Never, Never, Hardly Ever

I hope that you had a good week!  All is well here. We took our favorite grandchild and her parents out for lunch. 

I have seen darling Lucy about ten times in her life and have yet to see her with her eyes open.

Have I ever got a treat for you today!  One of my sweet friends has published a fabulous book this week.

 

Kelly writes a fun blog, Just TypiKel. We met at a blog conference about ten years ago. My buddy, Mo (R), had known Kelly and introduced us, and the three of us hit it off right away. We were the perfect trifecta and a force to be reckoned with in a sea of serious bloggers.  

Everywhere we went, people asked us if Kelly and I were sisters. Ever since we have called each other "Sis" and have kept in close touch over the years.

I don't remember what I learned at the conference, but I do remember the laughs.

Kelly was sweet enough to send me a copy of her first book, Never, Never, Hardly Ever, and I am so proud of her.  It is a #1 New Release on Amazon.  

 It is a brilliant mixture of memoir and reflection woven with a healthy dose of humor. 

The book focuses on Kelly working side by side with her Type A mother, Francine, in a Vancouver Asian antique shop. For good measure, there is a plethora of colorful, quirky customers, several Thelma and Louis moments, and frequent sticky chaotic situations. While I was reading the book, the Mister kept asking me what I was chuckling about.   

Never, Never, Hardly Ever is written with refreshing candor and wry humor and is a joy ride throughout the pages.

I asked Kelly if I could interview her about her future bestseller.

She was kind enough to say yes.

   Tell us a little bit about yourself, Kelly.

I’m a Canadian quirk magnet who, like you, plunged into writing when my kids were in college.

 Can you summarize Never, Never, Hardly Ever for us in just one sentence?

Sure. It’s about how my type-A mother and I survived working together at her iconic Vancouver Asian antique store for over a decade.

 And perhaps a little bit more?

It’s a behind-the-scenes peek at the various antics involved in successfully selling antiques - from the assorted customers to the exotic overseas buying trips to the struggles and successes of a women-led business.

What’s with the leaping frog on the cover?

Our shop was called Frankie Robinson Oriental Gallery (FROG) and frogs naturally became an integral part of the biz.

 Why did you choose Never, Never, Hardly Ever as the title?

Two reasons:

One - I never, ever dreamed I’d work with my mother for longer than a summer. Heavens, no. I was 26 and decided to make some use of my theater degree by becoming a teacher. Signing on at FROG was solely to earn postgrad tuition. Selling antiques wasn’t an aspiration. Despite growing up surrounded by Asian antiques, I didn’t know anything about them and cared for them even less.

And the main reason - “Never, Never, Hardly Ever” was FROG’s popular payment plan in which folks could buy a piece and pay for it over time, with no interest.

Working with one’s mom could be someone’s nightmare and someone else’s dream. What was it for you?

Honestly, it was both. I’d done well promoting senior citizen charter bus tours throughout British Columbia at my previous job and thought I’d find the same success here. Nope. The first few months at FROG were an absolute nightmare. I couldn’t sell a thing, no matter how hard I tried.

Francine - our family nickname for Frankie - had been in business for seven years before I joined her and was clearly a natural. Failing alongside her was soul-crushing.

However, things began to improve once I swallowed my pride, got my act together, and asked her for some tips.

When I discovered the joys of bookkeeping, things really ramped up for me. My dear boss loathed anything to do with finances so here was something I could finally shine at.

Biggest key to improving your sales performance?

We were selling expensive items that were already used. I had to appreciate the benefits of ownership. Once I did, I began to treasure our inventory and I finally generated some sales.

 Biggest challenge working with your mother?

Our Francine is blessed with a wealth of different personalities. I identify at least seven in the book. The one I labeled “Madame Wasabi” was the most difficult. Wholesalers and other dealers would be swept away with her excessive enthusiasm, and I’d be left putting out the fires and squashing people’s hopes.

 Can you give us a teaser tale?

The one that comes to mind involves my dad, Geoff. A humble, workaholic pediatrician, he delighted in flying under the radar as “Fred,” our delivery man. On this particular occasion, he was tasked with delivering a large antique rug to another doctor. I assumed the Doc would immediately recognize his medical colleague, despite the striped overalls emblazoned with “FRED” on the chest pocket. But no. Great hilarity ensued as Fred was ordered to heft the behemoth rug throughout the spacious home. On the hottest day of the year. The best part was when, after an hour of dithery indecision, the customer decided it was time for restorative boozy tipples... but only for himself and Francine. My father gleefully dined out on that story for years.

Has Francine read the book? If so, what did she think?

Yes, she read a version very early on. Bless her - she thought the book would be all about her.

It’s not. The reader is treated to how I went from being a 26-year-old single gal who couldn’t sell to save herself to a happily married, somewhat competent business gal. However, Francine’s tickled pink that our antics are finally getting shared with the world.

 I understand you worked together some 30 years ago now. How did you remember everything?

The book would be a slim pamphlet if not for Francine’s diaries. The woman journalled daily.

She wrote with care, clearly believing someone would one day source her journals for a book.

Reading between the lines of the 1983 - 1993 diaries triggered dozens of memories for me, and I created a timeline on two huge poster boards. My chapter themes were drawn from that effort.

 How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?

Oooh, great question. I might be a bit biased, but I believe Never, Never, Hardly Ever has the potential for a rather broad audience. It will obviously appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella’s shopaholic books, with its comedic antics, exotic overseas buying trips, and elements of romance. However, there are also the themes of overcoming career uncertainty, the challenges of training for a marathon, and learning to accept advice from others, which will appeal to those seeking hope and inspiration.

If your book was made into a TV series, who would play Francine, and who would play Kelly?

Ideally - Julia Louis Dreyfus or Catherine O’Hara would play Francine, and Saoirse Ronan or Dakota Fanning would play me.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Yes, I’m now at the age Francine was when we worked together. Her stamina and eagerness to accept challenges and embrace positivity are indeed inspiring. I'm certain they’re the reasons she’s still with us at 101. 

Thank you, Kelly! 

You can order Never, Never, Hardly Ever right here.

And pop over to Kelly's blog, Just TypiKel, for some chuckles.

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