March - Williamsburg , VA Magazine , Next Door Neighbors

cartoons for the newspaper.“Then I decided I wanted to live in California,the California Dreaming thing,” he sayswith a laugh. “I went to work for the SacramentoBee. I worked there for 13 years, doinglots of illustrations, courtroom drawings,that sort of thing.” During this time, Hatleyexpanded his creative outletswith fine art painting,which was featured inseveral shows, and he alsoplayed in a blues band.“I went to the LA Timesand worked there as an artist,” he says of hisnext phase. “I lived on a sailboat – a 49-foot,old, mahogany sloop. That was the only typeof real estate I could afford in Southern California.”When he returned to Richmond to work atthe Richmond Times Dispatch, Hatley ran into aclassmate from his old high school days. “Jackieand I re-met,” he describes. “We had grownup in the same school in Richmond.” Theymarried, and he and Jackie kept a sailboat atGloucester Point. “We would spend our weekendson the sailboat in the summertime. Weboth have a love of this area. Jackie’s familyhad a place on Mobjack, just around the bendfrom Gloucester Point.”Williamsburg was always a stop on their tripto the York River since they preferred drivingdown the Colonial Parkway. “We discoveredAromas about ten years ago,” he says of thecoffeehouse and café on Prince George Street.“We would stop at Aromas to get somethingto eat, and I would always come down here toMermaid Books.”One April day in 2009, Hatley went into thestore, and the owner Aurise Eaton informedhim she was closing the shop. “She had triedto sell it, but hadn’t found a buyer,” he says.“I was shocked and said she couldn’t close thestore.”Hatley had always collected and lovedbooks, but had no retail experience. In additionto that, the country was in the middle of arecession. So, what did Hatley decide to do?He bought the store.He spent a month working at the bookstoreunder Aurise’s supervision. “To learn theropes,” he says. “I would come home to Jackieand say what a crazy idea it was, except I alwaysasked her: ‘But, what if we did this…or didthat..?’ It was one of those things when youkeep looking, the answer always comes up that“You have to take responsibility for your direction and not justlet life push you along or coast through it. You need to takethe helm and steer.” ~ Hatley Masonyou could do it. I would get more encouragedthe more I thought about it.”The philosophy that has guided him throughthe rough times is simple, but effective: “Mybasic model is three things: quality product,right price, convenience.” Hatley says thoseitems are his compass. “The store should havewhat you want,” he says, “at the price you want,and it’s right here, right now.”Some customers come to him on a quest.“Lots of times,” Hatley says, “people have a favoritebook. They come in and want a reallynice or rare copy of that book.” Other times aperson may not know exactly what they want.MARCH 4 MARCH 20 MARCH 27 APRIL 6 APRIL 7 MAY 26-27NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORSMARCH2011 31