Natali Simmonds Explores Womanhood, Genre, and the Grit Behind Every Unforgettable Story

PHOTO: Author Natali Simmonds, blending grit and imagination, speaks candidly about her writing journey and the fearless women at the heart of her stories.

Writing Across Genres With Grit, Heart, And Magic

Author Natali Simmonds shares her genre-spanning writing journey, discusses the emotional roots of her thrillers, co-writing paranormal romance, and reveals how real-life experiences shape her complex, unflinching female characters.

Natali Simmonds is a literary force of nature whose stories are as fearless as they are thought-provoking. With a voice that slices through convention and a pen that unflinchingly navigates the rawest edges of human emotion, Simmonds has carved out a space in modern fiction that’s all her own. Whether she’s exploring the psychological toll of motherhood, the quiet rage of women pushed to their limits, or the intoxicating pull of magic and myth, her work is unafraid to ask difficult questions—and even more unafraid to answer them honestly.

Her thrillers, including While My Baby Sleeps and My Daughter’s Revenge, are gripping studies in psychological suspense, anchored by complex female protagonists who reflect the messy, powerful truths of real life. Her debut, Good Girls Die Last, strikes a masterful balance between sharp social commentary and nail-biting suspense—and it’s no wonder it’s headed for the screen. Under her pen name N J Simmonds and as one half of the duo Caedis Knight, she fearlessly shifts between genres, from fantasy epics to steamy paranormal noir, always keeping readers on their toes.

In this interview, Natali opens up about her creative process, the personal experiences that shape her fiction, and why genre should never be a limitation for bold storytelling. Whether you’re a reader, a writer, or someone who simply loves a good story that lingers long after the last page, Natali Simmonds is a name you won’t forget.

Natali Simmonds is a fearless storyteller whose bold, genre-defying fiction captivates with emotional depth, suspenseful plots, and powerful, authentic women.

How do you approach writing across such different genres like thrillers, fantasy, and paranormal romance?

I love writing for a variety of genres as they all require a different approach and style. Fantasy involves a lot more world building, which is complex and time-consuming, so I’m glad I co-write my paranormal romance books with my friend, Jacqueline Silvester. Whereas with my thrillers I have to be very organised and systematic. I release two books a year with Bookouture, so I don’t have a lot of time to see where the story takes me. I plot and plan, chapter by chapter, and once my editor signs that off I know exactly what I’m writing. Fantasy isn’t always as easy as that because magic has a tendency to have a mind of its own!

What inspired the premise behind While My Baby Sleeps?

I had my daughters very close together and I didn’t sleep properly for four years. I was on the verge of serious psychosis and very few people realised. It was a scary time for me. I’d always wanted to explore the idea of a woman who is so exhausted and intent on protecting her baby she loses her grip on reality, which is how I ended up writing While My Baby Sleeps. Working on that book got very dark and I ended up revisiting some difficult parts of my past as a new mother. Yet I have received lots of messages from mothers thanking me for shedding a light on postpartum sleep deprivation, something that the medical profession rarely takes seriously, so it was all worth it.

“Fantasy isn’t always as easy as that because magic has a tendency to have a mind of its own!” — Natali Simmonds

How has living in multiple countries influenced the way you create settings in your novels?

I’m fortunate to have lived in the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, and Australia, and those experiences have been hugely influential to my writing. Mixed cultures, a sense of belonging, and family are all recurring themes in my books. In fact, observant readers may spot that at least three of my female MCs have Spanish heritage like me!

Your books often feature complex female protagonists. How do you develop their voices so authentically?

That’s probably the easiest part of writing for me, as I’m surrounded by amazing, strong women who have peppered my life with their stories and battles. It’s so important to me to write books that are mirrors, not answers. In My Daughter’s Revenge I got to explore how it feels to be a woman struggling to let go of your youth and vigour, while watching your teenage daughter blossom and make bad decisions. That was a really fun dichotomy to play with. I love the idea of my readers seeing themselves in my characters and being able to relate with the everyday occurrences in the books (albeit not the crime aspects).

Good Girls Die Last has a strong feminist theme. What message were you hoping readers would take from it?

This is not a man-hating book, but a demonstration of the micro-aggressions young women face daily – not just from men but the world we live in where clothing, our bodies, safety, and relationships are all affected by gender. Add to that a London heatwave and a serial killer on the loose and you have a woman ready to snap. It was that constant proximity to snapping that I wanted readers to take away from the story. I’m very excited that STV have optioned it for a TV series (although I can’t say any more right now).

“It’s so important to me to write books that are mirrors, not answers.” — Natali Simmonds

Can you tell us about your co-writing process as Caedis Knight?

I first met Jacqueline Silvester at London’s YALC festival in 2017 and we became instant friends. Two years later she approached me about a paranormal romance idea she had about a truth witch who works for the paranormal corner of the dark web investigating crime while looking for her missing sister…I was 100% in! We’ve published four of the seven books from our The Blood Web series so far, with another out at the end of 2025. We brainstormed the entire series in advance so we already know what happens in each book, sharing Pinterest boards, character ideas, and plots until we have an outline. We then take it in turn to write each chapter, editing one another’s work as we go, so we end up with just one voice/style.

How do you balance writing fiction with your work in freelance lecturing and consulting?

At the moment writing takes up 70% of my time but I’m moving back to London soon, so once my move from Holland is over, I will have more time and opportunity to grow my consulting business and lecture at more schools. By combining writing with my freelance work, I get to meet amazing creatives, work with innovative teams, and talk about my favourite thing – storytelling! I would go crazy if I was stuck at home at my desk all day. I don’t like the quiet life.

What role does London play in your stories, and why do you think it’s such a compelling backdrop?

I was born and raised in London, and half of my family are from there, so the big city runs in my veins. London is a main character in both Good Girls Die Last and The Path Keeper. Although I’ve lived in many other countries, London never fails to pull me back. I’ve always found the capital’s heady mix of old and new, grittiness and glamorous, history and modernity fascinating. It provides so many opportunities as a backdrop across history.

“Stories are stories – write the ones that mean something to you.” — Natali Simmonds

How do you manage the emotional intensity required to write gripping, suspenseful scenes?

I’m not the most stable of people to begin with, so being up all night obsessing over an idea or hyper-focusing and writing for hours on end isn’t anything out of the ordinary. I also get bored easily, so the challenge of keeping readers hooked is a lot of fun. I’ve always enjoyed psychology, and what motivates people, looking at what makes normal people do terrible things. I don’t write about anything awful happening to children or animals, though – you can write addictive stories without having to resort to upsetting scenes. I don’t like researching truly heinous crimes and I don’t enjoy writing them, so my thrillers remain more domestic and psychological. I like my readers to feel that what happens in my books could happen to anyone at any time.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to write across multiple genres?

Go for it! Realistically you’ll probably do better in one genre than all of them, but there’s no reason why you can’t have more than one pen name and see what works best for you. My career really took off when I started writing thrillers; that’s what got me an agent, a trad contract, and a TV deal. But I love co-writing and self-publishing paranormal romance as Caedis Knight, and I’ve also written two middle grade books with another author friend that I hope make it. Stories are stories – write the ones that mean something to you, then worry about building brand recognition once one of those books gets you an agent and a deal. In the meantime, just have fun!!