TBR welcomes Candy Ann Little

TBR: Welcome to TBR, Candy. Will you share a little bit about yourself?
Candy: I live in Michigan but I grew up in Ohio. I am a housewife and mother of two wonderful adult children. Although my daughter is 18 she is still in school and my son - who just turned 21 - still lives with us. So even though they are grown my house is not empty. We also have a foreign exchange student from Germany so I now have 2 teenage daughters. Besides reading and writing I love to cook and bake. I’m also pretty crafty and like doing centerpieces and flower arrangements.

TBR: Tell us about your latest release and where it's available.
Candy: My latest book is Unforgiving Ghosts. It’s only available on Amazon right now. 

http://www.amazon.com/Unforgiving-Ghosts-ebook/dp/B009A0ABAK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1356923556&sr=1-1&keywords=unforgiving+ghosts

TBR: Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Candy: Trying to deal with grief, Megan Black leaves her small farm in Illinois and moves to the quaint city of Santa Barbara, California. As she struggles with the memories of her past, she soon learns that you can't run away from your problems. In fact, she’s just found more trouble! The tall and handsome, Steven Peterson is causing conflict in her heart. Can Megan find peace in God and faith to choose the right path? Or will chasing ghosts cause an unforgiving heart that only leads to destruction? 

As the son of a billionaire, Steven Peterson is used to getting what he wants – usually without even trying. So he find it intriguing when the new cook for his family does everything she can to avoid him. However, his intrigue quickly turns into love. But Megan is hesitant to fall for a playboy. Can he prove that he’s a changed man and earn her trust? Will his true character shine through the shallowness when their love is tested?

TBR: What inspired you to write about the theme?
Candy: When I was pregnant with my third child, I ended up losing her. The night before I went into labor she died. The nurse suggested I start a journal to cope with my grief. After 2 years I decided to turn my writing into a fiction novel, so I wrote a fictional account of what I went through.

TBR: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Candy: I guess some of both.

TBR: How do you develop your characters?
Candy: I believe God gives the vision of the story and characters and I just write what plays in my head.

TBR: Any tips or tricks for world building you’d care to share?
Candy: I have never invited a world. I use real places and research them.

TBR: Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?
Candy: “A little love lasts a lifetime,” by me!!

TBR: Did any music inspire your book? Do you have a playlist?
Candy: No. I have trouble focusing when songs are playing. However, I use songs in my stories.

TBR: Which of your characters would you most/least like to invite to dinner, and why?
Candy: I’d most like to have dinner with Megan because she is the most like me. I wouldn’t want to have dinner with Tiffany as I might slap her!!

TBR: While creating your books, what was one of the most surprising things you learned?
Candy: Since Unforgiving Ghosts was my first novel I was shocked to realize I could write a book at all.

TBR: What's next for you?
Candy: I’m working a general mystery, Murder of An Oil Heiress. It should be out by Dec. I’m also trying to write a sequel to The Unwilling Bride and book 2 of Death By Broken Heart (mystery novella.) I also have plans for a second book to Unforgiving Ghosts called Unforgiving Past. 

TBR: Any other published works?
Candy: Yes. The Unwilling Bride was my first Christian, historical romance. Death By Broken Heart is my general, mystery novella.

TBR: What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? Most rewarding?
Candy: Right now it’s actually writing the stories in my head. I can’t seem to get them out of my head and unto my computer. Most rewarding is finishing the novel.

TBR: What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
Candy: When a reader thanked me for sharing my God given talent.

TBR: Who are some of your favorite authors and books? What are you reading now?
Candy: My favorite genre is historical romances and Kathleen E. Woodiwiss is my favorite author. I also like Teresa Mederios, Allison Leigh and Sandra Steffen. I recently finished a wonderful Christian novel, Devotion by Mariann Evans.

TBR: Where can readers find you on the web?
Candy: Blog site: http://candylittle.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/candy.little.79

Twitter: https://twitter.com/candyannlittle

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4672789.Candy_Ann_Little

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/candyannlittle/

 

TBR: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Candy: Not that I can think of. But I would like to wish you and everyone a wonderful and blessed New Year!!

TBR: Readers, Candy will give away a Kindle version of Unforgiving Ghosts to one lucky commenter. She'll pick a winner on Tuesday, Jan. 16 and announce the winner here. Be sure to leave your email address so she can contact you.

Thanks for visiting TBR, Candy. All the best to you.

