Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Talking with Candis Terry- What's the draw to a small town romance?




What’s the BIG interest in small town romances?

Life can pass you by in the blink of an eye. An old saying, but so true. When I first set out to write Second Chance at the Sugar Shack (the first book in the Sugar Shack series) I knew exactly the atmosphere I wanted to capture in the fictional town of Deer Lick, Montana. Since I live in and often vacation in small towns instead of big cities (although I’ve lived in them too) I knew I wanted to keep things modern yet bring back the flavor of America that says “Come sit a spell and have a slice of apple pie.”

I don’t know about you but I long for the days of neighbors helping neighbors, kids playing kick-the-can in the middle of the street until the street lights came on, and drugstores that had a whole section of penny candy and a soda fountain too. Innocence. Nostalgia. Homespun. That’s what I wanted to capture. A place that slowed down enough to take a deep breath of fresh air.

In the three Sugar Shack novels, all the protagonists/siblings have successful high-powered careers. They are happy with their busy, over-the-top lives. Or so they think. When they are forced to come home to Deer Lick they discover that the place they once thought was humdrum and uninspiring, isn’t so bad after all. Especially when they meet the loves of their lives—residents with deep, emotional ties to their community. When faced with giving up their fast-paced lifestyles or taking it back a notch, the decisions they make reflect what I believe a lot of romance readers are looking for—a chance to sit back and enjoy the parade instead of fast-forwarding to the end.

If you live in a small town, what makes it special to you?
If you read small town romances, what is the draw for you?

Thanks for having me here today!

I’d love for readers to visit me at my website www.candisterry.com.
I’m also on Twitter @CandisTerry and on






So far I've read Second Chance at the Sugar Shack and absolutely loved it.  I love that it's part of a series and that we readers are going to get more of the characters in Deer Lick. 

Candis also puts a great unique twist in these books with a very light paranormal element.  The book is light, funny, full of emotion. If I were you, I wouldn't miss this book. I will be reading Any Given Christmas soon. 

Candis Terry is an author to watch in my opinion!


Blurb for Second Chance at the Sugar Shack:  Kate Silver’s back in town, and her dead mother just won’t leave her alone.
Kate usually spends her days dressing Hollywood A-listers, but after her estranged mother dies she finds herself elbow-deep in flour in her parents’ bakery . . . in Deer Lick, Montana. She thought she’d left small-town life far, far behind, but it seems there are a few loose ends.
The boy she once loved, Deputy Matt Ryan, is single and sexy and still has a thing for her . . . and handcuffs.
Her mother, who won’t follow the white light,is determined to give maternal advice from beyond the grave.
And somehow Kate’s three-day stay has, well . . . extended. She never planned to fill her mother’s pie-baking shoes—she prefers her Choos, thank you very much. But with the help of a certain man in uniform,Kate quickly learns that sometimes second chances are all the more sweet.



BLURB for Any Given Christmas: Dean Silverthorne’s mother may be dead, but she still has matchmaking to do.
When an injury dashes NFL Quarterback Dean Silverthorne's Super Bowl dreams, he heads back to Deer Lick, Montana with a chip on his wounded shoulder, more determined than ever to get back in the game. He loves his kooky family, but this trip home is going to be a very brief Christmas visit.
His game plan doesn't include an instant attraction to Emma Hart, a feisty kindergarten teacher who seems to be the only person in Deer Lick not interested in the hometown hero. Or his dearly departed mom popping up with mistletoe in hand and meddling on the mind. Now Dean can't help but wonder if there’s more to love than life between the goal posts.



Candis, thank you for stopping by today, and I wish you many sales and much success this year!

Readers, I hope you enjoyed today's post and that you get a chance to check out the books featured in today's post.

Until next time,

Storm Goddess






19 comments:

  1. Hi! Thanks for having me here today!

    I'd love to hear from readers, so jump in with questions you might have about small town romances or just about anything else!

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  2. I find myslef loving Small Town Romances because I have never lived in a Small-Town, but always wanted to. The aspect of one bar, one jail, one sheriff, one diner...And that one boy, who has been the love of your life since 8th grade...There is just something about it that is like putting on a pair of comfy socks!! And I might add, that Candis does one hell of a job making you fell as though you have lived in Deer Lick forver!! Love the Sugar Shack Series!!

