Dirty Dozen Character Interview – Claudia Braniff
Character Name Claudia Braniff
Tell us a little about yourself.
I own Needs Must, a charming bookshop I just opened not too long ago. I guess I should just come out with it…I’m an empath and a witch.
How did you end up in the situation you’re currently in?
Well, I bought my shop sight unseen because a ghost told me to. I ended up moving with my cat and my Book to this charming little town called Healing Springs. I wasn’t expecting to find a community here, but I did. Before that, I moved around a lot. The Book usually led me where I needed to go and helped me find those who Needed the Book…but you know how it is. There’s a lot of superstitious folks out there, and they naturally distrust people like me.
Do you believe in monsters?
Oh yes. But not the kind that come out at night. I’ve seen and felt the real monsters, and they are all too human. The sorrows and horror that humans inflict on each other are way worse than anything that lives in the shadows.
Do you believe in magic?
I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t.
Who is your greatest friend?
My cat Stryga is my best friend. You could say we can see through each other’s eyes. Now, my best human friend would be Sheila. She was the first person to welcome me to Healing Springs and we have become fast friends since.
Who is your greatest enemy?
Right now, it’s Kelly Ann. She seems to think it is okay to take whatever she wants.
Tell us about your family.
There isn’t much to tell. I don’t know my family. I grew up in the foster system, which made me pretty much a loner. I’ve never bothered with a coven, too political and messy. I’ve been fine with me and Stryga. That’s my family.
What is your greatest skill or asset? Being an empath. I can read people’s true feelings, although that’s a two-edged sword. Some people are holding in a lot of pain, and that hurts. Even the idea of touching somebody that’s evil? That would be horrifying. I tend to avoid touching people at all unless I need to. Also, my shop. There are books there that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Some of them are meant for just one person and nobody else. My shop gives people not only the books they want, but more importantly, the ones they need.
Do you believe in gods?
I believe in goddesses. In fact, I think there might be one in Healing Springs…at least part time.
How do you think others see you?
Probably a little standoffish. I don’t mean to be but being able to feel people’s emotions can be a little overwhelming, scratch that…very overwhelming at times. I’ve been working on a few techniques that help me block random emotional outbursts, but that’s still hit or miss. Luckily, my new friends don’t seem to mind that I need time to myself to recharge.
What is your greatest fear?
Pitchforks and angry villagers.
What do you think of your author or creator?
You know? She is kind of odd. Not in a bad way, but she spends more time with her animals and in her head than with actual people. Now that I think about it…I might be based on her just a wee bit.
Claudia first appears in Needs Must.
Needs Must by Rhavensfyre book Link
Author Bio
KL RHAVENSFYRE is the best-selling author of numerous novels. Her debut novel, Switching Gears, won a Gold Crown Literary Society Award right out the gate. She continued with several follow up novels that also made #1 in their Genres. Not one to like being put in a writer’s box, KL loves to write in whatever genre the story demands, whether it is romance, fantasy, dystopian, or magical realism…every book has its own flavor and characters.
She also makes sure to write strong female characters that for all their abilities, are just as flawed and unique as we all tend to be. Not afraid to delve into the difficult aspects of life, some characters will be dealing with such things as PTSD, Disability, Injury, and Trauma. Not all, but some.
As a neurodiverse person herself, she has used her Autism and lifetime ADHD as a jumping board to inclusion.
Other than that, KL lives a quiet but interesting life in the highest alpine valley in the world…one that has more cows than people. The Mystic San Luis Valley is known for its strangeness, with a vivid history of UFO activity, Bigfoot sightings, odd lights floating around the night sky, and other phenomena that cannot be explained. There are plenty of ghosts, cryptids, and historical horror stories that begin when Colorado was just starting out, from the silver rush, on to acts of cannibalism, murder, and mayhem. In other words, a fount of ideas for future novels.
You will often find her posting such interesting tidbits on social media, including her own ghost box activities on her own property, along with her wife, Roxy.
Of course, there are pets. Three cats, three chickens, and the occasional lost cow that wanders in. Two pibbles and one fluffy Colorado mutt who loves the snow but hates the rain…which is just fine for a place that never, ever…hardly rains. And, of course, a tiny Chihuahua that rules the entire roost. It’s cold sunshine and a warm fire for half the year, which is just perfect for a writer.
You can find KL on Facebook and TikTok under
KL Rhavensfyre
