Rising Stars: Meet Claire Fullerton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Fullerton.

Hi Claire, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, tell us about yourself.
I’m a full-time writer living in western Malibu. I am the traditionally published author of four novels, one novella, and have recently completed my 5th manuscript. My work appears in three anthologies and numerous magazines, both online and in print. I love living in Malibu and find it conducive to the writer’s lifestyle. I live near the beach with my husband. We are the delighted owners of three German shepherds and one black cat.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In retrospect, it has been smooth, in that it has been steady growth. Being a writer takes consistency, determination, discipline, and perseverance. It requires the very definition of self-motivation because writing is a solitary job. A lot of waiting is involved, and the best way to spend waiting time is by beginning another book, so it’s a full-time job. The hard work begins once a book is published. Authors are part and parcel of a book’s promotion, so being part of a combined author/reader community is imperative. An author builds their readership one reader at a time, and I view it all as a labor of love and art for art’s sake. There are stretches of months spent in solitude, followed by travel plans that include writer’s conferences, literary festivals, and book-store appearances. When the traveling is over, there is much to do online, and ever since the pandemic, there has been a surge in virtual appearances, which is a wonderful way to visit with a wide audience of readers. Writing takes a lot of work, but all told, it is a worthwhile, creative road and richly rewarding. My favorite part of it all is meeting my readers in person. They keep me motivated, and I have found that readers are wonderful, intelligent people!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been a writer all my life, but it wasn’t until 2009 that I pursued writing as a vocation, when I wrote a weekly column for The Malibu Surfside News. My writing career grew from there. My last three books are set in the Deep South, which is where I grew up, and I write in such a way that place is character. The genre in which I write is upmarket fiction, meaning that which bridges commercial and literary fiction. As a subject matter, I write about the impact of the family dynamic because I think it shapes who we become in life. I love the idea of deep, motivational subtext and the things people try to hide for the sake of appearances. As for mentioning a source of pride, my 3rd novel, titled Mourning Dove, won 13 book awards, most notably, the silver medal in regional fiction by the Independent Authors Book Awards and the Literary Classics Book of the Year. My last published novel is titled, Little Tea, and it’s the story of female friendships, the kind that begin in youth and lasts a lifetime to serve as an anchoring touchstone while we evolve in life. I am also a book reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, and I enjoy supporting my fellow authors.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on risk taking. Are you a risk taker?
I have taken many risks through the years, and each came as a consequence of following my heart. When it comes to risk-taking, it’s typically necessary when one’s goal involves furthering one’s career or trying something new to enhance one’s overall life experience. When I moved from Memphis to LA, I wanted to be involved in the music business. It was a culture shock at first, but I came to love everything about California. I stayed in Los Angeles for six years, then took the risk of moving to Connemara, Ireland, where I also worked in the Galway music business. And because I’ve always been a writer, when I moved back to LA, I wrote my first novel about a single American female who moves to Ireland without a plan. I have been on a steady path as a writer ever since the publication of that novel, whose title is Dancing to an Irish Reel. Being a writer is all about risk. There is no guarantee that a book will be published by a reputable outfit, so there is a leap-of-faith involved. In the face of the risks inherent in being a writer, it’s helpful if a writer understands the nuances of the publishing business.

Image Credits:
Image credits of Claire Fullerton (one at her desk; one with Ronin the German shepherd) by William Feil