A Character Interview with Candy Frost from MIRACLES IN THE MAKING plus a conversation with author Adrienne Davenport!

Today, we’re doing something a little different. If you remember, we interviewed Rachael Stapleton’s character on January 29th and it was so fun that I thought we may as well make an occasional habit of it.  I had the pleasure of meeting Adrienne Davenport, the author of Miracles in the Making, on my author journey and I asked her if she’d let me borrow one of her main characters, Candy Frost, from the book.  We’ll get a chance to talk to Adrienne in a bit, but now we have on the stage…Candy Frost!

Marie Lavender:  Hello, Candy.  Please have a seat.

Candy Frost:  Hello.  Thank you.  It’s a pleasure to be here.

Marie:  We’re going to start out with some simple questions, okay?

Character Candy:  Sure.

Marie:  What is your occupation?  Are you any good at it?  Do you like it?

Candy:  I own a candy store- in Chicago. Candy Cane Lane Sweets Shop. I decided to have some fun with the name, since I have the crazy name Candy, that is. It seems to go over pretty well. That is, all the customers I get seem to like it. Over time I’ve gained a knack for what I do. The better half of the products are homemade candies. I’m lucky enough to get to do something enjoyable. I can’t think of a time I didn’t like doing it.

Marie:  Great! So, what is your family like?

Candy:  It’s not all that big nowadays. I have two sisters, Marie and Lacy. We meet every year at our old family house a little ways out of town. Our parents died three years back in a car accident during the winter. I miss them a lot. It does help, however, getting to see my siblings. Of course, there are my two nephews to think of. Jason and Kalen are Lacy’s young boys. Other than that, I don’t see most of my relatives all too much throughout the year. It’s not so bad, what with the other four being easy to reach.

Marie:  What did your childhood home look like?

Candy:  Oh, well, my sister Lacy and her boys stay there now. It’s a little ways out of town. An old structure with faded paint, it’s pretty enough in it’s way. Centuries old though. Lacy is good at keeping the place up. That’s where our Christmas get-together will be.

Marie:  I see.

Do you have any hobbies?  What do you enjoy doing?

Candy:  Hobbies? Actually I like many different things. For example, often times at night when I get home from work, I will almost instantly pick up a book. I enjoy being sociable just as much though. I can’t wait for the Winter Wonderfest to pick up. I love the old-fashioned fun that the carnival has. And it’s so much more fun if you have a friend to go along with you. I’m sure you can see, I’m a flexible person.

Marie:  So, what is your greatest dream, Candy?

Candy:  You had to ask. It really is tempting just to make something up. My greatest dream is to find a prince charming a little taller than my cat. Yeah, I know it sounds silly, but as much as I like the sweet furball, the house does get a little quiet around the holidays anymore.

Marie:  Aww.

What kind of person do you wish you could be?  What is stopping you?

Candy:  I don’t think about it all too much, I wish my shop were a little better known. I really don’t have too much holding me back, overall it’s just taking time. Slowly the customer volume is growing in size, and variety. I’ve just had to keep patience with life, that isn’t always too easy in the long haul.

Marie:  Okay, so I’m going to throw another random question at you now.  Who was your first love?

Candy:  Surprise, surprise, a young boy in sixth grade. Blue eyes, brown hair, tall figure, he was everything a girl could ask for. That is, except for nice. I learned that the hard way.

Marie:  All right…this one is going to be a bit more serious.

Candy, what’s the most terrible thing that ever happened to you?

Candy:  Remember that car accident I mentioned a little while ago? The one that involved my parents around Christmas? That probably tops off the list. After all, I was far from the only one waiting for them. Not to mention, no one even began to expect what would happen. The holiday wasn’t quite as cheerful as it used to be after that, at least not for a good long while. This little ritual of getting together at the old house was far more refreshing then I had ever expected.

Marie:  Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. I lost both of my grandparents around the holidays so I know exactly what you mean.

Well, let’s move on to something a bit lighter, shall we?

(Candy nods.)