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    1. Hey Lisa! Funny thing. Our town has a really small population but we have 4 bars! Including one that everyone from Boise comes to because its so much fun. Good to see you here!

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  3. I love small town romances, if they're portrayed acurately, because I'm a small town girl. I actually live on a farm, but the little town I'm near is tiny, and I love it. I've lived in Phoenix and Dallas, and no thank you. I love knowing my neighbors, not locking my car or house and being safe.

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    1. Hi Ann! I live on a farm too! And before that I lived in Los Angeles so I know exactly what you're talking about. When we first moved to the country the concept of not locking the doors seemed crazy! Love it. BTW, pretty horsie! I'm a horse nut.

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  4. I remember the summer days and nights playing Kick the can with all the neighbor kids. Those were fun times. I've told my boys about how much fun all of us kids had when we were young. Funny, even with all their video games and computer games, they would love to play K.T.C with all the kids in the neighborhood--but sadly, things have changed so much.

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    1. Hi Brenda! All those old games we used to play seemed to have completely disappeared--tag, hide and seek, etc. Sigh. I guess that's why small towns are so cool. There are still kids out there doing it old school.

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  5. For me, I was born in a small town in Oklahoma but raised in Dallas. I now live in a small town in Texas. Growing up, we spent so many summers, holidays and weekends in Oklahoma that I consider myself more of a small town girl, not a city girl. I prefer small town romances because I can relate more to the characters than to city characters.

    Congratulations on the release and now I'm off to buy them.

    Marika
    maw1725@gmail.com

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    1. Hello Marika! Small town Texas is coming up soon in my books. Which means for me I get to come to the great state and sightsee! I have relatives in Dallas but haven't had the opportunity to hit the outskirts yet. I'm really looking forward to it!

      Hope you'll enjoy your trip to Deer Lick!

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  6. OMG this is a new author for me. I love small town romances. I am adding to my TBR now =) thank you for a great interview and introducing me to a new author

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    1. Hi DiDi!

      I hope you'll give Deer Lick a visit. This fictitious town is made up of 3 of my very favorite small towns in Montana. Places I never really want to leave when I go visit (even though I live in a small town).

      Nice to see you here!

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  7. While I've never lived in a very small town, where I grew up was a pretty decent area. I grew up (Minus a couple of years in between when I lived in Germany and Massachusetts) In El Paso Texas until 1996. I remember playing with all the kids on our street, knowing our neighbors, having barbecues and pool parties, and having a sense of community. I live in Phoenix now, and I've been so tired of the city sometimes. My husband loves it here, and we just bought his childhood home, but I wouldn't mind getting a summer house up north in Prescott or something one day. So I live through the small town romance books and have my memories of a sense of community through them.

    Thanks for stopping by today everyone! I hope you enjoy Candis' books.

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    1. Hi Nikki!

      Pool parties? Me too. Marco . . . We had a pool growing up in So. Cal. and every single thing we did revolved around the barbecue and the pool! Everybody came to our house! My poor mom was always fixing food for the whole neighborhood. Of course I loved it!

      Thanks for having me here today!

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  8. In my WELCOME COMMITTEE of Butternut Creek, my editor said she liked the fact that people stopped by to talk when there was a problem instead of emailing. IMHO, it's that sense of friendship, of being surrounded by people who really care. And I LOVE your books.

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  9. Congratulations on your releases, Candis. I have to admit I'm not of a small town fan. I have always lived in the city. Although grandparents lived in rural communities, I've always enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city. The ability to get anything you need at a moment's notice.

    I can see the draw for a simple life though.

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    1. Hi Casea! I lived in the big city for most of my life. I grew up about 15 minutes away from Disneyland. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into when I moved to a small town. However, I have learned that "the simple life" really doesn't fit my existence. I'm far busier than I ever was in the big city! How does that happen? But yes, having the ability to get anything you need at a moment's notice is a bit trickier. Still can't get pizza delivery!

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. I love the small town settings as well as some city (not big) ones. Can't relate to fancy, rich settings because I've never been to places like that! Seems too overwhelming to be "cozy".

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  11. Sounds like a great book. Thank you for posting.

    I grew up in a small town. When I was little one of our drug stores still had the soda fountain and penny candy. One of our downtown cafes still served old fashioned cherry soda. It tastes better than the canned stuff of today too. :)

    Janice~

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