A cuppa with Meredith
Welcome!
Well hello
Spring may have sprung, but right now we are getting a solid dose of wintery windy rainy weather in our neck of the woods. Brrr! Time for some baking and reading, I reckon.
First of all, Happy Father’s Day! On behalf of our children (ahem! and moi!) I have organised a veritable feast at our joint. It’s ticking quite a few boxes. One, no cooking for me (Yes!) Two, supporting a local restaurant that in turn supports local suppliers, which is so important during these trying times. Three, not only a scrummy meal for tonight’s dinner but I have ordered sufficient quantities for leftovers lunch tomorrow. (Triple yes!)
Since we last chatted I’ve been solidly at work on non-writing projects, pivoting to schooling from home (I refuse to call it home schooling, I do nothing more than make sure the teens are fed, watered and get out in the fresh air and sunshine between classes.) But now, I am pleased to say, and hopefully you are pleased to hear, my feet are under the desk. I am editing.
To have with our cuppa this month, I am sharing one of my all-time favourites, Raspberry and Coconut muffins (with or without white chocolate bits, depending how you roll.) Super quick and super delish! Plus some wonderful reading. So, enough general chit-chat,
Onwards!
The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison
It will come as no surprise to you that events have been few and far between over the past couple of months. I did have a lovely dinner and chat with our local VIEW Evening Club before the world went pear-shaped (again!) But, I am very pleased to say that so many people have taken the time to not only read The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison but to write to me as well and share their thoughts. It’s been wonderful to read your emails. Thank you!
I was also sent this hilarious image from frien
d and author, Wendy James. Judging by the availability of the audio book at Lake Macquarie Library, locals are keen listeners! Looks likelocals better add their name to the waiting list. June 2022 might seem like a long way away (and Lord knows, these days, ain’t that the truth?) but it will come around sooner than you think :-)
The Tricky Art of Forgiveness
But meanwhile, for those of you who have already read The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison and who might just be asking yourself, “yes, that’s all very well and good, but when’s your next one coming out?” I am thrilled to say, I have an answer for that, and the answer is…
I am editing this tale right now. It’s slated for release in March 2022. Not that far off, in publishing terms. The story centres around a character I simply adored writing, Diana. She’s feeling a bit lost now her and hubbie, Will, have sold the family home and downsized to an apartment on The Green. The term Empty Nesters doesn’t sit well with her even though the kids have well and truly flown the coop. It’s part big-hearted love story, part mystery, with my usual bit of grittiness in there because the good stuff is always better if we also have the flaws.
Here is the blurb I pitched to my publisher:
Diana Forsyth is in the midst of planning The Big Party, a combined celebration for her husband Will’s 60th birthday and their 30th wedding anniversary. The whole family is flying in and, unbeknownst to Will, Diana is planning a Big Surprise.
But then she finds a torn scrap of paper hidden inside the folds of his cashmere sweater, with the handwritten words, I Forgive You. Shaken, Diana realises she’s not the only one keeping Big Secrets. Maybe her rock-solid marriage isn’t so secure after all.
Now, if that has whet your appetite, then you can actually pre-order it right now and be one of the first to get your hands on a copy. I can’t even believe I am writing this, there is not even a cover yet, but click on the link should you feel the urge. Obviously, I will have much more to share about Diana and Will in the next newsletter.
Something sweet to have with our cuppa... Raspberry & Coconut Muffins
The desire for a treat is never too far away, especially around the mid-afternoon slump when a cuppa and a slice of something sweet is just what the doctor ordered (not!)
These muffins have been my go-to since forever. The original recipe is from Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden Cooking With Kids but I keep tweaking it, and honestly, you can make them in an infinite number of fruity flavour combinations. In our household, apple, pecan and cinnamon are equal hot favourites as this berry version. As yummy as they are, the best bit is that from getting the mixing bowl out of the cupboard to taking your first bite is all done in under one hour with barely any washing up. Another bonus is that I usually make two batches; one for now and one for later. They freeze perfectly.
Play around with sugar substitutes, make it with plain yoghurt instead of buttermilk, chia egg would work equally as well as a hen’s egg. coconut oil is brilliant with the raspberry but my go-to oil is always extra virgin olive oil. I like to sneak in healthy stuff like LSA meal and wholemeal spelt, but truly, use what you have to hand. Life’s too short to stick to the rules.
