Behind the story of Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe by Rosie Reed

Rosie Reed is a former romance novelist who has turned her pen to paranormal mysteries with a splash of humor. She describes herself as a ‘massive Agatha Christie and Terry Pratchett fan.’ Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe is the debut book for the English Village Witch Cozy series.

Coming Home in Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe

With a background in philosophy and psychology, Rosie says she loves setting a theme for each book. “I gently weave it into the story. The theme for Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe is ‘Coming Home’. Evelyn Eldritch is feeling lost at the beginning of the story—she’s just lost her job in London and broken up with her boyfriend. When she gets the news that her biological mother has been murdered, she travels to the quaint little village of Maiden-Upon-Avon, but finds the unusual residents there so odd that she’s keen to leave as soon as possible! In particular, she’s upset about being so attracted to a handsome yet gruff police detective! She meets her sex-mad senior witch grandmother, Joanie, and attends a crazy meeting for the Beings of Magic Committee, who seem more interested in discussing the font of the agenda and biscuit quotas than serving the local residents!

“During the story, Evelyn slowly gets to know and love the villagers, and she begins to accept that she’s a novice witch. She comes to realise that ‘home’ is a place that exists inside her—home is where the heart is. Like a tortoise, Evelyn realises she can carry her home around with her wherever she goes. But she decides that Maiden-Upon-Avon is somewhere she’d like to stay and put down some roots. Even if only to annoy Detective Inspector Taylor!

“I am very gentle with the theme that I weave, and I would never hit the reader over the head with it! But I think a good theme gives a story extra depth. There’s an overarching theme for the series too, which is Self-Acceptance—something I’ve struggled with in my own life. Perhaps these books are just good therapy for the author!”

From creative burnout to complete joy

About five years ago, Rosie was churning out a steamy billionaire novel every three months and obsessing over her sales and reviews. “It wasn’t at all healthy for my creativity. There’s nothing wrong with steamy billionaire books, of course, but my heart wasn’t really in them, so I didn’t enjoy the process.”

To combat the burnout, Rosie took some time away from writing and turned to reading. She read Agatha Christie’s entire back-catalogue and several British cozy mystery series. Her favorite author is humorous fantasy writer Terry Pratchett, so she re-read all his Discworld series while I was recovering too.

After spending time reading, Rosie decided it was time to try writing again. She was tempted to try a paranormal cozy, but then along came Covid-19. “I hid away in the safe little village of Maiden-Upon-Avon, where I could enjoy the ‘controlled danger’ of writing murder mysteries, knowing justice is always done.

Rosie said she loves writing the English Village Witch Cozy Series and has found a new way to look at writing. “I refuse to put any pressure on myself or my creativity. I write very fast now because I’m enjoying myself so much! But I’m careful to ensure I’m having fun, and if it feels stressful, then I take a rest.”

Now that Rosie has rediscovered her joy of writing, she feels healthier and happier and hopes that readers find the same joy when they read.

Become immersed in an English village

Rosie describes her books as ‘very English, which might not be your cup of tea!’ She writes in British English and includes English traditions and festivals. “One such is Morris Dancing at Whitsun or Cheese Rolling—which is an annual event in Gloucestershire, where a big round of cheese is chased down a steep slippery hill! I love the gentle eccentricities of my fellow country-folk! Each book takes place at a certain time of the year, and Murder at Magic Cakes Café is set around April 23rd, which is St Georges Day. In the book, there’s a St George’s Day celebration, complete with a real magical dragon re-enactment!”

Tea, anyone?

“I don’t do many crazy or funny things, but I do carry out a lot of research into the best tea and cake in the area. Tea, cake, and a good book is my kind of fun! One thing that’s guaranteed in the English Village Witch Cozy series is tea and cake a-plenty, good friendships, magical spells that often go wrong, and lots of light-hearted humour. And… did I mention tea?”

Learn more about Rosie Reed on her Amazon author page. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.

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