Another Interview

Now I'm really starting to feel famous. Yet another interview has been posted on Linda LaRoque's blog. Just click the link in the subject line to read it. If you comment, you will be entered to win a free e-book Linda gives away monthly.

Linda is a great author of contemporary western and time travel romances and my co-editor on the e-cookbook, Recipe for Romance. If you would like a free copy, just visit my website at www.candacemorehouse.com and click on the News and Contests link. It contains a lot of great romance book excerpts along with recipes that characterize one scene in each book.

I am also looking forward to being part of the Long and Short Romance Reviews Anniversary Bash in August. They are giving away free e-book readers! If you haven't priced them out, they are worth hundreds of dollars so this is a great opportunity to win a wonderful prize that will have you hooked on reading electronic books. Visit their site here: www.longandshortreviews.com.

Whew! There's a lot going on these days! It's all good, though. Be sure to enter any of these contests or ask for your free e-cookbook. After all, free is a darned good price!

Interviews

I'm trying to take this whole promotion part of writing seriously. In so doing, I've asked for a little help from my friends. They were happy to oblige, thankfully!

You can find one of my interviews posted at Nancy Henderson's blog where I talk about writing in general and the gift of creativity. Nancy is a very gifted author herself, with several historical and paranormal romances published with Champagne Books.

Next week, I will also be featured on Sharon Donovan's blog talking up my latest release, Suspicion of Love. Sharon and I just recently got to know each other through the miracles of cyber space and we have found a lot in common. She has a great sense of humor and her guest interview posts are full of her exceptional creativity.

I thought I'd also share the photo Sharon is posting along with my interview since it dovetails nicely with the type of clothing worn in the Edwardian era in which Suspicion of Love takes place. The dress is a circa 1910 ballgown I bought from a former employer at an antique and vintage clothing shop. This photo was taken about 26 years ago - when I was still small enough to fit into the tiny clothes from yesteryear. Ah, those were the days!

I hope you enjoy reading the interviews. I'm off to chase chickens and try to burn a few calories!

It’s All About Promotion

At least that’s what, as a romance author, I’ve been told over and over again by the wonderful staff at my publisher, Champagne Books. It’s not just enough to write a romance novel and get it published.

That’s when the real work just begins. Blogging, chatting, book signings, handing out bookmarkers and business cards, marketing the website, posting excerpts, creating profiles at book-related sites, social networking – the list goes on and on.

Honestly, how’s anyone with a “real” job supposed to write another book, let alone keep the home fires burning so they remember what romance is supposed to be like, and keep up on promotion?

Yeah, it can be difficult. Unfortunately, just because you create an artistic piece doesn’t mean someone will find it, and buy it. Promotion is the difference between being a no-name artist and one who becomes an icon.

Even so-so artists have been able to make a career out of their art because of great promotion. Take Bob Dylan and Madonna, for example. Or Willie Nelson. None of these singers is particularly talented vocally, yet all have made millions of dollars.

For a romance novelist, the road can be rocky indeed. I know very few authors have ever made big bucks on their first novel. Look at Janet Evanovich. She started out writing category romances for Harlequin many moons ago. Were those books great literary works of art? Hardly. But I guess they paid the bills until she could sell the fantastic novels she writes now.

Does that mean I aspire to be a so-so writer who just markets herself successfully? Not in the least. I’d much rather be known as a good writer, but am realistic enough to realize that is not enough in today’s ultra-competitive market.

Call me a promo whore. Maybe one of these days it will pay the bills.

Candy Land

I wonder when I changed from being “Candace” to “Candy”.

When I was growing up, I was always called Candy. In a bit of defiance, and to prove that I was different from everyone else, I decided to spell it different than the norm. From junior high to high school, I was “Candé”, as if all of a sudden I’d turned French.

Round about the time I started college, I decided that Candy was either too little-girlish or made me sound too much like the happy hooker. So I went back to going by my full name, Candace.

Nowadays, except for those few friends who have known me for decades, I am known as Candace.

Except here in my new home in Arizona’s White Mountains, that is.

For some reason, everyone here shortens my name to that childhood nickname of Candy. I introduce myself as Candace and at the end of an encounter, my new friends and acquaintances are saying “Nice to meet you, Candy.”

Even complete strangers do it. The propane delivery driver handed me a handwritten receipt for my tank fillup. It was made out to Candy Morehouse. My neighbors call me by my nickname, so do people at church, and even the checker at the grocery store.

