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Co-owner Sabrina Moorman checks out a customer in her mobile bookstore named Plot Twist. The book store is co-owned by husband Matt and Moorman.
ST. MARYS - For a local couple, a good plot twist is more than just a sudden and unexpected change in a book's storyline - it's also the name of their newest venture, a bookstore on wheels.
Sabrina and Matt Moorman of St. Marys co-own Plot Twist Mobile Bookstore, a 6-by-12-foot trailer they converted into a small bookstore, complete with books, bookmarks, blind dates with a book, e-reader accessories, and shirts.
"I was inspired to start Plot Twist simply by the fact I was tired of driving an hour or more to a bookstore or buying online and waiting several days for my book to come in," Sabrina Moorman said. "We don't have a local bookstore here."
The business stocks romance, dark romance, thriller, mystery, suspense, horror and fantasy genres, in addition to children's books. It has about 400 books either on the shelves, in back stock or in storage. The business also stocks books from local authors including Alexis Buxton, based in Celina; S.P. Axe, out of St Marys; and Amber Elizabeth, Celina.
"Those are the genres that I read, so I'm very familiar with those," Sabrina said. "I just started looking at my favorite authors and getting their backlog. I've listened to people in the community asking about these authors. I'm open to listening to what the community wants. If there's a need for it, I would definitely be open to stocking those genres, but the genres that I have, I'm very comfortable with. When people ask me for recommendations, I would like to be able to speak to that."
Plot Twist is a mobile bookstore that sells romance, dark romance, thriller, mystery, suspense, horror, fantasy and children's books.
The couple found the trailer on Facebook Marketplace and bought it July 9. In less than a month, the duo completely revamped the trailer, which was used for deer hunting, and had a grand opening Aug. 1 at Double Barrel Bar and Grill. The renovation included repainting the walls, installing wallpaper and flooring, building multiple bookshelves and anchoring them to avoid any movement when the trailer is being transported, and adding new tires and new headlights.
Sabrina designed the interior to be as welcoming as possible. Her favorite color is sage green, so they built the trailer's theme off of that.
"The No. 1 thing I want anyone to know is everyone is welcome here and that you matter," she said. "You can come visit the store anytime and just talk. I want to build a community of readers and have customers become friends."
Sabrina gave the business's opening week as an example of the type of support she wants to rally.
"The first day, the grand opening, it was a whirlwind. I cried afterward. I knew that I was going to get support, especially from my friends and my family, but the community really showed out. It was pouring that day, and they still showed up."
She said a local woman posted a TikTok video about the trailer and that has brought more people.
Sabrina said the name "Plot Twist" was purposeful.
"I love a good plot twist in my books," she said. "It's the best part of the book. I also thought it was punny because - plot twist - I'm changing my career again."
Sabrina also works in marketing at Reynolds and Reynolds. Previously, she was a massage therapist and worked with kids with special needs.
Co-owners of Plot Twist, Sabrina and Matt Moorman, stand inside their mobile bookstore.
Matt drives semitrailers for AIP Logistics.
They met at O'Reilly's when Sabrina was 18, and they got married in October 2019. The mobile bookstore venture began suddenly, but was a great fit for both their current lives and their business interests.
"Basically, I came home from work one day, and I said, 'I found a trailer. We're going tomorrow,'" she said.
"That's exactly what she said," Matt said, laughing.
They said they pursued a mobile venture instead of a brick-and-mortar store because the latter has "a lot of overhead."
"We both still work our full-time jobs, so there would be limited availability on when we could be open. I want to go support the other communities."
She said being on wheels allows them to go to the readers instead of the other way around.
Sabrina said she was always a reader, though she suffered a reading slump during college. During COVID-19, she found the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series by Sarah J. Maas, which reignited her love of reading. Her current favorite book is "Forget Me Not" by Stacy Willingham.
Matt said he is newer to reading and is just coming out of a slump. In about a month, he said he has read five books. The "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling helped him get back into reading, and his current favorite book is "Bourbon and Lies" by Victoria Wilder.
When asked why they think reading has remained a constant out of the thousands of hobbies, the couple agreed that the habit is a form of escapism, allowing readers to explore other worlds.
"I think reading takes you out of reality and it brings you into a place almost like movies do," Sabrina said. "You create movies in your mind; you can create characters in your head. I think it (reading) takes that, and it heals something inside of you too."
"Like she said, you go to a different place, and you're free to explore your own mind when you read," Matt said, echoing his wife. "It's like you can think about these characters however you want. Yeah, they may say a description, but you may see it in a totally different way."
Reflecting on the past month, he said owning a business is hard but worthwhile. There is unseen time and labor.
Sabrina agreed, saying owners have to want it.
"If you want a community, you have to build it. I wanted to be a part of a reader group for a long time now. I wanted a community where everybody is welcome, everybody's invited, and you can just come and talk about whatever book with no judgment, so I'm trying to create that."
For more information, visit the mobile bookstore's Facebook page.
