What inspires you to write?

I’ve never asked myself if I should write. I have to write. Just like reading has always been an escape for me, so is writing. It relaxes me, it gives me joy and there are times when my fingers take on a life of their own. Sometimes ideas pop into my head at the oddest times – such as when I’m washing the dishes or under the hair dryer at the salon – but the act of writing is something I must do. The words in my head must get out.

The motivation to write consistently, however, has been more of a struggle. As the mother of two teenagers, life gets in the way sometimes. But I’ve become more dedicated to it over the past few years after I read Quincy Jones’ autobiography and watched his Netflix documentary. He mentions how you have a duty to fulfill your God-given purpose and to use your God-given talent. If you don’t, you will always feel like something is missing in life or that you’re unfulfilled. I keep that in the back of my head, so I am more consistent and dedicated to this craft.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I was in the second grade when the county sheriff – who was also my teacher’s husband – came in as a guest speaker and asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. I told him I wanted to be an author. I went home that afternoon and started my first short story – “The Mystery of the Horse Thief” because I was big on Nancy Drew at the time. From then on, I just kept writing. I finished my first novel in college – a romance novel – and that’s when I knew I could actually do it.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer, and how does that affect your writing?

I have a demanding full-time job that pays the bills, so writing is always done in the mornings after the school bus leaves, in the evenings, or on the weekends. I have the luxury of working from home, so if inspiration hits, I can always take a few minutes to write down a paragraph or two before swiveling back to my work computer.

What are some day jobs you have held, and how have they influenced your writing?

I have a journalism degree from Michigan State and spent the first half of my career as a newspaper reporter and editor. I learned so much about concise writing, about dialogue and about self-editing from that experience. I was a sportswriter for years and it helped me write quickly. Deadlines have never bothered me.

I am now a corporate communications professional in the healthcare industry and since it’s highly regulated, I am not able to be as creative as I’d like. So I save my creativity for my fiction writing.

What have you written so far?

My first book was a romance novel that I never tried to get published. It was written longhand and is still in my closet. I’ve written a young adult novel that I self-published as well as a coming-of-age novel that was just released. In 2024, I finished another novel that is currently in the midst of revisions and editing.

Can you share a little bit about your latest book?

My coming-of-age novel, The Kitchen Isn’t Where You Cook, was released in December 2024 as an indie novel. It’s about a Black girl who doesn’t know how to be Black thanks to her upbringing in a small, white town in the Midwest in the ‘80s. The book dives into her identity crisis and subsequent cultural awakening during the “Fight the Power” ‘90s and as a career woman fighting microaggressions.

Do you listen to or talk to your characters?

I don’t, because they’re a part of me. I consider what would be out of character for them, but for the most part, it’s almost like I have multiple personalities. They come from me, their thinking comes from me, so if I listen or talk to them, it would be like talking to myself.

Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work?

It depends on what era we’re talking about. Growing up, I read everything from Lois Duncan to Danielle Steel to Jackie Collins. Then I fell in love with urban works from Omar Tyree and Victoria Christopher Murray. Lately, though, the books I think are beautifully written come from Britt Bennett, Kristin Hannah, Sadeqa Johnson and Ann Napolitano.

Want to learn more about Candace Johnson?

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