My guest today is award-winning author Bella Ellwood-Clayton. Bella has dropped by to talk to us about her books and her writing journey. So grab yourself a cuppa, get cosy, and let’s get chatting to Bella. ☺️

Dr. Bella Ellwood-Clayton is an award-winning author who writes twisty fiction about the secrets we hide from those closest to us. She holds a BA from Concordia University in Montréal and a PhD from the University of Melbourne in sexual anthropology. Her novels include The Swimming Group (Joffe Books, April 2025) and her debut Weekend Friends (Post Hill Press, 2023), hailed as “unputdownable” by bestselling author Nicola Moriarty. Bella is also a freelance editor and oversees Dr. Bella Editorial.

Bella’s work has appeared in the Huffington Post and Daily Life, and she has been featured in a National Geographic documentary and given a TEDx talk. Married to an Aussie, she lives in Melbourne with her two screen-obsessed teens and a mini Maltese who’s convinced he’s a pit bull. When not writing, you can find her coffee-ing, and randomly blurting out, “Oh, that’s a good story idea.” 

Hi Bella, welcome to my blog. Can you tell my readers a little about your writing journey?

Hi Karen, thanks for inviting me over. My writing journey came about in various stages.

From Raindrops to Fiction

Writing came from pain. A childhood knee accident in Vancouver led to my first poem about raindrops on a car window as we raced to the hospital. During recovery, a journal became where I processed my feelings. I wrote in my diary for the next two decades—mostly about bad boys, longing, and a desire for a full life.

The Academic Years

I took the scenic route to fiction. After studying anthropology at Concordia University in Montréal, I completed my PhD at Melbourne University. Academia taught me research rigor, but it wasn’t for me.

Sex and the City

I turned to journalism and penned weekly sex and relationship columns for Australian newspapers. It wasn’t quite Carrie Bradshaw (and my shoes were never designer), but I did radio and TV, exploring human intimacy through accessible storytelling. It was fun and resulted in a nonfiction book deal.

Fiction Breakthrough

My first novel attempt at twenty-something was spectacularly arrogant—I actually refused a prestigious New York agent’s revision request. That door slammed shut.

When I returned to fiction—after marriage, children, and with more humility—five years of querying, rewrites, and brutal feedback taught me to embrace criticism. A Twitter pitch contest led to representation with Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. I still thank my lucky stars.

Building the Business

I built my editing career—working as Head of Editorial at NAC Literary Agency and running Dr. Bella Editorial. This work with emerging and bestselling authors sharpens my craft and provides income during the unpredictable life of a fiction writer. It’s absurd how little 99.9% of novelists make—especially when the world feeds off entertainment (as witnessed during Covid).

The Novels

Weekend Friends (2023) and The Swimming Group (2025) both explore secrets we hide from those closest to us—themes emerging from my academic background studying relationships and journalistic experience writing about intimacy. Turns out, researching human behavior is excellent preparation for crafting characters who lie beautifully.

Writing demands optimism in the face of defeat. Persistence. Finding a writing community. And remaining teachable—even when it hurts. That full life I longed for in my diary entries? This is it: messy, uncertain, often financially nonsensical, but deeply fulfilling.

I think you’ve eloquently summed up writing in your last paragraph, Bella! It’s amazing the different paths that take us to eventual publication. Wishing you lots more writing success.

Bella’s book

blurb

My name is Emma Brennan, and I never thought I’d find myself in this position — standing on a Cape Cod beach at sunrise, wondering which of my friends is a killer.

I came to the idyllic seaside town of Provincetown to raise my young niece and figure out what to do next with my life. Eleven months ago my sister vanished off the coast of Ocracoke Island. No body, no answers. Just a teenage daughter left behind — and me. At the same time, the man I thought I was going to marry cheated on me with a cute young florist.

I joined the Tragic Wives’ Group — a tight-knit, cold-water swimming group with enough personal drama to fill a bestseller. And one of us has put it in a manuscript, spilling all our secrets.

Then she disappears… leaving just a pile of clothes on the sand. She’s the second person I’ve lost in twelve months.

This razor-sharp thriller of friendship, obsession and the secrets we’d do anything to protect is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Liane Moriarty, and Lucy Clarke.

“A saucy, shocking mystery that masterfully weaves together cold-water swimming and ice-cold deception.” —Sarah Bailey, bestselling author of The Housemate

Buy link

•    Formats: Paperback, eBook (including Kindle Unlimited), audio book

•    Amazon: The Swimming Group Weekend Friends

•    Barnes & Noble: The Swimming Group Weekend Friends

Bella’s contact links

Website and newsletter: www.drbella.com.au (sign up for free short stories and exclusive giveaways)

TikTok @bellaellwoodclayton

Instagram: @bellaellwoodclayton

Email: bella@drbella.com.au

Editorial Services: https://www.drbella.com.au/editorial-services

More of Bella’s Books