Reading through the final draft of 'Apocalypse at The Secondhand Bookworm' - Chapter One

Reading through Chapter One of 

Apocalypse at The Secondhand Bookworm

Having completed writing book 12 in my The Secondhand Bookworm series of novels (set in an English bookshop), I am now reading carefully through the first draft, making corrections and editing the story, making sure it flows and builds correctly, and checking continuity. I find this very difficult because I read and work very fast. I get excited and impatient and want everything done as quick as possible! This is probably because I want to share the story desperately so can be in a haste to get everything done ASAP. But I have two weeks before my proof-reader returns from her Northumberland camping trip so I will be patient and thorough so it ends up as a very good read for all!

Chapter One is unique and quite amusing. The book and the story opens by setting the scene for one of the main running themes of this book as Georgina and Nora travel in the bookshop van to the recently closed Doomsday Compound. The theme of course is THE APOCALPYSE. This was fun for me because I haven't yet opened a book on a 'books call'. I usually have a books call mid week and mention it in the build up throughout the first several chapters. But this novel opens inside the van where Nora is hoping she and Georgina won't be recruited into the End Times Cult they are making their way to. Nora isn't very impressed that Georgina has agreed to meet eccentric Spencer Brown at the compound and purchase most of the Apocalyptic library of books to sell on in The Secondhand Bookworm.

The library in the Doomsday Compound was an opportunity for me to explore the literature of various cults, groups and manifestoes printed by or gathered by the many people who had subscribed to the End Times belief and joined the bizarre group in the series. The compound was run by Bo and Peep, who were recently arrested for fraud and mental mockery (taking advantage of the peoples' beliefs and then turning out to have just been using them for money). 

Having myself been part of a similar group with End Times beliefs and expectations throughout the 1990's that believed in a lot of so called End Times prophesies and messages from various 'Catholic' seers, I often look back on that phase of my life with amazement that I believed such ridiculous things these people convinced us they had heard or had been given by God. My sister and I left the group in 2000 but have remained observant of the 'seers', speakers, promoters etc...over the past 25 years (some of them are still presenting crazy messages of doom on the internet or in books). We now live our Catholic Faith close to the Pope and the Catholic Church and don't pay attention to End Times writings or prophecies. I came across some of the books while I ran a bookshop between 2002-2012. Into the bin they went, haha.

Drawing upon my own experiences with such people has been very amusing and quite therapeutic. My sister is delighted that Nora gets to meet several crazy characters with a tongue in cheek nod at out own experiences. It's certainly great fun to have these characters arrive as the book progresses.

After meeting Spencer at the gates of the compound, Georgina and Nora enter the elite, sprawling, state of the art End of Days complex. They are first faced with the Hall of Divinities, a bizarre welcoming room that houses statues or effigies representing the gods, leaders or idols of many of the cults there. The group I created for the story made the compound open to anyone who believes we are in the End of Days, no matter the faith, denomination or group they belong to. So, we have zombies awaiting The Zombie-Christ, a group of cannibals, The Cult of Cthulhu, Catholics, New Agers, Buddhists and much more. Plenty of laughs there.

After walking through the complex, Georgina, Nora and Spencer enter the library and meet a member of The Acolytes of the Beyond. He is quickly ushered away. The trio spend a good long hour pulling out books and discussing how they will fill up the new free-standing bookcase in The Secondhand Bookworm. Nora is uneasy about this because she is worried that all the extra weight added by the books will crush her! Spencer is called away to settle a fight between the Atlanteans and the Zealots in the Hall of Divinities so Nora and Georgina finish up and box up the books, filling the whole van with what they have purchased.

Nora receives a text from James, the Duke of Cole (her fiancé) and Georgina receives a mysterious text which makes her giggle immaturely. She is still having trouble with Troy. Nora suspects she is texting with Timothy Fontaine. Spencer tries to get them to buy some coconuts after he invested in crates and crates of them due to the influence of a Tropical Cult who left for the Bahamas the night before. He reveals he is going to have a booth all week in Castletown to shift the rest of the coconuts on the public (lots of fun there). After encountering more cult members, scurrying about clearing their property and belongings (the books were forfeited to Bo and Peep in their contracts so the selling of the them will go to help fund their trial), Georgina and Nora set off in the van for The Secondhand Bookworm as Spencer disappears in a puff of smoke (he learned magic tricks over Lockdown so it doesn't come as a surprise to Nora).

The scene is set as the booksellers head for the bookshop, laden with heavy tomes to add to an already groaning building. I'm pleased Chapter One sets the scene perfectly, with mentions of Erik Lodbrok, Ravenstone Manor, Snowball, Humphrey and the bookshop thrown in, too. Erik Lodbrok is due to make some appearances so we look forward to that, hahaha.

Coming next - reading through Chapter Two of 'Apocalypse at The Secondhand Bookworm'. 

Haven't started the series yet? Get reading with Amazon Kindle or Paperback worldwide:

The Secondhand Bookworm by Emily Jane Bevans - easy to find, download or buy for lots of bookshop fun.