FoxTale Becomes Literary Hub

In the shadow of the City Park gazebo, the door of the stands like a portal into a world of crystal chandeliers, hand-selected books and witty repartees always at the ready. 

Co-owners Ellen Ward, Jackie Tenase and Karen Schwettman, who originally met at a writing class at Kennesaw State University, have watched their cozy bookstore take on a life of its own over the last two years, attracting a cultural mashup of readers, writers, poets and musicians to Downtown Woodstock.

The trio's vision for the Shoppe began as most dreams do: a casual conversation about a shared wish to run an independent bookstore that took a more serious turn when fate called them to inspired action.

On a trip to Colorado, Ward and Schwettman encountered a couple of booksellers who encouraged them. By the time they crossed paths with a curious fox on a mountain path a couple of days later, the idea galvanized itself into permanancy, complete with a name. 

"I felt a bit of wonder when I saw her [the fox]," Schwettman recalls. "I wasn’t at all afraid, just in awe of what was unfolding. I knew she was an answer, but I didn’t know the question yet."

Within a few short months they had drawn up a business plan, invited Tenase to join them and taken out a bank loan.

"I was shocked how rapidly things happened," Schwettman said. "I thought we’d mull over the idea for awhile, play around with it and then give it a shot. Instead, once the idea was conceived, it was determined to be birthed and quickly."

Now, like cogs in a well-oiled machine, the owners have learned to engage in each others' inherent talents to propel the success of FoxTale. Ward's savvy business sense with a background in media has been instrumental in the author bookings and event planning. 

Schwettman's interior design expertise has rendered an unsurpassed aesthetic to the Shoppe.

"I'm in the details at FoxTale," Schwettman said. "I'm a behind-the-scenes girl who loves to tweak the interior to make it exciting to the eye and warm the soul."

And Tenase is an endearing people-person who revels in bringing creatives together at and overseeing .

"From day one, I think I was destined to be in charge of the children's room," Tenase explained. "The children's section was originally slated to be a classroom, but when we saw the number of children coming into the store, we realized we should devote an entire section just for them. I just love working with them."

Unlike many "big box" bookstore employees, the FoxTale women are intensely committed to infusing their own distinct personalities into their establishment. 

"My favorite way to help our customers is with personal book selections," Ward said. "It's great that all three of us at FoxTale have such different tastes so that one of us can always make a good recommendation. Most of my favorite books take me to places I've never been. Ethiopia. India. Baghdad. A Leper Colony in Louisiana."

The most pleasant surprise that the ladies have experienced, however, goes far beyond bookselling.  

"Relationships we've made in and around Woodstock have far surpassed anything we expected. We have such good friends now that are customers. We want them to come to the store just because we enjoy their company, and it's kind of gone beyond a customer relationship," Ward said.

They've also cultivated remarkable friendships with many Atlanta-based national authors.

"We love having writers like , Karen White and Patty Callahan Henry," Ward explained. "We often have the pleasure of seeing them on the first day of their book tours, so that really makes us feel like we're a part of something special."

And in an effort to continually grow and evolve, the ladies have laid out no dull moments on their horizon.

"We will be offering an opera appreciation class, a classics book club and many more author-led writing workshops," Ward continued. "We're also forming a recurring book club that will cater to the kids in the 'tween market.' It's really important that we provide something creative that our kids can get involved in."

When asked if they had any "dream guests" that they'd like to see in the store, they all let out wistful, collective sighs.

"If Wally Lamb came here," Schwettman sighed,  "I would cast myself at his feet." Other names that emerged every bit as passionately were authors Richard Russo and Tom Franklin.

But mostly, the owners of FoxTale revel in attracting book-loving, like-minded souls, and they said they believe the perfect way to do this is just continuing to do what they're passionate about.

"I have a passion for living extravagantly every day and believe it's the little things that make the difference," Schwettman said.  "I hope that my passion for books is evident as well."