The Gemwriter is passionate about connecting with others through her writing.
Frances S. Brown (The Gemwriter) earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Boston, MA. After a successful career in medical technology at Tufts University, she retired to sunny Florida with her beloved husband.
Now a widow, Frances is adjusting but still loving the Florida life. Writing, teaching, and gardening fill her days. If she’s not in the library or in front of a roomful of students, you will find her toting her laptop to some scenic location or on her hands and knees in the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens, where she volunteers.
Frances loves spending time with her children and grandchildren. She also is a fish hobbyist with tanks of colorful angelfish. Two very spoiled Persian cats call her their slave. She doesn’t mind.
FAQs
Why do you have two pen names? Why not write all of it under your real name?
Excellent question. When I first began publishing romance novels, I was working for Tufts University in a managerial role. It was suggested that I should use a pseudonym by upper management. So I chose Claire Gem.
When I was contracted by Dragonblade Publishing for my historical novels, the publisher insisted I choose a separate pen name, one that sounded more “historic” than Claire Gem. Also, the books were in a completely different genre. I then became Gemma St. Claire.
How did your writing career begin?
I began writing about the Middle Ages (one of my quirky passions) in the early 2000s, while still working in medical technology. The amount of research I’d done was embarrassing so I had to think of a way to justify all that time spent. When I saw that Renaissance Magazine was looking for submissions, I applied. I was a regular feature writer for them for nearly 10 years.
Did your MFA really help establish you in your writing career?
My thesis for that degree was a memoir called “Maternal Threads,” a story about my maternal roots–unearthing secrets about my mother’s lineage. It was picked up and published by High Hill Press in 2015, the same year that my first novel was published by SoulMate Publishing. So yes, I guess you could say the degree made a difference.
What’s in the works for you, Frances/Claire/Gemma?
I am actually working on a science fiction novel! Yes, I’ve jumped genres again. But with my background in scientific research, I thought it might be fun to apply some of that knowledge to a story based on genetic engineering. So stay tuned!
The Gemwriter 