What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream? If so, in what ways was it not what you expected? If you never achieved the dream, why not?

Candy:  I wanted to be someone that other people wouldn’t have trouble looking up to. I consider myself lucky, I did achieve my dream. These days I have many young boys and girls scurry into my shop, looking up at me with bright eyes. Some of them are simply impressed that I own such a neat shop, others genuinely need a hand getting home and they know for a fact that they’re not supposed to speak to a stranger. I try my best to make sure they are safe. Never in my life would I have expected this is where I’d end up, owning my own store I mean, but now that I have I wouldn’t take it back for anything. I love the chance I have to help all these kids just to see them smile. That alone makes a day good.

Marie:  Well, that’s great!

So, who is your role model?

Candy:  My dad. Yeah, don’t ask, he has been dead for some time. It is what it is. Not for the life of me can I recall a time when he ever raised his voice to his kids or one time he ever gave us bad advice. He’s the reason I have any sort of patience to work with today. He taught me so much, I’ll never forget it.

Marie:  (Nods.) Well…you’ll probably think I’m digging for dirt on the next question. 

Is there someone you pretend to like but really dislike?

Candy:  Not really, usually if I do not like someone I’d just as well tell them. I see no reason to go out of my way. If a person wants to make their life more miserable they can go ahead. I, for one, don’t need the extra headache.

Marie:  So, what is your deepest desire?

Candy:  To find the man of my dreams. Of course, I’d love to see my parents one more time. However, I try not to think about that all too much, I’m pretty sure it won’t happen for awhile. That is, far longer than the other, even if that does take quite a few years.

Marie:  So…let’s switch to another question.  What is your greatest fear?

Candy:  To lose the people closest to me. My sisters and nephews are more precious to me than anything else in my life. After all, we’ve gone through together, I don’t know what I would do without them.

Marie:  Well, we’ve run out of time. Thank you for visiting us today, Candy.  (Waves goodbye to her guest.)

Now, let’s shift over and get the author’s perspective.  We have Adrienne Davenport on the stage today. Hi, Adrienne!

Author Adrienne Davenport:  Hi.  Thank you for having me here.

Marie:  My pleasure!  We just got to talk to the heroine of your story, Candy. Quite an interesting character.  Can you tell us a little about her?

Adrienne:  Candy lives in Chicago with her cat whom she named Peter Pan. Owner to a growing candy store, she is witty and strong-hearted. She has a variety of tastes that make life very interesting for her.

Marie:  So, what are your character’s greatest strengths?

Adrienne:  Her greatest strength is her kindness. This makes it easy for people to like her, whether they are younger or older.

Marie:  Great!  Now let’s take the opposition on that. 

What, do you feel, are her greatest weaknesses?

Adrienne:  Her stubbornness is without a doubt. This can make it easy for her to struggle with some things in life. However, it also often makes it difficult for her to see both sides of an issue clearly. This is especially the case when she is too emotionally involved in the matter.

Marie:  I see.  What are some of her favorite foods?

Adrienne:  She loves anything sweet, especially homemade treats! Anything from homemade cookies to homemade candies, that made at home flavor is what makes it so good!

Marie:  (Laughs.) Well, I have to agree.

So, what’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has?

Adrienne:  Her soft heart, everyone around her notices the quality. However, she doesn’t really see what it is they like so much about her. She doesn’t really realize how much all these people genuinely enjoy her company.

Marie: Will readers like or dislike this character, and why?

Adrienne:  Readers will, without question, like Candy. Overall, she is kind, sociable, and understanding. This will make it easy for people to like her for who she is.

Marie:  Great!  Well, now that we have a real taste of Candy Frost, we have a few questions for you as well as the author.

What first gave you the idea for Miracles in the Making?

Adrienne:  For years I have wanted to write a romance circulating around the Christmas holiday, it was just a matter of finding an idea I connect with well enough. As with most of my ideas, this idea just basically popped into my head while I was relaxing after dinner one night. After writing the minimal details down on paper, I really liked what was coming to life so after I finished the previous novel this is what I started working with.

