Author Candice Gilmer Character Interview and $35.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest LIVE Here!
First off, I’d like to thank Bitten By Books for having me here today to talk about my new book Rescuing Rapunzel. I have to say, when I decided to do a character interview, I didn’t think it would be so, uh… Deep.
“Wow,” I mutter to myself as I stared at the stone walls, lined with wooden pillars, and hard stone floor, smooth from constant passage. “My first castle.” Noise hummed everywhere–people in and out, horses in the distance. Even the clattering of swords as the soldiers practice outside–there’s this buzz, punctuated by sharp clatters of metal hitting stone, that made me jump.
I knew a character interview would take me away, but sheesh…
“Here we go.” I walked into a study, where I knew Nick von Hohburg would be. The hero of Rescuing Rapunzel didn’t look happy to be doing this. He stood at the fire place, with his back to me, and I could just barely make out the stein in his hand.
When he turned, he had bright blue eyes and dark hair, though worry marred his brow.
“Lord Nick von Hohburg, I presume,” I said, crossing the room and holding out my hand.
“Lady Gilmer, it is a pleasure.” His words were a bit too stiff to believe he considered this any kind of pleasure. He took my outstretched hand, and while I expected him to shake it, like, well, like I would have, instead, he leaned down, placing a kiss on the back.
“Er, um…” I yanked my hand away.
“Is there a problem, my lady?”
I shook my head. “Okay, I’m not a lady, so don’t give me a title. And two, let’s keep this platonic, okay? I’m married.”
“I meant no disrespect. Please, make yourself comfortable.”
I sat down on the settee, noticing that while he was polite, he seemed to be doing it because of duty rather than any true desire to meet with me. I laid my tape recorder and note pad on the table, and dug into my backpack for my favorite mechanical pencil.
“What is that?” He gestured to the recorder.
“Nothing important. Hey, put that down!”
Nick dropped my recorder on the table. “I apologize. It is constructed strangely. I know not what it is for.”
“I told you, don’t worry about it. Now, shall we do this?”
“Do what?”
I let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I mean, this whole character interview thing.”
“As you wish,” Nick said, taking a tug off his stein. “Though I still do not completely comprehend–”
“Just trust me, here, Nick. I just want to ask you a few questions. It’s for the fans.”
“Fans? Like one uses to cool the air?”
“No, Nick, really, just trust me.”
He growled at me. “I have duties to attend to.”
I waved my hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Now, let’s pretend I don’t know anything about you.”
“You do not.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Who’s the writer here?”
“I still cannot comprehend how you know everything about me.”
“It’s the whole writer thing. Now, tell me about Rapunzel.” I sat poised with my pencil at the ready.
“If you wish to know about Tressey, then why are you not speaking with her?”
“Because, I’m writing Rescuing Rapunzel. The story’s about you rescuing her.”
“Then, as you know, she has been held in a tower most of her life, never allowed to leave, by a cruel witch. We rescued her, and now she lies in bed, wounded. I would like to get back to Tressey, so please, continue with this interview.”
“Who rescued her?”
“I did, with the help of my friends, Penn and Bryan.”
“Oh, right. The other Charming Nobles.”
“Yes. What else do you want?” Nick crossed his arms over his chest, wincing as he did.
“Oh, right, your side… Sorry about that.” I said, feeling a little embarrassed about what I’ve put him through so far.
“If you are so controlling, was this really necessary?” He touched his side, and I could just make out the bundle of bandages through his clothing. Yeah, that was a pretty bad wound. Awful, even just to write. I couldn’t imagine what kind of pain he was in right now.
“It’s called building tension. Climactic moments, and all of that.” I waved my hand in the air.
He scowled at me.
I sighed. “I’m going to let you in on something, here, Nick. Tressey’s gonna wake up, and she’ll be fine.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m the writer, remember?” I shifted and made a notation on my pad. “So, you fought the witch, got the girl down. Now what?”
And for a split second, Nick’s irritation faded to worry. He wouldn’t look me in the eye.
“Nick?”
“I do not know. Not for certain.” He stood, and walked to the nearby window. “She will be returned to her family.”
