FABULOUS FIRSTS with... Claire Ashgrove

The First Five Sentences of...
BEFORE THE STORM

I was fourteen when I killed my father.

Sometimes, it seemed like the storm struck yesterday. The one that ripped him out of our house and threw his body beneath a pile of twisted metal and bricks. I remembered the wind whipping my ponytail as I stood and watched, the lightning that arced from the malevolent clouds and circulated through me as transformers blew. In ways, it was as if I experienced that hellish night from outside my body, as if it were apart from me.

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Fun First Facts About Claire

What was the first Rated R movie you ever saw?

 The first R-Rated movie I watched was Purple Rain.  I was at the neighbor’s house, whose children were a year older and a year younger than me, and I was 9 or 10 years old—completely not supposed to be watching R-Rated movies per my parents.  Only I didn’t quite know that.  I came home and told my parents, and my mother was livid with the neighbor.  But hey, no serious harm done; I didn’t fully understand the movie until I was much older.  Laugh!  It just had really good songs!

What was your first date with your significant other?

 My significant other and I met five years ago, just as he left for 36 months overseas.  We maintained a friendship for the first year through letters, then eventually ended up on the phone nearly every evening.  Our first date occurred on the trip he took me on, in Waikiki, Hawaii at Senor Frogs, on the balcony overlooking the main thoroughfare.  We played a couple games of pool—I don’t recall who won; I was too focused on him.  Then we went on a walk after the shops and bars closed, down the street, talking and admiring the waves rolling in.  It was a beautiful night after three years of distance, and the next nine days were heaven! Well…after the airline actually produced my luggage two days in.  Nothing like no underwear and no toothbrush when you’re trying to make a good impression.  Laugh.  I guess he didn’t much mind.  He’s hung around ever since.

If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d buy?

Hands down, the first thing I would do is pay off my mortgage on my house.  Then I’d get my truck restored to like-new, and then I’d invest in a fuel-efficient car.  After that, I’d purchase tickets to Ireland and take a mom and sons on a trip they’d hopefully remember a lifetime. 

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More about Claire

Building on a background of fantasy game design, a fascination with history, and a lifetime love of books, award-winning author Claire Ashgrove brings to life action-filled, passionate journeys of the heart. Her paranormal series, The Curse of the Templars, marries the history of the Knights Templar with the chilling aspirations of the most unholy--a must-read for speculative fiction fans. She also writes as the National Bestselling Author Tori St. Claire and historical romance author Sophia Garrett.

In her non-writing time, she’s runs Finish The Story, a full-scale editing house co-founded with Bryan Thomas Schmidt.  She lives in Missouri and enjoys cooking, studying ancient civilizations, and spending downtime with her two sons and too-many horses, cats, and dogs.

Here's where you can find Claire online:

Claire Ashgrove Website

Tori St. Claire Website

Sophia Garrett Website

Untamed Spirit Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Claire was on this blog on her release day, talking about the hardest part of this business for her and whether or not she's an introvert. See her interview HERE.