Location: United States
Member Since: Aug. 21, 2014

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Candace Vianna

Biography

I started artistically late in life. My parents cautioned me to stay away from art related careers. Instead I should pursue a serious occupation that would lead to a "real job and a stable career," which I did by becoming a metrologist. When thirty years later, a pesky thing called ethics got in the way of my career (I have them,) I decided to try my hand at writing.

Born in Seattle, Washington, growing up as the daughter of an engineer, it is small wonder that I ended up pursuing a career in the sciences. During my childhood we traveled across the United States as my father moved from one project to the next, finally finishing up in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After working at a series of bars and restaurants earning $1.65/hr + tips, I came to the realization that a girl with only a high school diploma and no skills, no matter how intelligent or hard working, would always be waiting tables. So I enlisted United States Army where met my metrologist husband of thirty years and traveled the world before settling together in southern California to raise our three beautiful children.

Smashwords Interview

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
Growing up, my Dad moved us across the US from coast to coast, going from one engineering project to the next. Changing schools every few years was hell. I was always the new kid who didn't talk or dress like everyone else. Different school districts taught different skills in different grades, so there were things I missed, or I had already learned. It didn't help that I also had an unidentified learning disability. Especially after being identified, not just gifted, but a genius in kindergarten. I can't count how many times I was told I was too smart to be so stupid.

In fact, it wasn't until I saw my kids struggling with the same issues, that I learned I was different. (When a fifth grade student's assessments show +college level reading comprehension, but can't write to a fourth grade prompt, there's a problem. Duh...) Unfortunately, the schools refused to help, so I got a PC and taught myself to write, figuring out a different approach that worked for people like us. (I can't write a complete sentence by hand.)
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I started reading as such a young age that I really don't remember the first book I read. But there are a few books that left a lasting impression on me or changed the way I viewed the world. Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles" is always the first title that comes to mind when I'm asked. And although it's not a novel, Poe's poem "Annabelle Lee" as well as his "The Monkey's Paw" story(my kids claim they suffered trauma when I read "The Monkey's Paw" to them at too tender an age) are some others whose memory can still elicit emotion.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Candace Vianna online

Website: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8507140.Candace_Vianna
Twitter: @CviannaWrites
Facebook: Facebook profile
Blog: http://candaceviannawrites.com/

Books

This member has not published any books.