I watched him. “Why does this make you unhappy?”
“Because it could change everything.”
“For who, you, or her?”
Nick finally glanced at me. “For both of us.”
“You love her don’t you?” I asked.
“Duty is my bedfellow, not love.”
I rolled my eyes. Gah, men were such dorks. “Did it never occur to you that you can have both?”
“If I am wrong, then I lose everything.”
“So you don’t want to risk anything, just in case you’re wrong? You saved the girl, you got her out of her prison. Away from the witch. Why wouldn’t you be happy?”
“Because I love her…”
I made some notes on my pad. “Yes, Nick, I think you do.” I tucked my stuff back into my backpack. “Just keep the faith Nick. I’m the writer here. I’ll do my best to bring you what you want.”
“So all I must do is wait?”
I grinned at him. “No. Just remember, Rapunzel loves you. But she’s also been thrown into a new world she doesn’t understand. Don’t assume she will immediately follow where you lead her.”
“I am duty bound to follow the promises of my realm.”
“Try to remember that Rapunzel is not.”
He blinked at me. “Of course. This will all be new to her.”
I tapped my forehead. “A lot of changes will come. She’ll learn. But so will you. So keep that in mind.”
“You are not going to make this easy for us, are you?”
I grinned at him. “Now why in the world would I do that?”
So who is your favorite fairy tale hero, and why? Did you grow up with a favorite story (fairy tale or not) that you still love to this day?
Author Bio:
Candice Gilmer leads a dangerous double life as a mommy and a writer. In between diaper changes and boo-boo healing, she writes stories usually to the tune of children’s television shows.
Growing up in the Midwest, Candice stays close to her family, especially the ones with basements when the tornadoes come around. She also works as a hairdresser, which she’s done for over fifteen years, and brings her laptop to work so she can write between clients.
All in all, she stays very busy, but really, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Well, maybe a little less children’s television.
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Learn more about Candice Gilmer below:
Read reviews of Candice’s work here
www.candicegilmer.com
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is this the live party or is it over
This is it, Debbie.
Thanks for coming. I think everyone is fashionably late today. 
Puss N Boots was my favorite.
Hi Viki, thanks for stopping by. Puss N Boots was very cute, I enjoyed that one quite a bit as well… Of course, Antonio Banderas has that awesome voice…
Hi Candice!
I love the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. It’s still one of my favorite fairy tales and he is still one of my favorite heroes. Robbie Benson is the voice in the Disney version and I always thought his voice was soo sexy!
Hi Julie! OMG, TOTALLY love Robbie Benson’s voice in Beauty and the Beast!!! Even now, I can hear it, and I get shivers!
Though I don’t look any of them up on IMDB anymore, because when I do, I see the actors, and I’m like “He’s that awesome voice? Really?” And I completely lose the mojo. LOL.
Ok, a little bit silly, but my favorite story in my early teens was Pet Semetary by Stephen King. Actually any book by Stephen King at that age, but that one in particular I loved. I started reading at a very advanced age. Fairy tales were not in my household, but I loved horror! As a kid I devoured every horror writer’s works in the early 80′s.
The closest I can come to a fairy tale that I loved would be The Three Muskateers by Alexandre Dumas. Sword fights, damsels in distress, men with (and without) honor all made for a great story to a kid!
Hi Angela! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh my goodness, go to work, and come back to all these comments!
I had those same horror novels in my house–my mother was an avid Stephen King reader–but I was actually rather scared of them, to be honest. I didn’t ever read any suspense until I was a teenager, and then it was Christopher Pike’s books. I devoured them.
Murder, mystery, mayhem, gods and goddesses, ghosts, (“Remember Me” is still one of my favorites!) and even some time travel. Those were as scary as I got. I preferred sneaking my mom’s romance novels and reading those 
I forgot to say that your book sounds great! How exciting for Rapunzel to wake to a fresh new world to learn and live.
Thanks Angela, I always wondered what happened to Rapunzel after she got down… That was what intrigued me, more than getting her down, but what about after.
