Saturday Spotlight – Claire Eliza Bartlett

Saturday Spotlight – Claire Eliza Bartlett

Welcome back to one of my favorite parts of the week here on The Bibliophagist! Today is Saturday Spotlight!!

 

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I love Saturday Spotlight because I am able to introduce readers to new authors and their books. I am a firm believer that there are so many amazing books in the world but they do not get the praise they deserve, only because they are not discovered yet. I’ve been able to talk to so many amazing authors through this and would love to meet more. If you are an author interested in having a spotlight on my blog, please do not hesitate to ask. I host a variety of authors who write in a wide range of genres. In the end, I just want to support the authors who work so hard to write the stories I grow to love.

 

Today I am very excited to be talking with Claire Eliza Bartlett about her newest novel We Rule the Night. I was lucky enough to partake int he blog tour and I reviewed this fantastic book. You can find my review here. I had the pleasure of asking Claire some questions and I can’t wait for you to read them, so let’s begin!

 


Interview

 

1) Your novel We Rule the Night was released April 2nd. How does it feel, has it really sunk in yet that your book that you’ve worked so hard on is now in the hands of readers everywhere? What has been your favorite piece of feedback so far?
It. Is. Amazing! And I can’t really fathom it yet. People keep telling me they like it, which is one of the biggest shocks, in a way. I keep expecting everyone to go, ‘meh, it’s fine.’ Also, I sort of want to hide under a rock.
My favorite piece of feedback so far is from fellow author Addie Thorley. She said, “It was basically the feminist fantasy of my dreams.” I can’t ask for a better compliment than that (especially because I loved Addie’s protagonist Mirabelle in her riveting historical fantasy An Affair of Poisons)!
I love Addie and her work as well. That is such an amazing compliment. I do have to agree with fellow readers, I really enjoyed your book.

 

2) Many times when writing their novels, authors hide ‘easter eggs’ or small bits of information within the plot. Are there any secret messages in your novel? What are the major themes here and what lessons do you hope people take away after reading it?
I think that people who have read about the history of the Night Witches, on whom the novel is based, will find a lot of similarities between things that happened to the Night Witches and things that happen to my girls. That’s probably the most easter egg-ish thing. Otherwise, I based my favorite character off a former colleague, and another character is named after a street in Copenhagen (my home)…but I don’t know how obvious those eggs are!
The major themes of this novel are feminism, friendship, loyalty and love. And if there’s one thing you should take away from the novel, it’s this: always fight. You might lose, and you might get hurt, and you might feel like it’s not worth it. But it always is, and just because you can’t see how your fight is changing lives, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it at all.

I think your final sentence here is going to be one of my favorite responses! Truly inspirational.

 

3) How many story ideas do you have floating around in your head? Is there a process you use to remember them or decide which to write next?

 

I am pretty good at focusing on one thing at a time, but there’s always some low level chatter going on in the back of my mind. I have a scrivener file called ‘story hub’ where I put stories that I have an idea for but I don’t know what to do with it yet, or don’t have time to focus on it. That way I don’t forget an idea, and when I go back I often have a lot of different notes and concepts about where this story could go. Then I grab the one that seems most interesting and run with it!
That is a great idea! Keeping all of your ideas in a spot but not taking attention away from your current work…I think this is something all of us as writers could use in our lives.
4) If you could spend an entire day with one of your characters, who would it be and what would that day look like?

 

I would spend that day with Revna, and we would be flying. I would love to be in the cockpit of a little plane, flying over a dramatic landscape. We can skip the front lines, though.
I loved Revna’s character so much! It would be a fantastic experience to fly a plane with her but I agree, I can do without the front lines.

 

5) There are so many amazing novels being released this year, thank goodness for the library because my wallet is not that deep. What are some other 2019 YA releases that you recommend or are looking forward to?

 

First, let me just say, LIBRARIES ARE THE BEST. Everyone use your libraries!
My top two recommendations so far are THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY by Hanna Alkaf and DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE by Joan He. Both of them are so beautifully written and standouts in their genres (historical and fantasy, respectively). You’d be a fool not to jump on Hanna and Joan’s bandwagons! Because I’m traveling, I’m also reading books in a few different formats, so I’m in the middle of ENCHANTEE by Gita Trelease, but I left THE FEVER KING by Victoria Lee unfinished back home, and I love them both! I’m also finishing up THE AFTERWARD by E.K. Johnston. I’d actually call THE AFTERWARD New Adult, but that’s an essay for another time.
Those sound like amazing books! I’ve read Descendant of the Crane by Joan and OMG is it good. The library is my safe haven and I never take it for granted! Do I want to buy and own all of these amazing books…well yes obviously. However, my bank account says something akin to “You have kids that need to eat dinner.” So, alas…I refrain and I use the magical place within my reach…the library.

 

6) Many have had negative experiences with people telling them that they won’t be able to do something. Have you experienced that through your writing process? If so, what would you say to those people now? What would you say to those who continue to support you?
Most of my experiences have been through people who seem to think I’m awful for wanting to get paid to write. I once argued for an hour with a woman because I said I wanted to make a living off my writing and she berated me for wanting to be the next Stephen King (which…that’s not what I said?!)
Generally, people who don’t think you should get paid to write are either trying to get something for free, or they’re brainwashed by the people who are trying to get something for free. So I’d say, WRITING IS A REAL JOB AND IT DESERVES REAL MONEY.
Luckily, I’ve had so much more support, from family, friends and professionals. To them, I’d say: Everything good that happens to me, happens in some part because of you. Writing is a hard endeavor, but it’s not as solitary as everyone believes – and the people that stand by me, that cheer for me, that help me improve should all know that they helped me get here.
I am on your side, writing is a real job. It takes a lot of time and effort and authors do not get the payout they deserve. The support system is the part I love seeing most. We have an amazing writing community as well as book-loving community. We try to band together and support one another, I’ve met some amazing authors and bloggers alike.

 


About Claire Eliza Bartlett

 

Claire Eliza Bartlett

Claire Bartlett lives in an enchanted forest apartment in Copenhagen with too many board games and too few cats.

Get more detailed information, like how many board games is too many, how many cats is too few, and what book-related beauties I’m working on by signing up for my newsletter.


Claire’s Books

 

**Remember to click the book image to read more about it and buy your copy today!**

 


Thank you again, Claire Eliza Bartlett, for taking some time from her crazy busy schedule to talk with us about her book and her feelings about being a newly published author! We Rule the Night is a fantastic novel with strong female characters who fight constant battles against sexism. Trust me, these are very strong women that you do not want to miss.

 

 

**Again, If you are an author interested in being hosted on Saturday Spotlight contact me! I would love to help support you and your work.**


 


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One thought on “Saturday Spotlight – Claire Eliza Bartlett

  • April 13, 2019 at 8:02 am
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    Excellent interview!!!!

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