A new chapter begins in town with namesake Bedford Books

Bedford Books, the first bookstore in the town of Bedford, has opened today — Thursday, Dec, 12 — with a full day of activities and events from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Guests can enjoy holiday shopping with free gift wrapping, hot cocoa from neighbor Mast Market and cookies from 351 Bakery. In the evening, celebrate with wine and treats from Graze New York. There will be prizes and special gifts throughout the day.

“Opening a bookstore has been my lifelong dream, and I’m so excited to share Bedford Books with our wonderful community,” said owner and Bedford resident Fran Hauser. “I hope the bookstore will be a welcoming place where people can find inspiration, learn new things,and connect with others. I can’t wait to see everyone on Dec. 12 for our grand opening celebration.”

Hauser’s background reads like something out of a novel she might sell — or a Hollywood movie.

As a former Fortune 500 executive (Time Inc.) and active start-up investor (Hauser Ventures LLC) who has funded more than 40 female-founded companies, she has offered her business insights in such media outlets as Business Insider, CNBC, Elle, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune and Refinery29, as well as in front of more than 200 organizations, including Blackrock, The Conference for Women,  Google, Mastercard, Meta, NPR and Unilever.

A spokeswoman for Hauser said that her publishing journey has proved so rewarding  — she is the author of “The Myth of the Nice Girl” (2018) and “Embrace the Work, Love Your Career” (2021) — that she created “Bookbound,” a platform dedicated to launching nonfiction authors. She is also the co-host of the “Bookbound” podcast, a behind-the-scenes guide to getting published.

Bedford Books will host a variety of special events for book lovers starting in the new year, including a salon series, author talks, meet-and-greets and more at its location, 13 Court Road.  For more, visit bedfordbooks.shop.