The Bookshelf will be hosting author Randy Collins for a book signing March 23rd at The Bookshelf.

Randall Collins had spent all his life applying practical skills to achieve results. As an accountant, he was used to organization, analysis, and responsibility. After he retired, he found himself with a gap in his life; he wanted to be productive, but he’d had enough of being answerable to a boss or a client – he wanted to work on his own terms.

Like many people, he turned to gardening and found it to be a compelling, fascinating world. For him, it was a perfect solution – the meticulous, observation-focused mindset he’d developed as an accountant translated beautifully to the process and science of gardening, while the art and creativity required to nurture and grow ornamental plants allowed him to explore a new side of himself. But at the heart of this memoir is Collins’ greatest challenge: how to outsmart a foraging white-tailed deer who saw the garden as his personal gourmet salad bar. A warm, relatable story of how one man came to terms with retirement and nature, Stop…and Smell the Mints is both delightful and educational.