For readers of Station Eleven and Good Morning, Midnight comes an electric, heart-pounding novel of love and sacrifice that follows people around the world as they unite to prevent a global catastrophe.
We had the pleasure of chatting with author Claire Holroyde about her debut novel The Effort, which releases on January 12th 2021, book recommendations, writing, and much more!
Hi, Claire! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hello! I was born and raised outside of Philadelphia and have lived all over the East Coast. I work as a graphic designer in Center City but live out in the leafy-green suburbs with my scientist spouse and two ungrateful cats. THE EFFORT is my first novel and I’m happy to chat with The Nerd Daily!
2020 was an incredibly bizarre year, and it’s rolling on into 2021. Have you set any resolutions for the year?
Yes, two resolutions. The first is travel. The majority of 2020 forced everyone to hunker down in place with quarantines and travel bans. I’m hoping we can get to a state where safe travel is possible again. There are lots of people and places I want to see. The second is more of a mission. 2020 was a very difficult year for novelists and independent bookstores. Heading into 2021, I want to keep supporting writers and the book industry after these hard times.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
My first-grade teacher was a real battle axe. Although, to her credit, she really pushed the discipline and craft of writing. Every night for homework, we were supposed to write a page in our composition notebooks. Most of the other kids treated it as a journal entry. I started writing a continuous story. My teacher was so impressed, as I kept the narrative going, that she left me alone for the most part. (She should have taught teenagers in reform school, really.) I ended up writing a 20-page story. I didn’t even know how to end it, so I had the protagonist “wake up to find it was all a dream.” These were very wobbly first steps, but I found I had a knack for storytelling at seven years old.
Your debut novel, The Effort, is out January 12th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Science. Unity. Survival. Sacrifice. Hope.
Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?
Expect an international, ensemble cast working to prevent a cataclysmic event while civilization begins to break down. It’s a story of very high-stakes survival; definitely not for the faint of heart, but THE EFFORT isn’t nihilistic either. Just like in another extreme situation of war, you will see the worst of humanity but also the very best. There is true friendship, love, and hope for the future in this book.
What was the inspiration behind this novel?
The inspiration came in 2003 when I saw a newspaper article about Mars making the closest pass to Earth in 60,000 years. “Close” was pretty relative but it still got me thinking about cosmic collisions and how they would be reported by the international press. That was only the seed, however. THE EFFORT was written in mid-2016–2018 with edits and additional chapters in 2019. It is very much a product of my reaction to the politics of that era and perceived threats to Earth—the only life-sustaining planet we’ve got.
Was there a certain scene or character that you enjoyed writing?
Honestly, I grew to love all of my characters. This was a challenging cast to create but I’m really proud of their range and depth. My editor pushed me to develop them further and so it was a special treat to write for someone when I am so used to writing only for myself. She especially liked Dr. Zhen Liu, and so I decided to write a backstory chapter that would give a window into her origin in Chongqin China and her extraordinary family that barely survived Mao’s Red Army. For inspiration, I read DECODED by Mai Jia.
What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Hard. I don’t have an MFA, I didn’t know anyone in the publishing industry, and I’ve always had demanding jobs that keep a roof over my head but require the lion’s share of my waking hours. I think writing stories was something I needed for myself, and so I didn’t give it up in adulthood like most do.
What’s next for you? Are you working on anything that you can tease our readers with?
After I finish with promoting THE EFFORT, I’d love to go back to a manuscript I’m writing that takes place in near-future Pennsylvania. The story deals more directly with extreme weather and climate refugees, an issue that I feel will only become more relevant, but it also focuses on a loving family and their place a small-town neighborhood undergoing change. I write from the perspective of a brother and sister who don’t always understand one another, but they always try to protect one another in ways only siblings can. I never had a brother, so maybe this is me projecting.
Lastly, what are you currently reading and what 2021 book recommendations do you have for our readers?
How much time do we have?
My recommendations for new releases in Fall/Winter 2020 that I’ve read are MIGRATIONS by Charlotte McConaghy, LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam, WINTER COUNTS by debut author David Heska Wanbli Weiden, THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS by Stephen Graham Jones, and THE MIRROR MAN by debut author Jane Gilmartin. I also look forward to reading THE MINISTRY OF THE FUTURE by Kim Stanley Robinson and WORLD OF WONDERS by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.
My recommendations for 2021 are A SWIM IN A POND IN THE RAIN by George Saunders,
THE NINTH METAL by Benjamin Percy, and THE LAST WATCH by debut author J.S. Dewes. I had the honor of reading an ARC of THE LAST WATCH and I’m looking forward to reading more by 2021 debuts looking to launch in a brighter future.