I gave up trying to correct everyone a long time ago. I guess up here in the rural outskirts of town, I have gone back to living a simpler life, in every sense of the phrase. First it was my name, then it was the chickens I bought. I’ve got my eye on a goat to add to our farm animals but I just hope he doesn’t eat the vegetables I am growing in my garden with my own homemade mulch. What’s next? Riding a horse into town, grinding my own flour, and fermenting my own wine? Sounds good to me.

Until next time, yours truly, Candy

Interview with Author Monica S. Martinez

I recently got to meet (in a cyber-space way) Monica S. Martinez. She is an amazingly talented Latina author who has penned a compilation of erotic short stories, Tantalizing Erotic Thoughts & Encounters. She is a fascinating person. Learn more about her from our brief interview:

CM: Where are you from?
MM:  I was born and raised in Queens, NY. I grew up in South Jamaica, where I attended elementary and junior high school. I then moved on to Forest Hills where I went to high school and met my first husband.

CM: What kinds of books do you like to read?
MM:  I enjoy reading fiction, Urban writing, Poetry, Murder Mysteries and also some non-fiction such as memories, biographies. 

CM: Who are some of your favorite authors?
MM: James Patterson, Dean Kootz, Anne Rice, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Ivan Sanchez, and Esmeralda Santiago.  

CM: What inspired you to write?
MM: I’ve always written, since I’m twelve. I was once sexually repressed and when I turned thirty and remarried I was able to let my inhibitions go. I opened an Adult Novelty company back in 2004 where I would go into women’s houses and educate them on how to keep their sex lives interesting and fresh. It was an eye opener as to how many women were really unhappy with their sex lives. I became sort of a sex therapist and I found myself writing stories to help ignite some passion into their lives.

CM: Sounds interesting! Can you share a short excerpt (rated PG, unfortunately) with us? 
MM: This is from the story Sin City

You know the saying: “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” That is exactly where I was headed and that is exactly what was going to happen. We both knew. He just didn’t know how heavy I was going to put it on him.

I figured I’d take a cab to the airport to meet Alexandro. Time to be naughty, I thought as I dressed in my bathroom. Didn’t know how I was going to dazzle Alexandro till after I showered, oiled and scented my body. Afterwards it struck me. I decided to adorn a black mini dress which would showcase every womanly curve I own. It would also provide easy access to my goodies. All I could do is giggle. Underneath I would have on a black push up bra and lace thong from Victoria’s Secret. The dress along with my Charles David black snakeskin sling backs, which accented my calves were sure to wow him at first sight. I started getting dressed.

The thought of his luscious lips on my sweetness had me wet and quivering. Imagining the softness of his lips touching my ‘girl’, then having his tongue dash across my ‘pearl’ and slithering deep into my ‘tunnel’ was driving me crazy.

CM: Sounds yummy! Where can interested readers find Tantalizing Erotic Thoughts and Encounters available to purchase?
MM: They can go on my site http://monicamartinez.org  or grab it from Amazon.com.

CM: The most important question: chocolate or vanilla? 
MM: Chocolate

I'm in Love

Yep, I admit it.
I'm in love.
He's tall, dark, and handsome, a big galoot by the name of Cochise. He's a black brute who stands 17 hands tall.
Of course Cochise is a horse.

I recently met a lovely lady by the name of Pat who lives just a couple streets down from me. My husband did some remodeling work for her. She's a retired school teacher whose real passion is for horses. She has several of her own, and boards a few more.

Pat thinks it's just great that she got to meet me - a real live author.

I've been jonesing to get back on a horse ever since we moved here to the White Mountains with a stable and corral in the back yard - but no occupants. With a signed copy of Golden Enchantment in hand as a bribe, I casually mentioned to Pat that if she never needed someone to ride her extra horses, I was the woman for the job.

Well, she did, and I got to. Ride, that is.

Little did I know she was going to pick this big black brute of a gelding named Cochise for me to ride. The first time I used a stepstool to climb aboard and view the world from up in the clouds. I didn't feel so bad when another riding companion, Rosie, had to do the same to get on her smaller horse.
(That's the three amigas there in the photo - Pat on the left on her horse Ribbon, the 80-year-old dynamo, Rosie, on Bunny in the middle, and me, astride Cochise.)

I was a bit nervous at first. After all, I haven't been on a horse for nearly two decades - almost since I got rid of my own pure blooded Arabian, Nijem Warrior, so many years ago.

