Author Interview
Candace L. Bowser
What was the driving
force behind your current novel? As
a writer of dark romance blended with horror, I am always looking for a
different take, an element someone else hasn’t tried before, something that
will take the reader by surprise. I have 5 vampire books to my credit, and
though I love a vampire just as much as the next gal, I really wanted to do
something never before seen in literature, hence the creation of Remy
Broulette.
What personality traits
do you most admire in other authors? The courage to persevere is a trait
that I admire so deeply. Being an author isn’t easy. In fact, sometimes it’s
pure hell when you get right down to it. Self-doubt is a mean little monster
that plagues every writer at some point and time. Anyone who says it doesn’t
creep into his or her head is not being truthful. You look at book sales, what
you have accomplished, and sometimes think, “wow, this really should be doing
better! Should I have done something different? Is it really worth the
frustration?” But at the end of the day, if you are truly a writer, all those
things get pushed to the back of your mind and you persevere. It isn’t always
easy but it’s always worth it.
If you could offer a
word of advice to an aspiring author who wants to venture down the road of
self-publishing, what would you tell them? You aren’t going to be an
overnight success, so don’t expect it. Don’t take criticism to heart; there
will always be naysayers and critics. If you love to write, write because it is
your passion. Fame might come. It might never come, but that shouldn’t be what
you strive for as an author. You should write for yourself. The fans will
eventually come later.
Do you find
inspiration in the works of other authors? If so, who and why? I find
authors like Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker to be inspiring. They wrote outside
of the norm for their time period and did so for themselves, not for the
critics, not because they wanted it to be their crowning achievement, but
because it was what was in their hearts begging to be written.
How would you
describe the method behind your writing? Sheer madness at best on most days
is the easiest way to describe it. I have no rhyme or reason to how I write.
Hell, sometimes the final chapter gets written before the third one is even
finished. I let the characters tell me how they want their story told. In the
end, it works for me, but it probably wouldn’t work for anyone else!
Are you an aficionado of any of
the great classic authors? Which one do you feel has left their mark in the
world of writing and changed the world the most? I, of course, mentioned
Bram earlier, but there are so many. Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon
Blackwood, Fred Saberhagen, and Tolkien, just to name a few. They all bridged
great divides in order to present their craft and left a mark on this world is
unmistakable.
Is there any special
preparations you take when you are about to sit down and write? I prefer
for it to be silent but that rarely happens in my household. More often than
not, I choose music to write by that has some sort of meaning to the piece I am
writing. I found I listened to a great deal of New
Orleans based music and Mozart when writing Dark
Days of Remy Broutlette. They were pieces, which just fit him perfectly.
Which of the books
you have written is your favorite and why? Is there a single character that stands out from the others? Drusil
is by far one of my favorite characters from the Origins Vampire Series.
He is dark and brooding, contemplative, and sexy as all get out. But favorites
sometimes change depending on what I am writing, and with 15 published books
there are so many. Right now, Remy is heavy on my mind with his pending
release. He too is a dark and brooding immortal, bent on personal destruction.
Half Choctaw and half French, he is the perfect part of two separate worlds to
which he never belongs. He is complicated and deep the way any character should
be in print.
Is there anything
else you would like to share with your readers? I have a deep, heartfelt
appreciation toward every person who has read any of my books. The biggest
compliment any author can hope for is a single purchase of your book, followed
by how much it was adored, and will you write a sequel? Praise makes any
author’s heart soar, but when you can touch them enough that they reach out to
you, there is no forgetting that moment. I am so grateful for each of those
moments, and I will never forget any of them.
Here is an
excerpt from, Dark Days of Remy Broulette.
(Potential release January 2014, awaiting submission status).
The constitution
of a man is not always defined by his destiny but occasionally by the
circumstances of the life he has lived.
Revel DeMarquis
stood watching as the waves lapped against the shore depositing copious amounts
of shells and seaweed now that the storm had lessened. The sun was beginning to
rise as he lifted the window allowing the salty scent of the ocean to fill his
room. The air was heavy and dense as it rolled through Royal Street and into the
French Quarter, nearly so thick it was difficult to breathe. The heaviness of
the waves had ceased and was replaced with the placid rolling of the inward
bay. Beams of the breaking dawn shed their light across the caps coloring them
with tinges of red, crimson, and orange.
His moment of
bliss, of enjoying the city as it was meant to be enjoyed, was broken by the
harrowing screams of Remy Broulette.
It was common
and occurred every morning with the same result. Revel hastened his pace,
picking up a towel before exiting his room, to walk the long corridor to the
room of his friend.
Remy stood in
the corner gasping for air. His eyes were wild, nearly feral, as they swept the
room. The full length of his hair was dripping with sweat. It was a scene Revel
DeMarquis had witnessed a million times before. Remy seized the towel from his
hand and stormed out of the room, slamming the door to the lavatory behind him.
The sound of water was not enough to drown out his angry screams.
Author Bio
Candace L. Bowser is
a freelance writer of fiction. She was a featured columnist for PRS in Kansas
City during the 1980's and was voted one of the Top 20 Prolific Writers of 2011
at AKGmag. Though her favorite genre to write is dark romance/horror, she does
not like to be limited to a single genre. Candace also writes adventure,
suspense, intrigue, and mystery. Her books are an interesting blend of
historical events, people, and places blended with fiction. Under the pen-name of Hargrove Perth, Candace
writes new adult as well as dark romance/eroticism. Originally from Altoona,
PA, she currently resides in Kansas City with her husband Todd of twenty-seven
years.
Links
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4152675.Candace_L_Bowser
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CandaceLBowser
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/candace.bowser
Blog:http://www.candacebowser.blogspot.com
Website:http://www.candacelbowser.com
