Clare Chase's Blog, page 8

7 today! Happy birthday Choc Lit!

Today marks my publisher, Choc Lit’s, seventh birthday. Of course, I’m keen to mark the occasion – and it’s important to stay on theme. This makes me very happy! Choc Lit is celebrating on Twitter, Facebook and its blog, posting giveways and birthday-themed short stories throughout the day. For me, it’s a chance to say […]

A Cambridge post – Strawberry Fair forever

It’s felt like winter for the last few days in Cambridge, but this Saturday marks a special day in the city’s calendar that in my head (and let’s face it, only there…) heralds summer. Strawberry Fair is a free annual festival that takes place next to the river, on Midsummer Common, on the first Saturday […]

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 […]

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 […]

Delicious Death. But will it be?

I was very excited when I found that A Stranger’s House was going to be the first title published under Choc Lit’s new imprint, Death by Choc Lit. I love the slogan they’ve chosen for this line: gripping, edge-of-your seat reads, and I’ll be talking about my own literary Death by Choc Lit recipe on […]

Death by Choc Lit, anyone?

So, it’s been an eventful time since I last wrote a blog post. My new novel, A Stranger’s House, is now up for pre-order on Amazon, and ready for reviewers to download from NetGalley. Even though the build-up to this moment can be measured in years, rather than months (once you factor in all the […]

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 […]

My experience of the editing process

So, the edits for my second novel are finally finished. Once again, it’s been a really thorough process, making me feel that every aspect has been considered, to make the book the best it can be. Here’s how the system works for those published by Choc Lit: The Tasting Panel Choc Lit has a panel […]

A Cambridge A – Z – Cattle on the Commons

One of the things I didn’t expect when I came to live in the Cambridge, is the cattle that roam on several of the commons in the city. It shouldn’t have taken me by surprise. Apparently locals have been using common land to graze their animals since at least the 12th century. I love the […]

A Cambridge A – Z – Bonfire Night (and inspiration for crime fiction)

Bonfire Night in Cambridge is celebrated by huge numbers of residents at an event on Midsummer Common. The display contains so much build up, and such a sustained crescendo that the oohs and ahs have nowhere to go by the end. After that, the vast bonfire is lit, and that’s pretty awe inspiring in itself. […]