Dragon's Lair Indie Bookstore Stock Launch

It may seem strange to be launching a Gofundme campaign for a brick and mortar store, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the truth of the matter is that Dragon's Lair Artist Emporium was already in the works, long before the world shut down. 

All that this pandemic has done, is delay our plans.

Delays can be good, as they allow time for sober reflection. What was the result of that reflection, you ask?

Well, we discovered was that the business plan that we had been working on so diligently, has proven to be a sound business model.

Dragon's Lair Artist Emporium has always been about reaching a worldwide audience. If nothing else, the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us that the world is hungry for e-commerce and that it does not have to be dependent on where one lives.

Smaller communities which have long struggled to have businesses survive, find themselves in the unique position of having less expensive real estate in which to launch businesses. This has created opportunities for the entrepreneur savvy enough to understand how to reach the world, to move into commercial real estate spaces and flourish.



We at Dragon's Lair believe that we can reach a worldwide audience who are hungry to shop from home regardless of where we are physically located, or where our suppliers (read authors and artisans) are located.

Dragon’s Lair Artist Emporium is launching as a boutique brick and mortar + ecommerce bookstore, chocolate shop and artist gallery, dedicated to assisting artisans in establishing a physical storefront centered around their independent books, sweets and art creations. 


We believe Dragon's Lair to be the first ever, truly independent bookstore. By this we mean that Dragon's Lair will focus solely on independently published books. This boutique approach to bookselling will allow us to deliver a premium reading experience and product, paired with the best chocolate from across Canada, the United States and eventually the world. 

Phase one will include the launch of our premier website which is currently under construction, due to a generous grant from the NOW program for Northern Ontario Women entrepreneurs.

Phase two is the purchase of our flagship store, to be located in Terrace Bay, Ontario. This storefront will be our corporate headquarters and the base of our operations worldwide. Once this purchase is complete, we will begin to onboard independent authors to be featured in the store, and also our master chocolatier partners.



Phase three will be the introduction of our interactive podcast and live feed studio, where we will be supporting our featured authors with live interviews, interactive productions and news feeds. It is our goal to bring the world together via technology, and create an interactive experience for authors and readers no matter where they are located in the world. We believe building these bridges will bring worldwide attention to our store and our artists.

This kind of dedicated exposure for authors and artists, is not currently available on a commercial scale. We plan to change that. We believe in turning a casual reader into an avid fan. We believe that the more opportunities that the author has to interact with and to touch the lives of the reader, the closer the bond will be become.

Striving to create a fan base for the author and for Dragon's Lair Artist Emporium is a fundamental pillar of our business design. We will be hiring dedicated employees to work this phase of the launch, and beyond. 

Phase four will expand the store to include artisans of all walks of life.



We believe that your physical location should no longer be a barrier to publication, and neither should your method of publication be a barrier to representation in a store. We plan to change the way books are discovered, purchased and consumed. 

My name is Susan Faw, and I am the CEO of Dragon's Lair Artist Emporium. I am also an independent author. We are located in Terrace Bay, Ontario, a small northern Ontario town known for bears, wolves, moose and gorgeous views of Lake Superior. We welcome your enthusiasm and financial support for this exciting new business launch. 

As we move through the various stages of Dragon's Lair's launch, we will update this page with news and progress reports, including the submissions portal that will be attached to our premium Shopify website build.

This is your opportunity to gain the physical shelf space you always wanted, in a real bookstore. This is your opportunity to gain visibility in an actively advertised and promoted store, that seeks to promote you. Your success is our success.



The funds raised during this Gofundme campaign will go toward the purchase of our building and also our renovation costs. The building we are looking to purchase is a former school board office, and will require some renovations to convert its use, but overall is in excellent shape.

The building is currently up for sale, and we are seeking to put an offer in right away, but we need your help in raising the funds for the down payment. The actual price of this building is extremely reasonable at $115,000.

To have the best start possible, and especially in light of the challenges facing businesses right now in the midst of the Covid crises, we would love to purchase the building outright.

This would keep critical funding in place for advertising, which is a hefty part of our overall business plans. We know advertising is critical for the success of any business. We intend to be very proactive in promoting you, your books, your chocolate and your art. 


This funding would mean we will be able to invest in you, helping you to grow your businesses, helping your visibility as an independent author and artist. 

The need is NOW. The store is available NOW. We need to purchase it NOW.

Will you help us launch? It would mean the world, not just to me, but to all of the independent authors and artisans who will one day join us, in reinventing how books and art is promoted and sold.

You have the opportunity to be involved from the very beginning.

This is about you and your future, and your career as an independent artisan. 

Please help us, help you. Donate today! We thank you for your support!

With thanks to the following authors who kindly loaned me their photos to include in this campaign:

Author Michelle Lynn
Author Michelle Bryan
Author Jesikah Sundin
Author Raven Oak
Author Katie Cherry
Author Sylva Fae

Watch for the launch of our website at www.dragonslairartist.com