“The soundtrack of my childhood was clunking typewriter keys working their inky, irregular magic as stories poured forth from my imagination.”

Optometrist Scott Thomson shares how his work with the visually impaired, combined with his love for Sherlock Holmes, led to the creation of his new Shirley Combs Mysteries picture book series.

Have you always wanted to write a book?

When I was a child, my parents bought me a manual typewriter. The soundtrack of my childhood was its clunking keys (often stuck!) working their inky, irregular magic as stories poured forth from my imagination. Even then I would only type on the bottom half of the page, leaving the top half for my illustrations – I think I was always destined to write picture books. My inner illustrator never bloomed, but my inner storyteller could only be suppressed for so long.

Can you tell us what the first book in the series, The Adventure of the Missing Prize, is about?

Shirley Combs, a visually impaired detective girl, is thrust into the middle of a mystery at the Christmas fairground. When Mrs Lyon’s first prize toy is stolen from her fairground stall, Shirley and her trusty guide dog, Woofson, leave no stone unturned in their hunt for the thief. It’s about the thrill of the chase, about justice, about our longing for acceptance, about the extraordinary potential of people, and about the beautiful logic of the human mind.

Where did the inspiration for the Shirley Combs Mysteries series come from?

In my day job I’m an optometrist, and I specialise in working alongside patients who are vulnerable or face barriers to accessing eyecare. This includes people who are unable to leave their homes, people in care homes, and children in special schools. One thing that often astounds me, particularly among the children, is their brilliant ability to overcome challenges and achieve extraordinary things. Especially inspiring to me is the way children with vision loss can adapt and thrive, despite their impairment. My other big passion is stories, and one of the most captivating, intriguing characters in all of literature is the inimitable Sherlock Holmes. Shirley Combs brings together these two threads.

What is unique about Shirley?

Shirley Combs is just as brilliant as Sherlock Holmes. Some would say more so, since, as a visually impaired detective, she relies on her other senses to crack her cases.

What’s your favourite excerpt from the book?

“People regularly underestimate Shirley. This sometimes makes her sad, and often makes her cross. But Shirley has learned that being overlooked can have its advantages. It enables her to do things she never ought to do, and to be in places she never ought to be, as she gathers her evidence.”

Which age group is the book aimed at, and why should people of this age (or their parents/guardians) buy it?

This book is aimed at children of every stripe, from pre-readers to early readers, and even a wee bit older. If you want to whet your child’s appetite for Sherlock Holmes, if you love to see underrepresented groups in print, if you love mysteries, if you want a book that’s worth reading again and again as your child spots the clues, then this is the book for you.

Can you briefly describe your writing process?

I often start with an idea. That might be a philosophical idea I want to portray in a story, it might be a hook for a story, it might be a character. I’m usually a pantser (I write by the seat of my pants, without much plotting beforehand!), so next I often just start writing, and see what happens. A world begins to form, a plot begins to emerge and a character finds its voice. Once the story train starts hurtling, there’s no stopping it.

What’s your favourite writing snack?

Does coffee count?

How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?

I’m father to three wonderful, rambunctious children, and director of a home visit optician business serving the North East and Cumbria. I’m involved in my local church and occasionally go to the gym. Oh, and I love reading, of course. So, in short, the answer is that I don’t spend nearly enough of my non-writing time sleeping! 

What advice would you give other aspiring authors?

Your voice is worth hearing, though at times it won’t feel as if anyone wants to listen. But keep reading in your genre, find others on the same writing journey as you and cheer one another on as loudly as you can, and – above all – keep writing!

Find out more about Scott and Emira Press's other amazing authors here. You can also follow him on Facebook and on Instagram for updates about The Adventure of the Missing Prize.