Hello! And welcome to my new website
As I prepare to launch the first in my first crime series, The Shell House Detectives, I wanted to create a new online home. And here it is!
After a decade of writing contemporary women’s fiction, I’ve come over to the dark side… or, to be more accurate, the bright side of the dark side. Because while my Shell House Detectives mysteries take the business of death seriously, they’re also the sort of novels that I hope readers will want to cosy up with, enjoying being swept away by the charms of the Cornish coastal setting, and the company of my sleuths and their band of friends and foes. While there’s murder and mayhem, there’s also a pervasive spirit of optimism and hope.
When my mum first read an early draft she said, ‘It’s full of the things you love, isn’t it?’ And it is. From strandline pottering to getting battered in the waves to soul-lifting clifftop walks, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than on a beach out west. Wish-fulfilment played a big part in my choice of setting. I began working on The Shell House Detectives in winter 2020 when we were locked down and homeschooling and I was longing for wide open sea and sky. Simply, I wrote myself where I wanted to be.
All of my story ideas start first with place. While the setting of Porthpella is fictitious, it’s inspired by several different locations across West Cornwall: a patchwork of beloved places.
I grew up in Devon, and I went to Cornwall for the first time when I was five years old. There was something about Penwith that captured my imagination even as that tiny girl. In later years I returned several times – exploring the Tate in St Ives with my sister, to a surf festival in Newquay where my husband’s band were playing – but it wasn’t until I started work on my third novel, The Sea Between Us, that I truly fell in love with that corner of the world. I think part of what intensified my connection to the place is the fact that I became a mother while working on that Cornish-set novel. Whenever I felt claustrophobic, or craving freedom, pushing the buggy through the streets of Bristol or awake through the small hours on night feeds, my mind turned to the landscape of West Cornwall and I felt lifted. The arrival of my son nine years ago signalled the start of a tradition of holidaying in St Ives with my family, and camping trips to Gwithian, so his infancy is very much tied to that corner of the world. We have so many precious memories.
Whenever I can, I disappear to Cornwall for writing retreats – sometimes with a friend, at least once a year on my own – and enjoy the delicious sense of immersion that comes with shrugging off responsibilities for a few days and making true space for creativity. I’m passionate about the value that these retreats bring to my writing process. In fact, I’m passionate about the value they bring to my life, full stop.
Writing has always been my happy place. For me, it’s a form of both escapism and connection, freedom and control. When I’m working on a novel, I feel like a whole new world has opened up - one I can step into whenever I want, just by picking up a pen. And that’s magic. From the moment I started writing the story of my Shell House Detectives, this series has brought me nothing but joy; if I’ve done my job right as an author, you should be able to feel it too.
I’d love it if you signed up to my brand new newsletter. To celebrate its launch, all subscribers will be entered into a prize draw – closing date 25th June – to win a signed copy of The Shell House Detectives and some ‘cosy Cornish’ goodies to accompany the read … And thereafter I aim to bring creativity, inspiration and a dose of Porthpella sunshine to your inbox on a monthly basis.
Thank you very much for reading!
Emylia x