Beast from Beauty and the Beast is my favorite hero. He is strong and tormented. Cinderella was my favorite fairy tale I grew up with and still is.
Hi Sue! Oh, I always loved Cinderella too, drove my mother crazy, wanting to read it over and over, it’s still one of my favorites. Did you watch Once Upon a Time? I really liked how they framed out the “Cinderella” story in that show, really made it interesting and turned it on its head.
Beast is a great tormented character, probably the most of all the fairy tale heroes, don’t you think?
Ugh, I never thought I’d get done with all my crap to get here!
I always love character interviews! And I love the fact that your hero had no idea who you were. Although I doubt that that would have mattered. He seems very…stubborn.
So who is your favorite fairy tale hero, and why?
Okay, so the running theme seems to be Disney version of fairy tales. And I am okay with that because I am not afraid to admit I love Disney!
I, too, loved Beast! You’re right, his voice was a huge part of the awesomeness! And he’s actually one of the people that matches the voice more than most. I recently saw Robbie Benson on a show and he looks pretty good himself.
I also loved the hero from Sleeping Beauty, Prince Philip! I so loved him. I think it was because mostly he was the first one that I can remember being funny. But he also sang, danced, and was able to fight. I’m sure those things didn’t hurt his appeal when I was younger either!
Did you grow up with a favorite story (fairy tale or not) that you still love to this day?
As for a fairy tale story, I loved the story surrounding Belle from Beauty and the Beast. And as most of would probably read over anything else, I think you can probably find the association
As for non-fairy tale stories, one was The Jungle Book. I loved that story! And I’m with Angela, I loved Alexandre Dumas. But I loved The Count of Monte Cristo a bit more.
I could go on and on talking about stories I grew up on, so I figure I should probably stop now!
Hi Rae! Yes, Nick’s stubborn, very duty-focused, because it’s how he’s been raised. But I think it makes him honorable too, and I just love an honorable guy.
Is Robbie Benson handsome? I have to check that out now!
Cinderella was always my favorite as a kid, but as far as visual beauty, I always loved Sleeping Beauty, because it was drawn so differently than any other of the Disney movies.
Non-fairy-tale Disney? Hercules! (It was me and my husband’s first date–watching that movie.)
Here’s the thing, I think Robbie Benson looks better now than he did then! Here’s a pic of what he looks like now.
http://pdxretro.com/tag/mark-hamill/
And he is handsome, but a more pretty handsome. Although watching him do the voice of Beast makes it so surreal!
Grrroowwlll. Now there’s someone who lived up to his voice.
Thanks for the link.
So was Rapunzel always one of your favorite stories? Or was it just something about the concept of the story that appealed to you?
Thanks!
Rae, I wrote Rapunzel, not because it was a favorite, but because my daughter and I read the original Grimm’s fairy tales, and after I finished “Rapunzel” she informed me that I could write a much better story. (she was 8 at the time) So I had to do it. Just to see if I could.
And because I just have to know, do you still write any Star Wars fan fic?
Rae — LOL, no I don’t still write Star Wars fan fiction, but I do occasionally still get some requests to finish a few pieces I started forever ago.
I need to edit a few, and see about putting them up as “free reads” for my author site. Would you read them if I did? lol
Uh, you jest…but I totally would read it!
LOL, I have truly thought about it, but I wondered about the legalities and such of doing it. One friend suggested I just take the “Star Wars” out, and publish them, or at least make them free reads, but, because I’m such a perfectionist, that would involve rebuilding a world for the stories, and all sorts of things, lol.
Hi there! The book sounds really good, I’ve put it in my wish list. What are your thoughts on audiobooks? I didn’t see any of yours available in that format. Would you like to see yours go audio?
Hi there Joani, I don’t know, I’ve never given any thought to audio books. One of the publishers I was with, at one point, looked into audiobooks, and I swear to you, the guy reading my erotic paranormal sounded like Jack Nicholson. It was really freaky. So it would depend a lot on the reader.
I don’t think I could read them aloud, because I’d probably want to edit as I went, lol.
