In the top 5 best sellers for Wakefield Press

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Relax. Unwind. Lose yourself in these amazing stories. Click the extract to choose which to read first. For Kindle users, all titles are available on Amazon

The Popeye Murder By Sandra Winter-Dewhirst Meet Rebecca Keith, a single, thirty-something restaurant critic whose life is all fine dining and cocktails, until she finds herself in the midst of a particularly gruesome murder investigation. With the help of the very eligible Detective Gary Jarvie, she might just be able to solve the crime … View an extract More information A Royal Murder By Sandra Winter-Dewhirst Rebecca Keith is busy, brassy and ready for business. This time she finds herself caught up in a murder investigation at the Royal Golf Club. With the help of the handsome Detective Gary Jarvie, Rebecca has to solve the mystery quickly – before she becomes a victim, too. View an extract More information

Launch of A Royal Murder

Peter Goers and me

 Thank you to those who attended the launch of A Royal Murder and the second edition of

 The Popeye Murder last week.  ABC Adelaide Radio's Peter Goers had us all in stitches.  

It was great to see so many Grange and North Adelaide lady golfers, 

former ABC colleagues and so many family and friends.

The books are available in bookstores, through Wakefield Press as a paperback or ebook, or Amazon.

And listen out for me with Peter Goers on ABC Adelaide Radio Tuesday 20th February at 9:15pm.

Peter entertaining the crowd

Michael Bollen, Publisher and Director of Wakefield Press

Audience enjoying the Coriole Wines

Me with a few of my family

Some of the Grange ladies

You are invited to the launch of A Royal Murder at The Grange Golf Club

Invitation to the launch of A Royal Murder

Wakefield Press

INVITATION

Wakefield Press has great pleasure inviting you to the launch by ABC Adelaide’s Peter Goers of

A Royal Murder

A Rebecca Keith mystery

By Sandra Winter-Dewhirst

Tuesday 13 February, 1.00 pm

Beeston Lounge, The Grange Golf Club,White Sands Dr., Grange RSVP by 9 February to maddy@wakefieldpress.com.au

Wines served courtesy of Coriole

 A macabre murder during the 

Women’s Australian Open Golf tournament at one of

Australia’s most prestigious golf courses sees 

food and wine journalist and amateur golfer

Rebecca Keith on the murder trail once more. 

Fortunately, Rebecca’s sleuthing takes

her on a journey of eating and drinking through many of Adelaide’s bars and restaurants.

Little does Rebecca know that her visits to nearby 

Barossa Valley and Kangaroo Island

will reveal clues that will become crucial in the 

hunt for a killer.

A Royal Murder,  a light-hearted thriller full of intrigue and betrayal, features a full cast of

eccentric characters set against the rich backdrop of South Australia and its lush food

and wine culture.

Pick up the first Rebecca Kieth mystery, The Popeye Murder  (RR P $29.95), which is being

re-released in conjunction with the launch.

If you cannot attend the launch of A Royal Murder  

(RR P $29.95) but would like

to order the book, please visit www.wakefieldpress.com.au 

or call us on (08) 8352 4455

Wakefield Press

Play 9 at the 2017 Emirates Australian Open!

What a thrill - this weekend I was lucky enough to play nine-holes at the Australian Open in Sydney.

I still can't believe it.

Golf Australia are promoting nine-hole golf to attract and retain time-poor people to the great game.  I was fortunate to qualify to play at the inaugural promotional event.

I practiced on the driving range with the pros! Unbelievable!

After Jason Day made a birdie on the 18th on Saturday afternoon and play was finished for the day, club golfers from around Australia were poised to tee off on the back nine.  When the siren sounded for a shotgun start we walked up to the tee blocks.  It was over-whelming!  But I actually came runner up in the women's comp. I'm still pinching myself.

Jason Day made a birdie putt on the fifteen on Friday

Players on the par three fifteen. (I actually parred this hole when I played it!)

Jordan Spieth walking to the green on the second. I was sorry he wasn't able to be in the leading group.

All in all, a great weekend, topped off by attending my friend Deb's 60th birthday party. Life is good.

Wakefield Press to publish the Rebecca Keith Murder Mystery Series

Wakefield Press is to publish the Rebecca Keith Murder Mysteries novels.

They will publish the second edition of The Popeye Murder and the second novel in the series, A Royal Murder.

The Royal Adelaide Golf Course and the Australian Women's Golf Open are pivotal to the storyline in A Royal Murder and as such it will be launched in the week leading up to the next Women's Open in February 2018.  Both books will be available in bookstores around Australia and online as ebooks.

The next book in the series, A Festival of Murders, will be available in time for Christmas 2018.

