Authors Interviewing Characters: Pamela Kelley

NANTUCKET SECOND CHANCES

From USA Today and WSJ bestselling author Pamela Kelley, comes a new beach read filled with family, friendship, romance and second chances. 

Nantucket Second Chances is “Warm, witty, and atmospheric… This is the perfect summer read.” ― Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author

She doesn’t have a job–but she does have a closet full of designer bags and shoes…

Claire Shipman never imagined she’d be the single mom of a teenager, going through a contentious divorce, and unexpectedly pregnant. On the bright side, at least she’s on Nantucket, where she grew up, and where her mother and grandmother welcome her home with open arms.

For years, Claire lived an enviable Manhattan lifestyle. Until her ex had a marriage-ending affair and also lost his job and all their money. Claire’s high school friends invite her to their book club and an off-hand joke that she could sell one of her Hermes bags sparks a business idea. 

Her friend’s brother, Cody, is a furniture builder with a spare storefront. He’s initially skeptical about the prospects of a “used handbag shop”.

But Claire is determined. With the support of Lily, her mother, grandmother, old friends and new, she begins to build a true second chance at a new life.

An interview with Claire Shipman from Nantucket Second Chances by Pamela Kelley.

Me: Thank you for agreeing to sit down and chat with me, Claire. I hope you are comfortable talking about your marriage? We can keep things as light or go as deep as you like? 

Claire: It’s fine. It’s easier to talk about it now. It was too difficult, too confusing when it first happened.

Me: It seemed as though you were blindsided by the affair? Was it a total surprise? 

Claire: It was at the time, but only because I never suspected that Ellis might be cheating. Things weren’t perfect with us, but I thought we were happy enough. 

Me: Can you tell me more about that? What was your life like then?

Claire: It was what I always thought I wanted. What many dream of. Ellis was charming and had a good job in finance. We lived on Fifth Avenue in the Upper East Side of Manhattan with our sixteen-year-old daughter Lily. I freelanced occasionally for fashion magazines, but Ellis thought it was important that I be home with Lily and I agreed.

I focused most of my attention on Lily and her activities. Ellis often worked late and was consumed with his job. By the time he got home at night he was exhausted, so we rarely went on date nights. In retrospect we were going in different directions—I just didn’t realize how much further ahead he was. I assumed that it was normal in most marriages for the romance to slow down. We never fought, we always got along. We just didn’t spend much time together in recent years.

Me: Yet you found yourself unexpectedly pregnant? How did you feel about that?

Claire: It was a shock. I didn’t think it was possible. We’d had a rare romantic night, dinner out, dancing and we went to bed late. It was Ellis’ birthday so we were both feeling celebratory. It turned out that I’d been taking an antibiotic for a sinus infection and that interfered with my birth control. I felt a mix of anxiety and joy at the news. I also thought maybe this could help bring us closer. Little did I know.

Me: You found out about Ellis’s affair that same day? 

Claire: I did. And learned that his twenty-something girlfriend was also pregnant. Ellis offered to stay and work it out, but of course that was ridiculous. Some people can forgive and move on when a partner cheats. I didn’t even consider it. I wanted to escape. The obvious choice for me was to head home to Nantucket. 

Me: You went immediately?

Claire: I did. We gave Lily the choice of coming with me or staying and finishing out the school year in Manhattan. She chose that option at first but joined me a few weeks later.

Me: How is she doing?

Claire: She’s good. Kids are resilient. She was more upset that her best friend stole the boy she was interested in. It has been an adjustment though, and she wasn’t comfortable spending time with Ellis and the girlfriend. She loves being here on Nantucket. She’s made some good friends and has settled in. 

Me: And what about you? What is it like being back on Nantucket after growing up there?

Claire: It’s home. A lot of kids that grow up here can’t wait to leave, but once you’ve been away, I think you appreciate it even more when you come back. I can’t imagine living anywhere else now. There’s a serenity here—a sense of calm that washes over me as soon as I see the island as the ferry pulls into the dock. I knew it would be a good place to heal and to have the baby. I didn’t expect that I’d want to stay, though. That was a surprise.

Me: Well, you have a business to run now, right? How did that come about?

Claire: It started as a joke, actually. We arrived here in March which is a dismal time to look for a job of any kind—literally no one is here then, it’s so quiet. Most of the jobs are hospitality related, which I have no experience in. I had just started going to book club meetings with some of my high school friends and other local women. I’d been feeling down—there were days early on when I’d feel panicky about how I’d support myself, the new baby, and Lily and what our future looked like. 

Someone asked me how the job search was going. I jokingly said I could always sell off some of my designer stuff—I had a whole closet full of Hermes and Chanel bags, shoes, clothes. I’d brought a cute bag that Ellis had given me for a gift thinking it would cheer me up as I’d always liked the color. I expected the girls to laugh, but instead they thought it was a good idea and one of them offered to buy it. After I realized they were serious, it  got me thinking and excited about the idea of opening a shop to sell previously loved luxury designer goods. 

Me: that sounds so fun. What about romance? Do you think you’re ready to move on from Ellis yet? 

Claire: It’s possible. Stay tuned….

BUY HERE

Advance Praise for Nantucket Second Chances

“Readers who enjoy the sun-soaked settings and family drama in Elin Hilderbrand’s beachy sagas will love Pamela Kelley’s new book, Nantucket Second Chances,” Melissa D’Agnese, Woman’s World

“Full of heart and hope…a feel-good reminder that it’s never too late to begin again.” ― Cindy Nichols, USA Today bestselling author, for Nantucket Second Chances

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Pamela Kelley is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of women’s fiction, family sagas, and suspense. Readers often describe her books as feel-good reads with people you’d want as friends.

She lives in a historic seaside town near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been an avid reader of women’s fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. There’s also a good chance you might get hungry when you read her books as she is a foodie, and occasionally shares a recipe or two.

She has an active Facebook reader group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/pamelakelleyreaders

You can also find her on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pamelamkelley/

Or visit her website, https://pamelakelley.com/

 

  

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews