Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time! 😊

Recently in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Cover Reveal!!!!!!

• Booktail inspired by ‘The Nocturnals’

• An event with Susannah Glenn

• Competition Winner

Read on for a catch up on what I’ve been up to. What a great month it’s been here! We managed to take Harriet to the river a few times and she loved that of course. A winter fire close to the water is so lovely and there were marshmallows cooked! My son had a birthday and I love to procrasti-bake so I tried my first ever cheesecake (after being scarred by a gelatine catastrophe). As part of my efforts to have micro-adventures this year (going to nearby places and events on the weekend) we went to the Willunga Almond Blossom Festival and it was so good.

I am super excited to be able to share the cover for my 2027 book, SHE WON’T LEAVE!

It’s always a scary time opening that email with the cover inside but I was beyond happy with this one and can’t wait for everyone to read it!

You bought her house. She wouldn't leave. Now she's dead. Emma's dream home is about to become her worst nightmare...

Isn’t it gorgeous?

There’s very little in the world I love more than a great thriller but I have always loved to read across genre since I was a kid and raided my mum’s bookshelves for anything I could get my hands on (and they were not all age appropriate). I had heard great things about THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans and my interest was sparked by it being an epistolary (in the form of letters etc) novel. The book follows Sybil, a 73 yo now retired lawyer and it deals with grief and family as she battle the loss of eyesight and aging. It drew me in and I ended up loving this one.

What have you been reading this month? Let me know if there’s something I should add to my TBR list!!

I had so much fun making this month’s booktail. It was inspired by the excellent ‘The Nocturnals’ by Frances Whiting. The colours on this cover reminded me of the blood oranges that I’m fighting some local possums for off our tree. It turned out so delicious as a take on a lemon creamsicle.

The Nocturnals

Ingredients:

- ½ oz triple sec

- 1 oz vodka

- 1 oz blood orange juice

- 1 tsp condensed milk

- Lots of ice

Method:

Add everything with ice to a shaker and make sure to shake well then strain over ice. I made some orange zest sugar to rim the glass which was extra yum!!

What else I’ve been up to:

I love getting out to bookish events when I can and it was great to get to Susannah Glenn’s book launch at Dymocks Adelaide for her latest ‘Without a Trace.’ Listening to her talk about it was so interesting and hearing about her family background in aviation suggests it will have that real authenticity.

Competition Winner:

Samantha Ackland is my t-shirt competition winner! Congratulations!! Please email me at rebeccaheathauthor@gmail.com to organise me to send it to you!!

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Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time! 😊

Recently in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Meeting my new great niece

• New book ideas

• Booktail inspired by ‘All The Colours of the Dark’

• An event with Mercedes Mercier

Read on for a catch up on what I’ve been up to. It’s been a busy month and I’m beginning to wonder if there’s any other kind.

We’ve had a few river escapes with Harriet and some catch ups with friends. I did a perfume making class and it was even more fun than I’d hoped. Would recommend if you ever get the opportunity. Mine included notes of gin, lime, chocolate and vanilla! All the good things! Meeting my gorgeous (tiny!!) great niece was a definite highlight and I can recommend baby cuddles to cure what ails you!!

This month has been one of the quieter on the writing front. I’ve been doing a few things for my publisher for my Jan 2027 book (cover talk, blurb talk all those fun things) as well as making sure I’m ready to submit the draft of my 2028 book. Then there’s trying to decide what comes next and that involves some writing and a lot of hard thinking!!

Hoping to have some cover news soon.

I have been so lucky with the books I’ve been reading lately! My biggest problem is that there’s never enough hours in the day. I love all kind of genres and was drawn to a few recommendations of ‘Heart the Lover’ by Lily King. In it, the narrator is telling her own great love story that spanned years from college well into her adult life. It begins with a love triangle but that doesn’t really describe it. There was so much love and pain and it was a beautiful read.

What have you been reading this month? Let me know if there’s something I should add to my TBR list!!

This month’s booktail was inspired by a book I actually put off reading because the talk around it said it was really, really good. I feared it would be a let down. ‘All The Colours of the Dark’ by Chris Whittaker is a decades spanning mystery where a boy from the wrong side of town sees the daughter of a wealthy family being assaulted and steps in, only to be taken in her place. He’s held captive while the world gives up on him his only comfort a girl who he isn’t sure is real. When he’s rescued it begins a life-long hunt for the mystery girl. It’s dark and brutal but full of hope too. It will stay with me for a long time.

All The Colours of The Dark

Ingredients:

- ½ oz blue curacao

- 1 oz raspberry cordial

- ½ oz pineapple vodka

- ½ oz Midori

- Coke zero

Method:

First the red cordial, then top the glass with ice. Add the other alcohol carefully to keep from mixing too much then top with coke. The colours then become lost in the ‘dark’ of the drink. It was delicious!

What else I’ve been up to:

I was lucky enough to head out to Mawson Lakes Library for an event with the lovely Mercedes Mercier. I chatted about ‘The Last Encore’ and she talked about her latest, ‘The Couples Retreat.’ It was a great night with so many wonderful readers, despite it being a chilly winter’s evening (once we managed to find the location).

Photo credit Jules from @what.jules.read

Competition Reminder

I’m going to draw the winner of my competition this coming week so please sign up to my newsletter to win the Cedrics Band t-shirt!!

