Good Riddance; Cynthia Copeland

 Good Riddance, is a new graphic novel memoir by Cynthia Copeland, who has previously written "just" novels on parenting. Cynthia Copeland and her husband were married for eighteen years and have three kids before she found out something about her husband that led to their divorce. While the subject of divorce is just about never going to be a happy story, the experiences and emotions that Cynthia Copeland shares in Good Riddance, serve as an excellent cautionary tale for anyone in a relationship, regarding not taking the other person for granted, watching for warning signs, how to make this as painless as possible for the kids, and what to do going forward.

And though Cynthia Copeland recounts the sadness and disappointments that getting a divorce entails, she also interjects a good amount of humor and hope.

A marriage proposal at Alternate Reality Comics!

 As many of  you already know who follow my Alternate Reality Comics Facebook page, today I and my store got to play host to a lovely couple proposing and accepting said marriage proposal! I'm making this Ich Liebe Comics entry for those of you who don't do the Facebook thang and because I'm still giddy with excitement for Lewis Cleland and Amy Cook and that I got to be a big part in the next phase of their lives!

Here's how this happened: Lewis has been exchanging emails with me about the possibility of proposing in my store and of course I said yes because it sounded like a fun time! They're from London and had planned this trip to Vegas for some time. Lewis had an Iron Man arc reactor commissioned that actually lit up and has the inscription: "Proof that Lewis Cleland has a heart" written upon it. They arrived here in Vegas last night and this morning at just after 10am, Lewis arrived by taxi to set up the reactor and then go back to the Venetian to pick up Amy. We placed the reactor, with THE RING on top in the statue case and I put it next to a bust of Captain Britain because they're from England and he's a big Marvelite! 

  About twenty five minutes later Lewis came back to my store with Amy and I greeted them as I would everybody who enters my store. Lewis went to an area of the store close to the statue display, Amy was alongside him when she caught sight of the statue case and saw the lighted arc reactor that Lewis had gotten made. Her puzzlement turned to surprise as she started to put together what was going on and she called Lewis over to be by her side. I came over to the statue case, unlocked it, let Lewis take the reactor and ring out, and left them to their space as Lewis formally sealed the proposal! Obviously I wouldn't be writing this if she had said no, and the existence of this entry and my Facebook entry earlier today will always be amongst the fondest of memories of people and things that have happened since I've owned Alternate Reality Comics these past eighteen years!

I knew right away when I met Lewis in person that he was an excellent guy, one might even say a MARVELOUS guy (grin!), and when I first saw Amy and Lewis together, I knew that this was a happy couple that belonged with each other! Amy happily called her parents at my store with her news and after her surprise ebbed somewhat, I got to visit with them and my suspicions that they were an AWESOME couple was confirmed, and then I drove them back to the Venetian (like I was going to let them take a cab - grin!). I haven't come down from all of this excitement all day!

Thank you again so much Lewis and Amy for selecting / allowing me and my store to be such a big part in this exciting, happy next phase of your lives together!