Playing 20 questions with Candice Butler!

Today I am joined by a new Noble Author, the lovely Candice Butler...

EM: Welcome to My World, Candice. Thank you so much for stopping by to play twenty questions with me :-)


Before we begin, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Not much to tell. I live in Seattle, Washington with my husband James and my cat Dazzle. I’m work as an investigator for the government and I have beach wedding business. I’ve also been belly dancing as a hobby for 20 years. I love reading and writing.

EM: Are you ready to play 20 questions? *rubs hands together* Mwahahaha!

Which do you find harder to write?


1. First person POV or Third?

In first person I feel like I’m a stronger writer. I find it easier to wring more emotion from my characters, observing them from in front and behind rather than from the right and left sides. That’s how I picture it. I can write third person and this is the way I started out. The challenge with first person is conveying information that the reader needs to know, to the character. Love doing this.

2. As a male or female?

Puhleez, males, definitely males. Someone once said you even if you could teach a dog to talk, you wouldn’t understand it because their thought processes are so different. I think of this, not in a derogatory sense, every time I tackle the male point of view. In truth I think I only write what I’d like the male point of view to be. Serving Serena and the other books I’ve written in this series are first person, because let’s face who knows what or how a god thinks. My god heroes just have to say it aloud.

3. Beginning, middle or end of the story?


Middles, definitely, just like my figure, I find sagging middles to be the hardest thing to get rid of.

4. Fight scenes or smex scenes?

Sex scenes, the first one in any story is easy, it’s the second, third, fourth, etc that are harder. There are only so many ways to have sex and make love, but readers need us to keep bringing it fresh.

5. Synopsis or blurb?

Blurb, good ones are transcendent like a well written haiku. They should take the mind to the edge of the cliff, then help it make the leap to the other side. I’m still working on this.

As a writer, do you prefer:


6. Writing in the morning, afternoon or evening?

I’m freshest in the morning, but I also have a full-time job and a business to run. So I am grateful whenever I can shove a few hours together to write.

7. Writing with music, or in peace?

Silence, I like to write where it’s quiet. Music tends to drive my thoughts away from my writing particularly if I’m having trouble with something.

8. Planning, or Improvising?

A little of both. When I start a story I know the who, how it begins and how it ends and the major problem or conflict. Then I take what I call plotting walks as I’m writing to sort through details, complications and turning points.

9. Juggling a few projects, or concentrating on one at a time?

Juggling, that way when I run into the wall on one, I can shift to another, which will usually jog something lose on the first one. Hey what can I say, I’m a born multi-tasker.

EM: You sure are... *envies* :-P

10. Sticking to one genre, or exploring many?

I like to explore many, although I also like a little romance with all of them.

As a reader, do you prefer:


11. Story being told from female view or male?

This depends on the story. I like my sci-fi from a male point of view, but as for romance, see question 2, I prefer a woman’s point of view.

12. Good guys or bad boys?

Good or bad, I like them strong. Angst ridden males make me crazy.

13. Feisty females or fragile damsels?

I prefer strong women. I think a character can be a physically fragile damsel, but I want her to be intellectually and emotionally solid. Books where the heroine can’t make up her mind or continually revisits her decisions, for no good reason, make me cringe.

14. Stand alone stories or series?

I like both stand alone stories and series. However, I rarely will read a sequel.

15. Quick reads or long stories?

When a story makes me sad it’s over already, that’s the kind of story I like.

16. Romance as a side dish or the main course?

I know this sounds wishy washy, but both. In a adventure story, put my romance on the side, but don’t short change it. I also like a book that is about romance. I love romance.

EM: I have to have me some lovin' no matter what. I am a silly romantic - In a modern sense though ;-D

17. Erotica or soft romance or something in-between?

There have been so many definitions of erotica tossed around I’m not sure what this question means. So let me put it this way, do I want to read about characters being attracted making hot monkey love, anywhere, everywhere and in interesting ways, and falling in love absolutely. Am I interested in virgins learning about sex for the first time? Not since I was in my thirties and that was quite a while ago. Am I interested in a sexual journey, without the romance? No. I know this is a long answer to a short question. Sorry.

18. More action or humour?

Humor, make me laugh and you’ve got a loyal reader.

