Tag Archives: The Palace

Spring comes to CHASING BOOK SALES LAND

Blog banner

My books on Amazon    Imbroglio  |  Automaton  |  Tapestries   |   25 Writing Tips

What a glorious time of the year Spring is in CHASING BOOK SALES LAND.

The resident ducks have had babies and the kangaroos are coming in to the gardens looking for the new shoots. They have the belief—and I don’t disabuse them of the idea—that I cause the rain to fall that provides them with the new grass that grows just outside the palace doors.

Ducks Kangaroo

The lavender is buckling under the weight of the Fiefdom’s bee population and the Consort and I are already salivating in anticipation of coating the honey on the lovely bread our bakery provides.

The rugosa roses are heavy with flowers, so along with everything else we’re expecting a bumper crop of hips to be turned into jam. The Trigintipetala roses are also heavy with blooms, meaning the Fiefdom’s stock of rose oil will be well and truly replenished this season. Nothing like rose oil to soothe the unquiet breasts of the Fiefdom’s sometimes unruly neighbors.

Lavender Rugosa roses
Trigintipetala roses

In the orchard our apple blossoms have transformed into little new fruits. Come autumn they will be large, red, crunchy and very sweet to bite into straight from the tree or savoured in the cook’s famous pies and strudel. The cherries, too, are abundant this year and will grace the Fiefdom’s Christmas Feast table. And let’s not forget our treasured olive trees which are covered in tiny flowers. They have only been producing a crop for the last two years so My Fiefdomness is still on the pickling learning curve. But I will master it!

Apple trees Orchard
Olive trees

Ah, Spring. Yes, we love it here in CHASING BOOK SALES LAND.

Foul play in CHASING BOOK SALES LAND

Blog banner

My books on Amazon    Imbroglio  |  Automaton  |  Tapestries   |  25 Writing Tips

It’s a sad day in Chasing book sales land.

We have lost one of our favourite citizens.

The Consort found Frank the Legless Lizard at the bottom of the palace’s outdoor swimming pool this morning. The Consort was quick to scoop Frank out but felt he was past mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR.

Lolly Legless Lizard

The Consort and I have our suspicions as to the culprit, but without evidence or witnesses we must remain silent and impartial.

Our suspicions turned immediately in Lolly Lizard’s direction.

Why? Because in the past weeks The Fiefdom has been preparing to honour My Fiefdomness with a lifetime literature award in recognition of the wealth my published endeavours have brought to The Fiefdom.

And because Frank was rather special, as well as being a favourite, The Consort thought he was the perfect choice to present the award.

Why was Frank special? Well, because he was a legless lizard and the only one in Chasing books sales land. He has cousins further afield but collectively they are an endangered species. Lolly had objected initially but withdrew it after Egbert the Rosella voiced the opinion that Frank was the most appropriate choice.

When we spied Lolly in the garden later in the morning we felt he had a very satisfied look in his eye.

Lolly Lizard

The Consort stepped in to do the honours at the award ceremony.

Rest in peace, Frank.