What made you want to write?
The day I consciously
decided to write is a day that has gone down in infamy in our family annals.
That's the day I woke up and told my husband that I was going to write picture
book. He looked at me for a beat and then burst out laughing. When he finally
stopped laughing, tears streaming down the sides of his face, he asked,
"Did you fall out of bed and bang your head last night?" Well I wrote
for children for a while after that initial writing debut, but as time passed,
my stories matured, I of course didn’t. I realized that I was writing stories
for older kids. Eventually, I was into YA. Then it was a mere hop into adult
stories.
It's when I began writing
adult stories, namely erotica, that my husband snapped to attention. He's
always willing to check my story's authenticity, of course. But I digress, for if it hadn't been the fact
I was in a small grocery store in Tempe, Arizona buying groceries for my son
and happened to see confession magazines, I'd still be writing for
children.
I'd picked the slowest
line, as usual. Rule of thumb: never get
behind me on a grocery line. As I
waited, I picked up one of the magazines and began to thumb through it. My son read the banner, “I Was a Pool Slut”
and went ballistic.
"Put that down, Mom, before somebody
sees you."
"I could write this
stuff," I told him.
"But you write for
children. What are you gonna write;
pornography for kids?"
Anyway, I purchased the
magazine, which my son wouldn’t let me put near his food, and wrote my first
adult story later that night. That story was published and 200 more followed
before I left the confessions market to write with a byline. However, during
the time I wrote confessions, I wrote for the African-American magazines as
well as the Caucasian ones. Eventually, that led me to writing interracial as
well as erotic stories, which I wrote under the pen name Candy Caine. My
non-erotic work was written under the pen name Candace Gold. Also at this time,
I began to write my novellas and novels.
In answer to why I write,
let me put it this way… Simply put, I write with the hope that people will
enjoy my story. To please my readers is
my top priority. I try to write a little
every day, but unfortunately life gets in the way. But it's the same life that fills my head
with ideas that end up in my novels and short stories. The biggest joy that I
have ever gotten as a writer was to hear her readers say that she loved my book
and that meant something to her. I love hearing from my readers and I listen to
their suggestions. They're the reason I'm writing. Without them, writing would
be like shouting into an empty room.
How long have you been writing
fiction?
I’ve been writing fiction
for approximately 20 years now.
Do you write anything else?
No, basically I just
write fiction. However, I don’t stick to one genre, though. I have written
sweet romance, comedy, confessions, paranormals and steamy erotica. Some of
this came about because I had been asked to write a particular story for a
publisher. Sometimes my novels contain more than one genre. But no matter what
I write, romance, confessions or erotica, it's the story or plot line that is
most important to me. It has to be a
good story—especially when it comes to my erotica. I never have sex for sex’s sake.
What is your preferred genre and
why?
I honestly don’t have just
one. Maybe two. I write erotica, mainly, because more people seem to be reading
it today and I want to please my reader base. However, I do enjoy writing a
humorous romantic contemporary every now and then. This gives me a chance to
recharge my batteries, as well. Usually, I write erotica for certain publishers
and the sweeter romantic contemporaries for other others. So the stories depend
on where I'm sending them.
Sometimes, a publisher or
editor will ask me to write a particular type of story for them. This has taken
me out of my comfort zone, at times, but is made me a more versatile writer.
What is your muse?
My muse or source of my inspiration
is the world around me. My brain is like a sponge and whatever is in my head
eventually is transferred to the paper. Ideas fly around in my head like bats
and every now they develop into a good story. Basically I think my mind is set
up like a mousetrap. I get an idea and if I snatch it and put it down on paper
before it eludes me, I'll develop it into a short plot idea giving myself a few
facts to run with. Though I try to write in a linear fashion, I don't tend to
think that way. Sometimes a scene from another place in the book pops into my
head. Rather than lose this scene, I'll write it down separately and then when
the time comes piece it together with the rest of the book like a jigsaw
puzzle.
What other interests to you have?
