Author Q&A: Claire Quinn

Q: You’re represented by Caroline Hardman from the Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency. How did you come to sign with Caroline? What made you feel she was the right agent for you?

After reading Rebecca Wait’s I’m Sorry You Feel That Way and seeing Caroline’s name in the acknowledgements, she went on my dream agent list! I don’t think I’m alone in having such a list, and there is much chat between author friends about the right time to approach them in your querying process. I was fortunate enough to liaise with a couple of brilliant agents, but ultimately I felt in safe hands with Caroline. She was professional but warm, very responsive and immediately identified the few tweaks that could help my manuscript sell.

Q: You were longlisted for both the Cheshire Novel Prize and the Exeter Novel Prize. Did that recognition help your writing career, and if so, how?

For anyone kind enough to buy and read The Games We Play, they’ll see from the acknowledgements that the two key things I credit with getting it published are BPA mentoring and competition longlistings. The recognition gave me the confidence boost I needed to believe in my writing, and referencing the longlistings in my query letter probably added a bit of clout when it landed in agents’ jam-packed inboxes. Cheshire Novel Prize also connected me with other writers, many of whom are now very good friends, and their support, encouragement and advice have been invaluable in getting to this point.

Peggy Lee
1 day ago
6 min read

Claire Quinn was mentored by BPA editor Tess O'Hara, and after several years her persistence paid off when she signed with Caroline Hardman of Hardman & Swainson. Her debut thriller, The Games We Play, was acquired by HarperNorth and published on 30 July 2026. In this interview, Claire reflects on her journey, what it was like working with HarperNorth, the excitement of hearing an award-winning actress narrate her audiobook, and what helped set her on the right path when she was starting out.

Congratulations on the upcoming publication of your debut thriller, The Games We Play, with HarperNorth. Can you tell us a little about the novel and what sparked the original idea?

Thank you! It’s about female friendship, betrayal and the long shadows of the promises we make when we’re young, a psychological suspense that should appeal to fans of Ruth Ware, Liane Moriarty and Claire Douglas.

As teenagers, Ali, Erin and Sophie were bonded by a secret, and a vow to protect each other. Years later and with Ali’s wedding looming, their friendship threatens to implode with deathly consequences when a twisted teenage game comes back to haunt them. As fragments of truth threaten to unravel their lives, the women’s bond faces its ultimate test: has love or fear kept them together? And if one cracks, can any of them survive?

The idea for The Games We Play was sparked by my fascination with the toxic and the beautiful in female relationships, combined with my love of thrillers and coming-of-age stories.

Before going on submission to publishers I knew very little about acquisitions meetings and the various people at the publishing house who need to sign off on offers.

What actually happens after you sign a publishing deal? Was there anything about the publication process that surprised you?

It starts with a lovely moment when you get the first email from your editor welcoming you, and it suddenly feels very real! I was fortunate in that HarperNorth provided a useful information pack, and my brilliant editor talked me through how the whole process would work, from structural edits through to proofreading. In terms of surprises, before going on submission to publishers I knew very little about acquisitions meetings and the various people at the publishing house who need to sign off on offers (Phoebe Morgan has written a helpful guide on this in her Substack, The Honest Editor).

How has your relationship with your novel changed through each step of its journey to publication?

When I was ironing out initial plot niggles I could get frustrated with it, but generally I loved the early stage of being alone to write. After that, I think it’s common for there to be self-doubt when querying agents and so getting my first full manuscript request was a huge vote of confidence. Once it was in the hands of my agent and editor, I saw it with a clearer third-party perspective, almost like putting on a much-needed pair of new glasses! The one thing that has remained constant is how strongly I believe in my characters, the three female friends at the centre of the story.

You’re represented by Caroline Hardman from the Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency. How did you come to sign with Caroline? What made you feel she was the right agent for you?

