Intimate Conversation with Candy Jackson

Intimate Conversation with Candy Jackson



Candy Jackson is a long time resident in the Washington D.C. area. In the early eighties with the outbreak of African American authors, she became an avid reader, reading nearly a book a day for many years.

She had been a artist of the spoken word for growing up and loved to write then happened to find herself writing stories but never having the time to finish. Busy with working, raising children and attending school she put both the poetry and writing on the back-burner and dugged into reading when the time allowed. Well, as life would have it, (she likes to say) her children grew up and gone were the days of hustling and bustling kids to and fro' so she was able to jump back into her first love of writing.

After ungoing a minor surgery, she had a chance meeting with one of her favorite authors who encouraged her to step up her game and convincing Candy that she had talent and great stories to share.

She's the mother of three, Nicholas, Chase, and Jourdan. She also has one daughter-in-law, Tiffane and one grandson, Dominic. Candy says now that she has the time and (energy) she has penned her first novel; Pink and Patent Leather....When the Fall From the Pedestal isn't Far Enough.


BPM: What drove you to sit down and actually start writing this book?
I have been writing since I was a child and I've always loved telling stories growing up, but one particular Sunday, I was at church and the pastor was saying how women always come to him and say, "The Lord told me that you're suppose to be my prayer partner." I thought it was hilarious at first, but once I got home I thought about it. I know when I hear from God, I go with it, but is it God telling me all the things I hear? I felt the story brewing.

BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot driven or character driven and why?
Ideas for me just drop in my lap!  But, there's a story I'm working on now that I had to write. It's close to my heart and I felt like for a while that if I didn't tell it, it would'nt let me rest. Most of my stories are character driven, however as I said before, Pink and Patent Leather was story driven because of what the pastor had told the church.

BPM: What would you like for readers to take away from your writing? How do you go about reaching new readers?
I want readers to escape from their everyday lives, even if it's just for a little while. We get so caught up in life's ups and down's, the kids, the jobs the people who surround us, heck, folks need relief! I want them to fit inside the story and ride it out. I'm very new in the business. Although I'm social networking, heck, I called Ella!

BPM: Does your upbringing or life experiences inspire your writing? 
YES!  The title Pink and Patent Leather came directly from the way I was brought up. The character Sasha or "Pink" kept saying that she is special, she's not average and that she was an only girl. I knew that girl. Growing up, my parents and brother all made me feel very special, mostly because I was the baby of the bunch, but I was also the only girl and my mother literally dressed me in pink everyday. Today, it's my favorite color, back then I would beg her to buy me a different color clothing or paint my room white or something. lol!

BPM: What are your expectations for this book? What would you like to accomplish after the book is released?
I'm expecting to move into my futher as a full time author. This book for me is a miracle. I say this because I had given up on living my dream, and then in the mist of all of my failures, I decided to trust God, and since then, my life has blossomed into a wonderful journey. I wake each day with great expectations and lay my head now at night knowing that I've had a great day, everyday.

After my book is released, I hope to gain a following of readers who think outside the box, because I want to write stories that make you laugh, cry, shout, route for the underdog and celebrate life.

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/candygirlcan 
Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candy.jackson.756
Available from the BGP publisher:  http://browngirlspublishing.com