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Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time! 😊

Recently in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Birthdays and a winery visit

• New book ideas

• Booktail inspired by ‘Yesteryear’

• A competition!!

Read on for a catch up on what I’ve been up to as well as a competition to celebrate my UK paperback release!!!

Another busy month here with lots of writing to do as well as a few events happening in my non-writer life. I find it’s much better to write when I’m getting away from the keyboard as well as spending solid hours in front of it.

We’ve had my nephew and his wife’s baby shower and there are not many weeks until I become a great Aunt (is it just me or does that sound rather old?!). A friend’s 50^th was a warm, lovely occasion. And a day out on a winery trip visiting some of the best the state has to offer. We snuck in a working day up at the river which Harriet adored and felt like a mini-vacation.

As well as finishing the proof edits for my 2027 book, I’ve been working on ideas for my 2028 book. This included a lovely chat with my editor. This will be our first book working together from the beginning and it was so nice to talk about the idea and what the next steps will be.

This week is the release of THE LAST ENCORE in paperback in the UK. I’m so excited to see people reading it already and saying such brilliant things!!

I had a great reading month and one of the books I most enjoyed was Amy Tintera’s ‘Listen for the Lie’ which I listened to the audiobook of during my walks with Harriet (and a few jogs without). It’s about a young woman, Lucy, who can’t remember anything about the night her best friend was murdered but was found covered in her blood. She’s moved away from the hometown where they all think she’s guilty but a podcast brings the case back to the public eye and she has to return home for her (delightful) grandmother’s birthday. It was a like a performance in my ear and while the voice in Lucy’s head got a little annoying the rest made up for it. An entertaining listen for my walks!!

What have you been reading this month? Let me know if there’s something I should add to my TBR list!!

This month’s booktail was inspired by a book I couldn’t resist reading. ‘Yesteryear’ by Cairo Claire Burke has created such a buzz with its premise of a modern day ‘trad wife’ influencer finding herself stuck living in the real era that she’s been cosplaying. When a book is so hyped it can be hard to live up to and I think it suffered a bit for me because of the noise around it. Interesting and good but not a fave.

The Yesteryear

Ingredients:

- 1 oz Pineapple vodka

- 2 oz Cloudy apple juice

- Dash of grenadine

Method:

This one was pretty straightforward in the end although I tried a number of combinations. A dash of grenadine in the bottom of the glass, add ice then carefully add some apple juice until almost full then the pineapple vodka. Was quite sweet although I used an unsweetened juice. Lots of ice helped dilute it to quite a nice drink.

What else I’ve been up to:

I was lucky enough to make a couple of writerly events this last month. First I went up to Blackwood Library for the event with Dervla McTiernan interviewed by local author Michelle Prak for her latest ‘Three Reasons for Revenge.’ Then out to a Sisters In Crime SA evening where Mercedes Mercier talked about her latest ‘The Couples Retreat’ which I just finished and really enjoyed. She was in conversation with another local author Eve Thomson talking about her book ‘Smother’ set in the world of a private school football program and I can’t wait to read it.

COMPETITION:

This week is the paperback release of THE LAST ENCORE in the UK. It’s so exciting and to celebrate I have a very special item of a Cedrics Band (the subject of the reunion tour and the documentary featured in the book) tour t-shirt featuring the cover of their biggest international hit STORYBOOK LOVE. Modelled by my youngest below, it’s a definite collectors item given what happened to the band…

To win, just sign up to this newsletter and comment below!!

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Winner will be announced in my next newsletter.

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time! My April update includes a little of May as it’s a quieter time between releases 😊

Recently in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Writing Update

• Books I’m reading

• Booktail inspired by ‘Caller Unknown’

• A local book launch for a writer friend (yay!)

It’s been a great few weeks with Easter time at the shack with family including the FIRST ANNUAL GOLDEN EGG GAMES (imagine a plastic egg hunt with points awarded for numbered eggs for doing tasks like an arm wrestle or singing a musical theatre song - my 18yo son loved that but it was a fine rendition of ‘Let It Go’). We managed to make some time to help my in-laws who had a huge branch come down at their farm in the Adelaide Hills. Harriet was particularly helpful of course. The cutest pup with ear protection ever!

This month on the writing front I have been drafting a new idea that I’m not even sure what it is yet but will hopefully have more to share soon.

For my 2027 book it’s been time for proof edits. These are the last and most finnicky of the editing stages. Small details like whether the word ‘and’ is stacked on two lines, or missing commas are hopefully caught here. I have to admit I am not a great help and am so grateful to the professional proofreader for catching as many things as possible.

We have a title now and I’m hopeful I’ll be able to share all the details very soon!!

I couldn’t resist reading ‘The Family Friend’ by Claire Douglas. I’ve read quite a few of hers and I’ve enjoyed them so I went into it knowing I was in safe hands. I loved the premise where our main character, Imogen, is left an estate with a gorgeous house by a famous artist who is a distant family friend. Imogen was a journalist so when the previous owner’s death begins to appear suspicious, she’s determined to discover the truth. I was not disappointed. It was a great pace with a setting I adored and well-concluded. Would definitely recommend!

What have you been reading this month? Let me know if there’s something I should add to my TBR list!!