After reading Rebecca Wait’s I’m Sorry You Feel That Way and seeing Caroline’s name in the acknowledgements, she went on my dream agent list! I don’t think I’m alone in having such a list, and there is much chat between author friends about the right time to approach them in your querying process. I was fortunate enough to liaise with a couple of brilliant agents, but ultimately I felt in safe hands with Caroline. She was professional but warm, very responsive and immediately identified the few tweaks that could help my manuscript sell.

Tess's feedback ranged from coaching me on scene not summary, to cutting down on far too many weather references, so that by the time I sent the final chapters, she was having to offer few comments.

You were mentored by a BPA editor. Where did that fit into your writing journey, who did you work with and what did you learn?

It’s one thing to have a story in your head, but quite another to understand the craft of writing. I spent a couple of years writing fiction for pleasure and dabbling (unsuccessfully) at querying, so when I decided to seriously try and get published I looked into creative writing and mentoring programmes. Blue Pencil Agency stood out as being friendly, well-respected and offering bespoke editorial services. I worked with the talented Tess, who adapted the usual approach so that I could send her tranches of my manuscript at a time. This allowed me to learn from her feedback — which ranged from coaching me on scene not summary, to cutting down on far too many weather references! — so that by the time I sent the final chapters, she was having to offer few comments.

How valuable was it to receive professional editorial feedback before querying agents and publishers? Did it change the way you approached the manuscript or your writing more generally?

I made copious notes throughout the BPA mentoring process, and I continue to refer to this guidance when I approach a draft. I’d still be in the querying trenches if not for BPA’s editorial feedback. At that time, I had no writer friends and so wasn’t getting feedback from anyone on my manuscript, synopsis or query letter. Feedback is crucial before approaching agents. The query has to stand out, and the script needs to be as perfect as possible because agents are so inundated.

You were longlisted for both the Cheshire Novel Prize and the Exeter Novel Prize. Did that recognition help your writing career, and if so, how?

For anyone kind enough to buy and read The Games We Play, they’ll see from the acknowledgements that the two key things I credit with getting it published are BPA mentoring and competition longlistings. The recognition gave me the confidence boost I needed to believe in my writing, and referencing the longlistings in my query letter probably added a bit of clout when it landed in agents’ jam-packed inboxes. Cheshire Novel Prize also connected me with other writers, many of whom are now very good friends, and their support, encouragement and advice have been invaluable in getting to this point.

It was such an emotional moment — that felt like fate —when I found out that award-winning stage, screen and voice actor Kristin Atherton would be narrating The Games We Play.

Do you have any tips for our thriller-writing readers?

You can see from my earlier comments that I’m a huge advocate of competitions and working with an editorial agency like BPA. There is of course a cost to this, but some competitions offer sponsored places, and an alternative to professional feedback is using beta readers. I would suggest that writers look for readers of the thriller genre who will give honest objective feedback, and that they then receive it gracefully and enthusiastically, working on the points that more than one reader has identified. Finally, I’m constantly honing my craft by reading as widely as possible — learning from the many writers I’m in awe of.

What's one question you wish interviewers would ask you?

About my audiobook! Like me, many readers enjoy a physical book in our hands and so it’s easy to overlook that a huge readership listens to novels, and a narrator’s style can make or break a book for them. If an interviewer asked about my audiobook I could explain why it was such an emotional moment — that felt like fate —when I found out that award-winning stage, screen and voice actor Kristin Atherton would be narrating The Games We Play.

The Games We Play by Claire Quinn is out July 30^th 2026 in paperback, e-book and audio (HarperNorth). Available to order here.

Profile:

After studying Law at King’s College London, Claire returned home to the North West. She worked in Manchester for an international law firm for over 15 years before making a switch to writing and country life in the Cotswolds with her husband. Claire completed a mentoring programme with Blue Pencil Agency, and her work has been longlisted for both the Cheshire Novel Prize and the Exeter Novel Prize. She loves exploring the complexities of female friendship in her writing. The Games We Play is her first published book.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairebethquinn/#