Interview: A conversation with Karen Clarke

Settle down for the first in our interview series, featuring: Karen Clarke.

Karen is a full time writer living in The Chilterns with her husband and three grown-up children. She has published across genres, including psychological and suspense fiction, and her most recent novel is My Sister's Child, available here. 

Tell us a little bit about your journey into writing. 

I started writing short stories for women's magazines after joining an online writing group fifteen years ago, and alongside that wrote a romantic comedy novel that received some positive feedback from agents that kept me going. I was eventually approached by an editor at Bookouture and asked if I'd like to write a series of rom-coms for them, which - of course - I did! I went on to write two more series before switching to psychological suspense, published by HQStories/HarperCollins. I've also co-written two thrillers with author Amanda Brittany, and a third is out on submission.

Do you have a structured process that you follow when you're working, or is every book quite different for you?

My structure is that I think a lot about my next book, but lack the discipline to sit down and write a certain amount of words every day, then write the bulk of it about 6 weeks before the deadline. I wouldn't recommend this approach!

Do you have a favourite from the books you've written?

At the time of writing, they're all my favourites, but I've a soft spot for the paranormal romantic comedies I wrote before I was 'officially' published, just for the sheer fun I had writing them without expectations.

Do you think you'd ever consider writing outside of psychological thrillers and suspense? Or have you already?

I've already switched genres, and at the moment can't imagine changing as I still have plenty of ideas.

If you don't mind sharing details, what is it that you're currently working on?

I'm working on my fifth psychological thriller, about a woman stepping into someone else's life, thinking she's doing a friend a favour, but nothing is as it seems

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be reading this?

My only advice is to read a lot, and to try to write something every day. Even a few words add up to something that can eventually be polished.

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Thanks for reading the first in the PSAA interview series. Our next interview will be shared in two weeks' time so do check back in with us then.