Monthly Archives: March 2010

Sealed Secrets by Jessica Blair – extract 3

Books, BOOKS FROM MY BOOKSHELVES

(In Newcastle Robert Addison and his sister Zelda have met Adele Jordan and her brother Mark)

‘Are you happy about Robert and Zelda spending so much time with Adele and Mark?’ Emily asked cautiously one night as she and Theodore were preparing for bed.

‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘though I suspect you are looking beyond mere friendship?’

‘I suppose I am.’

‘Well, I think both couples are well matched.’

(But love does not run smoothly when Robert discovers what he regards as a scandalous secret. He disappears and the Addisons blame Adele for this. She is determined to find Robert and clear her name)

‘….. Papa I want you to let me go and find Robert and clear my name.’

‘What?’ The word exploded from George as his face darkened. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ …..

‘Papa, I’ve got to go. …..’

‘No! It’s impossible. You cannot travel alone. Your mother can’t accompany you, it would not be fit for two ladies …’

‘Poppycock!’ snapped Adele defiantly …..

(Her brother offers to accompany her and they leave Newcastle on their search)

(In Rosedale romance develops between Betsy and Jim but that is blighted when She discovers he had lied to her.)

‘You pretended you were at work but were at the races in Newcastle?’

‘Betsy, I…’ Jim fumbled for words.

‘You deceived me, Jim Fenwick. Deceived me!’  …..

‘You told me you would soon be back , but you had no intention of it at all! Instead you were gallivanting off to Newcastle, enjoying yourself. What other delights did you experience while you were there?’…..

‘The answer to that is none …’

‘How do I know you are telling me the truth? How could I ever know in the future? Well, that doesn’t matter because there’ll be no future for us!’

 

(Robert Addison not wanting to be traced takes an assumed name. After a variety of problems and incidents which puts Robert’s life in danger he meets Betsy in Whitby and accompanies her on one of her regular visits to Rosedale. A special relationship develops between them, but Adelle and Mark latch on to clues that lead them to Whitby and Rosedale.)

I hope the  three extracts from SEALED SECRETS has whetted your appetite to find out what happens to Betsy, Adele, Robert and Jim.                         HAPPY READING

 

 

Sealed Secrets by Jessica Blair – extract 2

Books, BOOKS FROM MY BOOKSHELVES, Jessica Blair Country

(The fog lifted but Betsy feared a new danger. She heard the sound of  a horse’s hooves.)

” She looked round for something with which to defend herself and grasped a spoke, broken from the wheel.  …… The horseman rose out of the dip, body rising and falling with the motion of his mount. ….. Immediately he saw what lay ahead  he slowed his mount and, seeing the spoke in Betsy’s hand, put his horse into a slow walk.

‘Good day,’ he called out to her in a friendly tone.

Betsy did not reply, continuing to regard him warily. ,,,,,

‘You look to be in trouble,’ he called. ‘Want some help?’

‘I’d be obliged,’ she called out.

‘And I’d be obliged if you’d get rid of that spoke! I don’t fancy a thwack round the head with it.’

(He introduces himself as Jim Fenwick and helps her reach Rosedale and the mining community there.)

 

 

SEALED SECRETS

Books, BOOKS FROM MY BOOKSHELVES

1858. Twenty-year-old Betsy Palmer is crossing the North York Moors on her way to Rosedale when a wheel breaks on her trap, leaving her stranded all alone. When Jim Fenwick sees Betsy in distress, he comes to her aid – and a special relationship develops between them. In Newcastle, love is also blossoming between Robert Addison, son of a successful merchant, and Adele Jordan – until Robert discovers something scandalous that he fears will ruin many people’s lives. He changes his identity and suddenly vanishes, leaving Adele behind. Blamed by Robert’s family for his disappearance, Adele determines to find Robert herself and clear her name.

But when Betsy, whose relationship with Jim is now struggling, meets Robert and falls in love for the second time, all these lives become interwoven as the story moves to an exciting climax, but not before some unexpected and dramatic truths are revealed…

19th-century Whitby, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Rosedale, deep in the heart of the North York Moors, are all linked in this enthralling new novel by Jessica Blair.