I’m not too huge into fairy tales, but I do like Cinderella. There’s something about that one that always drew me in. I really like the movie Ever After, based on that tale. I think they did that very well, and everytime I see it on tv I watch it, plus I own the dvd. I feel like putting it in right now.
I have Ever After myself! It’s probably one of my favorite renditions of Cinderella as well. Though, I have to admit, I liked “A Cinderella Story” with Hillary Duff, and her cell phone instead of a shoe. A cute modern take on it, I thought.
When I think of a fairy tale hero, Beast comes to mind. I sat threw quite a lot of disney movies myself, and I never balked when my son wanted to watch that one, I just love how they did Beast. He became selfless, and goes to show that there is redemption for us all.
I agree, I love when the selfish hero redeems himself in the end. That always makes him that much more lovable, to see the transformation in a character, whether in a movie or in a book.
I will cheer for him every time, when he truly changes.
So who is your favorite fairy tale hero, and why?
gotta be Beauty & the Beast. I think the lesson about not judging book by it’s cover is one that all of us can befit from
Hi Lisa, oh I totally agree… It seems that Beauty and the Beast is probably the overall favorite today, and all for such good reasons. You make a great point, that not judging a book by it’s cover is really important, because you never know when an enchantress is hiding under those rags.
Did you grow up with a favorite story (fairy tale or not) that you still love to this day?
The Nancy Drew mysteries. I still to this day get a kick out of reading a who dunit? and trying to figure it out before all is revealed by the author
Oh I enjoy trying to figure out whodunit before the end too. I’m so particular of a reader though, if I solve it too soon, I get turned off of the series, because who wants to guess the ending at page 75? (And I’ve done that a time or two). I love a good story that I can’t figure out, because I figure if it surprises me, then they did it well.
I never did read Nancy Drew–I don’t know why, just never did. I was an Encyclopedia Brown fan, myself.
Planner or pantzer?
DO you follow a “formula” when you write? DO you outline your ideas, write in a specific order
I was a pantser forever, but I have started doing a bit more plotting in the last year or so. Rescuing Rapunzel required a lot more plotting than I was used to, figuring out when things happened, etc, to get it just right.
The current WIP I’m working on, I roughed out a synopsis for it, and that is a guide. Sort of. I tend to fly all around certain points, but I get there, eventually, lol. So my pantsing habits are still going strong.
If you could be any Disney charactor, who would it be?
Hmmm… Disney character? Let’s see, I’d probably enjoy being Tinker Bell, because I love fairies, especially the new Tinker Bell movies that have come out. They’ve really expanded and flushed out the world of the fairies very nicely (I have a daughter who’s 10 now. We’ve seen all the Pixie Hollow movies). I like how the fairies become who they are, a tinker, a water fairy, etc. So I think I’d want to be a fairy.
Do you have any unusual or special talents excluding your storytelling abilities?
I can crochet.
My grandmother taught me when I was a kid, and I can make about anything if I have a pattern, or an original to work off. I’m not as good as she was, but I have made some princess crowns. And I’m working on a blanket with scrap thread in a technique that she used, to make a really cool blanket. I will finish it, hopefully by Christmas. 
So who is your favorite fairy tale hero, and why? Fantasy hero.. Hrm.. Can I say Prince Lir from The Last Unicorn? Love for Amalthea made Lir change. He was not necessarily evil, that title was his adopted father. But she helped shape him into a hero.
Raonaid, thanks for coming by! I love characters that grow and change into the hero, those are probably my favorite types of stories, that evolution of a person to a better person. And I like it best, when it’s the guy who does the evolving. I don’t know why, but I would rather see a man change than a woman, lol.
Did you grow up with a favorite story (fairy tale or not) that you still love to this day?
Mmm, mom use to read Fox and the Hound when my one brother was young. The animation of the Last Unicorn has lingered with me. Guess you could call that a fairy tale, right? Loved the movie, and the book was even better.
It sounds like a fairy tale.
I have never seen The Last Unicorn, it truly sounds like a great story, I may have to check it out. Between unicorns and an evolving leading male, well, I’ll probably love it.
Thanks for sharing it. 
If you got the chance which out of the three would you choose to be reincarnated as: dragon, unicorn, or gryphon.