"His ride is as smooth as glass," Pat assured me. "You could hold a glass of wine while he's trotting and not spill a drop."

I was skeptical at first. How could such a huge animal be so smooth? But she's right. The big brute is gentle as a kitten and his gait feels like I'm riding a Cadillac.

According to Pat, Cochise loves me. I've taken a big leap and can now mount him without that silly step stool. I trust him enough to let him gallop. He hugs me with a nuzzle from his smooth, velvety face and I feed him a horse cookie to watch his gentle brown eyes close in contenment. I'm falling, fast.

Yep, I'm in love. And his name is Cochise.

Chicago is My Kind of Town

So…Ma and Pa Kettle go to Chicago. Courtesy of Sony/BMG Records, my husband and I traveled to Chicago last week to see an exclusive, invitation-only concert with Jason Michael Carroll. I won the trip simply by putting my name on an entry form during a Q Country 92.5 live broadcast.

(That's me in the Millennium Park garden on the right, and some great architecture on the Michigan Avenue Bridge to the left)


Truly, we didn’t know what to expect. From the time I won a nationwide contest to see Jason Michael Carroll in concert to the time my husband and I got our final itinerary, we were pretty much dumbfounded and in a whirlwind of promo and plans. It seemed surreal, until the final itinerary was delivered.


We exhorted our lovely neighbor, Rachel, to take care of our chickens and dogs while we traveled to the big city: The Windy City. Chi-Town. My Kind of Town. How exciting!

From the minute we boarded the airplane at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to the time we left Chi-Town to journey back home, we wore our cowboy hats and proudly proclaimed we were small town country folk. We got compliments on them from everyone – even one of the TSA agents at Sky Harbor!



Everywhere we went – and we went to as many places as we could in the Chicago downtown area – we were constantly bombarded with questions and made the subject of many a conversation. “Are you from Texas?” “Bet you’re glad to escape the heat of Arizona!” “What are you doing here?”

We patiently answered the questions. Nope, not from Texas, but from Arizona. In the White Mountains, our weather is pretty much the same as yours – in the 70s for a high and chance of rain. Won a nationwide contest just by putting my name and address on a slip and sticking it into a box at the grand opening celebration at the Boot Barn in Show Low. More often than not, our uniqueness resulted in being bought a drink, or more. A DJ at one bar started playing country music just for us. Guess there’s no cowboys in Chicago!

(Giant faces in Millennium Park)


What a fabulous time we had! We got to the trendy and comfy boutique Hotel Indigo Gold Coast in Chicago’s historic downtown district just in time to get to the concert. Once we arrived at Joe’s Bar and Grill, we were whisked to the back bar to meet the star himself, Jason Michael Carroll and treated like VIPs.

He spent several minutes answering questions about himself and finding out a bit about us. We were handed two of his current CDs upon arrival. I was anxiously trying to get the cellophane wrapping undone so he could autograph our copies and he took the CD from me. “I’ll do that,” he explained as he patiently tore apart the wrapping and signed my copy. He even remembered my name!

(Mirror to Chicago, Millennium Park)

The concert was great! Jason Michael Carroll put on quite the show in the intimate venue of Joe’s Bar and Grill with unparalleled enthusiasm. He sang “Where I’m From”, “Living our Love Song”, “Alyssa Lies”, and “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead” with fervor and zest, pausing often to shake the hands of those in the audience of about 200 or so invited guests. His enthusiasm was contagious and made for a truly great concert. We even met a trio of Chicagoans who declared us “too cute”.

After the concert, my husband and I walked the few blocks in a light drizzle to the John Hancock Tower and went up to the 97th floor to have a drink while overlooking the city. While there, the waitress came by and sheepishly admitted that a patron at the bar was wondering where we were from. Of course, we told her Arizona, and gave her the short story of how we ended up enjoying a drink at the top of the John Hancock building.

(American Gothic statue, downtown Chicago)

The next day we visited Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and various downtown destinations. We had an utterly wonderful time and were constantly amazed at the friendly and open people who greeted us everywhere we went. Our trip ended with a fabulous breakfast on the patio of the Original Pancake House and a walk around downtown to view the truly spectacular architecture of nearby churches.


For my money, Chicago is my kind of town. Even though we are more Ma and Pa Kettle than sophisticated travelers, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the big city and appreciated everyone who made us feel so welcome. Thanks, Chi-Town. We’ll come back again now, y’hear?