Blog
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!...
They’re HERE!
The official publication date for HOLD ME DOWN has been bumped back two weeks – until Oct. 19 – because of the supply chain issues that are affecting everyone in the book business. But I have proof that the books have been printed because my author copies have...
October is going to be a blur anyway…
You've probably heard about the supply chain issues hitting publishing – well, hitting EVERYONE* – this year? I guess they've messed a little with Hold Me Down. The book is printed and it's on its way to the distributors and from there to bookstores near and far. But...