#Interview With Claire Buss!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

Claire Buss is here with us, today. Claire, will you tell us a little about yourself and how many books you've written?

Claire: Hi, I'm Claire Buss - wife, mother, writer and cake addict. Since I published my first book in 2016 I've written six books, 4 poetry books, had two short stories published in anthologies and co-edited a Christmas anthology which includes a co-written short story. The Gaia Collection: Book 1 - The Gaia Effect, Book 2 - The Gaia Project, Book 3 - rough draft written in NaNoWriMo 2018; Short Story Collections: Tales from Suburbia, Tales from the Seaside, The Blue Serpent and Other Tales; Roshaven Books: The Rose Thief; Poetry: Little Book of Verse, Spring Fling, Summer Dreaming, Spooky Little Book; Underground Scratchings in Tales from the Underground; an Inklings Press Anthology, Patient Data in The Quantum Soul; a Sci-Fi Roundtable Anthology, A Badger Christmas Carol in The Sparkly Badgers' Christmas Anthology (also co-edited).

Me: Wow! Busy lady! What's the name of your latest book and what inspired it?

Claire: My latest book is The Gaia Project, the second book in my hopeful dystopia series, The Gaia Collection. Here's the blurb: While Martha Hamble gets to grips with being Governor of City 42, Kira and Jed Jenkins travel to City 15 but they are not prepared for what they find. Corporation are tightening their grip on those who don't conform, threatening to split families and reassign the natural born children. With Gaia weakened, the group of friends must try to find a safe place to live and help the spirit of the Earth recover but everything stands against them. Will Corporation succeed in their tougher regime or can Kira and her friends find a new home?

Me: Sounds interesting! What are you working on now?

Claire: I am currently working on another book set in The Rose Thief world called The Interspecies Poker Tournament. It was originally a novella but has changed its mind and now wants to be a novel so I've still got quite a lot of writing ahead of me.

Me: Isn't it fun when a book takes on a life of its own? ;-) What authors, or books, have influenced you?

Claire: I read voraciously as a child across all genres and I do try to keep up that variety. My go-to genre is sci-fi and fantasy and I love Pratchett, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony, Greg Bear, Robin Hobb, Robert Jordan and more lately Ben Aaronovitch, VE Schwabb, Rachel Caine and Becky Chambers.

Me: Some of my favorite authors on that list! What are you reading now?

Claire: Half the World by Joe Abercrombie, Ghosts of the Sea Moon by AF Stewart, Leaps of Faith by AM Leibowitz

Me: Nice! For those who might consider reading your book, what would you tell them to expect?

Claire: In the Gaia books they can expect a setting 200 years in our future, a group of friends trying to save their families and find a safe place to live whilst an evil Corporation is bent on controlling every aspect of their lives. In The Rose Thief readers can learn how Ned Spinks, Chief Thief Catcher, and his sidekick Jenni the sprite catch the elusive rose thief. Think Terry Pratchett meets Douglas Adams. My collection of short stories take a satirical look at life in the suburbs, at the seaside, with small children in tow and humorous observations of life.

Me: Sounds like you've got quite a bit of diversity in your work. :-) What's your favorite part of being an author?

Claire: Seeing my name in print! But also being able to work with words all day long creating my stories and then getting a message from a reader who has enjoyed reading them.

Me: That is quite a rush, I agree. Do you have a day job as well?

Claire: I am a stay at home mum to Leo (5) and Anabelle (1) and housewife to my long-suffering hubby Kevin - he has to read my first drafts and eat a lot of cake lol.

Me: Ha! It sounds like your husband gets a lot of perks. ;-) What would you say are the hardest and easiest parts about being a writer?

Claire: I think the hardest are looking critically at your own work. Sometimes when you pour your heart and soul into something you don't want to admit that actually, it needs a very good polish before it is ready to be published. Keeping myself motivated can be a challenge as well but I find cake works well. The easiest parts are... I was going to say writing the books in the first place but I don't think it's fair to say that it's an easy process. It's an all-consuming, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, stressful, painful, joyful, wondrous, uplifting and devastating process. But when the muse is with me and the words are flowing, then it feels like the easiest thing in the world. Until I have to come and edit.

Me: I think most authors would agree with you there. What genre do you place your book in?

Claire: I write a variety of genres. The Gaia Effect and The Gaia Project are the first two books in my hopeful dystopian series. The Rose Thief is a humorous fantasy. Tales from Suburbia and Tales from the Seaside are my collection of satirical short stories.

Me: Cool! Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers?

Claire: Thank you so much for choosing my books, I really hope you enjoy reading them. Do get in touch with any comments or questions and please, please leave a review. I love talking about books so feel free to get in touch and suggest any reading recommendations. All my books are available on Amazon in both paperback and eBook.

Me: And so these fine folks can find those books, are there any links you'd like me to post?

Claire:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/busswriter
FB Group: www.facebook.com/groups/BussBookStop
Twitter: www.twitter.com/grasshopper2407
Website: www.cbvisions.weebly.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Claire-Buss/e/B01MSZY649/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16197976.Claire_Buss
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/grasshopper2407/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWrKBeiBMQg_subFM9ot2vw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-buss-329757134/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ClaireBuss2407

Me: Awesome! Thank you so much for stopping by today, Claire. And thank you also to the rest of you who joined us. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the latest in Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)