Nora and the Secondhand Bookworm, Book Two, finally released today on Kindle and in paperback

Today's post - December 29th 2017

NORA AND THE SECONDHAND BOOKWORM

I am actually amazed at how much work goes into preparing a novel for release on Amazon kindle and in paperback! I have literally spent a good couple of weeks sorting out Book Two in my bookwormy-bookshop series of novels for upload in order for it to be a nicely presented edition in both digital and paperback forms. I am an obsessive perfectionist when it comes to this part as I like the editions to be presented as visually good as possible. Fortunately the majority of this volume was complete as I had published it privately for my work colleagues back in 2012, although I wrote it in 2010. But I made numerous changes, cut out some characters, had a shuffle about and some rewrites and am thrilled with the finished result.

I have been determined to have Book One and Book Two in my 'Bookworm' series of novels released and available in 2017 so the pressure has been on as we have swiftly approached the close of the year. But I have really enjoyed the rewrites and endless rereads for 'Nora and the Secondhand Bookworm' and am pleased to have it submitted for kindle and paperback yesterday. I am looking forward to ordering my own copies, having a good read through of them in their kindle and paperback forms and then spreading the word. I am also excited to be able to move on to Book Three in the series: 'Christmas at the Secondhand Bookworm', which promises to offer more lighthearted, feel-good, amusing madness in an English secondhand and antiquarian bookshop. I do have to confess that I am excited about finishing and writing all the books I have planned for my series, especially 'Halloween at the Secondhand Bookworm' which I have been chuckling over today. More on future novels soon!

Meanwhile, I am gearing up to start work editing our film 'Saint Margaret Mary and the Sacred Heart' for Mary's Dowry Productions in January. We filmed visuals for this back in March 2017 but we have been so busy releasing several films over the past year that it has been a case of organizing projects and goals sensibly and having to wait on a couple of films until the New Year. Writing my novels is my way of relaxing and changing gear as I work on our films for Mary's Dowry Productions.

I'm still sorting through my notes and memories for 'Christmas at the Secondhand Bookworm', my next literary project and although I am keen to get to work on 'Fall of an Empire' which follows on from 'House of Villains' in my Catholic trilogy, this will require a lot of attention and is a journey in itself. I am keen to continue writing this series as soon as possible but am currently enjoying lingering in my bookshop world.

New safe-guards against notorious book thieves in the bookshop

My visit to my old place of work on Christmas Eve triggered a lot more memories and gave me some amusing fresh material which I have been sorting through. I enjoyed snapping some photos around the shop and came across some literary gems that often popped up there when I managed the shop from 2003-2012. There were a few changes in the bookshop that I was impressed with such as the chains across the rare and antiquarian section. It was alarming how many people swiped a book from behind the counter when we had our backs turned - I myself lost three first edition 'Moomin' books from my personal collection that I had for sale back there - we never did find the thief which was a shame. There's a new till now but I'm going to be sticking with our old till from the stone age throughout my series seeing as it provided a lot of entertaining scenarios.

A complicated new till. Me and my bookworm characters would have appreciated that back in the day.

 The yard at the back of the shop provided some surprising drama and pops up in my series of bookworm novels. In fact, it is a key location in 'Nora and the Secondhand Bookworm', especially in Chapter Six  'Z for Zachariah'. I always looked down upon it when I was sorting out the paperback room in the attic - now it has an unsightly net across it which keeps out the menacing pigeons, amusing characters in themselves in several situations...

A glimpse of the yard through the window in the paperback room

It is always best to write from experience and write what you know and the ten years that I worked in the secondhand and antiquarian bookshops have left a wealth of memories and ideas. While my characters and plots are fictional they are based upon my experience and real situations. As my colleagues and I used to say to each other almost every day:

"You just couldn't make that up!"

We started stocking the new Wordsworth Classics a few years before I left.
They start to feature in 'Nora and the Secondhand Bookworm'

I shall be popping back to my old shop in the future to see what new delights I can discover as well as find some old memories lurking in the corners or on the shelves. I also enjoy a look around the town and ponder the many changes that had taken place since my time there. More on that soon. Meanwhile, 'Nora and the Secondhand Bookworm' Book Two in an amusing, feel-good series of novels set in an English secondhand and antiquarian bookshop, is now available through Amazon to download on Kindle or purchase in paperback.