The weather is cooling down in Northern Arizona but events at Bookmans Flagstaff are just heating up. Thanks to our newest Events Liasion Elena, you can expect events with a different take. When she isn't working with her team in Electronics, she is meeting with a tight-knit community. Elena brings a new level of enthusiasm and we asked her a few questions to find out more about her and what her plans for Bookmans Flagstaff are.

What drew you to the Event Liaison position?
To me, wanting the Event Liason position was more of a natural move. We've always got events happening and it was wonderful to step in and say, "Yes, I would be happy to help with that," and being able to do so. That also came with having fun on our Twitter account -- that presented itself to me as a window to our community outside of the store, to see our relationships with other businesses and people who do follow us there. I liked that a lot and wanted to do more. Taking this position has already allowed me to do that!

What are some goals you will strive towards in your position?
One big thing I am focusing on is re-creating the laid-back, hangout atmosphere that I remember having as a customer in the old store, before the collapse and rebuild. I wasn't living in town at the time so coming up to visit and making a stop at Bookmans was a big deal -- and there was always something going on! Whether it was live music, signings or gaming tournaments, it always felt like a solid place to come and spend a few hours. Now that I'm looking at things from the other side of the counter, and with the collapse/re-build in mind, hopefully we've still got some of that vibe, and that it's been getting stronger since we re-opened. I like to think it has been.

What will you do to make this position your own?
I'm a bit of a nerd and a geek, personally, so I'm hoping to have more events in-store tailored specifically towards pop-culture, the books we all enjoy, the games we play, and the films, music, and comics we spend a lot of time discussing at the counter. I also hope to begin relationships with unique community outposts that reflect the same interests! It's important to connect with others over things we love! Entertainment is supposed to be fun! I've got no qualms wandering around the store dressed like an airship pirate or a hobbit, or singing and dancing at the counter, and I'm happy to encourage my customers to do the same, especially for larger, themed events!

What are your favorite tools of the trade?
My favorite tools of the trade are my coworkers and customers! Both are filled with a ridiculous amount of knowledge and ingenuity, and provide me with tons of inspiration for the events we're currently planning. I've likely been driving everyone a little further up the walls lately with so many questions and spontaneous "What if we dids" or "How abouts" but I'm really grateful for all the input and support I get on a daily basis!

What do you do when you're not at Bookmans?
When I'm not at work, I'm usually watching movies or shows with friends both online and off, and chatting about what we see. I'm a fan of a multitude of stories and characters, so there's always an inspired project on my desk, whether it's a costuming item or some artwork, or a practical craft -- I adore crafting. I browse sites like Pinterest and am often on the look out for new crochet patterns and DIY tutorials. I recently began my first Dungeons and Dragons game in about 10 years, and that's been a trip and a half just in the past couple of sessions, and have been putting some serious thought into replaying as many Sonic the Hedgehog games as I can in the near future.

What are you reading, listening to or watching right now?
As far as recommendations go? Music-wise, I'm still enjoying last year's "Neighborhoods" by blink-182 quite a lot, as well as "Heady Fwends" by The Flaming Lips, "Thank You" by Casey LaLonde, and "Orbit" by Meysell Quintana. I'm currently finishing up A Dance With Dragons, the latest installment of George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones series, and just recently fell in love with A Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges, which blew me out of the water. I am also gearing up this fall for season 8 of the television show "Supernatural". If you've yet to give that a go, don't wait any longer! It's kind of amazing!

To see what Elena is up to follow @bookmansflag on Twitter and don't forget to peek at the Events Calendar!