Written Author Interview
Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do outside of writing. What is a day in the life like for you?
The day in the life of Author Candi Usher is filled with mostly schoolwork. I am currently working on my PhD in Clinical Psychology. I also homeschool my 9th and 7th graders. My oldest is going to college online. So our home is a school. I like going to museums, church, zoos, aquariums, theme parks, and historical places. My oldest and I are trying to get to some Animecons and into some cosplay conventions. I love going to the movies. I’m a foodie although I’ve made some food changes. I’m a gamer, I love cars, especially sports cars, motorcycles, and sports, with my favorite being football. I also enjoy watching Kdramas and Asian movies. I teach youth at church in Sundays.
What inspired your first novel? What was the thing that got you into writing in the first place?
My life inspired my first book. I wanted to write about my first marriage because a lot of women in my communing don’t talk about the kinds of abuse in a marriage, and how control starts long before the marriage begins.
Writing poetry started when I was 6 years old. There was something about my just constructing sentences and rhyming words, but using that syntax to create a story. I was homeschooled right after kindergarten, so I was allowed to express myself more, and I was introduced to a deeper world of poetry like haiku.
How do you come up with characters? Are they spontaneous or meticulously planned?
My characters are randomly named in every book. My life-based characters are myself and others. My fictional characters develop the more the movie plays in my head. The spontaneity of the movie in my head is the spontaneity of each character. Yet they connect to each other in a beautiful way.
What are some of your favorite genres to read? Are there any books you’d recommend to first time readers or people looking for something new?
My favorite genres are paranormal romance and science fiction. I don’t really have recommendations for first time readers, because there are so many factors that can go into that. I wouldn’t give a recommendation without getting to know the reader first.
What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer?
The most difficult thing as a writer isn’t what happens before or during the writing process. It’s what has to happen after. I’m not even speaking on the editing. The most difficult thing about being a writer is having to write a blurb. I love writing the long version. I hate writing the short one.
What is your process to completing a novel from outline to final product?
I don’t create an outline. I sit at my laptop, and what shows in my imagination, is what I use to first create my book cover. This is my overall theme and beginning. Afterwards, what’s in my imagination is what I type, unless it’stories biographical. Then it’s based on a memory. I write until the story it is complete, then hand it to my editor. I have write my blurb, and on to my ARC readers to see if there are any final changes needed.
What’s the most unhinged thing you’ve written in your novel? Don’t worry, we don’t judge here.
A husband sold his wife’s uterus and ovaries to his cult leader/adoptive father for 1.2 billion dollars. The cult leader/adoptive father wanted to mix his DNA and her DNA and genes to help create another generation toward his project to create Perfect Humans. The husband was to lie to the wife and tell her he couldn’t have children naturally. They would go in for IVF, where everything would be done, without her knowledge. (Faded Men: Chaison and Maison 3/31/25)
What’s one thing about being a writer that absolutely drives you up the wall?
I am bothered by comparisons when it comes to diversity in books. We like our books differently. Authors write their books differently. If you don’t like what’s written, please quietly put it down, or return it back to Kindle or wherever you checked it out from, and don’t pick it back up. Silence can be beautiful.
What does being a successful writer look like for you? What type of life do you want to live as a writer?
Being successful as a writer to me is knowing that someone enjoyed one of my works of fiction, or that one of my life stories had an impact. As a writer, I don’t look to be famous. I just want to keep having fun doing what I’m doing. If it because a job, it’s not fun.
Describe your writing journey. If you had to write a story centered around it, do you think you could pull it off?
My writing journey had been one for in front of the other. I’ve already written the story around my writing journey. I’ve written the story around my joys, my tears, my pain, my laughs, my life. My journey is already in ink. I just keep adding to it.
Follow and Connect with Candi Usher
About
I am a mother, Navy veteran, Doctorate student (Clinical Psychology), author, walking in ministry and evangelism, teacher of youth at church, lover of museums, aquariums, and zoos, and cooking connoisseur.
I have an Associate’s degree in Information Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. I started writing poetry at six years old. I entered my rst contest when I was eight years old when we still had Poetry.com. I won my rst contest at ten, which surprised me.
I have loved literature, English, and reading. I also love other forms of writing and poetry, such as African based writing, mythology, and haiku. There is an affinity to math, science, and history mixed in, so I’m a conglomerate of much. I enjoy watching K-dramas, natural disaster movies, romantic comedies, and anime. I’m into video games, cars, and motorcycles.
Social Media
Website: www.mscandigirl.com
Social media links:
www.facebook.com/authorcandijones
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