To Dream In Daylight received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Candace J. Thomas.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
This cute book is called, “To Dream In Daylight” and is published by Shadesilk Press.
What’s the book’s first line?
“What are you doing?” I start off with an argument. The first dream.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
I’ve always called it, “Sleepless In Seattle in dreams” as a quick pitch, but basically these two people dream together and neither of them know each other exists in the waking world until one day one of them finds out the other is real and BAM! Adventure!
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
The idea came to me several years ago, but how to execute it didn’t come to me until and three years ago after I had read a few books that illustrated a different way to present a book. I knew the dreams between the two main characters needed to be carefully crafted and told in a different voicing, where the reader would feel included in the dreams. With a little experimentation, I feel I got it right and the story just spilled out in front of me. It was so fun.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
This book is about hope and just makes you feel good. It’s a perfect read for our times. It’s a book you can reread any time you need a pick-me-up.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
I enjoy writing charming, imperfect characters–quirky, nerdy, and hopelessly wayward. It’s hard for me to picture them as actors. I did see someone casually pass me one day, and I thought he looked so familiar, until I realized that it was Simon, my main character in this book. I started laughing. I wished I had stopped him and told him that he looked exactly like my character, but then thought better of it. I’d probably weird him out.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Simon is half-asian and kinda dweeb-charming. Dream universe me has Manny Jacinto in mind. For Adri, I can only think of a young Isla Fisher in glasses.
When did you first decide to become an author?
When I decided to sign the contract. Honestly, I’m still stunned I’m an author after so many books. I always wanted to be one but it sounded like a pipe dream. But writing is therapy for me. Creating people and situations is good for my brain. I still daydream, still wander into thoughts a lot, but at least I have a place to focus them. And with this book, I think all my daydreaming pays off.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
This is my fifth novel, but I’ve written a bunch of things. I have a fantasy series called the Vivatera series. I also have a book called Vampire-ish: A Hypochondriac’s Tale, another comedy.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
Believe it or not, I am a trained Blood Scientist who works in a hospital laboratory. I’m a vampire by day and a writer by night.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I write every day, early morning and again at night before bed, but I don’t overwhelm myself. I am not very good with pressure, so I write a lot of poetry as well as the stories that pour out of me.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best is controlling my work. I first published with a publisher, and I wanted to do things that they were not capable of doing, so when my contract was up, we parted ways. I essentially out-grew them, and now I feel free to concentrate on me and experiment a little.
The hardest part is not having a team with you. I have a lot of friends and teammates that I’ve picked up along my journey, but I still control the bulk of the business, and sometimes it gets overwhelming. I am getting to the point though that I should hire an assistant.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Indie voices are raw, uncensored, and flavorful. There is such rich genius in the books Indies produce. They straddle more imagination than is preferable in the Big 5 world. I say to them, your audience is there – be brave enough to find them.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
No. As I said, writing is therapy. If writing were a job, it would cease being healthy and start being forced. I’m afraid of losing the joy. I need to keep my mind and imagination healthy and I pace myself accordingly.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
My greatest reward is when readers reach out to me. My words inspired or helped them in some way, and that’s why I do it. It makes everything worth it, those simple moments.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
A.A. Milne – his gentle simplicity and beautifully constructed imagination. It’s so powerful, but so simple.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
I admire a lot of authors, like if you create something that tricks me or has such incredible storytelling – I am YOURS forever. I can think very quickly of two: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. Both have incredibly rich prose, and are masterfully pieced together.