Spitfire Publishing Introduces

The Madison Picker

A witty and heartwarming semi-autobiographical novel based on the author’s own day-to-day experiences as an antiques dealer and collector over four decades. The book’s characters are Charles and Emma Dawes. Emma is a Peruvian beauty and certified interpreter. The two met on Match. They live in Barboursville, Virginia, and travel far and wide to search for anything that they can buy low to sell high. In this first title in the Picker Series they travel to Culpeper, Charlottesville, through the Shenandoah Valley to Lexington, Brownsburg, Harrisonburg, Woodstock, Edinburg, over to Dover, Delaware, and then they jet down to Key West with their two pals where Emma goes shopping while Charles pursues bonefish. They drive back picking antiques along the way. Picker reads more like a travelogue than a novel; there’s no plot and no climax. If you read Antiques and The Arts Weekly or the Maine Antique Digest, you’ll probably find a thing or two that you like about The Madison Picker. Available on AMAZON as 5" x 8" paperback, 6" x 9" large print paperback, 5" x 8" hardback, and as an eBook. Library of Congress Control Number: 2014902355. Spanish version mid-2015. Consulting editor, Sandra Haven. Cover by Jason Gaviria. Author’s website, www.mgrove.com.

Beta Readers Say:

“This book is the first lesson in a richly rewarding education in examining, researching and buying antiques profitably. Mark Grove shows himself to be a very experienced professional with an outstanding memory who operates by an unshakable ethical code, personal warmth and a rare generosity in sharing rather than hoarding and profiting from his superior knowledge and insight.”

Bernard Ewell, author of Artful Dodgers: Fraud and Foolishness in the Art Market. Santa Fe, NM.

“Here are the stories antiques dealers won’t share: how and where they got the goods, and what they did with them. A fast, captivating read for anyone... I enjoyed it very much; in fact I would have loved another 50 pages. I’ve always thought that antiques dealers, appraisers and auctioneers would have a storehouse of fascinating tales about where/how/why they acquired their most interesting finds, but I’ve never been able to get one to talk about it in public. So your book really hit a target with me.”

Kent D. Anderson, founder of the database Prices for Antiques. Dayton, OH.

Fans of the Antiques Roadshow and Jonathan Gash’s Lovejoy series will appreciate this book, which is crammed with details of antiques, history, and the art of collecting… made me want to go out thrift shop hunting and start reading up on collectibles and antiques. Grove’s characters and their joy in plying their trade are quite infectious… entertains while it educates, and I’m looking forward to the further adventures of Charles and Emma.”

Jack Magnus, 5-Star Review for Reader’s Favorite. San Francisco, CA.

“I really enjoyed this story. By far the strongest point is the memorable characters; you do a wonderful job of portraying the colorful, dedicated, and slightly crazy personalities characteristic of so many dealers and pickers.”

David Malbuff, previous proprietor of The Strasburg Emporium, Strasburg, VA. (story character, “Jerry”).

“As a longtime antiques dealer, and diehard sci-fi fan, I was thrilled to learn that Mark Grove, antiques dealer and appraiser of all things wonderful, had brought these two discordant worlds together! The Madison Picker is a wonderfully detailed precursor to Grove’s futuristic novel, The Serapis Fraktur. The main character in both books, Charles Dawes, is fleshed out in The Madison Picker as we go on a vicarious joyride with him, and wife Emma, through the countryside of Virginia picking for antiques to resell. I can vouch that the antique dealers portrayed in the book are real (with a twist), and the endless search for that Holy Grail (a.k.a., picking) is dead on. Can’t wait for the next adventure!”

Barbara Kesser, proprietor Spring Hollow Antiques, Woodstock, VA. (story character, “Janet”)

“Delightful and educational. What a wonderful tale filled with facts, fun and adventure! Surely you’ll want to quit your day job…filled with highbrow anecdotes.... I promise you will have to remind yourself that this is a novel and not an autobiography!”

