The Small Business Spotlight focuses on area businesses that have opened in the past three years in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties. For this month's spotlight, Jessica Tobin answered questions about her life and her new bookstore.
 

Where did you grow up?

TOBIN: “I grew up in West Nyack, New York, just 20 miles outside of NYC.”
 

How did you get into the bookselling business?

TOBIN: “I’m a serial entrepreneur with a background in social media marketing, and the things I love and am passionate about tend to turn into businesses. I’m an avid reader and romantasy-lover, so I decided to turn my real-life escape through reading into a brick-and-mortar reality with a specialty bookstore.”
 

Why did you choose a romantasy (a subgenre of fantasy that combines romance and fantasy) focus for your bookstore?

TOBIN: “I love it! I think people want something that is far from reality to escape to, a story they can be fully immersed in, fall in love with characters, connect to plot lines and grab hold of the fantasy elements we all dream about. That’s why I love it. The world-building, magic, forbidden love, enemies to lovers, spice, all of it!”
 

Why do you think independent bookstores have such devoted followings?

TOBIN: “I think people want to support local business so when you give them something to cling to, a specialty, a niche, a story, they have a reason to choose you over big-box stores and brands. They also want to feel like they are part of a community and that’s what independent bookstores create.”
 

What’s your favorite book and why?

TOBIN: “Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. It’s everything I’d ever want in a book spread across eight books that emotionally wreck you but make you feel like the absolute most badass/powerful woman in the world. It’s got heart, soul, challenges, romance, struggles, heartache, love, magic, triumph, defeat, decisions we face in real life but in a beautifully thought out and depicted fantasy world. The characters have a permanent place in my heart!”

 
Why did you decide to open your store in the Cargo District?

TOBIN: “I’m very familiar with the Cargo District; I had a shipping container office a year or so ago for my social media business, so I knew this was the place for Burning Pages. It’s niche and has that cool underground retail vibe where you go and feel like every shop here is a hot spot you need to know about. Plus, the community is everything. We are all out here to build our dreams, grow our businesses, support each other and bring the community together as one to spread the local love. The Cargo District gives you a little dose of everything you need – food, drinks, art, retail, health and beauty. It’s an incredible feeling to be part of it and to have neighbors who are all putting forth the same effort you are as a business owner wanting to grow and provide for this city that we love so much with as much creativity, originality and passion as we can.”