Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Greetings!!! I am Candice “ORDERED STEPS” Johnson – author, speaker, choreographer & inspirational influencer.
I write binge-worthy books filled with laughter, drama, faith & INSPIRATION. I’m an expert in OVERCOMING!
What do you do when you are not writing?
I DANCE! I’ve choreographed for an Emmy award-winning television program, as well as opened for/danced with numerous gospel recording artists over the years, including Tasha Cobbs-Leonard, Travis Greene, Israel Houghton, Marvin Sapp, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Kierra Shears and MORE.
Do you have a day job as well?
I teach dance and I am a hand-lettering artist.
When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I wrote my first book TEN YEARS before I actually published it. Crazy, huh? I’ve always WANTED to be a writer…I just didn’t believe I WAS one.
How did you choose the genre you write in?
Everything I do is Christ-centered (including dance), so it was pretty easy to choose.
Where do you get your ideas?
They come from all over, LOL! I can be eating some of my favorite foods and a book will drop in my spirit. Often, titles pop in my head & I write from there.
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Only when I procrastinate. I’m a fast writer; I know when I am BS’ing myself.
Do you work with an outline, or just write?
I just write. I may form a bit of a skeleton, but most of the time, I just jump on the keyboard and dance.
Is there any author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
I LOVE Judy Blume books – they were the BOMB when I was growing up. But Victoria Christopher Murray is my biggest influence…because she breathed life into the Christian Fiction genre.
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
Where do I begin? Couldn’t find a publisher. Once I did, my computer acted a donkey. Fooled around with my sanity, deleting ENTIRE PARAGRAPHS when it wanted to. I got through it, though. I went from flailing in this industry to flourishing.
If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I would handle the business/marketing part with more GRACE. But I’ve learned.
How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I followed a grassroots method: building relationships, being active in the community and not just dropping my book and saying “here it is.” You wouldn’t drop the baby at daycare without a diaper bag…don’t do that to your book.
Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
Yes – I will do so myself SOON.
Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
I just released “Only Tithes Will Tell,” which debuted at #1 AA Christian Fiction on Amazon.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
It’s a work of fiction…but I think everyone who reads it may see themselves somewhere in it.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
I love DRAMA. The more, the better, LOL!
How did you come up with the title?
It literally dropped in my spirit while I was minding my own business. I HAD to write the story to go with it.
What project are you working on now?
A Christmas book & re-writes for my next novel that’s already completed.
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