Today we’d like to introduce you to Candi Usher
Hi Candi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Hampton, Virginia, at Langley Air Force Base. They moved to Georgia, where I grew up. I lived there for 20 years, seeing my first snow at 6 years old, writing poetry at 8, winning my first poetry contest at 10, getting numerous awards for music, chorus, and academics, graduating high school, getting married for the first time, having my first child, and having my first divorce. It’s also where I entered the Navy. I went to Great Lakes, Michigan, for training, then Meridian, Mississippi, for A (Yeoman training) school, then to California to my first duty station. I was stationed at ACU-5, which I loved, as I love the beach. I was then sent to Norfolk, Virginia, after 2 years. It’s where I met my second husband. It’s also where I had one of the most heartbreaking moments in my life. I gave birth to my premature son and ended up having to bury him after his short 10 weeks of life. Norfolk was where I left the Navy, had my third son, and earned my Associate’s in Information Technology. We eventually moved to North Carolina for the first time, and I had my fourth and last son. We drove back to Virginia but decided it wasn’t where we wanted to be. Moving back to North Carolina, we believed that would be our permanent home. This was where I decided I was going to write my first books (“I’m Still Standing Here,” “I SLAY FOOD,” and “Kitchen Slayers”). Later, we moved to another city in North Carolina, where I decided that things in the relationship would be better if they ended. Since then, I have written six more books (several of those are part of a series), received my Bachelor’s in Psychology, and am currently in graduate school for my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This has not been a smooth road at all. It started with the person who brought me into this world. That’s the nicest way for me to say it. She had a mental breakdown, and I caught the brunt of it. I won’t go into detail, but it broke me. That allowed my first husband to attach his claws. I was abused by my first husband. I met him at a lonely point when I should not have given him the attention I did. Regardless. It took a long time to recover mentally from that damage. The biggest struggle was losing my second son. He was my heartbeat. It’s been sixteen years.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an award-winning author. Last year, I won second place in the 2024 Bookfest Awards in the Biography category. I love what I do as an author. That doesn’t particularly set me apart. It just is who I am. I started a mystery/suspense/thriller series last year that doesn’t have blood, gore, or any of the extra stuff. Its basis is creating the Perfect Humans, but the chapter headings are hair journeys. It’s called Locced and Loaded Ladies and Faded Men, and it’s a 10-book series. I’m most proud of it because it’s my first series, and that’s why I’m turning my life stories into a series.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Networking for me has been easy and hard. Sometimes, making connections in the author world is not always easy. You have to be bold and willing to put yourself out there. It takes the form of joining groups on Facebook and Instagram. Creating TikTok and YouTube videos. It takes me reaching out to people and asking them to be my ARC and Beta readers, giving me their thoughts and reviews on my books. Be bold in what you do. Be willing to spread your wings and speak for yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mscandigirl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcandiusher
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mscandiv
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@candiusher
- Other: https://www.tiktik.com/@candiusher
