"I'm Not Waiting Until I'm 65" — One Woman's Leap Into Indie Bookstore Ownership on Books, Banter, & Beyond
Episode notes
Meredith Shelton has been a registered nurse for 31 years — and dreaming of owning a bookstore since she was 12. This month, that dream opens its doors. Donna sits down with Meredith just weeks before the grand opening of Common Ground Coffee and Books in Lebanon, Tennessee, to talk about jumping in with both feet, building a business outside your wheelhouse, and creating a place where a community can actually sit down together again.
The name says everything about the mission: you can find common ground with almost anyone over coffee and books — regardless of background, beliefs, or politics. Meredith shares how a casual conversation with a friend turned into a 1944 house on Hill Street, how a community book drive brought in over a thousand donated books, and why she's dedicating a shelf right inside the front door to local authors.
In this episode:
• Business Model: Common Ground is an indie bookstore that offers new books, used books, a children’s section, manga, and a free lending library.
• Business Origin: Meredith transitioned from organ transplant nursing to indie bookstore ownership after a conversation about having too many books.
• Community Engagement: The bookstore hosts a book club, offers a reading nook, and plans to add international-language titles.
GRAND OPENING DETAILS
Common Ground Coffee and Books 304 Hill Street, Lebanon, Tennessee (across from the Nashville Star train station)
Soft opening week: Week of August 24 — limited hours and limited menu
Grand opening: Saturday, August 29
Author signing: Susanna Lewis, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM on grand opening day
Coming in September: Book signing with thriller author A.G. Mock (What Big Lies You Have)
CONNECT WITH MEREDITH & COMMON GROUND
Facebook: Common Ground Coffee and Books
Instagram: @commongroundcoffeetn
Website: commongroundcoffeetn.com (launching soon)
TikTok: coming soon
Mentioned in this episode:
Susanna Lewis — woesusana.com | Instagram & Facebook: Susanna Lewis
A.G. Mock — What Big Lies You Have
Reading Rock Books — Dickson, TN (Angela & Thomas)
Bookshop.org and Libro.fm
CONNECT WITH DONNA R. MADDEN
Website: donnarmadden.com
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCxwABIo9y8BWvn0BGtlftLQ
Now available: No One But You
Next book in the series: coming November
Books, Banter, & Beyond is a podcast for readers, writers, and book lovers — conversations about books, the indie author journey, and the people building the storytelling community.
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a conversation.
#BooksBanterAndBeyond #DonnaRMadden #BookPodcast #BookishPodcast #IndieBookstore #IndependentBookstore #ShopIndie #BookstoreOwner #NewBookstore #ShopLocal #SupportLocalBookstores #Bookshop #CommonGroundCoffeeAndBooks #LebanonTN #WilsonCounty #MiddleTennessee #NashvilleArea #TennesseeBookstore #Bookstagram #BookLovers #BookCommunity #Booktok #AmReading