Earlier this week I had the joy of interviewing Candace West Posey. We talked about writing…and books, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to get to know her better. Her book, Lane Steen, is coming up on my TBR list and I am impossibly excited. Here’s how the interview went. I have indicated my questions and responses as T: and Candace’s responses are C:
T: What was your inspiration for your book?
C: First, thank you so much, Tabitha, for interviewing me. I’m excited to be here! I have several inspirations for Lane Steen, but the main one is my great-grandmother Minnie. Like Lane, she grew up in the Ozark mountains in a loveless family at the turn of the 20th century. By the time I was born, Minnie had already passed away, but her daughter (my grandmother) told me many stories of Minnie’s difficult childhood and teenage years. She suffered verbal and physical abuse from her stepmother. When she was a teenager, Minnie’s father abandoned her, telling her to “Root hog or die.” Minnie overcame all those obstacles, growing into a strong, independent lady who knew how to love others and God. Music is also another inspiration. Classical music and the Civil War song “Lorena” are tied to Lane’s past. Lane’s story begins when she is sixteen, yearning for a way to escape her Pa’s physical and verbal abuse. A mysterious dream since childhood haunts her, yet she doesn’t understand why. The dream is the key to the truth.
T: What do you consider to be the most difficult part of writing?
C: Coming to a standstill during the story and not knowing where to go. Have you ever boxed yourself inside a plot and then tried to work your way out? Also, editing is one of the hardest parts, especially when it comes to cutting out parts of a story. It’s hard to let go!
T: (Yes! To both of these! Sometimes I stare at the computer screen, talking to the characters, and I find myself asking them, “What are you trying to tell me? I know you know where this is going.” As for the editing, it’s almost painful when you have to let certain things go in a story. Everything feels important and necessary.)
T: What’s next for you as an author?
C: Years ago, I started the sequel to Lane Steen, but I had to set it aside because I was attending college and working. I’m reworking it now from the beginning, and it’s fun getting to know my characters again and watching their lives unfold further. I hope to publish it sometime next year.
T: What do you hope people take away from reading your book?
C: Lane Steen’s message is that no matter what is in your past, no matter how hard your circumstances have been, you are not beyond God’s love and redemption.
God has a special plan for every person. Anyone can find hope, love, purpose, grace, and forgiveness at His feet.
T: (I love this message in books, in anything really. There are so many people looking for redemption, so many who say, “I’ve gone too far, He’ll never forgive me.” Thank you, Candace, for writing a story that shows forgiveness is possible.)
T: What’s your favorite way to write? Are you a planner or a pantser? Music or silence?
C: I’d say I’m a plantser, a little of both. A story idea pops into my head, and I jot down notes. After that, I start writing the story. As it unfolds, I jot down more ideas and scenes that I later work into the plot. So many times, the story writes itself, and I get excited not knowing what is coming next. Sometimes I can’t get the words out fast enough. I’ll have to stop for a quick moment and jot down notes so I won’t forget the scenes playing out in my mind. When I write I prefer silence. Of course, with an eight-year-old bounding in and out of the house, it’s not always possible! I definitely can’t listen to music when I’m writing. I wish I could because I love music, but it distracts me too much.
T: Anything else you would like me to add? Links where people can find you?
C: I love getting to know my readers. They can connect with me on my FB author page at Candace West-Author
My website is http://www.lanesteen.com where anyone can learn more about Lane, preview the novel, watch the video trailer, and find purchase links! There’s also a contact form for anyone who wants to email me. I would love to hear from any of you!
Lane Steen is available at Amazon in paperback and on Kindle, iBooks, Barnes and Noble.com, and Books-A-Million.com.
iBooks:
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Synopsis:
Lane fights for a way out. Edith seeks for a way in. A hidden past confronts them.
Kidnapped by her father at two years old, Lane Steen never imagines she is living a lie until a new schoolteacher, Edith Wallace, comes to Valley Creek. Yet Edith is more than a schoolteacher. She is part of the past–a past hidden in a mysterious dream that has haunted Lane since childhood.
At sixteen, Lane yearns to flee from her embittered father’s hatred. The schoolhouse is Lane’s only escape. Carefully, Edith works to earn Lane’s friendship, but love and trust doesn’t come easy for a heart plagued by hate. Then the truth shatters Lane’s world, sending her on a turbulent search into the past. Will she always be bound by hate?
Yet something even stronger binds her. Something stronger than her family, something stronger than her will. She is bound to Valley Creek, the place of her stormy childhood, the place of the man she loves, but more importantly, the place of God’s calling. Lane finds love, purpose, grace, and forgiveness in a place she’d sought all her life to escape.
T: Thank you, Candace, for spending time with me this past week. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about you and your writing, and I cannot wait to read Lane Steen. I pray God continues to bless you and your writing, and I look forward to the sequel.
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