BY SHAUNTEL SIMPER
Tell us about you, Candace! How did you get started in this writing business?
Hi there! I think I’m pretty funny. I love humor and wit. If you made me laugh, I’ll keep you forever. I love, and I mean LOVE anything Geek-worthy. I go to extremes people might say, but I don’t care. I love having a good time!
I’d say I’m made of Pepsi and Sweettarts, since that it my snack staple, but I also love Count Chocula and place one away for when I’m finishing a big writing project. I have one saved right now.
I’ve always been writing on one thing or another, but nothing I figured would ever go anywhere. I was working at a job in a hospital where we had to be staffed 24/7. Because of this, I had some downtime. I got really good a Sudoku and I thought, “What a waste of time. I could have written a novel with all the time I wasted on this puzzle.”
So, I gave up Sudoku and started writing. A friend told me about the League of Utah Writers. She wanted me to go to a conference with her. So, I found out about a local chapter which met at a library close by. It was great to meet with others like me and found a good “Support Group” for my habit.
Looking back on your own experience, what might you say to someone in your position who, like you did, lacked the confidence to publish?
It takes a lot of guts to show your work to other people. So, try to find a writer’s group or a writer’s chapter, like I did. Family and friends are great, but they don’t want to tell you your stuff stinks. They’ll say they love it and the stories good, but that really won’t help you improve as a writer. Find people who also write who you can trust with your baby. And don’t be afraid of what they have to say.
When you are writing a story, as the author, you can’t see the problems. You sometimes need to step back and let someone else look at it to gain a different perspective. They want it to work as much as you do, so don’t be afraid to listen to them.
When my editors first told me what I needed to do for Vivatera I nearly passed out, but they were dead on and I thank them everyday for pushing me and making me a better writer.
Your short story, “Hawkweed” isn’t your first publication with Xchyler. Can you tell us about the process you went through to make it happen?
It was through the LUW that I discovered my courage and decided to send off my manuscript to Xchyler. I lacked the confidence needed to be a self-published author. I doubted my work and thought it was pretty crumby.
An email was sent through my chapter that Xchyler, a new publisher, was looking for new talent. I looked up their website and thought, “This is for me.” I knew immediately that my story, Vivatera, would fit with them.
What were the differences in publishing a short story versus your novel, Vivatera?
I didn’t think there would be such a difference, but there is. I feel kind of sorry for leaving Hawkweed as a short story. There is such a fantastic world to explore. Vivatera’s world is rather complex and I had to do a lot of research and character development to get it right, but it was not as emotionally draining as “Hawkweed.”
“Hawkweed” is very personal to me, as many will find out when they read it. I was glad it was a short story. I say that now, but as I wrote it so many ideas came to me. I hope to get the chance to explore it as a novel. I think it would rock!
I agree. “Hawkweed” is something special! Can you give us any insights to what you might do to expand it? Any thoughts for a sequel?
This world I created for Hawkweed would be really cool to explore. When I was world-building I thought of that earthquake in Argentina that was so big that it sped up the earth by milliseconds, but I used that idea as a template. If I’m going dystopian, I thought I would look at what might happen if nuclear explosions rocked the Earth out it its natural orbit, pushing us a little further from the sun.
I’d also like to dive into the government more, some history behind Melina and Jaren’s family. I leave the story in a very happy place, but I’d like to continue on from that point and see what happens. I’m getting so excited just thinking about it. If I develop it enough, I think the story could take off into a few books. There’s enough material there. I’d love to try.
Are there any books you read growing up that inspired you to write your own? Any authors? Tell us about that.
Growing up I liked books that stretched my imagination, like A Wrinkle in Time and Phantom Tollbooth. I also fell in love with A. A. Milne, his poetry and stories. I started loving Ursula LeGuin, JRR Tolkien, and Terry Brooks in my teen years (I know, fantasy nerd alert).
I think JK Rowling turned my world on its head when I fell in love with Harry Potter. I started reading them when the third book came, so I’ve been with her for most of the journey. I love how complicated the world is and how well it is written.
I love adventures and going on an adventure through reading. I hope that’s what I achieve in my books.
Author Candace J. Thomas lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two daughters, and tailless cat. Her book, Vivatera, a YA fantasy, is currently available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.
The League of Utah Writers recently awarded Vivaterathe 2013 Novel of the Year.
Candace’s next book, Conjectrix, Book 2 of the Vivateraseries, will be released in May 2014. Her short story, “Hawkweed”, is featured in Moments in Millennia: a Fantasy Anthology, slated for release January 2014.
Follow Candace on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.
Shauntel Simper lives in Arizona with her two pet turtles and various insane roommates, and her hobbies include singing, comic book reading, and pretending she can dance. After a strong tenure as an intern, Shauntel was promoted to editorial assistant here at The X. Her energy, dependability, solid education, and an eagerness to learn make her an excellent addition to the team.