Blog
Dancing about architecture
Thrilled to be a guest today on the Criminal Minds blog, where I went on for a bit about writing about music – and why the rock scene is the perfect setting for a mystery: As some wag famously said, “Writing about music is like bicycling about...
“Raw and compelling suspense”
"...Simon's pacing in this crime thriller offers more than plot and character: She reincarnates the demanding sexuality of the rock underground with the costs of fame and addiction. Page by page, scene by traumatic scene, there's no guarantee that Gal can even...
No Holds Barred: An Interview
"If you have complete control of your work at all times, you’re not allowing that other element in—the magic or the subconscious." Reviewing Hold Me Down, Abby Frucht wrote: "Clea Simon treats her important, weighty subjects with a light enough touch that we nearly...
Getting real (aka the Katie Perry conundrum)
Last week, I had an exchange with an old acquaintance. She's a talented and disciplined writer, a real pro. But she hasn't been able to get her book published and was feeling discouraged. My husband had been telling her about my new book, and from her perspective, I...
How to be a rock star author
Join me over at Career Authors where I'm sharing the secrets I learned from playing in bands that help me with my writing today! Even in my musical heyday, I was never a rock star. Although my career as a bassist took me from cover bands to some pretty cool gigs at...
Booklist raves about “gritty reality” of “dark suspense”
"Simon bring[s] a gritty reality to this dark suspense tale." – Booklist So grateful for this Booklist review!
Julia Henry, how does your garden grow?
Julia Henry is not only my friend and an ardent supporter of the arts – including her crime fiction peers – the tall, talented woman with the striking hair is an incredibly busy author in her own right. Not only does she pen the light-hearted, green-thumbed...
“An enchanting, guitar-shredding crescendo…”
"[A]n enchanting, guitar-shredding crescendo of a novel... with the perfect balance of mystery and complex character study." So says Matthew Turbevill's review of Hold Me Down in Writers Tell All, and I could don't be more grateful!! Thank you so much, Matthew! Read...
Library Journal gets Hold Me Down!
"VERDICT: A mystery that explores character motivations ... For fans of Alexander McCall Smith and Janet Evanovich." Thrilled that Library Journal got the essence of Hold Me Down – and what company to be in! – though, of course, I would argue that understanding the...
“Wickedly smart” cats – thank you!
What a joy to stumble across this article in Crime Reads: "Six Cozy Mysteries Told From a Cat’s Purr-spective" There's a nice shout-out to my A Cat on the Case (the latest Witch Cats of Cambridge mystery) and the note that my cats are "wickedly smart." Why thank you!...