Please welcome Claire Gem. So Claire, how long have you been writing?
My love of writing began in the seventh grade when my English teacher, Miss Prather, took me aside and said the short story I’d written was exceptional, and that I had a real talent for writing. That’s all the encouragement I needed!
Q: Do you have a specific writing style?
My writing style might be described as sporadic, since I tend to write huge chunks of my books in very short periods of time. Then I back off and let the story simmer. After a few days, my characters wake me up in the middle of the night and tell me to get back to work.
Q: How do you make time to write?
I write mostly early mornings, before my day job. Afternoons when I get home are fruitful, and sometimes in the middle of the night, when those pesky characters won’t let me sleep.
Q: To date which of your books was the hardest to write and why?
My as yet unpublished (because it’s not complete) novel, Time is a Ribbon, has been rumbling around in the back of my brain now for almost ten years. I’ve written over half of it, then stopped and started over in a different point of view. I just feel I’m not good enough yet to write this story, but when I am, it will be my best ever.
Q: I noticed you write under multiple pseudonyms, any benefits/challenges with extra names?
Benefits: I get to write different genres, and assume different personas – Frances Brown writes nonfiction, Claire Gem writes ghost stories, and Charlotte Daly writes contemporary romance. But that means multiple websites, Facebook pages, Twitter handles…the challenges? Remembering all the passwords.
Q: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I do travel in researching the locations for my books. For Phantom Traces, I visited about a dozen old libraries in New England to create just the right setting for a haunting.
My upcoming ghostly romance, Hearts Unloched, takes place in the Catskill mountains on Loch Sheldrake. I’ve spent many hours driving around the region, snapping pictures, and visiting the local museum.
The ending of Memories of You, Charlotte Daly’s upcoming novel, takes place in Lake George, N.Y. in winter—that involved a snowy weekend trip in a cabin on the lake.
Q: What do you feel is the most important aspect for all new authors to remember when writing or creating their own stories?
Tell the story you would love to read. It’s really just that simple.
Q: Tell us your latest news?
Phantom Traces is now available in paperback, ebook, and audio. Memories of You, Book I in The Lake George Series, will be released early 2016 from Lachesis Publishing.
Q: Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?
The Clog Blog 