Author Interview: Clare Bentley

Tell us a little about yourself & your background

Raised by a single mother, who left my abusive father when I was still young. I am the oldest sibling of four at 47 years old. I’ve been married to my husband for 27 years and we’ve been together for 30. I am the mother of two children, who are both in their late 20s with just 18 months between them. I’m also a cat mum to my 11 year old tom, Albert Whiskers.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, acting out my own story-lines when I played with friends. But I think I realised I could make a career of it when I went to secondary school. English was my favourite lesson.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

To one day be someone’s favourite author.

Can you tell us a little about Survive the Night?

When Poppy Blair breaks down on a dark stretch of road as she’s travelling home from work, she doesn’t expect it to be the worst night of her life. Thinking she’s been saved a long walk home by a passer-by, Poppy gladly takes the ride offered by the woman behind the wheel. But when Poppy’s attacked from someone concealed in the backseat, she’s thrown into a fight for her life. What follows makes Poppy question if she knows her family at all as secrets get revealed. Will Poppy be able to survive the night?

Can you introduce us to your main character?

The daughter of a policeman, Poppy is a 24-year-old fiery, strong woman. She doesn’t make things easy for her captors and fights every step of the way to be able to make it home.

Do you have a favourite quote or scene from your book?

Wrapping her arms around herself to try and stay warm, Zoey’s mouth dropped open. ‘How the hell did she get out of the basement?’ Isaac let his silence talk for him. ‘You went down there after I explicitly told you not to, didn’t you?’ He shrugged. ‘I just wanted to make sure she was okay.’ ‘Liar.’ ‘I’m not lying.’ Zoey raised her eyebrows. ‘Of course you are, your lips are moving.’ She walked over to peer out of the void. ‘Did she jump?’ ‘Yep. Luckily, Dad caught up to her before she could get very far.’

Where did you find inspiration for Survive the Night?

It was inspired by a flash fiction piece I wrote in the Writer’s Community I’m a part of, this story is an extension of that.

Are you more of a plotter or a panster?

I’m a plotter. If I don’t have a structure, I find it difficult to write.

What is your writing routine like? How often do you write?

I try to write every day. But I have been know to take some weekends off.

How much research did you have to do to complete Survive the Night?

It depends on the content. I tend to have a lot of police procedural stuff in my books. Luckily I have a police source I can ask questions of.

What was the hardest thing about writing this book?

Trying to do it through NaNo. I tend to need time to process what I’ve written, and sprinting most days was not helping.

Why did you choose self publishing?

I don’t handle rejection well and rather than risk rejections stopping me from doing what I love, I decided to self-publish on a friends advice.

What has the publishing process been like for you?

Tough. I didn’t realise just how much hard work goes into marketing yourself.

What are you currently reading right now?

Wilderness by B.E. Jones

Who are your biggest idols?

I don’t really have any.

Do you get writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

I used to push through it, and have to rewrite everything I wrote. Now I take a few days break and usually my characters start talking to me again.

If you couldn’t be a writer what would you want to be?

The only other thing I wanted to be was a mother, and I was already one of those before I became a writer. I did want to be an actress once, or a dancer.

What do you get up to when you’re not writing?

I watch a lot of films and like to work on graphics – book covers, teasers, anything really. I also enjoy crafting. I made my sisters invitations, seating chart and place cards for her wedding in June.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Write the story you want to tell and readers will love it too.

You can get your own copy of Clare Bentley’s Survive the Night below & follow her on socials!

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