Did you always want to be a writer?
I think so. I used to write short stories about my childhood pet cats as superheroes. I didn’t think too much of it until I was tasked with writing a short story for my GCSE coursework. My English teacher told me I should be a writer, and something clicked in my brain. That’s when I knew. After completing my creative writing degree, I attempted to write several children’s fantasy stories before I realised that takes a certain kind of brain – one which I don’t possess! It wasn’t until I picked up Jane Casey’s The Missing, I thought yes! Maybe I could do this. And the more crime fiction I read, the more certain I became that it was what I wanted to do.
What books did you read growing up?
I was an Enid Blyton kinda kid. I had alllll the books. My dad used to read me bedtime stories every night he was home without fail, and we worked our way through The Famous Five series pretty quickly. I remember reading a lot of Dick King Smith, and later went on to discover the Harry Potter series which I fully immersed myself in to. When I got older, I was really into The Lord of the Rings and Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. I truly didn’t see the crime fiction obsession coming!
What was the idea behind The Deadly Spark?
A few things sparked the idea, one of which I can’t tell you about as it’ll reveal something I really don’t want you to know yet… the killer’s identity! But honestly? The reason I wanted to write about a deadly fire was because it’s one of my biggest phobias, ever since we were shown a video at primary school about how quickly a house can go up in flames. Fire is so beautiful but so destructive, so dramatic, and the mental image of a burning house is so emotive, so naturally, it’s great to write about. And of course, I find inspiration in everything I read, from Gillian McAllister’s incredible characterisation and Louise Jensen’s beautiful description, to Jane Casey’s expert procedural plotting and Clare Mackintosh’s killer twists and reveals.
Can you tell us about your publishing journey?
I started writing The Deadly Spark in the summer of 2019, just after my honeymoon. After many, many rejections, I finally met my dream literary agent Maddalena Cavaciuti on Twitter in 2020. We polished the manuscript together, and landed a contract with HQ early 2021, and it’s been a rollercoaster ever since – not just the publishing journey, but I also managed to have a baby in that time. The book finally launched in May 2024, and I spent 6 months in a bit of a whirlwind of author events, sending out press releases and refreshing the reviews pages. I’m currently out of contract and excited at the idea of working with a new publisher!
What’s your writing routine?
I like to have each act and each chapter planned so I know more or less what’s happening. That way I find the writing and creativity flows better as I’m not worrying so much about plot issues further down the line. Once it’s all planned out, chapter by chapter, I snatch any time I can between my full-time job and parenting my crazy toddler, and write what I can when I can (and try not to stress about it). I can’t have dedicated writing time with my current situation so things are a bit slower than I’d like them to be.
Who are your favourite authors and books?
As mentioned above, I’m a huge fan of Gillian McAllister, Louise Jensen, Jane Casey and Clare Mackintosh – these are the authors I’ll read anything they’ve ever written. I’ve recently discovered Erin Kelly after reading The House of Mirrors and now I’m a little bit obsessed. Louise Minchin’s Isolation Island was SO good, Rob Parker’s The Troubled Deep was absolutely brilliant, and Robert Rutherford’s Seven Days was addictive. I do occasionally read outside of the crime fiction genre – although it doesn’t happen often – and I recently fell in love with Rachel Greenlaw’s Compass & Blade… a stunning book.
What’s your favourite thing about being a writer?
It has to be reading people’s responses to the book. Luckily for me, they’ve been mostly positive, so reading reviews, seeing social media posts about it, and attending book club meet ups has been such a lovely experience. I’ve also really enjoyed being on author panel events during my debut year – they were a LOT of fun.
And the least?
The waiting… the uncertainty… the fear of failure and rejection. I’m not sure if I can pick just one. There’s a lot to deal with along the way, and I don’t think I felt like a real author until the first time I walked into Waterstones and saw my book sitting on the shelf. Imposter syndrome is a big issue for a lot of authors I’ve spoken to, and it’s pretty hard to shake it off.
What’s next?
I have a few things on the go. The follow up to The Deadly Spark is almost finished, and I need to find a home for it. I’m working on a standalone thriller which I can’t reveal too much about just yet, but I’m super excited about it. And I’m dabbling in the world of lesbian rom coms with a new idea that I want to get stuck into. I’ve also got my first piece in Mslexia Magazine being published in March, and it’s all about marketing ideas for authors – do check it out if you can!
THE DEADLY SPARK
published by HQ (HarperCollins)
Roxie Key is a crime thriller author from Northampton, where she lives with her wife, Laura, and their daughter, Hallie. She has always been a writer; although the stories she wrote as a child about her pets will never see the light of day, she knew from a young age that one day she wanted to see her name on a book cover. Roxie studied Creative & Media Writing at Middlesex University and then went on to become a copywriter for a global brand. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found swimming, reading, or gaming.