Marie:  That’s great!

So, what is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter?

Adrienne:  A pantster, no doubt. I get these astonishing ideas, late at night and I have to leap up and jot down the basics on paper. I keep a notebook near my laptop along with a pen so everything is on hand. Then when I need a new book, I flip through my idea list and snatch up the one that sounds good. After that, I just go with it from there.

Marie:  How exciting!

I’m throwing this one in for our aspiring writers. Did you come across any specific challenges in writing Miracles in the Making or publishing it?  What would you do differently the next time?

Adrienne:  The hardest part of writing this was coming up with a satisfying title. I started out with one and over the course of the story, I changed it a few different times. Next time, I would probably do a little more promotion before release date as opposed to after. This can make the entire process a little easier in the long run.

Marie:  That’s true. It always helps to move things along.

Well, it was a such a pleasure having you here on the I Love Romance Blog.  And how apropos is that, considering what a great story Miracles in the Making appears to be.  Readers, you will just have to pick up a copy of this awesome book by Adrienne Davenport, a very talented author!

Here is the blurb for Miracles in the Making:

Sometimes the gifts we treasure most…are the ones we don’t see coming. Owner of a charming little candy shop, near the center of Chicago, Candy Frost has no children of her own to hold dear. Still, she is loved just as dearly by the ones who visit her shop on a regular basis. It isn’t much but it keeps her going, especially around the holidays. She hates the surname she inherited from her parents but the kids think it’s very hilarious. Busy with life in general, she doesn’t make much effort to find a relationship. Kept company by her old cat, she figures she could not ask for more, even if occasionally she is a bit lonely. Life in general keeps to a smooth pace, until one night just before Christmas Eve, while sitting at home, she absently admits to her cat that she occasionally longs for company.

This year Noel Street, a young male angel, has been watching her for a few years. He trips up, admitting he momentarily lapsed in his duty. To punish him the high angel sends him to Earth for three months. When Candy discovers him outside her shop, she falls head over heels. He is the handsomest man she has seen in years. He draws children to him as though he possesses a magical flair. She can’t help but be attracted. Noel has always found her beautiful, but she was off limits. Using his duty to her for an excuse, he invites her to visit the Winter Wonderfest on Navy with him. Neither knows what awaits them or the turns life is about to take. They have no idea what questions will arise or what answers are in store.\

Purchase Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Miracles-Making-Adrienne-Davenport-ebook/dp/B00QUASQ7I/

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-miraclesinthemaking-1697161-149.html

http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00QUASQ7I

About Adrienne Davenport

As a novelist, I enjoy my work immensely. My first book, A Fairytale; was written when I was eleven years old for an assignment I had in sixth grade. While the rest of the class was writing one or two pages, I created a book more than ten pages long. Since I’ve loved to write from that time that I was in first grade, it seemed the logical path to take. Miracles in the Making is my first novella. Up to this point however, I have published two other novels, Dishonorable Intentions and Stranger by Morning. Right now, I am working on a fresh new romance. Almost Wonderful is due to be released in the near future. I currently live in the beautiful town of Moab, Utah.

When I am not writing, I can usually be found spending time with my young son, Julian. As a single mom, it was a challenge at first to find a happy medium, but my son always comes first! I never stop loving what I do. I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for your support. I welcome any feedback. My email is adrienne_davenport@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Your friend,

Adrienne

Adrienne’s Books:

And, if you want to know how to connect with the amazing Adrienne Davenport, here are some of her author links:

Website:  http://www.adriennedavenportbooks.com/

Blog:  https://vermillionquill.wordpress.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/adriennedavenportbooks

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/A_Davenport77

Amazon Author Central:  http://www.amazon.com/Adrienne-Davenport/e/B004SYM1GA/

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/ADavenporttrailers

Google+:    https://plus.google.com/101845334444685846415/posts

Once again, I want to thank both of our guests, Candy Frost, the female main character of Miracles in the Making, and Adrienne Davenport, the brilliant author of the novel, for stopping by!  It was so fun to have you here! 🙂