Day 6 of our book launch week: Market day! And look at this wee stack of book beasties seen in the wild at one of our favourite writing cafes! (More in Alt Text) It's a big day today. Our regular markets for breakfast and shopping, then a country Christmas market for early present perusing. If you want to get your very own copy of Tiny Moments of Joy, you can buy here: https://www.swashbucklerpress.com/tiny-moments-of-joy All prices and shipping is in NZD, so much cheaper in GBP/Euro/USD. We've got local printing and shipping in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand for buying direct and for quick arrival. All books sent within New Zealand are signed😊❤️🌻 For ebooks (Amazon/Kobo etc) and retail print, you can go here if you'd like:

Available now at your favorite digital store!

Tiny Moments of Joy: Spotted on Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand by George Penney

(We're so relieved our book is now on Kindle as of yesterday and are sending an extra special thanks to our kindle readers for their patience.) It's been a massive launch week. I'm just having my first cup of tea while Tony tries to convince me that chocolate (Whittaker's brandy snap, which is DEVLISH) is a healthy pre-breakfast snack. Raising my cuppa in thanks to everyone who's been so supportive this week. You're the absolute best!❤️ I'd share this chocolate if I could. So delicious. Honestly, who makes this stuff? It shouldn't be allowed. Thank you for reading my book post. ❤️😊🌻 #books #bookstodon

#Spotted While Roaming In Aotearoa New Zealand: A young human (8?) is crouched in front of a white picket fence, clutching a super soaker to his chest. He tenses, then... JUMPS UP and sprays his little brother who's sleeping on the porch. GOTCHA! Little Brother roaring vengeance. It. Is. On. Two men (late teens) are trying to parallel park a car. One rolls down the window and drawls with a grin to a couple wandering by: "Excuse me. Can you please tell my friend he's rubbish at parallel parking." Couple laughing. Friend howling: "I told ya I'm not done! It's work in progress! OKAY?!" A woman (50s?) is waiting in line at a parking meter. She says to a friend: "I've got to get home today and give my tomato plants a performance review. The little buggers have NOT met any key performance indicators and I'm NOT happy." Her friend guffaws with laughter. Two men (50s?), wearing high vis, the very definition of "blokes" are walking along eating pies*. One says: "Bro, what ya gotta do is go to The Warehouse**, they've got lots of stuff there eh. All ya gotta do is look at it all." "Look at it all?" "Wouldn't lie to you bro. Ya just gotta LOOK!" A patient teen (14?) is waiting while his small terrier explores where best to widdle. Against this tree? Hmm. No. On this bench leg? Definitely not. While balanced on 70 degree incline, precariously wobbling with one leg raised. YES. This is definitely the spot. Job done, they walk on. (Continued Below)

#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand: A tiny human (2?) has spotted Mum's cake on a cafe table. Ahh... Mum is distracted talking to a friend. Hmm... If he just climbs on this chair... And then onto the table, And then SITS on the cake... She'll never notice, right? (She notices.) A woman (60s?) pulls over and offers a lift to an international student walking down her quiet inner city street. It's bucketing with rain and he at first looks confused and then accepts gratefully. They zoom off down the hill into town, safe and dry. A young human (8?) has spotted a shopping trolley parked in a no parking zone. This is clearly NOT correct. Scowling, he marches forward and stomps it back to the trolley return before rejoining Mum with a vindicated air. Not all carpark heroes wear capes. A tiny human (1?) is sitting on Mum's knee while Mum talks to friends. Tiny Human is watching the faces around her intently, mirroring their expressions. First a frown. Then a smile. Then a BIG chortle when everyone laughs. She's getting the hang of this! A wiry man (60s?) in a plaid shirt, jeans and work boots is waiting in line for coffee, talking on his phone. He says: "Ya right love? Flat tire? Yeah. I'll be there in a minute. I'll get ya a coffee and'll come sort it out. Don't you worry. Love ya." He hangs up and orders two coffees to go. (Continued Below)

Okay, vital book launch nibbly question for my lovely Kiwi and Aussie people: When making fairy bread, white bread is of course mandatory but do you traditionally do margarine or butter? (I was raised with marg on mine, but I love butter... I'm not sure what other people prefer though!) For the non Kiwi, Aussie people, fairy bread is a traditional kid's party treat. Fluffy white sandwich bread, butter/margarine and sprinkles.

Australian Fairy Bread Recipe | Wandercooks

#food

#Spotted from a Sunny Cafe in Aotearoa New Zealand: A effervescent woman (80s?) wearing a flowing yellow floral dress bustles from her wooden cottage and carefully crouches down on her garden path to offer a bumble bee a drink from an outstretched teaspoon. Beaming when her gift is accepted. A man (30s?) is cradling his tiny brand new human against his chest. Jiggling her up and down. Murmuring softly and gentling "Shhhing," when she makes little awake noises. He's sleepy, and every now and then looks hopefully at the counter for his coffee, but there's contentment here. Two bubbly women (50s?) are catching up. One's hot chocolate arrives and while she's distracted by something out the window, her friend deftly snaffles her marshmallows. Popping them into her mouth. Only the faint cheeky twitch to her mouth giving the game away. A man (60s?) who looks like a piratical Ernest Hemingway, with a fish hook earring and an immaculate short grey beard is sipping a cappuccino while reading a timeworn paperback Hemingway. He's not the old man and the sea, but he is the (not so) old man with a coffee. A brown sausage dog is jauntily trotting along, nose pointed forward. But what is this?! ANOTHER BROWN SAUSAGE DOG?! (Gasp!) He'll see about that. A stern bark is required before they decide they're friends. Noodly bodies side-by-side as they give each other a polite introductory sniff. (Continued Below)

