Book it: literary apothecary opens

NEW LONDON — Earlier this month, the Huron County Growth Partnership welcomed Ash & Vale to New London. It's located at 3 E. Main St. next to Your Daily Grind coffeeshop. "It's a beautiful day to open an independent bookstore in the downtown village of New London," according to a partnership statement. Owners Ashley Elliott and Sarah Fischer owned a mobile bookstore for several years in the Lorain County area. And once they found this site in New London, they decided to settle into a brick-and-mortar location. They chose the Ash & Vale name for Ashley Elliott and a relative of Sarah Fischer with the name of Vale. Both describe their business as "sort of a literary apothecary" that sells romance-related books written by women authors. There is a romance in every book they carry, but the plots can be contemporary, historical, fantasy, thriller, mystery or any other genre. If they do not have a book someone is interested in, they will special order. In addition to books, visitors will find an array of literary-related merchandise, such as T-shirts, looseleaf teas, cups, pens and other gift items. In addition, they will be carrying "Blind Date with a Book," a gift-wrapped book with hints to its contents on the outside. The shop presented its grand opening on June 7, and several indie authors were on hand for book signings as part of the festivities. Elliott and Fischer said additional book signings are part of their future plans. They welcome everyone to come in and look around. An interior barndoor joins their store and the coffee shop, so when both businesses are open, visitors are invited to enjoy both. The shop is closed on Mondays but open at 10 a.m. every other day of the week. Closing hours are 6 p.m., except Sunday, when it closes at 4 p.m. Editor's note: Ellen Simmons contributed to this news story.