Hello from Perth where it's been raining almost non-stop for the past week! 😝 

Yes, we're now officially in winter Down Under and here in Perth, that basically means RAIN. 

OK, I'm being unfair. We're actually very lucky - we have a Mediterranean climate here, so even in the depths of winter, there are still many warm, sunny days and even quite balmy temperatures. It never really gets "properly" cold - in fact, it's considered a cold day if temperatures drop anywhere near 10˚C (50˚F). 

"Winter in Western Australia!" 😁

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But we do also get the bulk of our rains in a few short winter months. Not a drop falls between Nov and Apr... and then everything just BUCKETS down from Jun to Sep!

Of course, as an avid gardener here in this sandy, parched land, I LOVE rain - anytime, anywhere! And there's something wonderfully cosy about a chilly, grey day that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and a hot drink (and a good book!) 

Here's Muesli demonstrating how its done... 😉

Right, before I get side-tracked chatting (as usual!) - here's the book-related news first!

In Book News...

Thanks so much to all those who took part in the "Team Devlin vs Team Lincoln" poll in my last newsletter - to see who's the favourite romantic hero in my Oxford Tearoom Mysteries. I couldn't believe it - I had nearly 1000 votes in just the first 24 hours! It was FASCINATING reading all your thoughts and comments! 😊

I'm sure you're all keen to hear who won - the dark, brooding detective or the quiet, charming doctor? 

I have to say, I was quite surprised by the results myself... I never realised that Lincoln had so many fans! 

And if I had been hoping to have a clear answer on which dashing hero readers want Gemma to end up with... Well...

Yup, the votes were pretty much split half-half! I mean, OK, technically Devlin "won" by a small margin but it's not anything like the 80/20 split I had been expecting!

Hmm... this is going to be interesting planning the Oxford Tearoom books going forwards. 🤔 You see, I always struggle because I worry a lot about pleasing readers and now I feel like whichever way the story goes, half the readers will be disappointed! Oh dear!

Although, to be perfectly honest with you, most of the time, it's the characters themselves who decide. I know it sounds crazy when these are fictional people made up in my head but I do often find that I have all these plans for how things are going to go in the story... and then when I actually come to write that scene, the characters just won't behave that way!

I mean, of course, I could "force" them - I'm the one typing the words, after all! 😉 - but then the whole thing starts to feel wrong and I usually end up grinding to a halt and getting completely stuck in the dreaded Writer's Block. 😱

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That's when I have to take a step back and admit to myself that I need to let the characters do what feels "right" for them - even if that messes up my carefully plotted story!

So yes, even as the author, I can't always control or direct exactly what happens in the book. Oh, I can try and have the best-laid plans in the world, but then I have to write it to "live" the story and find out what the characters actually do... ! 😉

Anyway, I won't be dealing with this challenge for another few weeks yet. I'm currently on the home stretch of this Secret Project manuscript that I've been working on and really hope that I can finish it by the end of next week! 🤞

Assuming that all goes to plan, I'll be starting work on the next Oxford Tearoom Mystery in July. I'll keep you posted!

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For the foodies and travel bugs... and those who love a gossip!

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My lovely mother-in-law came from the UK to stay with us in Perth recently (if you missed that newsletter and want to read all about her battle with Muesli, you can catch up HERE 😁). And - as many of you know - she is partly the inspiration for Gemma's mother (she can never remember any of her passwords either!). 

So, naturally, one of the most important things she has to do is help me with "book research"... Thankfully, my mother-in-law has an incredibly discerning Sweet Tooth - a skill which is crucial in the all-important task of deciding which desserts and baking to feature in the books! 😉

Here we are doing a comparative literary analysis of waffles...

Of course, the most important thing my mother-in-law can provide is first-hand experience of "tea with Evelyn Rose" 😉

Despite being an ex-British colony and still part of the Commonwealth, Australia is very much the land of "BBQ and surfboards" rather than "tea and scones". Still, Afternoon Tea or High Tea has become very popular in recent years and we now have a variety of establishments in Perth all vying to put on the ultimate "scone-to-die-for" experience!

The poshest of these is probably the Cape Arid Rooms, located in the historic State Buildings which date from 1875. In a "young" country like Australia, most buildings and places tend to be quite modern - so it's lovely to visit somewhere with a heritage feel. 

My mother-in-law really enjoyed having a more "Aussie" afternoon tea experience!

The Cape Arid Rooms are decorated in a modern Australian style - all wood-shuttered windows and warm, beachy colours, with paintings on the walls by local artists...

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... and the Afternoon Tea menu always features treats made completely from local ingredients...

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... including things that Western Australia is famous for, such as our rock lobsters, black truffles, macadamia nuts, and wildflower honey - and 'bush tucker' herbs like lemon myrtle and wattleseed:

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Of course, the star of any afternoon tea is always the scones. And - high praise! - my MIL thought that the scones at Cape Arid were nicer than ones she's had back in England!

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Well, I hope you've enjoyed coming along for Afternoon Tea... Aussie style! 

Have you been to afternoon tea anywhere fancy? Send me some photos if you're happy for me to share them in my next newsletter! 😊

Till next time...

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