5 Things You Didn't Know About Me: A Guest Post by Chris Cander
I’m on maternity leave! During this time, a few of my favorite authors offered to step up and write guest posts so that this blog would remain active while I adjust to my new role as a mother. I may also be a bit slower to respond. Thanks for understanding and for being so supportive of me, my family, and my blog. Want to donate a few dollars to keep this blog running or perhaps contribute to my diaper fund? You can do so on Venmo or Paypal.
5 Things You Didn't Know About Me: A Guest Post by Chris Cander
Chris Cander, author of A GRACIOUS NEIGHBOR and other novels, shares 5 things about her you might be surprised to know
I made a guest appearance on the 90s show “Baywatch.”
I’ve been athletic my whole life: things like swimming, softball, waterskiing, and later, bodybuilding, power lifting, and multi-sport triathlons. In my late 20s, I entered my first fitness competition, which was 50% obstacle course racing and 50% fitness presentation. I did well, and somehow caught the attention of the producers of the 90s TV lifeguard drama series “Baywatch,” and was asked to appear as a fictional fitness contestant on the S9E21 “Galaxy Girls,” which debuted in May 1999. It was so much fun being on set in Malibu for four days, rubbing elbows with David Hasselhoff, Brooke Burns, and other guests on set such as George Hamilton, who played “the Tan Man.” If you check out the episode on Amazon Prime, I’m the blonde in the green sequined bikini. https://tinyurl.com/2pl4kcn5
5 Things You Didn't Know About Me: A Guest Post by Chris Cander
5 Things You Didn't Know About Me: A Guest Post by Chris Cander
I used to be a fire fighter.
Here’s a little-known secret: almost all fire fighters are (usually harmless) pyromaniacs. I’ve always had a fascination with and respect for fire: its power and voraciousness, its ability to both protect and destroy. I’ve long preferred to burn certain items rather than simply throw them in the trash; there’s a certain majesty and ceremony to releasing whatever history or emotion is attached to them in that way, ashes to ashes. So it felt natural to combine my benign pyromania and my general sense of fearlessness into an outlet that would serve my community. I was the only women on my crew, and because I was the smallest and attic ladders tend to be narrow, I often got the enormously thrilling job of taking the lead up into a burning roof space, which is where most fires start. Except for witnessing the tragedies that fires cause home owners and occupants, I loved that part of my life.
5 Things You Didn't Know About Me: A Guest Post by Chris Cander
I’m hyper-organized.
I like things at 90-degree angles and if something’s the tiniest bit out of alignment, I can spot it instantly. A single LEGO on a multi-colored rug? I can find it without even having to step on it. A yellowing leaf on a houseplant? Plucked and tended immediately. Dust doesn’t have a chance to land on my dozens of bookshelves, and no crumbs could be found on my countertops. I’ve tried employing cleaners so that I could have more time to write, but it stresses me out too much to have someone less persnickety than I, so I do it myself and use the time to think about my characters and plot concerns.
I have misophonia.
Misophonia, which comes from the Greek meaning “hatred of sound,” involves an extreme sensitivity to specific sounds. Certain repetitive noises like chewing, smacking, scratching, and gum popping are inconsequential to people without the disorder, but to someone like me, a misophonic reaction to trigger sounds can range from mild anxiety or discomfort to anger, hatred, or rage. Currently, there are no standard diagnostic criteria, nor are there reliable treatments, so the best I can do when I’m experiencing a response to an unpleasant sound is to simply step away from the knives.
I don't believe in writer’s block.
I also don't believe in inspiration. Muses can be mercurial, and "blocks" are usually the result of something else: fear, procrastination, hangovers, etc. My writing life is governed instead by determination. It’s scary sometimes, and I suffer the same crises of confidence that any writer has, but in the end, the only way to start is to calm down, sit down, and begin.
5 Things You Didn't Know About Me: A Guest Post by Chris Cander
5 Things You Didn't Know About Me: A Guest Post by Chris Cander
