Spotlight on: Claire Douglas

Hi. I’m Claire Douglas and I write psychological thrillers. My sixth book is coming out in August and it’s called Just Like the Other Girls. 

What’s the first novel you remember completing?

It was a (dreadful) novel I wrote when I was 23. It was supposed to be a romcom about a woman who goes to university but it wasn’t very funny and not much happens! I sent it off to agents but, not surprisingly, it got rejected and never got published. 

What’s one piece of advice you have from your own experience submitting to agents?

I’d say make sure to do your research first before submitting to agents. Check that they represent authors in the genre you are writing in and if they are taking on new clients. Sometimes agents stipulate what kind of thing they are looking for. 

What has been a highlight of the publishing process so far?

Getting an agent has been one of my highlights as there were times when I thought it would never happen. And seeing my novels on shelves in supermarkets and book shops. Being published was a dream I had for so long that I’ll never take for granted seeing my books on shelves.

What are you writing next?

My new thriller is about a young woman called Saffy who inherits her beloved grandmother’s house in the Cotswolds when she has to go into a care home because of dementia. But when Saffy and her boyfriend start renovating the house they are horrified to discover a body dating back to when her gran lived there alone. Her gran becomes the prime suspect but Saffy sets out to prove her innocence. But is her unassuming and kind grandmother really a killer? 

Just Like the Other Girls is out on August 6th!