I think I would rather be a dragon, but a very specific one. In the world I built for my Moonlight and Shadows series, dragons take on human form, with pointy ears. And they’re very hot temperature.
That I think could be fun. 
If you had the silvertongue ability (Think inkheart) what would be the first book you’d read and what/who would you read out?
Sadly, my geekiness will come out here… I would read aloud several of my Star Wars books, because I’d want to bring out Luke Skywalker (don’t just me, I loved Luke), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Young Obi was much funnier, thanks), and probably Captain Rex from Star Wars the Clone Wars.
What I would do with all these awesome Star Wars heroes is a mystery to me (okay, maybe not completely a mystery, lol), but I’d have them. 
If you could pick one song to best describe your story/books/characters what would it be?
That’s a tough one, because I never have been one to make playlists for my characters/stories.
Rescuing Rapunzel? Maybe Bryan Adam’s song, “Everything I do, I do it for you.” Though as much as I like that song, I don’t think I could listen to it over and over while I wrote.
For my current WIP, a paranormal romance, I have a No Doubt greatest hits CD that seems to be right on point with the lead female’s attitude…
Mostly I use music to “block out” the world around me, instead of motivate me. I don’t have an actual “office” to write in, no door or anything, to shut myself away and work, so I have to play music (and I’m a pop princess) to keep the rest of the house from bugging me.
I think I like this fairy tale hero =) What a fun character interview!
I was always a big fan of Beauty and the Beast, even though I see the Beast as not so much a hero but an evolving man. Evolving, hahaha beast to man and all. I crack myself up. Anyway, the transformation he has to go through no matter how the story is told gets me.
Hi Lexi.
Oh, I agree, when the Beast says “I had to let her go… Because I love her…” Gets me every time! His evolution is a really heartfelt one. I get misty every time I see it 
Took my daughter to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D, and had to take off my glasses a few times because I kept getting teary! 
My favorite story growing up (sorry, not a ft) was/is Dr. Seuss’s The Sneeches. I doubt I understood the underlying messages of acceptance and non-discrimination when I first read it, but maybe it’s why it has remained a favorite of mine to this day.
Hi there Bethany. I can’t say I remember that Dr. Seuss book, but I know what you mean, sometimes, even when you don’t understand/acknowledge the underlying message, a story can still touch you.
Back to the Future (Go with me please) has always been a favorite, time travel, all of Marty’s troubles, etc, but I never really gathered what it was really about, until I was older. The future is what you make it, and the choices you make can affect your future. Also that you shouldn’t give up on your dreams, because they can come true.
Hi, I was wondering how closely the cover model resembles how you picture the character in your head, and what small tweaks you might make if you could be picky?
I was very lucky, the cover model is very close to how I pictured Rapunzel, right down to the crown of a braid around her head. If I really had to be picky? The row of braids would be thinner around her head–it’s a particular scene where Nick helps Rapunzel, and braids that strand, wrapping it around her head. I always imagined it thin, like skinnier than a finger, wrapped around and around.
But other than that, the cover model is exactly how I pictured her.
Again, I was very lucky that the image is so close to what I saw in my head. 
Wow, okay, I think I got everyone! What an awesome turn out tonight.
I certainly have loved all the questions, they’ve all made me think, that’s for sure.
What great fun this has been! Thank you all so much! (Yes, I have an addiction to exclamation points… I’m seeing editorial counseling for it.)
Glad everyone has enjoyed this so far!
I love Red Riding Hood!
Hi Mary Ann. I always liked Little Red Riding Hood… Did you enjoy that movie they made last year? My husband and I sure did, thought it was a nice twist on the fairy tale.
I have grown up with Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of the mermaid who exchanged her voice for legs and a chance for love. It didn’t ends in a traditional ‘happily ever after’, and that is one of the things that I remember about it, and also it is a sweet and sad fairy tale about unrequitted love. I loved HCA’s tales as I was a kid, ans still do now.
Hi Dovile,
I don’t know that I know that HCA fairy tale… I am going to have to look it up. 
