New authors who feel the urge to write for a living take note. This next author is something special. She exhibits several traits, unique to a successful writer. Her genre, carefully selected. Her covers, eye-catching. Her output of words onto a blank page, truly impressive to behold. Anna Emm boasts a burgeoning author page on Amazon. An inspirational author who also happens to be a really cool person too. Is true.
Your author name
Anna Emm
Your book titles
Bartholomew’s in love, What Poisonous Things, The thing that happened at the Show House
Give us the elevator pitch for your books?
I write genre-bending suspense novels with a magical realism element.
“Bartholomew’s in love” is set on an isolated island off the coast of Struisbaai, where a vengeful siren guards the secrets of the cult community that lives there. When the cult’s newly appointed leader, Bartholomew, falls in love with a girl from the mainland, she convinces him to escape. But before he can do so, the girl disappears. Now Bartholomew is in a race against time to find out what happened to her, and is forced to question everything he’s ever believed to be true.
“What Poisonous Things” is a fast-paced time travel thriller about a man who gets the opportunity to alter everything that is wrong about his life, using three magical wishes. But when he wakes up in this new life, he finds that a lot of other things have changed as well. The city is crumbling, there is a new leader, and large rats have infested the streets. He realises he has been tricked and, since he’s the only one who remembers things the way they were before, is the only one who can fix it. But then, can he really trust his own memories?
“The thing that happened at the Show House” is a whodunit following a murder investigation at a show house. Unbeknownst to the detective, Gideon Burke, and the small group of suspects, the spirit of the victim, Lucy, is still stuck in the empty show house. In order to leave, Lucy has to figure out who killed her, and why. But not everything is as it seems in the paranormal mystery. As it turns out, the detective as well as the victim have a few secrets of their own.
How long did it take for you to finish the final draft of your book?
I plot and plan stories for a long time in my head before I actually start writing them down, so once I start, I am a fast writer. I seldom spend more than 4-6 weeks on a first draft (80k-100k words). Then I go back and work through everything I’ve written, which usually takes me about 2 weeks, before passing it on to my proof-readers. When they come back with suggestions, I would tweak a little more. But usually I put the plot and characters down very precisely from the get go. Writing, for me, is just the process of putting a story that’s already in my head, down on paper.
What makes this book different from others on the shelf?
I like to say that I write fairy tales for adults – books that are set in real life, but have a fantasy element. Other than that, I don’t write for a specific genre and my books don’t follow the familiar formulas of certain genres. My stories are always a mix of suspense and mystery and romance and fantasy. I focus on telling an interesting story and giving the reader an enjoyable experience, whatever that takes. This, unfortunately, makes it hard for readers to find my books on shelves and, when they find it, they are hesitant to read it because they can’t pin it as ‘a crime novel’ or ‘a romance novel’. They don’t know what to expect. But then, once they start reading, they always come back and read all my other books! I have always had a loyal following of readers, which is steadily growing over the years. But I hope to one day connect with the right person at the right time, who can help my books reach a wider audience.
What was the hardest part of the writing journey for you?
All of it! There are so many challenges! Finding the quietness in yourself to write, staying true to your own voice even if nobody gets it, the horrible loneliness, the isolation of writing, the giants of self-doubt, life, life, life, and that ever-present sore butt!
Your favourite place to write?
Wherever I am sure not to be disturbed. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of that writing fog, and then having someone open a door…
What kept you motivated to write during the times you felt stuck?
Stubbornness, which, lucky for me, is a family trait. And also the fact that I have no other talents to fall back on.
Tell us something about yourself that readers would not be able to guess?
How much I thrive on their feedback. Writing is the loneliest job on earth. You carry the story for so long inside your own head, like a secret. Once it is out there, I am starved to be able to talk about it! I desperately need readers to talk to me about my books, even if they didn’t like it! It is like being able to talk finally about a mutual friend, or a mutual experience. It is a relief, and every bit of feedback energises me to keep going.
Have you written any other books?
I have written hundreds of books – haha. Literally. So far, I have written 3000+ children’s stories, 5 children’s books, 17 YA books, 2 collections of short stories, 21 romance novels, 42 stage plays, and 4 suspense novels. If you want to know why,then you can read the full story on my website.
Assuming you may not write full time, what is your day job?
I was a teacher for four years, then a shop-owner, and then I had my own production company that produced children’s audio stories. The company was liquidated after 15 years in 2020, which was both a heartbreak and a relief. I am now, for the first time in my life, free to write full-time.
How should someone get in touch with you?
On my website www.AnnaEmm.com you will find links to all my social media pages. Or you can send an email to