TBR welcomes Candy Ann Little

Arguing With Your Character?

by Candy Ann Little

In my first novel, Unforgiving Ghosts, I didn’t have characters arguing with me. I wrote a rough outline, named the characters and knew their personalities. I had no conflict except the ones I wrote. Maybe, because this story was based on my real life experiences and the two main characters were loosely based on me and my husband, there wasn’t much to argue about. 

I started my second, Shattered, and found the same thing. The characters acted and behaved as I, the author, directed them. However, half way through this story I got a writing assignment from my writers’ group that put this book on hold. The assignment was to write 500 – 1,000 words in the style of my favorite author. Of course I picked Kathleen E, Woodiwiss. 

She always began her novels with the time and place of the setting. So I started researching just to see where I wanted it, and what year it would take place in. As the pieces clicked into place, I put my setting in America but Caitlin was from Ireland. Dillon had moved to the States from England. The time was 1798 and the Irish revolt against England was in full swing. 

I now had a full set of characters, a setting and an interesting plot. Needless to say, my 1,000 word assignment turned into a complete novel. I had an overall view of where I wanted this plot go but not a full outline as the previous two books. That wasn’t the only difference either. I was now dealing with a headstrong character that wanted to tell ME how the story should end. Really? I’m the author, I argued back to Caitlin. Your brother is dead and that is that!

One thing that always annoys me in books and movies is how everything always works out perfectly. The dead aren’t really dead, the husband sees the errors of his way and returns to his wife, the parents suddenly see how much their teenager is in love and stops fighting so they can be together.

Sometimes life just doesn’t work out this way. People die, even young ones, with no explanations. Husbands and wives split up and love doesn’t always work out. That is the real world. I wanted my novel to have more real life experience in it. I explained that to Caitlin a hundred times during the two years I wrote my story. “Your brother is dead and is going to stay that way.” I was firm with her. Death is part of war and it needed to be in my novel. 

However, two years later as I wrote the final scene where she was waiting to welcome her family back, who walked off the ship? Her dead brother, Dwayne. I thought about hitting the delete button about hundred times. However, each time I heard Caitlin saying “No, it’ll work. Wait and see.”

I don’t know why but I finally gave in to her and allowed Dwayne to live. I still felt it was too much like a fairytale ending. But, a year later another author reviewed my book and sent me a private message asking me to write a sequel. My response, “I don’t have one.” This was a standalone book. He argued that Sarah, who got engaged to Brogan, Caitlin’s other brother, could start having feelings for Dwayne. 

I knew that would never work because Sarah was too much in love with Brogan, and had waited years for him to propose. A few days later another reviewer made a comment that she’d like to see a redemption story for, Henrietta. She was one of the villainesses in the story, but I wasn’t sure I could turn her from a bad girl to a likeable heroin. However, the more I thought about it the sequel started unfolding in my head. I could see Caitlin’s face turning red with anger when she finds out that Dwayne is in love with her enemy. I emailed the author who first wanted to sequel and asked him what he thought about the plot of Dwayne falling in love with Henrietta. He loved the idea and said that was the second book. 

As I’ve been researching, I can see Caitlin smiling and saying, “See I told you it would work out.” The point to this article is that as authors we can have a dashboard view. We only see what is in front of us. These are the characters and this is the plot. The characters can have a helicopter view. Caitlin saw beyond her own story and saw the making of a sequel, even though I never had that in mind. Sometimes it’s best to just listen to your characters!!

But that doesn’t mean I can’t extract a little revenge by having Caitlin deal with Henrietta in her family when Dwayne wants to marry her in the sequel, The Unwanted Bride. Who’s laughing last?!

Candy Ann Little grew up in a small town in Ohio. She moved to Michigan with her family when her husband got a job there. She began writing in the aftermath of tragedy - her third child was stillborn. The nurse suggested keeping a journal to cope with the grief. Although she thought it a dumb idea at the time, she soon found a freedom and healing that writing brought.

Eventually that pain and sorrow turned into her first Inspirational romance. Candy Ann finds it therapeutic putting her thoughts into the words and action of her characters. She also finds that discipline is the biggest lesson learned in her writing life. Since then she has finished 3 novels and one novella.

When she isn't busy with her husband of twenty-two years and her two kids, you can find her subbing in the public school system, or helping with church activities. Her favorite things to do besides writing is reading, cooking and baking.