CHESAPEAKE, Va. — After a Chesapeake woman was laid off earlier this year, she's now pursuing her dream: opening her own bookstore. But it's not your typical bookseller — Dead Petals Press highlights local authors and publishers that don't typically have their books sold in big box retailers.

Jeanna Akers first learned about mobile bookstores online. With the help of her husband, Chris, and the rest of her family, she purchased a trailer and worked with her family to design the interior.

"I befriended a lot of independent authors and they're what inspired me to have a bookstore that focuses on small, independent authors, people that can't get their books in places like Barnes & Noble, or be published by the traditional publishing houses like Penguin," Akers said.

Akers hosts pop-ups a

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