Western : The Man From Cheyenne Wells

Books, BOOKS FROM MY BOOKSHELVES

My latest Western to be issued in Large Print by Magna Books in their Dales Large Print series. It was first published in hardback in 1964 by Robert Hale Ltd

After robbing a bank in Cheyenne Wells, Vance Brady serves a prison sentence. On release he decides to go straight, recover the money which was never found, and help the families of his partners who wre killed in the raid. But he runs foul of a bounty hunter and others who have designs on the money. Vance has to go through a torrid time before he can settle down to a life of ranching.

Books From My Bookshelves 11. March 23

Books, BOOKS FROM MY BOOKSHELVES

Two new books on my bookshelves. Only temporary. They’re on loan from my daughter Geraldine.

VICTORIA AND ALBERT ART & LOVE

PASSIONATE PATRONS: VICTORIA  & ALBERT AND THE ARTS.

Both books are Royal Collection Publications.

Geraldine was able to visit the exhibition which is in the Queen’s Galleries until the end of October. She was trained at the Royal Academy and has expanded my interest in art. While interested in all periods of Art, her chief interest is in Medieval Art so she enjoyed viewing such a exceptional collection of Victorian Art brought about by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  With her description of what she saw, the TV programme and these two books  I felt I had been at the Queen’s Galleries too.

Some of Geraldine’s work can be seen on website BRABOS ARTS

Sealed Secrets by Jessica Blair – extract 1

Jessica Blair Country

1858. Betsy Palmer is on her way from Whitby to deliver orders for jewellry to the miners in Rosedale. She has to cross the lonely moors.

Fog comes down  —  “The hoped for clearing of the fog did not materialise, even when she reached the heights. Clammy tendrils swirled around her and Betsy felt a shiver run down her spine. ……..Betsy tried hard to convince herself that she was still on the right track even though any familiar landmark, and they were few and far between in this desolate landscape even on the best of days, were obscured.  …….

The track dipped and turned. The trap shuddered, tipped to the right and came to a jolting halt that almost threw Betsy from her seat ……the vehicle had strayed too near the edge of the track which had given way allowing one wheel to drop into a ditch and break……Despair filled her. She was marooned on a desolate moor.”

Extract from SEALED SECRETS by Jessica Blair published by Piatkus in hardback on 10th March 2010

 

 

Books From My Bookshelves 10: Fashion

BOOKS FROM MY BOOKSHELVES

A new book on my bookshelves: Classic Fashion Patterns of the 20th Century.  There are scaled patterns here, uselful to costumiers, but there is much more. The descriptions and details will be useful to a wide range of professions. As a writer it will help me in my descriptions and keep me accurate about fashion trends. The writing is succinct and supported by an array of black and white and colour photographs as well as attractive sketches.

Lincolnshire

Books

What glorious weather we have been having, clear skies, plenty of sunshine, a frosty nip in the air early morning. It was so great to get outside after so much staying indoors because of the winter weather. So Friday last week I went to my eldest daughter in North Lincolnshire. On the Saturday I met a friend in South Lincolnshire for lunch. Sunday morning a walk on the front at Cleethorpes before returning home to Yorkshire. A very nice break, refreshing me for starting on my newly commissioned novel. I have a soft spot for Lincolnshire – After returning from aircrew training in Canada in 1943 I did all my operational flying from bases in Lincolnshire so it became a second home to me especially after two of my daughters settled  in the county and through them I made friends there. Lincolnshire has much to commend it. No doubt those who know it will agree.

Sealed Secrets – Publishing Day

Books, News

Today, 10th March, great day!  Sealed Secrets, my 19th book under the name of Jessica Blair is published today in hardback.

It is set in Whitby on the Yorkshire coast, Rosedale in the North York Moors and in Newcastle in the mid nineteenth century.  Should secrets that could destroy lives be kept buried?

Another novel is in the pipeline at my publisher, Piatkus, part of the Little Brown Book Group.

And I have just signed a contract for another – now I have 100,000 words tp write!

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Books

A glorious day here.  It is even making me think of lighter summer menus. Throughout the winter I’ve been making lots of soup – tomato in various ways, minted pea, onion,  smooth vegetable, leek and potato, and vegetable broth. I don’t like vegetables – I’ll tolerate small portions – but I do like them in soup, so I make lots of soup towards my five-a-day.  They’ll still be on my Summer menus. I love all fruits so they make up the rest of my five-a-day.

This change in the weather has also enabled me to start my morning walks again.  Sun, no wind, peaceful in the valley, what more could I want? And it gave me the opportunity to think about my new novel – I told you I had just signed a contract for it. So now it’s time to make the comupter keys work over-time.