The making of a novel – inspiration & method

I’m celebrating today as my second Cambridge mystery, One Dark Lie, is now available across all ebook platforms. It's set in the run-up to Christmas: cue lots of snowy pics!   Writing a novel can be a bit of a long, slow process, and encouragement along the way truly helps, so it seems like a … Continue reading The making of a novel – inspiration & method

I want a label of my very own…

I know a lot of writers get fed up with having their work labelled. I can see it's limiting to have your novel firmly dumped into one category, and books vary so much that using any of the standard classifications can only be a very blunt instrument. That said, I’m still busy trying to find … Continue reading I want a label of my very own…

Playing with Windows Movie Maker (again)

There are all sorts of things that go with having a new novel out. Making a book trailer is an optional extra, but it’s a lot of fun, so I’ve put one together for A Stranger’s House. (I had a little help from the rest of the family when it came to the night-time photography … Continue reading Playing with Windows Movie Maker (again)

Competitive crime…

Many months ago, I entered the EPIC eBook Awards, and promptly forgot all about it. Then, whilst wallowing slightly in the post-Christmas, going-back-to-work blues, I received an email, saying You Think You Know Me has made the finals! It’s a lovely boost, and the second time the novel’s been placed in an award. If you … Continue reading Competitive crime…

Highlights from #RNAconf15

I attended the RNA Conference for the first time this year and it was fantastic. I was only around for the Saturday, but I still managed to catch up with a lot of friends and the talks were fascinating too. One of the huge learning curves for me since getting published has been self promotion. … Continue reading Highlights from #RNAconf15

Inspiration for romantic suspense

I’m in that in between stage at the moment. I’ve just submitted a novella to my publisher, Choc Lit, and I’m having a nice time, mulling over the story I might write next. I’ve been working on books featuring two sets of characters – one lot based in London and one in Cambridge. The novella I’ve … Continue reading Inspiration for romantic suspense

Online resources for mystery writers – updated

My novels always involve a murder mystery, and a couple of years ago I decided that maybe limiting my research to watching Lewis might be a bit slack. I started to trawl the web to get the answers I needed for the book I was writing then, and also for inspiration for future novels. Since … Continue reading Online resources for mystery writers – updated

Publishing Promo – Six (semi) techie things I’ve learned

And these are just my known unknowns...! Facebook You can have more than one name on your profile page. If you’ve got a pen name, you can have that in brackets under your real one, or vice versa. I have a Clare Chase author page, but my personal account was still solely under my legal … Continue reading Publishing Promo – Six (semi) techie things I’ve learned

OneNote for many – plotting my new novel

I don’t know if my brain’s flagging, but sorting out the plot of my next mystery has felt like wrestling an octopus. I normally enter a series of pivotal events into Excel, but this time that didn't do the trick. I started casting around for software that might help, and realised I ought to explore … Continue reading OneNote for many – plotting my new novel

Preparing for publication – edits and titles

Now that October's here again, I’ve found myself looking back over the last twelve months. This time in 2013, I was on the point of submitting my novel, Anna in the Works, to Choc Lit. Around five months after that, they emailed to say their reading panel had liked it. I was at work at … Continue reading Preparing for publication – edits and titles