soon, and don’t forget to vote on your Sample Sunday snack choices!