This month’s booktail came about for two reasons:

• The first was that I’d pre-ordered Gillian McAllister’s new book ‘Caller Unknown’. Those who’ve been here for a while will know that ‘Wrong Place Wrong Time’ is one of my favourite books so I couldn’t resist a premise of a mum receiving the call that her daughter’s been taken and deciding to do whatever it takes to bring her home.

• The second thing was I’d made some delicious lemon muffins including home made lemon curd. It was so bright and fresh and I went looking to see if I could use it in a booktail.

Ingredients:

- Homemade lemon curd

- Gin

- Soda

- Blue curacao

Method:

Mix the gin, soda and curd (equal parts gin and curd, double the soda) and shake until creamy/fizzy. Then layer with the blue curacao. The greenish colour wants to happen whichever order you do it so don’t stress about perfect layers. Then drink together as a combination.

I’m sure you’re all wondering on the verdict of lemon curd in a cocktail, and the answer is… yes! I think! It was sweet and sour and rich all at once and it was an interesting creamy mouth feel. I would recommend overall but it was an interesting combination.

What else I’ve been up to:

I was thrilled to head up to Shakespeare’s Bookshop in Blackwood (who are always such a great support of local authors) for the launch of Mercedes Mercier’s new book, ‘The Couples Retreat.’ She’s a great writer friend and I’ve read and enjoyed her books! It’s a thriller with a young police officer and all the rawness and vulnerability that entails and she’s looking into some rich unlikeable people. Completely fabulous premise and I can’t wait to read it!

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

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Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time! My March update is technically in April but the Easter period is always a bit of a blur 😊

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Writing Update

• Books I’m reading

• Booktail inspired by ‘In Her Defence’

• Loving live music

March was a busy month with my youngest’s Year 12 formal and she looked so beautiful. It was great for us to all take a moment to celebrate with her and enjoy this milestone of her last school year. The two older kids are back to uni so there are a lot of coming and goings while I’m trying to work, but the chats are always welcome. We snuck away to the river and Harriet had THE BEST DAY EVER when she got to ride on the tube with one of her besties Stanley (and one of her human crushes Mitch). I think she loved it!

📚Order The Last Encore

This month has been packed with more events for The Last Encore as well as finishing making some changes around my new editor’s feedback on my 2027 book. Along with some great suggestions to improve the story there was a lot of this:

This is always nice to see at this point! I’ve just received my copy edits and I have a couple of weeks to do these. This is more on a line edit stage and will hopefully help make the flow at the paragraph level better.

I’ve been drafting as well and I was hit by a bit of a different idea from my normal domestic suspense that I’m keen to play with (and have been led astray by Rach Johns encouraging me to explore) so I might spend some time on that one soon.

Author events are so much fun and my very first for my first thriller, The Summer Party came about with a very late-night message on a Friday evening. Librarians work late! And it was the lovely Rochelle from Ngutungka West Lakes library. I was thrilled to return for the 4^th time. The always engaging Michelle Prak interviewed me for Sisters In Crime SA as well and it was a brilliant chat with a more writing focus.

I’ve had ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman on my bookshelf for a long time but hadn’t read it before now. I’d enjoyed several other books by this author so I knew I was in capable hands. I do believe sometimes that buying books for my bookshelf and reading are two different yet complimentary hobbies.

At the encouragement from an author friend, I finally picked it up and I wish I hadn’t waited so long. What a wonderful read. The main character has a particular charm and I laughed and I cried and I would recommend it to everyone!

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

I’m always interested when a book is selected as a Reece Witherspoon book club pick and then the premise of ‘In Her Defence’ by Phillipa Malicka caught my attention. It’s around a celebrity libel trial and includes themes of therapy and family estrangement and the complex mother and daughter relationship. I was left unsure of what I thought about it, but it did stay with me.

Ingredients:

• 1oz pineapple vodka

• 1/3 oz blue curacao

• Splash of grenadine

• Lots of ice

Method:

Add a little grenadine to the glass, then fill with ice. Add the blue curacao then the vodka and top with soda water. This one looked so spectacular and tasted really good!!

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

My love for live music was part of the inspiration for The Last encore and I was thrilled to get out to the opening of the Adelaide Festival where Pulp played who I first saw in something like 1998. Jarvis might be a bit older but he’s still got it. One of our wedding songs is a Pulp song, any guesses?

We also were able to see Ed Sheeren who has so many great songs I love and always puts on a good show.

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time!

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• The Last Encore is out in the world

• Books I’m reading

• Booktail inspired by ‘Don’t Let Them In’

• Exciting life milestones

What a wonderful month it’s been! I’ve been lucky enough to see THE LAST ENCORE in book shops and see readers’ posts and receive lots of great feedback over the last few weeks. All of this helps make all the long hours drafting and editing worthwhile.

We had the launch for the book at Dymocks Adelaide and it was a brilliant turn out with so many people and so much support and I am endlessly grateful. Huge thanks to all who came and I was wonderfully interviewed by my niece, Chloe. A definite highlight was hearing The Cedrics Band’s biggest hit STORYBOOK LOVE brought to life by my daughter and Chloe. To see the lyrics from this fictional band who I feel like I know played like a real song was magical!

