The Ramble - June 27, 2025
The June Wrap-up
Alrighty, we have a lot to get on with this month, so without any further palaver…
(Oooops… I might have had too much to get through, so if the newsletter is cut short in your email, you can click on "View entire message" and be able to view the entire post… or read it in the Substack app.)
Travel…
While the passport stayed in the top drawer this month, there was some travel.
Most of last week was spent down in Sydney visiting my parents.
Mum, a fit 83, walks the dog every day - sometimes more than once a day and up hills that leave me puffing and panting and madly searching for the lung I left halfway up. (They don’t call this part of Sydney The Hills for nothing. )
While she doesn’t walk the distances she used to, I wasn’t about to be outdone by an 83-year-old, so I went for longer and hillier walks than I usually would, with her and the corgi walking part of the way with me.
It helped that I was listening to Richard Armitage’s Geneva. Oh. My God. This book had me rushing out the door for my walk and staying out longer. This isn’t my usual genre, but I was hooked.
I also spent a day in the city and caught up with a friend at Hu Jiang in Haymarket. You might have seen the chef/owner Junda Khoo on Masterchef the other week. Anyways, I have his cookbook and have been dying to go to one of the restaurants (he has a few in Sydney and now Melbourne). The food was fantastic. I chose the Hainanese Chicken Laksa, and my friend had a few different dumplings. (Soz, I didn’t get a pic of her other dumplings…)
We also shared a serve of pork laksa Xiao Long Bao at Luke Nguyen’s stall, Luke Luk, in the new food market at the old Paddy’s Markets.
Then I backed up the next day on my way to the airport with Hainanese Chicken at Aman, his outlet above the railway station at Chatswood.
I got home late on Thursday night, and then first thing Saturday morning, Grant, Sarah and I headed down to Byron Bay for the weekend. You can read all about that here.
As for July? I’ll be staying put. My bestie and her hubby are coming over from Wellington, so there will, no doubt, be a shenanigan or three. I can’t wait.
Writing Life…
Words were written, but not enough. I did, however, complete a proofread of Murder In The Mangroves. It’s now been formatted and is ready to go.
I also took advantage of Thursday night’s flight delay to get more words written than I’d written for the rest of the week. It was a long delay.
I’ve also been working on getting the handout material ready for my presentation at the RWA Conference in Hobart in August. I plan to have a giveaway pdf/booklet available for all participants in my workshop, so there’s a bit of work to be done on that still.
Finally, I’m rejigging back cover blurbs and taglines for my Melbourne Girls contemporary romance series. I still can’t believe that the first two of these are 10 years old this year!
Reading
In case you missed it, you’ll find the June book post below…
The Book Post - June
Yes, yes, yes, I know I said I’d read less this year, but I’ve been on holidays, and that means reading on planes (goodness knows there was little on the in-flight entertainment to hold my interest), on the beach, by the pool, as well as at the end of a day’s walking.
Since then I’ve also read the afore-mentioned Geneva and this month’s choices for Simply Stunning Classic Book Club.
We’re meeting next week to discuss:
The Code of the Woosters, by P.G. Wodehouse and
The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
We’ll be recording both discussions for the podcast (speaking of which, have you had a listen yet?). If you’ve read either of these books and have a question (or opinion) you’d like us to consider and discuss, let us know in the comments.
Watching
June highlights:
Department Q (Netflix) - Matthew Goode is far removed from his usual genre and is brilliant. Set in Edinburgh, it’s dark and feels as Gothic as the city does.
The One That Got Away (ABCTV) - This thriller is the one that got away in more ways than the obvious. Richard Harrington (from Hinterland) and Elen Rhys (from the Mallorca Files) do a great job.
The Feud (Acorn) - I’ve always had a soft spot for anything with Rupert Penry Jones in it, and here he’s a bit of a sap and quite unlikable. And the less said about his cardigan, the better. The story had me hooked, though.
Jane Austen - Rise of a Genius (ABCTV) - Thank you, thank you, thank you to Sue for alerting me to this. If you’re a Jane-ite, it goes without saying that you’ll love this. And even if you’re not, watch it for the social history. Even Grant (who would never dream of reading P&P & got Jane Austen mixed up with Beatrix Potter … don’t ask) sat and happily watched this one.
Cookbooking
This month’s cookbook theme for the BKD Cookbook Club was Comfort Food. My post, a review of “Ottolenghi Comfort”, can be found here. Next month, we’re off to Italy! If you want more information, check out this post.
Travel Diaries
I’ve been posting the diaries from our recent travels in the UK over on and anyways. You’ll find them here:
Alrighty, I think that’s enough to be getting on with this month… aside from a reminder that my new book, Murder In The Mangroves will be out in August and is available for preorder now.
When a murder rocks her peaceful coastal town, former lawyer turned tarot reader Clementine Carter must uncover the truth—before her past and a killer catch up with her. A warm, witty Aussie mystery with a splash of romance and a touch of the stars.
Let's hope those walking genes have been inherited and you'll be walking that far at the same age!
What great food and beach photos - I'm pleased your restaurant trip was up to your expectations, the food looks delicious.
Deb
This sounds like an awesome month, Jo. Your food photos had me drooling (as usual). If anyone (besides you) is reading this comment, and has not yet read or ordered 'Murdered in the Mangroves, I can't recommend this enough: Stop whatever you are doing and order a copy right now. Your welcome! <3 Murder in the Mangroves was one of my favourite reads in the last six months, and it had many fabulous books to compete with.