On Saturday, I received a mysterious parcel. It contained: cough sweets, keys, some out of date Boots vouchers and a copy of An Unexpected Affair. My husband looked at me quizzically, until he read Jan Ellis’s guest post. You are invited to solve the mystery. Read on, if you would also like to receive a parcel.
Inside Jan’s Handbag
When Jessie asked me to write about the contents of my handbag, I thought, What a great idea. Which one shall I choose? The smart, black bag that makes me feel like a grown-up or the less smart into which I can comfortably cram a Jack Russell? Then I looked inside a couple of the bags that lurk by the front door and decided that it wasn’t such a great idea after all. Who wants to read about my dusty cough sweets and out-of-date Boots vouchers? Years ago, I had a friend who found a manuscript and a pork chop in hers. Now, that’s impressive and clearly worth sharing with the world.
Then I remembered that one of handbags had made a guest appearance in An Unexpected Affair, a novella featuring Eleanor Mace and her Devon bookshop. As this was the first fiction I’d written since the tender age of seven, I thought I’d better stick to what I knew best. Hence the contents of Eleanor’s bag:
Extract
Stepping onto the sunny street the wind whipped across her face as she stomped up the road to the campervan, ruffling her hair. By the time she had been to the bank and the post office, and walked the short distance to the vehicle, she was completely dishevelled. She peered at her reflection in the wing mirror, unsuccessfully trying to dislodge strands of hair from her sunglasses as she dug in her bag for the keys.
“Damn and blast it,” she said to no one in particular. It was, she decided, one of the perils of approaching middle age that you spent a great deal of time talking to yourself.
She was crouched on the pavement, unpacking the usual flotsam and jetsam that managed to accumulate in her handbag when she saw a pair of slightly scruffy deck shoes appear at her side. Above them two tanned knees descended from a pair of khaki shorts.
“Are these what you’re looking for?” Daniel Pearce stood there with the keys to her van in one hand and an old-fashioned string bag in the other. “You must have dropped them as you left the shop.”
“Gosh, yes, thanks,” said Eleanor, hastily stuffing the used tissues, old lipsticks, broken biros and dog chews back into the dark recesses of her bag where they belonged and rising to her feet. Daniel was standing between her and the sun, causing her to squint, despite the glasses.
“I’ve come down to get some fish for my father,” he explained, waving the shopping bag in the air. “It’s Friday. Fish day,” he added with a frown.
Coming from London, Eleanor had initially found it odd that you could only buy certain products on certain days. Sure, the supermarkets stocked the usual range of pre-packaged goods, but if you wanted the best local produce, you went to the weekly market behind the library.
“Mackerel,” he added.
“How lovely.”
[ends]
You are, I’m sure, agog to find out whether Eleanor and Daniel end up sharing a fish supper after this unpromising encounter or whether their relationship turns out to be as messy as those cough sweets. Fortunately, one lucky reader is going to find out!
Would you like to receive a parcel from Jan Ellis?
It is my pleasure to present you with an opportunity to win a free copy of A Summer of Surprises and an Unexpected Affair.
Either express your interest using the comment function via this blog post, or look out for the tweet @BooksInHandbag.
See my reviews of A Summer of Surprises and an Unexpected Affair and The Bookshop Detective.
About Jan
Jan Ellis began writing fiction by accident in 2013. Until then, she had led a blameless life as a publisher, editor and historian of early modern Spain. She fell into fiction when a digital publisher approached her to write a history book, then made the mistake of mentioning romcom, which sounded much more fun. Jan’s stories have small-town settings with realistic characters who range in age from young teens to eighty-somethings.
About the books:
A Summer of Surprises and an Unexpected Affair and French Kisses and A London Affair are published in two paperback volumes by Waverley Books. The ebooks (Endeavour Media) are available on Amazon. The Bookshop Detective is a paperback original.
Contact Jan Ellis at:
Follow Jan on Facebook and Twitter @JanEllis_writer
www.janelliswriter.com
Please see all my Guests’ Posts at Mail from the Creative Community and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.
Blow away the dust on Joshua’s books to reveal a ship. Can you see the ghost ship sailing in the distance and will this bring a bad omen? Dim the lights as the ghost ship gets closer. The characters present a tableau of the Victorian scenes. But what happened to the poor boy who was flogged? Can Eleanor’s investigation save the boy? Why does someone think that Eleanor is ‘going to kill him?’
I am getting carried away with this ‘detective lark’! Jan Ellis is so clever at writing the dialogue that I became completely absorbed and wanted to be amid the drama. Jan Ellis has skilfully woven the clues into the narrative. I envied Eleanor’s knowledge and read the book greedily in one sitting. I visited the bookshop, the fair and the parties so it was only right that I should be able to get involved in the investigation.