Kimberly has claimed WORTH THE FALL to be her “favorite book of 2014” so she asked Claudia to visit Books-n-Kisses.
WORTH THE FALL releases tomorrow. Pre-order it today!
Welcome Claudia thank you so much for stopping by to answer of our questions. First I want to say that I loved this book and gave it 5+++ Hearts. I laughed, cried and smiled throughout the whole book.(The review will be posting tomorrow.)
Claudia: Thank you so so much!!! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that!! Really.
BnK: Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Claudia: Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I majored in Early Childhood Education and taught kindergarten and first grade on and off for ten years. I married my first love and we have three daughters. Three teenage daughters, so, yes. Say a prayer for me.
BnK: Have you always wanted to be an author?
Claudia: No, I never considered myself a writer or even wanted to be a writer, BUT I’ve always had stories in my head. I see them in a flash like I’m watching a full color movie. I’ll catch myself staring out the window, smiling. Or even crying. One day I described the above to my friend, thinking everyone did that. She gave me a really strange look and said, “No. That’s not normal. Maybe you should try writing it down.” So I did.
BnK: Can you share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?
Claudia: I get my kids off to school and usually start working around seven, after I finish my tea. ~ I recently switched to black tea in my Keurig after a trip to Europe. LOVE it. ~ I take a short break for lunch, no more than ten minutes, then back at it until the kids get home at 2:15. They’re teenagers, so there isn’t much talk before they disappear to their rooms for homework and post-school decompression. I go back to work until I need to drive someone somewhere around 5. Most days I put in a few more hours after everyone’s asleep, until around midnight. If I don’t feel time crunched, or I’ve had a particularly good day, I’ll reward myself with a good book.
What do I absolutely HAVE to have? Other than pen and paper, and that paper can be a receipt or a napkin, a Diet Coke. There just comes a time a can not function without a Diet Coke and it is the one and only thing I will leave the house for when I’m on a deadline. And by leave the house, I mean drive two minutes to Walgreens in my pajama pants with a quick jacket over my pajama shirt.
BnK: Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
Claudia: The most challenging thing for me so far is not having enough hours in the day. I’m just beginning to get the incredible reward of readers telling me they loved my book and that it meant something to them. That’s the absolute best.
BnK: Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Claudia: Sure. Worth The Fall is a love story, plain and simple, though love is never simple. Abby and Matt are two people with no other reason to be together and lots of reasons to be apart. Matt’s a Navy SEAL hero with skills, badassness, and an intense sense of responsibility, but he’s also a man with so much love to give. He’s just never found anyone he wanted to give it to. Until Abby. But Abby’s been left all her life and knows she can’t watch another person walk away.
So it’s about falling in love, making choices and taking chances. It’s also about believing you’re enough, believing you’re worthy of what’s being offered. I absolutely LOVE these characters. I spent three years with them before I ever considered writing their story, then almost three more years writing it. Any minute of any day I can pop into their lives, be a fly on the wall. It’s like watching your favorite movie that never ends! Hopefully when people read the book they’ll feel the same.
BnK: How did you come with the idea for this story?
Claudia: I honestly don’t feel like I come up with anything or create anyone, as odd as that may sound. I didn’t go into it wanting it to be a certain way, I just saw it playing out in my head like a movie. I watched and listened and hope I did them justice. I’m a constant thorn in the side of anyone who offers suggestions for changes because I always reply with, But that’s not how it happened!
BnK: Who are some of your favorite authors?
Claudia: I have TONS of favorite authors. Let’s see…Kristan Higgins, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Linda Howard, Sharon Sala, Catherine Anderson, J.D. Robb ( Nora Roberts), and Christine Feehan, just to name a few.
BnK: Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Claudia: Definitely. I’m sure they’ve all influenced me through osmosis. And just about everything I’ve learned about story telling and romance has come from reading, beginning with my first Sweet Valley High.
BnK: Open your book to a random page and please reads us a few lines.
Claudia: “I used my knife to cut off the damaged parachute so I wouldn’t get tangled in it, then I pulled—”
Their eyes met. His heated gaze slid from her face, over her chest and the V-neck sundress that tied around her neck. He continued his perusal slowly down the length of her legs and back up again.
“Hi.” That was all she could manage with his hot eyes melting her from across the room.
BnK: What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Claudia: I’m anxious to read Kristan Higgin’s new book, In Your Dreams. I’ve been waiting for Jack’s story.
BnK: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Claudia: Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it and hope readers will check out Worth The Fall and let me know what they think. I’m in all the usual social media places. In addition to the ones below, readers can find me on Pinterest. I have a special board for each book. Thank you again:)
http://claudiaconnor.com
https://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaConnor
https://www.goodreads.com/claudiaconnor
Tweets by Claudia__Connor
Thank you Kimberly! I’m over the moon you loved the story!! <3
Claudia