It’s been a strange couple of weeks. I could say why, but it’s probably better if I don’t. *laughing*. But the experience taught me that more enjoyable doors can open as one door closes. Yep, sometimes we can’t see the wood for the trees.
I have experienced many smiles over the last week, which have dried the tears.
- The romance novel, The First Promise: Sophia & Aaron in the Brit Mets Yank series I am writing in collaboration with D.L. Keur, continues to sell well, and we have received excellent ratings and reviews!

My collab partner makes me laugh as we explore new Brit/US vocabulary and enjoy many lost-in-translation moments.
We are also having some fun on our Brit Meets Yank Website!
““What is a ‘sprog’?” ask I of my British collaborator.”
2. I finally harvested the black tomatoes, which I grew from seed. Who knew black tomatoes would be red inside? They are delicious!

3. My Queen of the Night succulent finally flowered! It only flowers at night for one night only. Sigh …I usually forget. I’d been watching the buds form all week, and yesterday, we set a reminder. Hopefully, they would flower that night (Friday).


4. Under my instruction Mr PiP remodelled the back seating area, which benefits from the early morning sun and moved the patio table and chairs poolside so we can catch the early evening sun. He had a bit of a moan as to the logic until he enjoyed a nice bottle of wine catching the last rays of the sun.


5. Finally, one of my writing buddies over and writingforums.org introduced me to a K.M Weiland, who is the award-winning and internationally published author of acclaimed writing guides, such as Structuring Your Novel and Creating Character Arcs. I’ve subscribed to her blog for the latest updates.
So that’s just a precis of some of the smiles I’ve had this week.

Congratulation on the success of your book, well done Carole! I had never heard of black tomatoes, and that they are red inside. Your outdoor area looks very cosy surrounded by all the plants and flowers and the pool area is very pretty too.
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Congrats on the success of your book!
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Thanks, Laurie. IT’s been an amazing journey!
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Had not heard from you for ages – will take some time this afternoon to catch up ! I am all for smileys and garden updates and black tomatoes I did not know existed . . .
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Yes, it’s been a while! The black tomatoes are so sweet. The world is so crazy at the moment you have to smile.
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Nice to see you here and smiling – it’s been a while. Congrats on the great reception of the book. I hope the rest of the series goes well for you and your writing partner. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
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Thanks, Trent. Writing a series is hard work but fun. The publishing world is quite a challenge.
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