Clare Flynn’s Blog
A beautiful new cover for Kurinji Flowers
I recently held a workshop for five other authors so we could all share marketing ideas and critique each other's websites, cover designs and social media presence. It was a fun day and we all came away with loads of useful ideas as well as some new friendships. The...
Why Do NaNoWriMo and How To Make it Work for You
Yesterday was a big day – I’ve completed my third NaNoWriMo in a row, with four days to spare. In case you don’t know what NaNoWriMo is – it’s NationalNovelWritingMonth – entrants are targeted with writing fifty thousand words during the month of November –an average...
Short Breaks – Big Inspiration
Apart from planned trips to India and Australia to research two of my books, these days I usually plan my holidays around painting – choosing locations I’ve never visited before and where I think there might be interesting landscapes. There have however been two short...
Interview with Laura Morelli
Today I'm delighted to welcome the art historian and novelist Laura Morelli who is about to publish her latest novel, The Painter's Apprentice. I met Laura at the 2016 Historical Novel Society Oxford conference, where she was one of the winners in the costume...
Interview with Wendy Clarke
Today I'm delighted to welcome the lovely Wendy Clarke to my blog. Wendy is a fellow Sussex resident and member of the Romantic Novelists's Association so I've met her several times. She is a hugely successful writer of short stories – Wendy's works regularly appears...
Interview with Roz Morris
I first encountered Roz Morris in around 2008/09 when I followed her on Twitter. It was only in 2014, after I published my first novel, that I got to meet her in real life at a function for The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) of which we are both members. I've...
Interview with John Jackson
Today I'm delighted to welcome newly published author, John Jackson. John is a stalwart of the Romantic Novelists' Association (a graduate of their New Writers Scheme) and the Historical Novel Society – always on hand to stuff a goody-bag and a ubiquitous presence...
Corn Porn and Maple Syrup
Like most authors I live in fear of someone examining my Google search history. I've looked up all manner of things in the name of research and some of them might take a bit of explaining. At the moment I'm writing the sequel to The Chalky Sea. It's set in Ontario,...
Reading of The Chalky Sea
I was invited to give a talk, a reading, and a Q&A for The Chalky Sea at The Hawthorns in Eastbourne. I was a little nervous as they had taken out a half-page ad in the local paper and had kindly laid on tea and cakes for all. There was a good crowd who asked lots...
A Hundred Tiny Threads
Today I am talking to Judith Barrow about her new novel, A Hundred Tiny Threads. Judith has lived in Pembrokeshire, Wales, for almost forty years. She has impressive academic credentials – an MA in Creative Writing with the University of Wales Trinity St David's...
Scenes from The Chalky Sea
This is the first of a few brief tours of some of the locations from The Chalky Sea. It was a beautiful morning today (9th August) here in Eastbourne so I decided to take some pictures at Holywell which is a favourite haunt of Gwen in the book. The beaches here are...
Bombs, Ravilious, Eastbourne and The Chalky Sea
(Image credit: Eric Ravilious, The Westbury Horse, 1939. Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne ) I've just returned from viewing the exhibition Ravilious and Co: The Pattern of Friendship at the Towner Gallery here in Eastbourne. I'd love to post some images but the Towner...