Clare grew up in Guildford surrounded by books. Her father was a poet and author who inspired her to write. She began doodling poetry in her teens and loved writing stories at school. She continued to doodle poetry throughout her life, although yearned to write novels but never had the time.In 2022, Clare took early retirement and finally had time to realise her dream. The Invitation began as a short story inspired by a writing prompt. It won the monthly writing competition in her creative writing group. Clare’s mother and several friends asked what happened next, and so she began to write the rest. That short story became the first three chapters of this book. Clare has always been curious about the stories hidden behind the veneer of normality, whether created by culture or something more sinister.Clare and her husband David have been married for over 30 years. They have two children who are both married, and a delightful granddaughter. Clare and David now enjoy time together with their beautiful Burmese cats, Rosie Posie and Poppy.Read more about this authorRead less about this author