Essex


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/4-4.jpg" alt="Crime writer Fiona Cummins interview" class="wp-image-16595" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/4-4.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/4-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/4-4-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-let-s-talk-life-as-an-essex-girl-ever-moved-away"><strong>Let’s talk life as an Essex girl – ever moved away?</strong></h2>



<p>I was born in Rochford Hospital; the same hospital as my mum, who’s lived in South Essex all her life; while my dad moved to Ockendon as a boy. After they married they settled in Eastwood, which is where my brother and I grew up. I was educated at Heycroft Primary and Westcliff High School for Girls, before moving to Leicester for uni. After that, my job as a journalist took me all over the country, but after having our second child, my husband and I moved back to Essex and settled in Benfleet.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-your-latest-book-all-of-us-are-broken">Tell <strong>us about your latest book, <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/fiona-cummins/all-of-us-are-broken/9781529040227" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">All Of Us Are Broken</a>.</strong></h2>



<p>It’s the second in a series featuring the troubled but gifted detective Saul Anguish. It tells the story of Christine and her two children, Galen and Tom. After a difficult year, the family set off on holiday to the Highlands, but while there stumble across the path of two extremely violent and damaged young killers, who force Christine into making an impossible choice between the lives of her daughter and son.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-inspiration-behind-the-book">What&#8217;s the inspiration behind the book?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/9-3.jpg" alt="Leigh on Sea Fiona Cummins" class="wp-image-16598" style="aspect-ratio:1.5015015015015014;width:641px;height:auto" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/9-3.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/9-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/9-3-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The coastal town in two of Fiona&#8217;s books is based on Leigh-on-Sea </figcaption></figure>



<p>I often write about children facing danger in my novels, and I think this comes from a primal fear of losing my own. Essex also plays a huge part in my books. In All Of Us Are Broken − and the first in the series, Into The Dark – there&#8217;s an affluent coastal town called Midtown-on-Sea. Although it&#8217;s bigger than its real-life counterpart, and I played around with the geography of the location, it’s based on Leigh-on-Sea.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-any-other-work-inspired-living-by-the-essex-coast"><strong>Is any other work inspired living by the Essex coast?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-copy.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16601" style="aspect-ratio:1.5015015015015014;width:641px;height:auto" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-copy.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-copy-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pound Wood Nature Reserve</figcaption></figure>



<p>Most of my books are. I’m a fan of writing about the natural landscape, and am drawn to open skies, estuaries, salt marshes, mudflats and nature reserves that are an integral part of our county. Although the books I write are thrillers, it’s important to include observations about flora and fauna, as well as mammals, insects and birds of this diverse place. In my second book, The Collector, the cockle sheds at Leigh are an important part of the story, and, in my third, The Neighbour, the creepy woodland&#8217;s based on Thundersley Glen.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-a-set-routing-when-writing"><strong>Do you have a set routing when writing?</strong></h2>



<p>Every day’s different, but generally I take my kids to school then head to my writing shed at the end of my garden to work. I answer emails and deal with admin first (ie procrastinate on Twitter), before getting my head down and losing myself in the book I’m writing. I work until 4pm, then catch up with the kids, take the dogs for a walk and sort dinner. If a deadline is approaching or I want to finish a chapter, I’ll work more in the evening. No day&#8217;s the same. I’m often in London for publisher meetings or book launches, and I travel up and down the UK to promote my books or interview other authors.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-ever-suffer-from-writer-s-block"><strong>Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?</strong></h2>



<p>My theory is that writer’s block comes from a lack of ideas or the absence of a clear pathway through a story. When this happens, I find it’s because my gut instinct&#8217;s warning me something isn’t working, so I take time to fix it. A great way to beat the block is to break your story down into small chunks of say 200 words, and write that. Then do it again. And again. It soon adds up.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-books-are-you-loving-reading-right-now"><strong>What books are you loving reading right now?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/3-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16603" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/3-4.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/3-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/3-4-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Two of the most recent reads Fiona recommends</figcaption></figure>



<p>I’m reading the fantastic Sharp Glass by Sarah Hilary at the moment, and I’ve just finished Ruth Ware’s One Perfect Couple, which is Lord of the Flies meets Love Island. I couldn’t put it down.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-any-tv-shows-you-binge-when-you-should-be-writing"><strong>Any TV shows you binge when you should be writing?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/2-5.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16604" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/2-5.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/2-5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/2-5-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Netflix series 3 Body Problem is one TV programme Fiona will switch on</figcaption></figure>



