About Simon

Hello, I’m Simon Rudd, an author and artist based in Portsmouth, on the south coast of England.

I write about people trying to make sense of unusual circumstances, whether that means inheriting a bookshop where old documents hold emotions, finding an elephant on a winter beach, or discovering that life aboard a starship is rather more complicated than expected. My books range from cosy mysteries and comic fantasy to science fiction and darker supernatural stories. Whatever the setting, it’s the people—and sometimes the animals—who make me want to keep writing.

Living by the coast gives me plenty to draw on. Harbours, changing weather and seaside communities often find their way into my stories, alongside family tensions, unexpected friendships and secrets that have been left alone for rather too long. I enjoy humour that comes from characters being themselves, particularly when they disagree about what ought to happen next.

If you’re new to my books, there are several places to begin. Hexes & Hardcovers introduces the Cornish bookshop mysteries of Blackwater Quay, while The Elephant at Low Tide brings you to Marling Bay, where Kirsteen and her daughter Jodi have an extraordinary arrival to contend with. Elsewhere, you’ll find reluctant vampires, enchanted lakes, distant ships and the stranger corners of the American frontier.

You can browse my books and series here, or try the free Marling Bay novels to get a feel for my writing.

Painting is the other half of my creative life. I’ve painted since my teens and have sold work internationally, exploring subjects from seascapes to abstracts. Writing gives me room to follow the people and stories behind a scene; painting lets me concentrate on its light, colour and atmosphere. I like having both ways of working.

You can explore my paintings and prints at PaintingsBySimon on eBay.

Thank you for visiting. If you’ve read one of my books, I’d love to hear what stayed with you. A short, honest review is always appreciated and helps other readers decide whether a story might be for them.

Simon

The Paintings

When I'm not writing, I paint. My work covers a range of styles and subjects — seascapes, abstracts, and the same cosy-gothic moods that run through my fiction. Prints of my paintings are available in a range of sizes through my eBay shop, PaintingsBySimon, where there's usually a Buy 3 Get 3 Free offer running.

The two halves feed each other: the paintings often start as scenes I couldn't fit into a book, and more than one story has begun as a picture I couldn't stop thinking about.

Say Hello

If you've read one of my books, thank you — genuinely. Reviews mean the world to independent authors, and even a sentence or two on Amazon helps new readers find their way to these stories.

Happy reading, Simon