Claire Rebecca McDougall was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, her family settling in rural Argyll's wild and rugged countryside, with its ancient ruins and standing stones. She studied philosophy for four years at Edinburgh University. After earning her MA, she spent four years on a Haldane scholarship to gain a Master of Letters at Christ Church, Oxford, studying Nietzsche. After moving to the United States, Claire worked as a journalist, before opting to pursue creative writing full time. She has written eight novels and their attendant screenplays. She is the author of four published books: Veil of Time (Simon and Schuster 2014) Druid Hill, Iona, and Hazel and the Chessmen.