Featured Interview With Claire Norsworthy
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a born and bred Portlander who spent my childhood hating school. When I was twenty-two, I went on to become a high school teacher. If you’re laughing at the irony, don’t worry. So am I. I spent ten years teaching English and Spanish before taking a few years off to pop out three squirrelly boys and discover my passion for writing.
Right now, I reside in Hillsboro, OR (go suburbs! (No, seriously. I love the suburbs.)) with my three sons, one Beta fish (I accidentally killed the first five in an apocalyptic series of pet misadventures this last winter/spring), and one very furry teddy bear hamster. He’s not mine though. He belongs to my six-year-old.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved reading. I have a very vivid memory of a little fort I created under my desk when I was in fifth grade. I surrounded the desk with blankets, plumped the inside with pillows and snacks, and relished the heat that poured in from the duct inside it. Instead of spending my winters freezing in our cinder block house, I was busy devouring books in my hot little next.
I started writing in my thirties. It happened in a moment. I remember soaking myself in a world of books to escape the realities of three babies. Then, one day, pow, I had the idea of a girl who traveled to another world in her sleep. Scene after scene poured into my head until a year and a half later, I had written the rough draft to five epic fantasies.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I LOVE to read young adult fantasy and fiction. Inspiring authors range from Brandon Sanderson to Stephanie Meyer. Among those is Sabaa Tahir, T. Ellery Hodges, Jonathan Renshaw, Marissa Meyer, Garth Nix, and Katherine Arden. And that’s just skimming the list. There really are too many to name here.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a story about a girl who travels to another world in her sleep while trying to capture the attention of her obsession, Jake Bronson. Katie rises from her insecurities while coming into a new power she discovers on her dream planet.
Parts of it are auto-biographical, I suppose. I know that interwoven is my own story about gaining confidence in who I was. It’s a coming-of-age, super hero, romance, adventure. All the things I wish could happen in real life.
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