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups of SR flour (or wholemeal spelt flour + 1 tsp baking powder)
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup of caster sugar
½ cup desiccated or shredded coconut
¾ cup buttermilk (or plain yoghurt)
1 egg
¾ of oil (preferably coconut for flavour or olive oil is perfectly fine)
1 cup frozen raspberries (or any frozen berries will do)
Optional: 1 cup of white chocolate baking chocolate (truly decadent)
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 and either grease the holes in a regular sized muffin or drop in cupcake cases.
Put al the dry ingredients in a large-ish mixing bowl and whisk them together to aerate and blend
Make a well in the centre and pour in the wet ingredients and use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix being careful not to overbeat as the muffin mix will become tough (also, never fear, this is a runny mix)
Fold through the raspberries (and white chocolate bits if using)
Spoon into muffin tin. If you want, sprinkle some rolled oats on top
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Rest in the tin for a few minutes then onto a wire rack to cool.
This month I've been reading...
There have been some real gems released over the past couple of months. I adored Joanna Nell’s new one, The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s. Don’t be fooled by the whimsical title, Nell has assembled a marvellous cast of ladies who volunteer at the hospital cafeteria, headed by stalwart Hilary, ably supported by Joy and Chloe. It’s fun but also tackles grief, life choices and how to move on. I also loved another Australian title that is coming our way in November by wonderful Australian author, Sara Foster. The Hush is a political thriller with a dystopian edge. It’s fabulous. More on that next newsletter but I urge you to pop it on your reading list.
Pick of the month...
Straight up front, I am going to tell you this is one of those reads that make you go, ‘wow!’ Why? Because it is fresh, compassionate, funny and Hannah Bent is a real discovery. When Things Are Alive They Hum maybe her debut novel but let’s hope Bent errs on the side of being prolific rather than sporadic. Here’s what it is about.
Hong Kong born sisters, Marlowe and Harper, have gone their separate ways as young adults, Marlowe lives in London where she is completing her PhD on the conservation of a previously extinct butterfly species Maculinea arion. This is Marlowe’s attempt to find her own identity, forge a fledgling career, and make up her mind whether her boyfriend, Ollie, is the one. That is, until a letter from Harper arrives via express post. She reminds her sister that ‘it has been 11 months and 2 days sinse you visited us at home and 3 hole years sinse you left home for your bugs university.’ Harper’s heart is broken, ‘not like in Romeo and Juliet becos I have my boyfriend Louis,’ but a lifetime of living with a malfunctioning heart has finally reached a point where Harper will die unless she receives a heart and lung transplant.
Born with Downs syndrome, or as Harper insists, ‘it’s called the Up syndrome’ the doctors are refusing to put her on the list for a transplant. Harper calls her sister home. Marlowe, who has been more of a mother than a sister to Harper since their mother died when Marlowe was only nine, wants to resist the call but how can she deny Harper?
Hannah Bent asks many questions in When Things Are Alive They Hum. Questions around the nature of love and its ability to transform and shape us. It traverses grief across the generations and how it burrows into our bones. Bent explores the instinct to cling to life at all costs and the enormous cost of letting go of a life, to end suffering. But for all these big questions, this is a novel that brims with heart and humour. I defy any reader not to sob through the last few chapters. The end may be inevitable but the journey is anything but. Harper is such a wondrous character, Louis her adorable chosen partner in life. Despite her broken heart, it’s not Harper who ends up needing rescuing so much as Marlowe.
Australia Reads...14 September 2021
I am an Australia Reads ambassador. This year, the theme we are celebrating is, Stories That Matter. To join in Australian Reading Hour, all you need to do is grab a cuppa and a book, sit yourself down for an hour and immerse yourself in a story. There are so many new Australian titles to choose from. Maybe Liane Moriarty’s Apples Never Fall or who can resist Natasha Lester and The Riviera House? I’ve decided on the debut novel from the 2018 winner of the Richelle Prize for Emerging Writers, Ruth McIver, I Shot the Devil.
Pop onto their socials @australiareads or jump onto their website for more info.
Book Me!
Did you know, that I could be your guest at your next book club meeting, your local library, or maybe your next guest speaker at a community group event? I love coming together to chat, and if the tyranny of distance is too great, there is always the option of a virtual talk. It is as easy as jumping onto my website here and making a date.
The end of the cup...
And, my friends, my cup is empty. Even though Spring is all about longer days and new beginnings, I must say that, in these parts, the rain has been very welcome too. Whatever life is throwing your way right now, I hope there is enough of the good stuff going around to balance it all out.
I’ll be adding any new tour dates to my website www.meredithjaffe.com or you will always find me on socials on either Instagram or Facebook @meredithjaffeauthor.
See you next time!