Our Owners
The Next Chapter Bookshop — Gatlinburg’s only independent bookstore — is owned and operated by Susie and Steve Wilson.
Meet Steve & Susie Wilson
Susie has enjoyed a love of books as long as she can remember. Her mother, an avid reader herself, always inspired Susie’s love of the written word. In fact, when Susie came home from school on her first day of Kindergarten, her mother asked about her day. With disappointment, Susie replied, “it was okay, but I didn’t learn to read!”
Through reading, Susie has traveled the world many times, and has learned so much about people, cultures, and life in general. Reading has been formative in her deepest held beliefs and continues to reveal new horizons as she seeks to live a more fulfilling, meaningful, and impactful life with each passing year.
Steve has been a writer since his days as a Communications major at UT, however, he never shared Susie’s passion for books…until lately. Proving that it’s never too late to read, Steve is now making up for lost time.
Susie will carefully curate the collection of books for adults and children, and will manage the business affairs of the bookshop. Steve will handle marketing, promotions and community relations, including maintaining the active social media accounts.
They will often be accompanied by Pepper, their friendly and fun-loving Australian Labradoodle.