As well as lots of Harriet walking and family time this month, we had a lovely dinner at the Uraidla Hotel in the Adelaide Hills for Valentine’s Day (I discovered Hot Honey Gin is not my favourite but the Apple Alpine was amazing). My youngest has started Yr12 and is having lots of fun with a Senior assassin game (water pistols and goggles as they hunt their classmates) and we got to go to Government House for my son to receive a Merit award for his Year 12 studies last year.

📚Order The Last Encore

My main focus this month has been the edits for what will be my fifth domestic suspense book that should be out at the beginning of 2027. I really believe that edits are the place where the book really finds its final shape and it’s so important to have a good team that you trust with your work.

I was sorry to say goodbye to my editor, Peyton, who worked with me for my last few books, however I was lucky enough to have her feedback on this next book and I’m confident it will be stronger for it. I’m already enjoying working with my new editor and to have her thoughts as well can only be a good thing as we move through the process towards publication.

For those interested in the details, I had a month to do the first big edit and it involved removing a story thread completely as well as some scenes that weren’t moving the story along. This next edit is light and should only take a week or so, although I have two to complete it and get it back before the manuscript goes out for copy edits.

I can’t wait to be able to share more about this next book.

I haven’t read as much as I’ve wanted to this month, however I did devour His and Hers by Alice Feeney. I have liked her before and knew about the series and wanted to read it before I watched. This story about a body in a small town and the journalist and policeman – who are exes yay for extra tension – who cover the case hooked me and certainly kept me turning the pages. Some of the scenes were maybe a bit graphic for me which is fine in a book because I can read them fast but I’m not sure about the series now. Anyone seen it?

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

I have enjoyed a number of Lisa Jewell books and couldn’t resist ‘Don’t Let Him In’ a tale of a very charming man and the women unlucky enough to be in his orbit. Making the cocktail to match the lovely tones of the cover was a lot of fun.

Ingredients:

• 1oz Midori

• 1oz blue curacao

• ½ oz apple gin

• Lots of ice

Method:

Place lots of ice to fill the martini glass. Add the blue curacao, then the Midori and finally the apple gin. Allow to naturally mix a little. Enjoy!

Stunning and rather delicious!

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

I had a lovely time at Campbelltown Library for an event for The Last Encore. There I was interviewed by the lovely Sonja who looked completely fabulous in her New Kids On The Block t-shirt to keep with the boyband theme of the evening. It was a great crowd with lots of really interesting questions.

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time!

It’s been a hectic month with all the excitement of THE LAST ENCORE being released as well as Christmas, my youngest’s birthday and a family holiday in New Zealand. There we hiked and went on quad bikes and jet boats and celebrated release in an ice bar. We spent some lovely time at the river in between which Harriet appreciated (less so us leaving for a week but she was in great hands!).

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• The Last Encore is out in the world

• Release day inspired Booktail

• Reading, cocktails and holiday fun

📚Order The Last Encore

The Last Encore is out in the world!! I have so many lovely messages and have seen wonderful pictures and reviews and it never gets old. Seeing my book on the shelf is such a magic experience. This time the first place was Melbourne Airport after our flight home from Queenstown was delayed and we had to race to the next flight to get home to Harriet.

There have been interviews and podcasts and in between edits for my 2027 book have landed!

Hope to see you at my launch at Dymocks Adelaide Wednesday 28^th January at 6:30pm.

🎟️Register Here

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte Mcconaghy

Our holiday and delayed flight as well as lazy river days gave me some excellent reading time this last month. I enjoyed quite a few books but was blown away by ‘Wild Dark Shore’ by Charlotte Mcconaghy.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and the gorgeous, almost dreamy writing with a fair bit of seed science took a little getting used to after the pacy thrillers and romances I had read before but once it hooked me I was invested. This wild place of a fictional island between Australia and Antarctica and the family who live there kept be transported for the Queenstown to Melbourne flight! It has beauty and science and mystery and I really enjoyed it.

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

It’s a tradition of sorts to have some kind of cocktail at my launch (Jan 28^th Dymocks Adelaide) so it was time to do my booktail for The Last Encore. With there being a gin distillery in the book I new that had to be part of it and I wanted to use the gorgeous new ‘Wuthering Heights’ liqueur from Fiction Distilling who were so kind to help me with some gin-making questions.

THE LAST ENCORE COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

• ½ oz Cherry simple syrup

• ½ oz Pride and Prejudice gin

• 1 oz Wuthering heights Sour Berry liqueur

• Soda water

• Lots of ice

Method:

I made some cherry simply syrup from cherry juice and sugar to make a thick dark syrup. Add some ice. Splash of gin. Then liqueur and then top with soda.

So delicious!!

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

It’s mostly been a blur of book release busyness and family time and I hope everyone had a safe and happy festive season! I managed to get to a concert where Travis played the entirety of their album released 25 years ago which was perfect timing to make be think of The Cedrics Band reunion in The Last Encore.

I have a few events comping up to celebrate The Last Encore. Check them out on the events page on my website.

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time!

What a month it’s been! We’ve had graduations and birthdays and the completely magical wedding of my gorgeous niece so it’s been hard to catch my breath. My son graduated high school officially and then had around thirty of his closest friends to the shack – it was rather stressful, but they were great and I think had a brilliant time. My husband had a significant birthday on the wedding weekend so that was a blur of celebration and a wonderful time!! And in-between all of that Harriet suffered the indignity of being bathed!!

