I researched The Cornish Witch in Mullion, a wild village on the coast of Cornwall, and the location was perfect. From the tops of the craggy cliffs the witch could watch the villagers unseen. There was a misty cove with whispering waves at nightfall, and a chill breeze. Tiny, old fishermen’s cottages, full of atmosphere. And a haunted pub.

In the novel, The Ship Inn definitely has an eerie atmosphere. Am atmospheric place, built centuries ago, it has four rooms, three of which are haunted. Our heroine, Megan, stays in the fourth one, but it’s impossible not to be aware of the other rooms. There’s the ghost of a woman who weeps at night, her heart broken for eternity. And the drenched man, who will never rest because he was drowned at sea, who bumps around in the early hours.

But the worst spirit is the waiting witch, who preys on lone men who walk home late at night. Her kiss is the kiss of death. She has a story to tell which features in my dual timeline of the novel. Something has happened to her that she can never forgive.

Mullion was a great place for research. And the witch museum in Boscastle was really a useful source of information. I found out so much about poppets and hag stones. Both form a central part of Susanna and Katel’s story in the seventeenth century, a tale of injustice and heartbreak.

I spent a night at The Old Inn in Mullion, which was a really inspirational opportunity to soak up an atmosphere that owed everything to years gone by. The friendly staff were ready to tell me all about its history and its hauntings.

And they weren’t wrong.

You’ll find out about all this in The Cornish Witch. I can’t wait for you to read it.

It’s out now.