Linda Smock, 5–Star Review for Goodreads. Waddell, AZ.

“It’s like a how-to-be-an-antiques-dealer book, only better. Antiques 101. It ought to be a movie. You’ve got something here, Mark. It’s too short. Make it longer!”

Mike Peloza, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.), Proprietor, Black Cat Antiques, Enon Valley, PA.

“I thoroughly enjoyed The Madison Picker. The author’s knowledge of the business was evident and might be helpful to many. His use of a travelogue-like style was refreshing, especially since he led me around my own backyard, the Shenandoah Valley. Of the many eccentric characters, Emma was my favorite, and a few of the others I am sure I actually know well.”

Jeff Bradfield, proprietor Rolling Hills Antiques Mall, Harrisonburg, VA.

“A story about picking and dealing. What fun. Grove’s characters are so well developed, I felt I knew them personally. His sense of humor comes through in each of Charles’ adventures. When a pick paid off, I felt that we had won together! I thoroughly enjoyed The Madison Picker and I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Nina Woolford, ASA, Master Gemologist, proprietor C.M. Woolford and Associates, LLC, Richmond, VA.

“This is a too-short peek into the subculture of the antiques dealer world. Mark does a delightful job uncovering the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can vouch for the accuracy of his observations.”

Richard Bushong & Rick Booze, proprietors Richard’s Antiques, Edinburg, VA. (story characters, “The Edinburg Boys”)

“A great read! Not only entertaining, but informative, and makes me want to go “picking” for myself!”

Cecily Reynolds, Bremo Auctions, Charlottesville, VA.

“Without pickers through the years my business could not have survived, though early on my pickers were not as dedicated to me as they are now. When I was young and inexperienced, I bought some duds. In later years more experience brought much more success. Charles shows the reader the world out there (the antiques business) good and not so good, but always with an underlying passion to buy great pieces and to make a buck or two. A must read for all antiques lovers.”

Dick Barnes, proprietor Old South Antiques, Brownsburg, VA. (story character, “David Gee”)

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Madison Picker. It provides an excellent window into the intricacies and eccentricities of the art world. In addition to the fascinating characters who practically jump off the page, Mark’s professionalism illuminates each chapter. The Madison Picker educates as well as it entertains. Anyone interested in the world of antiques should read this compelling book!”

Colin Clarke, VP Freeman’s Auctions, Charlottesville, VA. (sequel story character, “Ian Blake” in Some Kind of Good)

“The Madison Picker is a delightful read! Mark Grove continues to show his talent for combining endearing characters with his working knowledge of the antiques trade to weave a wonderful book that is both insightful and educational. Looking forward to the next installment.” —Amory LeCuyer, proprietor Hampton House Auctions, Hampton, VA.

About the Author

“My interests are reading, writing, and traveling, but I was an avid collector for decades. It was one of the worst habits to kick. For 25 years I fed the habit as an antiques dealer. Shopping was half of the job description. Except for auctioneering, I was involved in all other categories of the business: picker, shopkeeper, mall operator, eBayer, restoration, schlepping, trading, hauling, and lately a PBS TV personality (Chesapeake Collectibles), etc. Nowadays I make a living as an accredited appraiser (ASA, RICS) and I divide my time between homes in Fairfax and Charlottesville, Virginia, with my Peruvian wife, Chany. In my Picker Series, which is a semi-autobiographical novel that flows like a travelogue, Chany is Emma and I am Charles Dawes. The novels, all my books really, are written in the first person. As I once did, Charles and Emma travel about Virginia, the States, Europe, and the rest of the world searching for undervalued treasures (“sleepers”). Most of the anecdotes are based on my real experience. Chany and I actually do travel extensively for business and pleasure. In May 2014, we were in Spain and we have a trip to Machu Picchu planned next year. No doubt each adventure will become at least a chapter in my sequels, Some Kind of Good and South Boston Beauty.”