Book 11 in The Secondhand Bookworm novels almost here! Read a snippet now.

  ASNIPPET FROM WINTERLAND AT THE SECONDHAND BOOKWORM

Books, customers, sabotage, rivalry, romance, friendship, intrigue, humour. My series of enjoyable novels set in an English bookshop continues.


I have almost finished reading through my finished book - Book 11 in The Secondhand Bookworm - a series of novels set in an eccentric English bookshop. It is called 'Winterland at The Secondhand Bookworm'.

I would like to share with you a snippet from chapter four as I read along. 

The scene takes place in the front room of The Secondhand Bookworm. Nora, who is the main protagonist and who runs the bookshop, is working with Betty, the eldest member of staff (very sensitive about her age). Along comes a regular customer, a local author and Betty's rival.



COMING SOON TO AMAZON KINDLE AND PAPERBACK
SNIPPET FROM CHAPTER FOUR:

Betty curled her lip.

“Hello, Mr Fink.”

He stood and wiped snow off the top of his shopper, brushing it everywhere, so that it settled on books displayed in little corner shelves next to the door. He then turned and beamed, wheeling the shopper behind him to the counter.
“Oh! Hello again, old dear!” Mr Fink noticed Betty, who was staring at him like a Basilisk.
Nora worried that Mr Fink would turn to stone.
“Hello.” Betty replied tightly.
“Good for you, good for you, working here at our advanced age. Ha! Women these days. It’s delightful!” Mr Fink shook his head, laughing to himself as he bent over and opened the top of his shopper.
Betty pretended to strangle him.
Mr Fink was also a misogynist.
“I have an invoice here for Georgina, Nora. I won’t give it to you, Betty, you probably won’t be able to see it.” Mr Fink said, rudely.
Nora gasped.
“Oh, oh thank you. That’s very kind of you.” Betty simpered sarcastically, pretending to feel around in front of her blindly.
“I’m here, dear. A little to the right.” Mr Fink instructed.
Feigning sightlessness, Betty took the opportunity to wrap her fingers around Mr Fink’s throat.
“Aaaaagh!” Mr Fink choked.
“What was that?” Betty asked sarcastically and squeezed hard.
Nora pulled her arms away, her eyes watering with supressed laughter.
“Aaaaagh, oh dear. Dear me.” Mr Fink shook his head with pity. “Well, Georgina is commended for employing people our age.”
“Excuse me while I go and apply cream to my hernia.” Betty said loudly and stormed off before she really did strangle the man. 
Nora wiped her eyes, her bottom lip trembling. 
“Ahem.” Mr Fink composed himself and handed Nora the invoice. “I shall bring the twenty copies down tomorrow and Georgina can pay me cash.”
“Okay.” Nora nodded, placing the invoice into a post wallet kept under the counter. “I look forward to reading Smuggling Love for myself. Did you mention the fierce smuggler, Billy Black Teeth, who married his bride Ada Hatt in the top room above The Fudge Shop?” Nora asked hopefully, referring to her flat. 
“I did indeed.” Mr Fink assured her. “The marriage ceremony was performed by Father Sánchez and the Duke of Cole’s sister was maid of honour. It caused a bit of a scandal at the time.” He recalled.
“Indeed.” Nora recollected. 
Her flat had once been the home of Father Diego Francisco Sánchez, a Jesuit priest who was chaplain to the Duke of Cole’s great, great grandfather when the original castle stood mainly intact. The priest worked with smugglers to safeguard barrels of wine and spirits down a tunnel from the property that led to the castle keep and dungeons where Father Sánchez hid the contraband. He had to use good quality wine when offering Mass so he had thought the smuggling of wines and spirits was justified. 
"And how is your next book coming along?”
“Eh? Who said that?” Mr Fink looked wildly around.
“Me, Mr Fink!” Nora snapped her fingers before his face.
He stared at her with sudden recognition. 
“Ah, yes, hello Nora. So, I’ll bring the books down tomorrow for your shelves.” 
A woman approached the counter with a pile of assorted books.
“Thank you, Mr Fink.” Nora sighed, taking the books from the woman.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll sit myself in the corner there and wait for story time.” Mr Fink decided. “Nora! You’ll be interested to know that my next book, The Historical Ghosts of Castletown, is coming along grandly!” 
Nora was pleased she finally had an answer to her question.
“That’s great.”
“Are you a ghost?”
Mr Fink asked the woman at the counter. 
“No.” She assured him. 
“I’ll sit over here.” Mr Fink repeated and tottered off. 
Nora shook her head. There were several ghosts at the Duke’s castle. Nora hoped they would get a mention in the new book, although she was starting to have her doubts it would be legible by the time old Mr Fink finished.


WINTERLAND AT THE SECONDHAND BOOKWORM WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON!
READ THE FIRST 10 IN THE SERIES WITH AMAZON





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