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Celebrating family milestone’s

• Launch build-up for The Last Encore

• A wedding inspired Booktail

• Crime, cocktails and Christmas chaos

📚Pre-order my copy!

It’s so close now to the release of The Last Encore, out Jan 6^th in Australia. It’s been so exciting to see it begin to show up on social media with readers so far loving the island setting and particularly the main characters being a band. It’s been called twisty and pacey and so many good things. One early reader said that it’s helped them out of a reading slump and was ‘the perfect reading experience.’ Another that ‘the twists are explosive, the pacing is impeccable and the suspense is chef’s kiss.’ Soon it will be on the shelves!

I’ve had great fun doing podcasts and interviews about the book which has kept be pretty busy but have managed to sneak in some writing as well as brainstorming titles for my 2027 book with my publisher.

Future Boy by Michael J Fox

I read a lot of crime books but have always read across genres. One book I enjoyed this month was Future Boy by Michael J Fox.

I have liked Michael J Fox since watching Family Ties with my older sisters and of course the Back To The Future movies are iconic. Also, as my Dad had Parkinsons I’ve admired Michael J Fox sharing his journey.

This book particularly shines a light on his early career at the very pivotal point where he went from sitcom actor gaining popularity to movie star. Reading about his schedule – TV during the day and movie making through the night – was so interesting, helped by the tone where it feels like he’s telling me a yarn about his life. A great read!!

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach was the inspiration for this month’s booktail. I listened to this on audiobook and it was thoroughly entertaining! I had heard good things and it was truly one of those rare books that live up to the hype. With my niece’s wedding this month it was perfect timing!!

LAST ONE OUT COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

• 2 oz White Chocolate liqueur (I made this from scratch which was fun and delicious)

• - 1 oz blue curacao

• - Lots of ice

Method:

Buy the white choc liqueur if you can. I made it as I couldn’t find any and knew I wanted a white background for my cocktail. Pour this over lots of ice then drizzle the blue curacao over the top.

This was so yummy!!

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

The SA branch of the Sister’s In Crime put on a really interesting talk by Dr Rachel Spencer who was interviewed by Margaret Castles. It focused on the female poisoner with insights into the Emily Perry case and relating it to the recent “Mushroom Case”.

Christmas events are ramping up now as well as having my youngest’s birthday Christmas Eve. I love a real tree although I’m allergic so we wait to put it up close to the day and have a fake one too. I made some delicious Christmas Rocky Road and as we’re hosting my in-laws I’ve started preparing for the day as well as for our tradition of Golden Dream cocktails Christmas morning to remember my mum.

Wishing all of you a safe and happy festive season!

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

It’s been a busy month with my son finishing Year 12 and oldest and youngest having uni and school exams respectively. Getting to the river proved impossible, however we managed to get soaked and have an absolutely brilliant time at the Harvest Rock Festival. So many great bands and good food and so much rain and lightning. There was even a two-hour delay and evacuation! With my next book out January 6^th The Last Encore revolving around a band and a reunion show this was perfect for me

!

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Harvest Rock, rain, lightning… and an evacuation

• The Last Encore countdown officially begins

• A perfectly wicked Kill Your Boss cocktail

• First early reviews (terrifying but thrilling)

📚Pre-order my copy!

With less than two months until The Last Encore is released I’ve been kept busy with the start of promo. Booking online interviews, answering questions, writing up my playlist (which I’ll hopefully share with you soon) and getting those first few early reviews. This is terrifying but I was thrilled that Books + Publishing called it a ‘taut, atmospheric mystery filled with sharp twists and emotional undercurrents’.

Our Beautiful Mess by Adele Parks

This month I’ve read quite a few books and one I particularly enjoyed was Adele Parks’ ‘Our Beautiful Mess’. It’s set at Christmas with all the family home for the holidays. With Christmas not too far away and with kids not so far off the ages of those in the story I was immediately drawn in by the premise. Along with having enjoyed a number of books by this author I was confident I was in good hands.

I was not disappointed. There were a few things I guessed but it didn’t take away from the ride of the twists and turns. If you love family secrets and high stakes, definitely pick this up.

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

Jack Heath’s latest, KILL YOUR BOSS, was the inspiration for this month’s booktail. I enjoyed his other ‘Kill your…’ books but the opening of a horrible boss being pushed off a library roof would have hooked me anyway. Great, fast paced twisty read!!

KILL YOUR BOSS COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

• ½ oz Parfait Amour

• ½ oz vodka

• 1½ oz simple syrup

• Good squeeze of lemon

• Top with soda

Method:

Add the stunning purple parfait amour to the glass, then a good amount of ice. Next the vodka and simple syrup followed by the lemon. Fill the glass with soda. The parfait is stunning but very musk-flavoured (so be warned if you don’t like that) however the lemon and simple syrup do give balance.

Quite delicious!

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

It was lovely to catch up with Jack Heath and Gabe Bergmoser who were her for a school literary festival along with the always lovely locals Mercedes, Rachel and Tanya. Glenelg put on a fabulous sunset and there was much bookish discussion as well as great food.

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to. It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hello to all and a very big welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time!

It’s been a busy month here with some lovely warm weather drawing the family to the water and to the shack to take advantage of it. Harriet has been loving the long days on the river! On the home front, my son is enjoying all the events of finishing up high school (with less study than I remember doing however…) which seems impossible to me as it was only five minutes ago he first started!