EM: Skeleton walks in to a bar with a mop, and orders a drink.... *tumbleweed blows by* Not funny?


Just for fun:


19. Vampires or Angels?

Vampires, never read a romance with an angel. I’ll have to try that.

EM: *coughTheCollectorbyElizabethMorgancough* What? Why are you looking at me like that? Am I not allowed to pimp myself out? :-P

You should try J.S. Wayne's Angel Series.

20. Werewolves or Demons?

Werewolves and/or shifters are hot.

EM: *High fives* Yeah they are! ^_^

What are you currently working on?

I am polishing a piece I titled Sniff, see below.

I have written five erotic romance novellas, so far, in a series I call Oh My Gods. All of these books feature heroines, who like me are women of a certain age, over 50 and gods who are everything a god and a man should be.

Serving Serena which releases today is the first one, featuring a 58 year old artist and the Greek god of requited love Anteros. It’s kind of a cougar story, but not really. It features lots of characters at an artists retreat in the San Juan islands of Washington and lots of hot monkey love.

Him – Is the next book in the series, it’s centers on Serena’s best friend, Nola, a retired airplane engineer and her hot, hot, hot, next door neighbor, who happens to be Amon, the Egyptian god of Fertility. Nola who thought the whole sex thing was way over finds out for her it’s just beginning again. And it’s better the second time around. This is a reincarnation story.

Kitchen Gods Girlfriend - This is the story of Lucy, a top chef who is disillusioned with cooking and with men, until she’s coerced into volunteering for a week in a soup kitchen with Zhang, the most remarkable chef she’s ever seen. Not only can he cook in the kitchen, he cooks even better outside of the kitchen What she doesn’t know it’s Zhang is the ancient Chinese Kitchen god and he intends to reawaken her faith in everything.

After the Storm – When a single-handed world sailor, Cassandra, finds herself beached by a heart attack she fights to not surrender to fear and despair. All she ever loved was the sea and now she can only look at it from her window. But Poseidon, god of the sea has a different idea. Cassie doesn’t know it but she and Poseidon have been lovers since she lost sight of land on her very first voyage. He wants her back and will do anything to convince her with him is where she belongs.

Sniff – Perfumes are created by perfumers, known as noses, Carrie has one of best noses in the business. She’s worked hard to perfect her craft because she’s always known that the right scent can bypass all the gates in the mind to go directly to the pleasant memories associated with it. What she doesn’t know is that it can also be a direct path to past lives. Until an eerily handsome man, Aengus, commissions her to create a very special perfume. Aengus Mac Og is the Irish god of love and Carrie, well you get it another love through time story, but what can I say, I love them.

EM: *Adds all to her mental wish list* I love mythology! Greek & Egyptian especially, so I will be a buying this series. I look forward to all of it. :-D

Do you have any current release?

Yes, today over at Noble Romance, Serving Serena


Blurb:

Serena Davies, an unrepentant hippie, has a major case of artist’s block. She also has a deadline for the art showing of a lifetime. She’s been told the island monastery retreat St. Catherine of Bologna works wonders to unlock that creative flow. With nothing to lose she packs her paints, brushes, and canvases.

From the moment Teros picks her up on the dock Serena feels the uncontrollable urge to explore the body beneath his nut brown monk’s robe. But she’s still Catholic enough to know seducing a monk is a permanent ticket to purgatory. Ignoring these urges becomes nearly impossible after Teros tells her he’s there to serve only her. And when he reveals he’s not a monk, Serena gives in knowing this 30-something hard body will probably break her 58 year old heart.

Amidst the unbridled natural beauty the island, along with days and nights with Teros, the landscape paintings Serena became semi-famous for are abandoned. The other sexy residents of the island make far more interesting subjects than mountains and trees. Teros makes her see and feel things with an intensity she’d never thought possible. But he’s more than just a handsome face and a fantastic physique. He’s the ancient Greek god of requited love, Anteros, and he’s set out to claim Serena’s heart.

Can she can she ignore the world’s intolerance for older women with younger men to hold on to the love of a lifetime?

Purchase link: https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/377/Serving-Serena


Any upcoming releases?

Not yet, but stay tuned.

Where can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.candicebutler.com/

EM: Thank you so much for joining me, Candice!

CB: Thank you for having me. Candice