Interview With Author Candace Colt
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I'm Candace Colt, author of sweet romance with a magical twist. Recently, I dipped a toe in the sweet sci-fi romance world. More about that shortly. My fascination with otherworldly love stories began when I heard my first fairy tale! I still believe witches, wizards, and all sorts of specially gifted characters can coexist harmoniously with everyday people, and I invite you to join me on this journey.
My first six books, the Falcon Shifter series, appeared in Kristen Painter's Nocturne Falls Universe. I wrote three books in the Magic Potter series about the Blessing family for Cat's Paw Cove Romance.
In 2022, I jumped into indie publishing with my Baga Shores Romance series. I live in a small coastal town near Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast, and its quaint charm was the inspiration for the series. This series introduces the widowed witch, Mimi Tanner, the matriarch of the family and the unofficial matchmaker. There are currently four books set in Baga Shores, where you'll meet more witches, wizards, shifters, and many others, as well as the Ordinaries!
I mentioned sci-fi romance. I was invited to write a story for PETS IN SPACE-7, a charity anthology. That challenge resulted in the first book in the Witch In Space series, a spin-off of the Baga Shores stories.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
RHEA'S CONUNDRUM was that first sweet and humorous sci-fi story and is now a stand alone book. It's about Mimi Tanner's adult middle child, Rhea, who was always her most challenging. Still to this day, Rhea does her own thing. But when her latest meditation session went awry, she landed on a space junk picker in outer space. I might add that all my stories include at least one magical cat. Rhea's familiar is a snarky, ageless, talking ebony cat named Alika.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I'm a cross between a plotter and a pantser. Sometimes we're called plantsers. I start with the main characters. Then I throw in the "what if" question. For example, what if a bare-foot, Bohemian, free-spirited witch ends up on a spaceship? What possibilities does that open up? From there, the story usually tells itself. I'm simply the conduit.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
That's a tricky question! However, the overall top of the list is Diana Gabaldon. Kristen Painter and Heather Horrocks are two authors who definitely influenced my decision to write in my genre. All three write amazing, believable, magical stories. From them, I discovered that magical people are just like us, with a lot of make-believe thrown in to make it fun!
What are you working on now?
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER is book 2 in the Witch in Space series. Rhea and her hunky space captain, C'tloc, are about to land on his home planet, and there's no way they can avoid meeting his offspring. Imagine if you had an unexpected houseguest that just happened to be from a planet over 60,000 million miles away. What could possibly go wrong?
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is definitely the most challenging aspect of being an author. It's actually a multi-faceted approach. It's imperative to have a professional website to show off their books (and have a place for newsletter sign-up). You need a presence on all the vendor sites (e.g. Amazon Author page), Goodreads, and Bookbub. My newsletter is by far the most valuable promotion tool. Social media works if your readers are there. YA readers tend to be on TikTok, and not Facebook, for example. Genre-specific promotional pages are great. Promos through sites like StoryOrigin, BookFunnel, and Awesome Gang, are valuable, as well. Facebook parties are fun but can be chaotic, with minimal conversion to sales. YouTube is a relatively new tool for authors, but an important one. Connecting with podcasters and being a guest blogger are also valuable. Or starting your own podcast and blog! As you see, there are a zillion different ways. You should focus on the one(s) with the biggest ROI.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
First, write the best book you can! Get it professionally edited by someone who is experienced in your genre. And hire the best cover artist you can afford! Research books in your genre and get a list of who designed those covers. Don't neglect your logline and blurb. Those have to be spot on.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Enjoy the process! There are 8,000 + moving parts to being an indie writer. You are only one person. Remember why you wanted to write in the first place and remember that every day!
What are you reading now?
My Kindle is overflowing! Right now, I'm reading through Jane Hinchey's ghost detective series. She's another one of my go-to authors. Clever, funny books are my jam!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I don't know if this actually answers the question, but my main focus (outside writing stories) is keeping up with the changes in indie publishing. Everything is shifting, so creating a solid business plan that keeps up with these changes is vital. I'm looking at subscriptions and direct sales from my website.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Stranded means no internet; therefore, there is no Kindle reader. Egad! Here's what I'd do then. I'd take the first four Outlander books. You can never get enough of Jamie and Claire!
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