<p>I don’t tend to watch a lot of television, but I’m currently immersed in Netflix series 3 Body Problem.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-you-go-for-retail-therapy"><strong>Where do you go for retail therapy?</strong></h2>



<p>I love to go to Leigh Broadway to shop, as it has everything. My favourite coffee shop is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BarlowAndFields/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barlow &amp; Fields</a>, but I’m also a regular at the <a href="https://homemadebakery.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Home Made Bakery</a>; vintage clothing boutique <a href="https://rockamilly.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rockamilly</a>; Leigh’s newest bookshop, <a href="https://readonsea.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read on Sea</a>; and homeware store <a href="https://www.instagram.com/natural_edge/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Natural Edge</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-any-historical-houses-and-gardens-in-essex-you-love"><strong>Any historical houses and gardens in Essex you love?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-copy-2.jpg" alt="RHS Garden Hyde Hall" class="wp-image-16606" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-copy-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-copy-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-copy-2-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fiona also loves visiting RHS Garden Hyde Hall</figcaption></figure>



<p>I’m a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, and love <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RHS Garden Hyde Hall</a>. We’ve spent many happy days there on Easter hunts, visiting the seasonal displays and enjoying picnics by the lake. Saffron Walden’s <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/audley-end-house-and-gardens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Audley End House and Gardens</a> is also a gorgeous place to spend the day.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-about-essex-walks"><strong>What about Essex walks?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/5-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16607" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/5-4.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/5-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/5-4-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Benfleet station to Leigh-on-Sea station is one of Fiona&#8217;s favourite walks</figcaption></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s got to be the walk from Benfleet station to Leigh-on-Sea station via Hadleigh Castle. Even with the railway line in the distance it’s so tranquil, and is surrounded by fields and birds. I also love Great Notley Country Park in Braintree, and Hockley Woods.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-you-go-to-eat-out-locally"><strong>Where do you go to eat out</strong> locally?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/1-5.jpg" alt="Stop The World Café in Leigh" class="wp-image-16608" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/1-5.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/1-5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/1-5-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fiona heads to Stop The World Café for cake – but how good does this look, too?</figcaption></figure>



<p>There are so many lovely places to eat in Essex. I love <a href="https://www.lioninnhotel.co.uk/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lion Inn at Boreham</a> for a fantastic roast or celebration meal, and <a href="https://www.stoptheworldcafe.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stop The World Café</a> in Leigh for huge slabs of cake. You also can’t beat the cockle sheds in Old Leigh for fresh seafood. For a Italian deliciousness, Benfleet&#8217;s <a href="https://www.gamberodoro.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gambero D’oro</a> is a hidden gem.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-let-s-big-up-benfleet-why-do-you-love-it-so-much"><strong>Let&#8217;s big up Benfleet – why do you love it so much?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/7-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16609" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/7-4.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/7-4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/7-4-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nature Reserve Two Tree Island is on Fiona&#8217;s doorstep</figcaption></figure>



<p>For a start I can see the curve of the estuary from our house, but we’re also surrounded by woods, which gives it a lovely, rural feel, despite its urban location. There are so many good walks on our doorstep, and an active badger sett up the road. Benfleet also has decent pubs and restaurants, and a host of independent shops. It’s also served by a train station with direct links to London, and enjoys a strong sense of community.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-used-to-interview-celebs-as-a-showbiz-reporter-fancy-telling-us-some-good-goss-about-one"><strong>You used to interview celebs as a showbiz reporter. Fancy telling us some good goss about one</strong>?</h2>



<p>Ha! Yes, I’ve interviewed many celebrities, from George Clooney to Jude Law and Michael Jackson. One of the things I&#8217;ll always remember about MJ is that he smelt of lavender.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finally-tell-us-one-weird-fact-about-yourself-you-ve-never-told-the-public-until-now"><strong>Finally, tell us one weird fact about yourself you’ve never told the public – until now</strong>.</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/8-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16610" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/8-3.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/8-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/8-3-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">There&#8217;s no grated cheese on this pic, but it&#8217;s as good as we could find!</figcaption></figure>



<p>I like eating strawberries covered with grated cheese!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fiona-s-latest-book-all-of-us-are-broken-can-be-pre-ordered-now-and-is-on-sale-from-25-april"><em>Fiona&#8217;s latest book, <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/fiona-cummins/all-of-us-are-broken/9781529040227" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">All Of Us Are Broken</a>, can be pre-ordered now – and is on sale from 25 April.</em></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-7.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16623" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-7.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-7-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/04/Untitled-design-7-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>


Muddy Meets: best-selling Essex crime writer Fiona Cummins

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