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Warm weather = more river shack time

• I experiment with a slightly different writing project…

• A Jane Harper inspired cocktail

• I try a new creative endeavour for my birthday 😊

📚Pre-order my copy!

I read somewhere that publishing is a ‘hurry up and wait’ business and that feels very true at present. It swings between the pressures and excitement of deadlines and release and the waiting and long drafting process. With my 2027 book with my editor and plenty of time before I can expect edits, now is the time to clean up lots of admin and also to begin thinking of ideas for the next project.

There’s even been some time for a play with an idea well outside what I’ve been writing lately. I don’t know where it will go or if it will go anywhere, however it pleasantly stretches my writing brain to write other things and makes me even more excited for my next domestic suspense.

The Private Island by Ali Lowe

I’ve been trying to catch up on my reading this month and have enjoyed quite a few books including ‘The Private Island’ by which I listened to on audiobook. I’ve loved all her books and this latest set on an exclusive Figi island with rich, often unpleasant people being served by locals with their own lives and issues had me transported, a good things as a large amount was enjoyed while jogging. The setting was such a character in this book and was so well done along with the mystery elements.

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

For this month’s booktail I was inspired by the dark reds and oranges or the cover of Jane Harper’s latest ‘Last One Out’. She’s definitely an auto-buy author for me and the hook of a woman whose son went missing five years earlier returning to a small town in despair was impossible to resist.

LAST ONE OUT COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Aperol

• 2 oz Cranberry

• 1/2 oz Fireball Whiskey

• Grapefruit soda

Method:

Add cranberry to the glass, then a good amount of ice. Next the Aperol and then the Fireball for that cinnamon tang. Fill the glass with grapefruit soda. This was sweet and sour and tangy all at once and so delicious.

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

It was my birthday last week which involved lots of lovely thoughtful messages and gifts, lots of delicious food and also me trying something I’ve always wanted to do… pottery! Some girlfriends and I did a ‘Spin and Sip’ class and it was so much fun. I did discover that I am not a natural but I enjoyed it a lot. I love trying different creative things as so much of my youth only doing things I was good at. Sometimes it’s enough to have fun with good friends. However, we have to wait four weeks for the finished product!

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hello to all and welcome to anyone who’s reading my newsletter for the first time!

The weather is beginning to warm up a little which means getting outside (despite my terrible hayfever and the fact that all birds exist to swoop me) to read and write. We had some magical sunshine at the shack last visit although the water was still a little cold for me.

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Explaining a ‘ute’ to my proofreader

• Re-reading an old favourite

• A pumpkin-spiced cocktail

• Getting out and about and enjoying live music!

📚Pre-order my copy!

My plans to let my 2027 book rest for a while before beginning some edits were helped by the arrival of a few proof edits on my January release The Last Encore. Publishing a book is such a community effort in so many ways. From the friends who keep me sane while I’m writing to all the different editors who work on it.

This latest round of edits is the most fine-tuning part of the process, the very last. Here, the book is set out like it will be in the final version and a proof expert goes through looking for errors that have managed to sneak past all the other rounds and people. At the same time, I read through this final proof to catch anything.

I have to admit I tend to read for story rather than spelling so I’m super grateful for more eyes to make the book as clean as possible over nearly one hundred thousand words. There were a few interesting catches around Aussie vs English words. E.g. What is a ute? I didn’t send a picture of Harriet in the back of ours but instead explained it’s a small pickup truck/utility vehicle.

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

I read a few books this month including re-reading Gillian McAllister’s Wrong Place Wrong Time for a podcast I’ll be on. Reading Between Deadlines with and is fabulous and I was glad to talk about one of my favourite books.

The first time I read this it was for the premise. A mother sees her son stab someone then wakes up the next morning having gone back to the day before. How do you go back in time to stop a murder?

This time I appreciated how clever it was but with my teens older I appreciated the mother’s personal journey even more.

Wonderful book and great podcast discussion!!

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

Usually, my booktail is inspired by the cover of a book but this time I was caught by the pumpkin in the opening scene of Wrong Place Wrong Time and it’s no spoiler that the main character desperately tries to stay awake. This, combined with me never having had pumpkin as anything other than savoury led me to…

My variation on a pumpkin espresso martini.

WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Vanilla Vodka

• 2 oz Espresso

• 1 oz Pumpkin Simple syrup (pumpkin, brown sugar, water and vanilla and spice)

• 1 oz Coffee tequila

• Sprinkle of pumpkin spice

Method:

Add the liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake vigorously to get the crema on the cocktail. Sprinkle with pumpkin spice. Honestly, the pumpkin was more of a hint and the spice was the strongest difference to a normal espresso. It was delicious!!

OUT AND ABOUT

With January’s The Last Encore a book about a band, seems fitting both featured a lot over the last few weeks. I loved event at Dymocks Adelaide for her new release The Life Experiment.

And I had a brilliant time at The Wombats concert. Part of the reason I was inspired to write The Last Encore was how much I adore live music. The experience shared with a band giving it their all and a few thousand starangers can be magical. And I almost always buy merch so am writing this in my new hoodie!

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Hey everyone,

Thanks to all who’ve been reading my newsletters and a huge welcome to those who’ve recently joined! If you have any comments please feel free to share them.