What fun!

Stay tuned for launch details.

The Banyan Tree - Bintan Indonesia

High on a hill in a rainforest overlooking the Singapore Strait, 

we stayed in a magical treehouse.

The Banyan Tree resort is on the Indonesian Island of Bintan, 

an hour's ferry ride from Singapore.

The island is 80 per cent rainforest, with some of the remaining 

20 per cent host to beautiful golf courses.

I was lucky enough to spend a few days on this enchanting island a 

couple of months ago.

Under a full moon, we boated out to a traditional fishing hut, 

where we gorged on an Indonesian feast. 

The huts had there own balconies, spa pool and lounges.

Inside was a haven of air-conditioned tranquility 

 However, I enjoyed the steamy warmth and the natural breezes.

Breakfast at the restaurant, under the shade of rainforest trees.

A blue themed dinner on our balcony.  Unusually, there isn't one of 

the 800 a day freighters passing by on the horizon when I took this shot.

Dinner under a full moon. It was practically daylight.

 A touching birthday greeting surprised me on my return home that night. 

Amazing towel art, don't you think? I wonder if there is a course

you can do?

A rainforest view outside our villa window.

Can you imagine the nerves teeing off on this par 3? 

Beachside sand bunkers everywhere. 

You don't want to overshoot this green.

I actually hit the huge boulder on the left and my ball ricocheted onto the green. :)

I highly recommend the Banyan Tree.  

It was a gorgeous place and the people are beautiful.

I was very lucky.

the Banyan Tree, Bintan

Dodged a bullet!

Okay, so I haven't posted for a few months.  Guilty. My first excuse is that I have been in the depths of writing my second book, A Royal Murder. I've now finished the book and it is with my editors, including my very talented daughter, Hannah, who has proved to be an amazing editor. I wish I knew as much about grammar, syntax and the craft of writing as she does. However, it hasn't all been about the book.

In these last couple of months I have experienced a roller-coaster of emotions. In early October I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Whoa. Slap across the face. Brave face. Not so brave face. Scared. Crying in the shower. Crying on my daughter's broad shoulders. Crying on my brother's tall shoulders. Hugging my husband tight. Let's just get on with it. Cut it out. Do you think pathology made a mistake? How much longer have I got? Shit. Will my voice be affected permanently? You have to slit my throat open? How did this happen? You really think the radioactive cloud from the atomic bombing at Maralinga in 1957 has got something to do with it Doctor? What about the waste from the Northfield Infectious Diseases Hospital that was dumped into the local creek we used to tadpole in? Could that have caused it? Get a grip. If you have to have cancer, this is the one to have. Survival stats are through the roof. You're lucky they caught it early. Glass half full remember.

I wasn't going to post anything on my cancer diagnosis on social media and particularly not on my blog, as this blog is my happy place. However, now that I'm through the worse and I'm now confident that the talented medical team around me has helped me get on top of this, and the fact that my family and friends have been amazing, I want to write on my blog to say thank you and let others know that even from the most confronting news, good can come. A lot of good and a lot of love.

This diagnosis has reminded me of my mortality and of the mortality of those around me. I'm trying hard not to sweat the small stuff anymore, although surprisingly, it still can creep back in when I'm not being vigilant. And through my hospital visits and operations, I'm even more aware of how much sickness there is in the world and that there are many who are doing it far tougher than me. I'm also aware of what an amazing health system we have and how kind and dedicated the nurses and doctors are. Theirs is a vocation.

This diagnosis has brought my family closer.  I adore them all. My husband and daughter have been at my side both physically and spiritually. I have become closer to my brothers and been able to sympathise with my sister's painful illness more fully.  It has also brought my friends closer, especially my friend Kerry who was there for me through the dark times and is still right by my side during the hopeful times.  My golfing friends have been wonderful, and I have felt the hugs from my wine club friends. Other friends who I don't see as often as I should have reached out and demonstrated their love. I have been touched deeply.

As for adjusting priorities after such a confronting diagnosis, I'm lucky in that I am already living the dream. I left full time work a few years ago. I am pursuing my passion to write books. I am playing golf, lunching with friends, being there for my family far more than I had been through my full-time working life.

I plan to be an old lady, embracing decrepitude and frailty. Like my 94 year old mother, who we lost last year, I want to be grateful for what I have until my last breath. In the end mum was legally blind, in pain, in a wheelchair and incontinent.  Get the bin bags ready Hannah. In thirty years from now you'll need to protect your furniture from an incontinent but happy and grateful old lady.

They say what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. It's a cliche but like all cliches, there is some truth to it.

Spring in the garden is particularly beautiful this year.

Thank you......