#Spotted on a Rec ent Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand: A woman (19?) is studying a stationery display. She bites her lip, looks at everything from one angle, then another. Finally, after taking a deep breath, she picks up a pen. Yes. This is the one for her. Important decisions take time. A woman (30s?) is taking a selfie of herself while holding a big blowsy lettuce next to her cheek. Her grin is Cheshire Cat wide. The lettuce doesn't seem to have an opinion on the matter, but it's putting its best leaves forward anyway. A man looks at the giant cheese being melted for raclette at a cheese truck. Scratching his jaw he asks no one in particular: "Wonder if that's good eh." Two people immediately assure him it is. Watching melty cheese being poured onto roasted potatoes with an air of reverential expectation. A woman (60s?) says to a friend: "Craig and the boys are cuttin' the tree down behind our house today and I couldn't watch." Her friend winces: "Got your phone on loud?" She laughs: "Yeah. Urgent Care on speed dial always. Although I haven't had a call yet, so fingers crossed!" A man (50s?) in bare feet, paint flecked shorts and a band T-shirt is ambling along with a friend. He says: "I dunno about you, but I'm feeling the need. The need for cheese. Whaddya think?" His friend laughs: "I think I could handle that." (Continued Below)

#Spotted Recently on Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand: A small human (3?) in a dinosaur shirt is MOST disgruntled. Looking up at Mum with an offended frown he states emphatically: "We are IN THE WRONG CARPARK! The toy shop ISN'T HERE!" Mum doesn't seem to grasp the gravity of this situation. A woman (60s?) is carefully making her way through the markets with the help of a walking stick covered in bright red Christmas tinsel. She might be a little slow, but she's sparkly. People smiling in her wake. A woman (50s?) stops abruptly next to a newly vacant lot, exclaiming to her partner: "Look! A rogue iris! How special is that?!" Grinning she points to a pretty purple flower that's popped up from between cracked concrete slabs where a block of flats used to be. Three small humans (2-6?) are all scrunched up together on a bench seat in front of a public piano. They're working on a masterpiece! What it is, no one knows! The important thing is that they're all having fun. Fingers racing over the keys. Chortles and giggles and plinkety plonk. Two snortling small humans (3 & 5?) have decided that they cannot possibly get into the car until they first: Spin around this pole here... Then jump over this crack... here Then do some vigorous jumping on the spot... here. Dad waiting with his arms crossed, chest heaving with a huge sigh. (Continued Below)

Out Now! Tiny Moments of Joy: #Spotted on Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand Hello lovely people, Today's the launch day for Tiny Moments of Joy and we couldn't be happier to share the news with you. You can get your copy here: https://www.swashbucklerpress.com/tiny-moments-of-joy It's available in print worldwide from our small publishing company, Swashbuckler Press* - with a special version for Kiwis and Australians. You can also get it in ebook form in all stores (Follow the above link for all details)* * Spoil yourself or gift someone you love with a little slice of Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand. Inside, you'll find 240 of the best market day moments from 2024/25, selected for how much our readers enjoyed them. You'll also find a glossary at the back of common Kiwi terms and days just in case you're not familiar. Huge, huge thanks for all your valuable support and positivity this year. Sending a very big and maybe a bit emotional smile from the living room of a little wooden cottage in Aotearoa New Zealand. xxx George (Continued below) #Bookstodon #books

#Spotted on Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand: A small human (4?) wearing a frilly crocodile print dress has a VERY important announcement to make. Looking up at Mum, she announces very solemnly: "My brain has a thought inside." Mum treats this information with the seriousness it deserves. A small human (3?) has decided that what she wants MOST in the world is a donut. Mum says she's gotta eat her bacon roll first. But she doesn't WANT her bacon roll anymore. Nope. She wants a donut. Mum says she's still not getting a donut. Hmm... Maybe her bacon roll isn't so bad after all. A small human (3?) ceremoniously takes off one of his bright yellow Crocs and places it with great reverence in front of a Lego display in a toy shop window. A suitable gift to the toy gods. (Mum looking on, bemusedly shaking her head.) A young human (7?) is lost in a comic book. Walking along slowly. Reading as he goes. Meanwhile, Mum has a shepherding hand on his back. Guiding him through the markets. A bag full of leafy celery slung over her shoulder. A small human (5?) finishes eating an apple and is MOST disgruntled when Dad tells him to carry the core until they find a bin. But wait! He's had an idea! While Dad's distracted, he can just slip the core into dad's open cargo shorts pocket... Dad'll NEVER notice. (He notices immediately.) (Continued below)

#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand: A woman (70s?) is laughing as her husband tries to read a menu. She says: "Forgot your glasses didn't you?" "Yep." "Want help?" "Nope." "Good. Because I wasn't gonna offer." He gives her a fierce faux scowl, then stalks off to inspect the cakes. An elderly rotund terrier resembling an egg with legs is doing her best to scratch an itch but her tummy is so round her foot can't quite reach! (Oh no!) Paw batting comically through the air, her human coming to the rescue to give her ear a scritch. Ahhh. That's better. A wiry man (60s?) wearing a bucket hat, heavy work boots and faded overalls is walking his lawnmower down the footpath of a quiet street. Someone calls out a greeting from their porch and he replies. "Just off to do Dot's lawn. She's a bit under the weather and it's the right thing to do eh." A bubbly woman (50s?) wearing a delightfully frilly pink sundress, is catcalled by an approaching friend. Laughing, she does a pirouette before enveloping her friend in a big warm hug. A vivacious woman (30s?) wearing a straw hat and a flowing floral dress with old fashioned puffy sleeves is complimented in the street for her fashion. With a big delighted belly laugh she says: "I LOVE a statement sleeve. Can't have a shit day if you've got a statement sleeve. It's science." (Continued below)