This time of year is a busy time for family birthdays so I didn’t get up to the shack as much as I would like, although I did survive and 18^th birthday party with over 100 young people (they were pretty great actually!)

We didn’t have the greatest weather up at the shack but the rain held off for long enough that we could put the boat in for a while. This is Harriet’s very favourite part of going up there and she thinks she’s the boat captain I’m pretty sure.

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Rainy days in my river shack

• Finished drafts and boy bands

• A new autobuy writer

• Make a cocktail inspired by THE LUCKY SISTERS by Rachael Johns

• I share mulled wine at a writing event

📚Pre-order my copy!

Very happy this month to have finished the first (of what I’m sure will be many) draft of my 2027 book.

For those of you who like stats it came in at over 100k words (I’ve already begun chopping because it’s way too long which is something I seem to do) and took 3.5 months to write. During that time there were 73 days of writing. And lots of coffee.

I’m trying to let it sit for a little while so I can come back to it with fresh eyes and cut ALL the extras that I wrote while feeling my way into the characters.

Release for The Last Encore is getting closer as I know the end of the year always goes so fast. It’s got me thinking boy bands. This story is based around the fictional The Cedrics Band who were inspired by great bands I’ve loved both boy bands and more rock bands. Think One Direction (or perhaps New Kids on The Block) meets The Beatles meets 5SOS. I suggested to my husband that the Cure were basically a boy band and he didn’t appreciate my suggestion.

Do you have a favourite boy band? Fave songs?

I’m trying to come up with the perfect playlist and would love suggestions.

Leave a comment

The Surf House by Lucy Clarke

One book I really enjoyed this month was The Surf House by Lucy Clarke. I’ve really liked a few of her books so she’s become something of an autobuy for me since I know I’m in good hands. I bought this as soon as it came out despite knowing nothing about Morocco, where the book is set, nor surfing, a huge part of the story. I was transported to the sun-drenched coast and driven to seek the huge waves and was captivated by the simmering tensions between these vastly different characters all seeking some kind of escape or solace off the beaten track. And there’s murder!

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

Leave a comment

One of the great things about being an author is author friends. It’s so wonderful to go into a bookstore and know the people behind the books on the shelves. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to get an advanced reading copy of a highly anticipated book.

And they don’t come much more exciting than .

I loved The Lucky Sisters, a moving novel about life and death and sisters (since I have two big sisters I really adore sister books) and love and basically packed full of everything I adore in a book… and I had to make something to drink with it.

THE LUCKY SISTERS

Ingredients:

• ½ oz Blue Curacao

• ½ Strawberry liquor

• ½ oz parfait amour (a gorgeous musk lolly like purple liquor)

• Soda water to fill

Method:

Add the blue curacao to a martini glass. Fill with crushed ice. Pour in strawberry and then carefully add some soda water then top with the parfait amour. This was sweet but delicious and great for sharing with sisters or friends or just to celebrate a great book and the end of the week. Enjoy!

Had a lovely time at a South Australian authors lunch this month organised by Michelle Prak and Rachel Walsh. It was so great to catch up with some other local authors and have a nice lunch (and delicious Kangaroo Island mulberry gin and ginger ale which seemed to be the drink of the afternoon). We chatted all things books and writing and launches and it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Thanks to everyone who read my first newsletter last month! If you didn’t, feel free to go back and have a look. It was so great to have people reading it!

Welcome to anyone new, thanks for coming along to my little corner of the internet where I love books and coffee and my dog!

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Winter in my river shack

• What keeps me motivated through writing a draft

• The Audible exclusive I’m loving

• Make a cocktail inspired by ATMOSPHERE by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• I share my favourite writing tip at an event

It’s my first winter with a river shack and I’m discovering it’s almost better than the summertime. It’s very quiet which is perfect for writing and some relaxation with the family. The cold kept us from going out on the boat on this trip, however I find just looking out at the water is soothing for the soul. The glass water made for some gorgeous reflections and though I didn’t take my laptop I found myself inspired to make some notes. Harriet preferred the rug in front of the heater!

📚Pre-order my copy!

This month has been all about the drafting of what will be my 2027 book. It seems a long way away but it’s sure to be here before I know it. the premise is so fun and was inspired by a real life event that I will reveal when I am able! Mostly this part of writing is about sitting every day I can and getting the words down.

This is a screen shot from an email I received while doing some writing sprints. As an author it’s hugely important to be self-motivated, but this? This is gold.

It’s peer pressure of the best kind.

If I’m on the fence about doing just another sprint, this simple question on an email chain is usually enough to get me to write more than I otherwise would have. It’s easy to stop when I have an okay word total for the day, and house or business or life commitments are all making noise.

Just a few more words adds up!

The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth

Sometimes while I’m in deep drafting mode and in the flow of my story I simply can’t face the typed word on a page or a screen. Instead of reading in my downtime, I might do a puzzle or listen to music or a podcast but this month I listened to Sally Hepworth’s contribution to the Audible Alibi’s collection. I adore audio books and this was my first shorter story I’ve listened to. I loved the premise – a charming but vile celebrity chef found dead in his freezer with ex-wives, offspring and staff all wanting him dead – and it was great to be able to enjoy a complete story arc over a couple of walks with Harriet!

