Emma Stewart sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to ten or more questions so we can learn more about her. Are you ready? Let’s get to know Emma.
What is your full name?
Emma Jane Stewart. I don’t really put it out there often, because I think it makes me sound like a country singer.
How old are you?
32
What is your profession?
I’m an estate sale organizer, thanks to my best friend, Laura Benton. She talked me into turning my hobby into a business—and helped me escape my cubicle.
If you have a significant other, what is their name and profession?
Sam Turner. He’s a lawyer—which turns out to be extremely useful when your life starts to involve more crime scenes than it should.
Do you have any children?
No, unless you count my dog, Hopper.
Who is your best friend?
Laura Benton. We’ve been friends since college, though we are complete opposites. I showed up at the dorm as a nerdy, introverted freshman with my Intel Pentium computer and an Albert Einstein poster, only to find that my new roommate, Laura, had taken the best side of the room, decorated it in pink, and invited our new suitemates over for a tour—while I hovered in the doorway wondering if it was too late to request a transfer.
Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
I have an American Bulldog named Hopper. I named him after Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneer of computer programming and the woman credited as saying, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” This philosophy has come in handy more than once—for both me and Hopper.
What town do you live in?
Costa Verde Beach, on Florida’s northeast coast, where ornate gates and perfectly manicured hedges do a very good job of hiding what’s really going on behind closed doors. I’m a bit of a fish out of water there, among the wealthy, stylish residents, but I’ve learned that the more perfect things look, the more there is to hide.
What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
That’s currently a sore spot with me. I sold my house when I thought I was getting transferred. Then, my best friend Laura and I decided to start our own estate sale business, and I moved in with her temporarily. Now I’m housesitting for our mentor, Barbara, while she enjoys a retirement odyssey through Europe. It’s a rough assignment, since Barbara owns a condo on the beach. Well, not on the beach. It’s a garden view, which is real estate terminology for “faces the parking lot.”
Do you have any hobbies?
Estate sale shopping was my hobby, but now it’s my vocation. I’m an introvert, so I enjoy spending quiet time reading, digging through online rabbit holes, or “just quickly looking something up,” which has a way of turning into three hours later and twelve open tabs. Thankfully, my dog, Hopper, can always convince me to shut the laptop and go for a walk on the beach.
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Ctrl+Alt+Del: Rebooting My Life in a Beach Town
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I fell into the role of amateur sleuth. You could actually say that my best friend fell over it, when she fell over a body. It seems she started something, because ever since we started working together, the bodies keep turning up.
EVERYTHING MUST GO
Series: An Estate Sales Mystery, Book 3
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: May 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Running an estate sale is tricky. Running a secret one? That’s asking for trouble.
Emma Stewart and her best friend, Laura, finally land a new client—but this one comes with strings attached.
Claire Weston wants to liquidate her high-end belongings… quietly. No open house. No curious neighbors. And absolutely no gossip about why a wealthy widow suddenly needs cash.
Emma isn’t convinced.
Claire’s husband disappeared during a solo dive in one of Florida’s most dangerous underwater caves. No body. No death certificate. No insurance payout. And now Claire is in a hurry to sell everything she owns.
That’s not suspicious at all.
As Emma juggles a complicated off-site sale, a charming (and distracting) boyfriend, and a neighborhood plagued by break-ins, she can’t shake the feeling that something bigger is going on.
Because when a client is hiding this much…it’s only a matter of time before the truth surfaces.
And when it does, Emma might wish she’d stayed out of it.
About the author
Shelley Marsh writes humorous Florida mysteries where sunshine, secrets, and sharp wit go hand in hand. She is the author of the Estate Sale Mysteries, including Dying to Live Here, More Than She Bargained For, and Everything Must Go. A former magazine writer and current vice president of the Northeast Florida Sisters in Crime chapter, Shelley draws inspiration from coastal life, community drama, and the stories hidden behind closed doors. She lives in North Florida near the beach, where she enjoys walking, biking, and hunting for shark teeth and seashells. Connect with Shelley at writershelleymarsh.com.