Sally-Anne Martyn, author of 'The Beauty Queen' - Creepy thriller writer discusses 5 am starts, trying to improve, and discovering the plot when the characters do
Writer's Routine
Dan Simpson
4.9 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 30 January 2026
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this week's episode, we chat to creepy thriller writer Sally-Anne Martyn.
Sally-Anne didn't grow up wanting to be a writer. She studied performing arts, working in film and TV, before working many different jobs in many different places, even a stint as a carer in one of England's last asylums. In her 40's, she had the epiphany that perhaps writing had always been waiting for her. She took that realisation very seriously, enrolling on writing courses, and life-coaching seminars, all to try and make her dream of being published come true. When it finally happened, she was shocked at how quickly the realities of being a writer set in. You can hear all about that in the chat.
She's published 'The Clinic', 'The Home', and her new novel is 'The Beauty Queen'. It's all about the journalist Zoe Kincade, who arrives in the rundown seaside town of Sunshine Sands to report on the local talent show. Within moments, it brings up memories of her sister, and the last place she was seen alive, when she was also crowned Miss Sunshine Sands.
We discuss dark thrillers, and how she's always improving her routine. You can hear why Sally-Anne is envious of old-school writers, how different jobs have influenced her novel ideas, and why she's a member of the 5am club.
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This week's episode is sponsored by 'Whale Cemetery', the 12th instalment in the 'DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime Thriller' series by Ely North. Get a free book here - https://elynorthcrimefiction.com/
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This week's episode of writer's routine is sponsored by Whale Cemetery, the new novel by Eli North. |
| 0:07.5 | It's the 12th installment in the DCI Finnegan, Yorkshire Crime Thriller series. |
| 0:14.1 | Fantastic novels, full of atmosphere, brooding, mysterious, a touch malevolent, all set in the harsh coastal town of Whitby. |
| 0:26.1 | This time, DCI Frank Finnegan hears whispers of old folklore mixed in with a deadly new underworld. |
| 0:33.6 | Finnegan must confront enemies bound by a brutal code of honour who know every alley, yard and tide of the area. |
| 0:42.7 | And Frank learns that some graves lie a lot deeper than others. |
| 0:47.6 | Eli North has published many books after dabbling in different genres and finally realized that his real writing love was staring him in the face the whole time. |
| 0:59.0 | Crime fiction, and he jumped right in. |
| 1:02.2 | If you're new to Eli's work, well, there are 11 other books in the DCI Finnegan series for you to get involved with, |
| 1:09.5 | and it's a brilliant time to start reading. |
| 1:11.8 | Eli is British-born and Australian-based, |
| 1:14.9 | and he's publishing an Australian crime series |
| 1:17.6 | filled with the trademark atmosphere later on this year. |
| 1:22.3 | If you love L.J. Ross, J.D. Kirk and Joy Ellis, |
| 1:26.6 | I think you'll really enjoy Eli's work. You can find the e-books on |
| 1:31.0 | Kindle. Paperbacks are available through Ingram Spark 2, and you can take a listen to the audio books on all the |
| 1:37.1 | major platforms, audibles, Spotify, everywhere like that. There's even a free book for you to try out on |
| 1:43.1 | Eli's website. So head over to |
| 1:45.4 | Eli Northcimefiction.com. Take a look around, see what you think, have a flick through the free |
| 1:51.6 | book, and then have a read of Whale Cemetery. It's the new novel by Eli North, which is sponsoring |
| 1:58.7 | the show this week. Take a look, Eli North, Crimefiction.com, |
| 2:03.3 | and we've got links in the podcast notes where you're listening. |
... |
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