My favorite fairytale hero is the prince from Cinderella – not very heroic, but he did go looking for her:)
Yes, I liked that he looked for her as well.
In the original, there’s three balls, and he chases after her 3 times, finally catching her after the last one. 
But seems like he was pretty easily fooled at first that the stepsisters were her, the first two times.
What is your favorite childhood book/series?
My mom bought me tons of Disney books as a kid, so I grew up with those first, then as I reached teen years, I discovered Christopher Pike, and his paranormal/murder mystery young adult books, and even to this day, many of those are still favorites.
Not overly gory, but all a bit dark.
Have you ever written fan fiction? For what fandom?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I wrote Star Wars fan fiction for several years before I started writing professionally. It was fun, and it gave me a lot of practice with dialog and other elements (read – sex scenes — yep, I wrote those fan fics) so when I started writing professionally, I was more comfortable with those types of scenes.
If your mind were a house, what would it look like inside?
LOL Cluttered and very random!
I’ve always got so many things dancing around in my head, I imagine my “house-mind” would make even the most eclectic decorator cringe 
I Still love Beauty and the Beast and will more then likely always will love it.
Hi Stacey! Beauty and the Beast has all the great romance elements in it–the brooding hero, the girl willing to sacrifice for her family, and of course, the villain
I’m a Cinderella girl, myself, but Beauty and the Beast will always rank up there, very close 
There is an old Celtic story (I can’t remember the name now)about a greedy lord that brings down a bird and in it’s place finds a beautiful woman. He falls for her instantly but she tells him that if he gives up his greed and lives in harmony with nature she will be his. He locks her away and tries to force her. She gives him 1 year to change his ways then she turns back into the bird and flies out the window. When he is on his death bed he finally gets it but it’s far too late. I love that she stands her ground against him.
Hi Miranda.
That sounds like an awesome story, I’m going to have to look that one up. Celtic, huh? Google, here I come. 
I’ve never been a fan of the Disney version of fairy tales. Too many happy ending just never rang true for me. Dorian Gray was always a favorite of mine. Again no happy ending but a much more real one.
Myself, I did love the Disney versions, but I also always believed that, while the heroes and heroines got their HEA’s, they still had trials to deal with, but at least they had each other to get through them.
What do you like to eat while you’re writing?
Eat? LOL. I try not to–chew gum or have mints, to keep from snacking, but my weakness has always been Triscuits. Especially if I have any cream cheese in the house, I make myself a little snack tray and work. And wonder where they all went 10 minutes later.
Rapunzel is my oldest granddaughters favorite story. There is no such thing as reading it too many times. Why did you choose this out of all the fairy tails to work with?
My daughter, actually. We were reading the original “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” and after we were done, (she’s
she informed me that I could write a much better Rapunzel. So the gauntlet was thrown. I didn’t expect it to be as long as it was, I intended it to be a very short (30K) story, and wound up going about 75K. 
Rapunzel wound up being much more determined than I realized when I started. 
As an adult I’ve always felt that reading fairy tails to our daughters is one of the most cruel things we can do. We spend our lives waiting for “Prince Charming” and that’s not who we get. What do you think about this?
Actually, I feel the opposite, because teaching our daughters to look for “Prince Charming,” or not settling for the first guy that comes along, and wanting someone who’s kind, caring, heroic (even if it’s because he kills the spider for you) and honorable is not a bad thing.
It’s a self-esteem thing, really, to me. That whole “no one will love me because I’m _____” and settling for the guy who treats a woman badly is a bigger disservice than waiting for someone to treat them right. Granted, it may take longer, but it’s worth it.
Taken to an extreme–like expecting perfection–isn’t good, either. I mean, a guy’s gonna watch football, fart, and be, well, a guy.
But, even the guys who watch football on Sundays can still be honorable and heroic. (My dad is a huge football fan, but he’s still my mom’s hero. My husband is “addicted” to You Tube, but he still takes out the trash and helps with the kids and around the house–I consider that to be pretty heroic.)
Hi everyone! I”m sorry I took so long to comment back! I had a wild last few days — nothing exciting, just crazy busy with work and everything else. Thanks everyone for coming by