I love to travel, though I don’t
often get to go away as much as I’d like. The world is filled with such
beautiful landscapes and the more I see, the more I want to see. It’s an
awesome feeling to walk under Niagara Falls or take a jeep ride through
Monument Valley in Sedona, Arizona. To see the majestic Grand Canyon or the
magnificent sunset in Hawaii, is something I’ll never forget. I guess I'm not
the type to hide away on an island somewhere, because I know the rest of the
world is out there, waiting for me.
Along with travel, I love
to read. Reading and writing go together. Most writers are avid readers,
because to do well at your craft you need to know how it's done. One of my
favorite quotes is from Cicero. "A room without books is like a body
without a soul." How true is that?
How steamy are your books? I put this in because this is
something I'm often asked.
In all honesty, it varies. Sometimes
I feel like a knob on a gas oven, regulating the flame. When I wrote
confessions for the African American magazines, the guidelines called for three
graphic sex scenes. The editors of those magazines often changed and brought
along with them their own personal guidelines. For instance, some wanted to
limit the type of sex act, while others wanted to take them to another level.
Personally, since I was also writing for the Caucasian confession magazines,
with their smoke and mirrors type sex scenes, it was easier for me to lessen
the steam. That was all well and good until a new editor took the reins of
several black magazines. She contacted me and told me that she expected sexier
sex scenes. When I sent her another story, she sent it back telling me it
wasn't hot enough. I thought she was crazy, but if she wanted hot, I would give
her a sizzler. That story was probably the steamiest thing I ever wrote and
truly took me out of my comfort zone. It took approximately 15 min. from the
time I emailed her the story to the time she sent the contract back. She
absolutely loved it. And then reality hit me. She would expect every story to
be exactly, like that. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot.
Basically my erotic stories are
more sensual in nature and definitely not porn. I don’t write my books to
titillate. I want my readers to enjoy what they’re reading because it’s a good
story. My characters engage in sexual scenes because it’s life. Sex happens. I
don’t throw them in bed or on tables just for the sex. There needs to be a
reason for their actions.
What type of music do you
like?/What are some your favorite movies or books?
Basically I love all
music from classical to rock and roll from the 50s and 60s and everything else
in between. When I write, I often listen to instrumentals or else I end up
singing along with the music. Obviously you can't write and sing at the same time—or
least I can't.
Being a romantic at
heart, love songs often give me inspiration. A good example of this is when I
was younger and working as a manager in Kmart, I sometimes listen to their
music. Well, one day I wrote down the titles of six songs. Those titles became
the titles of six of my confessions. I actually wrote a story around each
title. It's turned out to be a lot of fun. Sometimes, when I can't think of the
right title for my story, I looked through my CDs and often get one. In fact, I
just did that for a story called Because
of You for Arrow Publishing.
My favorite song is
called Reverie, which was composed by
Claude Debussy. Reverie, written
under my other pen name, Candace Gold, became the title of one of my
paranormals and takes place mainly in Paris. Since Claude Debussy was a
womanizer, my story about his ghost is a very sensual one and one of my
favorites.
As far as my favorite
movie goes, it's Casablanca. History
has always fascinated me. Casablanca
is definitely a period piece. Along with that, is one of the most romantic
movies. Nobody can deny the chemistry between Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey
Bogart. And music plays a big part, especially when Sam, the piano player and
Bogart's bar, plays As Time Goes By.
If I was forced to name my favorite book, I would
have to say it is The Second Lady, written
by Irving Wallace. The ending is what does it for me. You actually don't know
how the book ends, because Wallace leaves it up to your imagination. It's just
like the famous short story, The Lady or
the Tiger. I love to be challenged and entertained when I read a book. It's
frustrating for me to figure out how the author is going to and the book, so
I'm enthralled when they surprise me. I try to surprise my readers, as well,
whenever possible.
Where I can be found on the
Internet.
Website: http://www.candycaine.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CandyCaine2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CandyCaineAuthor
Goodreads, Pinterest
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