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'I advise silence. How quickly you seem to forget that I am cursed to eternal veracity also, not like you, but because of you.' - Dragonology: Voyage of The Damned.

About me

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'Reminding her of the deepest and darkest parts of the ocean. Every time she met his eyes, she was overcome by the desire to reach in and pull him back from wherever he had sunk.' - Dragonology: Voyage of The Damned.

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Claire was born in 1994 to Samantha and Richard. For the first part of Claire's life, the family lived in Wales, in the cheerful Vale of Glamorgan, Barry (affectionately known to them as Barrybados.) 

Claire's parents were both keen motorcyclists, Sam and Richard, spent most of their time roaring around Britain and having a baby didn’t change this. Their solution to ferrying the baby Claire around was to lash a luxurious sidecar onto Richard’s vintage Norton.

The father and daughter would spend their weekends touring the country, be it the Dorset coastline, the castles of Arun, cathedrals of Wiltshire, or the forests of Lymington. Claire’s early years were filled with inspiration.

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In 2013, Claire graduated with a Diploma in Fine Art and Design, awarded to her by The Royal College of Art. At her mother and father’s behest, she proceeded to take up studying a BA Honours in Special Effects. However, after one electric-sander injury too many, Claire decided that enough was enough. In May of 2016, she applied in secret to a Creative Writing BA without much hope of acceptance. However, her application was successful, and she was forced to confess to her parents what she’d done. They were, of course, thrilled for her, and she is set to graduate from this course late this year. 

Claire wrote her first story when she was just nine-years-old. It was for a school project, in which she was asked to write a short story for a boy in the year below her. The boy asked her for a story about crisps and aeroplanes. So, she presented him with a thirty-page novella about a magical moth cruising the Amazonian rainforest.  

A great lover of all animals, be they fluffy and four-legged, or nude and wriggly, Claire has never been without an animal companion. In recent years, she has taken up the crusade to save cats and kittens in need. Her proudest accomplishment is her snowshoe kitten, Sprout.
Sprout was born on the Wasteland in Spain and started life as a feral. She grew up in a feral colony and for this reason, is different to other domestic cats. There are organisations active in the community currently that would argue Sprout was un-reformable, and the only solution for her was a kill shelter where she would be euthanised. However, after a charity sent Sprout to England, Claire took her on. Since Claire has put hours of dedicated time and training into Sprout. These days, anybody who meets Sprout cannot believe she started life as a feral. Claire has remained in regular contact with the Spanish charity and hopes to do more for animals like Sprout.




 

At the age of 9, Claire was diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy. Claire is an advocate for raising awareness of the daily struggle people with epilepsy face, often overlooked due to the normality of their appearance.

During school, Claire became withdrawn and for a subsequent number of years refused to attend school altogether. At the time, this was attributed to her epilepsy. However, in later life, Claire was diagnosed with a mood disorder, categorised as manifesting similarly to bipolar. This condition has been registered as a complex one as Claire’s mental health and epilepsy appear to work in synergy.

In 2017, Claire published an online story about a student with epilepsy. The piece was published under a nome de plume and was released as a chapter per week. The story’s goal was to educate people about epilepsy, and the detrimental effect chronic conditions can have on a young person's mental health. The readership went global, and Claire received numerous emails from readers, either wanting to share their own story with epilepsy or to congratulate her for educating them on such a sensitive subject. Upon hearing about the story, a member of the NHS requested that they could share Claire’s writing on her epilepsy website. However, Claire declined, wishing for the story to stay a small part of her.

However, she does have ambitions to create a picture book for parents and children coming to terms with the diagnosis of chronic conditions.




 

In 2010, at the age of 15, Claire met Ben Woodward. When asked, what made her fall for him, was it the woolly hat with ear flaps? The Doc Martens sprayed with paint? His Bob Ross hair-do? Or was it the fact that he was one of the only boys in school with regular access to tobacco? All of the above. Truthfully though, Claire insists that it was Ben’s eyes and his smile that won her over. Claire maintains that there is nothing more attractive than the unusual: a compelling smile with a chipped front tooth, arresting eyes set slightly too far apart, that’s beauty.
Claire moved into Ben’s family home when they were both 16. When they were 17, Ben asked Claire to marry him. Now both 24, they live with Claire’s father and their animal menagerie.

Claire fell in love with stories from a young age and thanks her parents for this. Sam and Richard would read to her from different books such as: The Faraway Tree, Slinky Malinky, The Naughtiest Girl in School, and The Harry Potter series. 

They also introduced her to the visual storytelling of Oliver Postgate, and Claire fell in love with the fantasy worlds of Bagpuss, and The Clangers. 

Claire's hobbies include:

-Furiously crocheting.

- Sketching.

- Listening to music (she cites her favorite bands as Green Day, Placebo, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Greta Van Fleet.)

-Devouring documentaries, which nourish her already a rich and useless bank of facts.

-Rotting in front of the television (if the show's got a wand or a fang, she's a fan.)

-Nursing a pint down the pub.

- Reading (her favorite books include: The Harry Potter series, The Scorpio Races, and The Mortal Instruments series.)

Claire's current project is a fantasy novel for young adults. The novel's themes explore the importance of respecting our fellow creatures. The book also aims to discuss how special a relationship can be when shared between two consenting partners.

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RELATED SITES

INSPIRATION

When I was small, my mother would read to me. The books she read to me then are a continuing source of inspiration for me today.

To see more of the books that inspired me, click the tree stump.

FURRY FRIENDS

The wellbeing of animals is one of my greatest passions. Our critters, great and small influence every aspect of my writing.  To find out how you could get involved with the fight to protect our animals, click on the fox below.

READING LIST

I am currently working  on a trilogy of fantasy for young adults. Whilst that is still being written, here is a list of recommended fiction for young adult readers.

To view the list, please click on the rabbit.

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