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| photo: Fred Blocher/Kansas City Star | |
As might be expected of Rainy Day Books founder and president Vivien Jennings and chief operations officer Roger Doeren, their Fairway, Kan., home "is filled with mystery, drama, suspense and even a bit of romance" in a collection of books that "would enchant any bibliophile," the Kansas City Star observed in its interview with the booksellers. A sampling:
For our readers who love a bit of romance, how did you meet?
Doeren: I was a customer in 1988, and that's when I went to find a book on how to be a good dad. I said, "I need books on babies," and Vivien was so helpful. Later in my life, I said, "I need books on how to be the best divorced dad I can be." In the course of getting to know Vivien, in 1994, I sensed a change, and asked her daughter about it. The answer was yes, there was a change in her life and she was single, and I started asking Vivien out. We fell in love in 1994.
How has this relationship impacted your life and the business?
Jennings: As far as the business, we needed him. We were going for author events in Unity Temple and Village Church and we needed the technology Roger was interested in bringing to the company, which is not a forte of mine. (Roger was a former lighting professional and engineer.) We really wanted to go out in the community to meet people and take what we have and share.
Doeren: We have many common interests, and share this goal: To leave the world better than we found it.
Jennings: And we do this by raising money and awareness for many organizations. We've partnered with almost every big civic organization in this community through the years.
How does your home reflect your life?
Jennings: Books are important as you can see from the shelves around the home. But I also have to have to have fresh flowers. It's not a must--it's a necessity. You'll see them in the artwork around the house, as well. For Roger, music is important.