Urban Reviews: Tell us about Ain't No Sunshine.
Candice Dow: Ain’t No Sunshine is a story about a young lady with an elusive family history who gets the opportunity to escape an abusive relationship and move to another city. Finally free, she blossoms through spoken word and the love of a good man. Facing a new future, she is suddenly confronted with her past when family secrets erupt, forcing her to face shocking discoveries. And that is just the beginning, as all of Laila's relationships, old and new—and all of her choices, good and bad—lead her home in a way she could never have imagined.

Urban Reviews: What inspired you to write this novel?
Candice Dow: When I decided to write my second novel, I was also mentoring a teenager who’d had a rough life in and out of various foster homes and poetry was her escape. Her presence in my life helped to dictate Laila’s story.

Urban Reviews: In Ain't No Sunshine, Laila expresses herself through poetry. What made you decide to incorporate this into the story?
Candice Dow: I think poetry has a way of healing people and if anything can bring a person through rough times, it’s the written word.

Urban Reviews: You currently have a poetry contest on your website. Can you tell us more about it?
Candice Dow: The poetry contest is for college students who feel they beat the odds and have used poetry as a way to escape. The contest winner will receive $500 in back-to-school cash.

Urban Reviews: Where did you come up with the idea for this contest?
Candice Dow: I know many college students who are in school but have no spare money to purchase necessities and other basics. I figured this small incentive would be an opportunity for a student who has found a way to overcome to continue to strive for the best.

Urban Reviews: How did you get into the business?
Candice Dow: The Grace of God and reading anything and everything about the publishing industry. I read just about any book that talked about landing an agent, editing your work, what publishers look for, and making your manuscript stand out. After completing my first novel, Caught in the Mix, I pursued several agents and ultimately retained one. Shortly after, I signed a two-book deal with Kensington Publishing.

Urban Reviews: Can you give us a sneak peak at your third novel?
Candice Dow: My third novel, A HIRE LOVE will hit bookstores in February 2007. It’s a romantic comedy about a young widow, Fatima Mayo, who had it all—a gorgeous, loving husband, a creative job as a romance editor, and a fabulous home in New York City. But when her husband died suddenly of a heart attack, her life lost its luster. Now after three years of widowhood, she’s decided to plunge back into the dating pool and discovers she may have married the last good man. Her best friend, a casting director jokingly suggests that she will only find the perfect guy if she writes a script and hires an actor to play the role, and suddenly Fatima has the perfect idea. She will write a script—and Mya, a casting director, will find the ideal leading man.

Urban Reviews: What is the most important thing that you've learned about the book industry?
Candice Dow: Networking is just as important as writing…

Urban Reviews: Who are some of your favorite authors or books?
Candice Dow: Eric Jerome Dickey, Victoria Christopher Murray, Connie Briscoe, and “Sleepin In The Bed That You Made.”

Urban Reviews: What do you want the world to know most about you?
Candice Dow: I am a free-spirit who loves to have fun and live life to fullest.