Sams, Candace 1956-

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SAMS, Candace 1956-

PERSONAL: Born October 2, 1956; daughter of Winifred Hannah Barrett Thompson (a bookkeeper); married Roger Sams II (a systems engineer), May 24, 1986. Ethnicity: "White." Education: Texas A & M University, B.S.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, ImaJinn Books, P.O. Box 545, Canon City, CO 81215-0545.

CAREER: Writer. Worked as a police officer for eleven years and an ambulance crew chief for eight years.

MEMBER: Romance Writers of America, Authors Guild, Authors League of America.

AWARDS, HONORS: Cited among top ten authors of the year, nonfiction category, Predators and Editors Group, 2002, for Crumbs in the Keyboard; cited among best new authors of the year, alternate reality category, From the Heart (romance writers group), 2002, and Paranormal Excellence Award for Romantic Literature, 2003, both for Gryphon's Quest; cited among best paranormal romance authors of the year, First Coast Romance Writers Group, Paranormal Excellence Award for Romantic Literature, and Write Touch Readers' Award, best paranormal romance, Wisconsin Romance Readers Group, all 2003, for The Gazing Globe.

WRITINGS:

Gryphon's Quest (paranormal romance fiction), ImaJinn Books (Canon City, CO), 2002.

The Gazing Globe (paranormal romance fiction), ImaJinn Books (Canon City, CO), 2002.

Crumbs in the Keyboard (essays), Echelon Press (Grand Prairie, TX), 2002.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Stone Heart and Goblin Moon, both for ImaJinn Books (Canon City, CO), completion expected in 2004; Night Watch and The Tales of the Order, also for ImaJinn Books (Canon City, CO); research on the paranormal, on New Age science fiction, and on futuristic, historical, and Celtic topics.

SIDELIGHTS: Candace Sams told CA: "After having been a police officer for eleven years and a crew chief on an ambulance for eight, I began writing in about 1997 when I couldn't find the kind of books I like to read on the bookshelves. My primary reading interest is paranormal romance. This was of those genres that publishers said wouldn't sell, yet just a few years later they're saying it's the hottest thing going. Why paranormal romance? First, I love things that go bump in the night. Second, I love happy endings. There's quite enough sorrow in the world without me to add to it with my writing.

"My stories are influenced by any kind of mythical legend that most writers tend to ignore, especially anything having to do with the historical Celtic world and any mythological creature. There's a wealth of Celtic information to keep a writer researching, everything from Merlin to King Arthur and beyond.

"I usually begin writing when I have a plot processed in my head and have researched the subject matter enough to give me ideas for scenes and conflict within the story. I have the characters outlined before beginning, though their motivation might change somewhere within the plot. I have scenes that I want to use within the story, and all I have to do is connect those scenes with dialogue and character point of view that's coherent and continuous.

"I think I've always been inspired by myths, legends, and things that can't be explained because, in a writer's mind, there's room for imagination. There's the possibility to interpret the paranormal and strange phenomena in any way I choose.

"As a police officer for many years, I have more than a passing familiarity with reality. Anything not remotely like reality appealed to me because of its value as escapism. I think this is the same reason why people go to see any science fiction or special effects movie. They do so to escape daily life and to have their reality altered in an amusing way. I believe that's why the 'Lord of the Rings' series has been so popular. The world Tolkien created in his stories doesn't remind people of their daily lives and the problems that lie therein. That's why I wanted to read paranormal romance in my spare time: to escape to another world for a short time. Not finding a good selection of such contemporary reading material, I decided to write for my own amusement. Surprisingly, I found that others seemed to enjoy my work. My first story was published in 2002, and I'm now contracted for several different series with three publishers.

"My published works include Gryphon's Quest and The Gazing Globe. These are a part of the 'Tales of the Order' series, which are contemporary stories about how magical creatures live and hide in our world. There's always a hero and heroine and lots of action. I make the good guys win. Predictable? I hope not. Please try one of my stories. If you like escapism, paranormal romance, and mythology all mixed, I don't think you'll be disappointed."