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

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This month’s booktail was inspired by the gorgeous cover of Taylor Jenkins Ried’s Atmosphere. This book, a love story set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program in the US, actually sat on my TBR pile for a couple of weeks and worried me a little every time I looked at it. I enjoyed some of her other books, particularly the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo a lot and had heard this was fabulous. I feared it might not live up to expectations. It did! I really liked it, although it hasn’t dethroned Evelyn as a fave.

ATMOSPHERE

Ingredients:

• ½ oz Blue Curacao

• 1 ½ oz apple and guava juice

• ½ oz Blood Orange gin

Method:

Add the blue liquor to a martini glass. Fill with crushed ice. Pour in guava juice and then carefully add the gin (using the back of a spoon). This one was so pretty and tasted delicious. Enjoy!

It was a quiet winter month here but I did have a lovely chat with Sarah Elavia (@sarahelaviawrites) on her author interview series. We talked about ‘The Last Encore’ and discussed writing advice and processes. I find answering questions like this always makes me think about how and why I write. It was fun to share about my favourite writing tip – find your writing community. This is something that I feel is the biggest single thing I did (apart from finishing the damn book, reading a lot and writing a lot) that took me from unpublished to published.

I’ve found so many great people through books, both readers and writers and everyone is so warm and supportive.

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

So excited to have my first newsletter on its way out into the world. Thanks for connecting and I can’t wait to get to know you all!

This month in Rebecca’s Writing Shack:

• Updates from my river cabin

• A book cover reveal

• The read that stopped me in my tracks this month

• Booktails! (Book-inspired cocktail recipe)

• And notes from my events

It was a very, very cold trip up to the river on the King’s Birthday long weekend. I packed my computer, notes on the book I’m drafting and of course books to read (always need a few). It was forecast to be windy and raining and my son was having seven mates up to spend some time out on the water. Harriet was just about bursting out of her skin by the time we got there and adored the attention from all the teenage boys. Although it was even colder than forecast, we were blessed with blue skies and sunshine and even some early morning glass water. Absolutely magical.

Publishing is very much a hurry up and wait business. So many days pass by with me slogging away by myself at the computer interspersed with some huge excitement.

This month has included the hugely thrilling reveal of the cover for my fourth thriller:

‘THE LAST ENCORE.’

THE CEDRICS BAND returns for a reunion concert on a private island 18 years after the death of their lead singer. It’s set to be a special occasion until a body is found.

The reaction has been more than I could have imagined and I can’t wait for you all to read about The Cedrics Band’s island reunion when the book is out in January. This book was so much fun to write and I adored the characters, even when they’re perhaps a little less than likeable as it was such a rollercoaster discovering their story.

I’ve just finished proof edits which is my last round and focuses on the very fine detail, something I admit isn’t my strong suit as I tend to read quickly. The next step is getting the final copy of the book!

📚Pre-order my copy!

See How They Fall by Rachel Paris

I was drawn to this by it’s simple yet striking cover and because I of course don’t judge a book by – only – its cover, I was convinced by the premise of a rich family gathering on a stunningly gorgeous estate that ends in murder. As a parent I was also drawn in by the ‘parent’s worst nightmare’ and knew it would be an emotional ride.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was excellent, something that can massively influence listening to a book. I really enjoyed this blend of family drama and thriller vibes with the police procedural aspect from the point of view of a young female detective and all the pressures that brings to her workplace.

What have you been reading this month? I’d love to hear!

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Michelle Prak's latest book ‘Barren Cape’ sent me looking for my cocktail shaker this month. It’s been a little while between booktails (it’s been so cold), but after enjoying the arc of this thriller that gave me chills on how easily we could all find ourselves living rough with all the terror that brings, I wanted to create something to pair with the cover.

BARREN CAPE

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Baileys

• 1/2 oz Midori

• 1 dash Grenadine

Instructions:

Fill a martini glass with crushed ice. Pour in Baileys then carefully add the Midori (using the back of a spoon). Finally drop a litte grenadine for that hint of dread we love in a good thriller. Enjoy!

With the last of ‘The Wedding Party’ events done and ‘The Last Encore’ events still on the horizon it’s been quieter lately. However, I had a great time going in to the studio to talk about what I’ve been reading lately with Rory on ABC Adelaide on Friday 13^th June. Showing just how small the world is, the guest after me was Mayor of Mitcham: Heather Holmes-Ross who I researched molecular dynamics with in a lab many years ago. She used to listen to me say while we’d align lasers and pump vacuum systems I’d write a book one day and I’m so glad my dream has come true.

Thanks again for signing up and being one of those to read my first newsletter.

Very much appreciated.

Have a great month and watch out for what your next-door neighbours are up to.

It could be nothing…. Or it could be murder!

Thanks for checking out Rebecca’s Writing Shack.

I send my newsletter emails about once a month to give me a place to connect with readers and other writers and book people about what I’m writing and reading lately and a little life glimpses too.

What to expect:

• A behind-the-scenes update on my writing.

• Books I’ve been enjoying lately and some of my favourite booktails

• Glimpse of river life

• The latest news about upcoming books and events (mine and those I attend)

• Harriet (the very best dog) pictures, of course!

Seriously, thank you!

Connecting with readers and the bookish community is such a huge part of why I love being an author. I’m so thrilled to make more reader friends and please do get involved if you like and comment on the newsletter.

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