Q&A With Candace MacPhie

Mickey was kind enough to connect me with author Candace MacPhie. Candace is the author of Finding Color, Life Strikes, Hello I Am Here, Beautifully Warped & Landing Place. 

Q: Candace, would you like to give a brief description of each of your books and where the ideas for them come from?

A: The five-part Back in a Year series is one continuous story. Each book can be read independently if you are keen to travel to a certain destination. Or you can take the full trip. These books are an easy, fun escape to cry, cringe and laugh. 

The foundation of the story is a real-life adventure of a crazy Canadian girl traveling around the world in the ’90s – before smartphones.

Book One: Finding Color (Available now)

The adventure kicks off with culture differences, odd relationships, and crazy times. In Greece, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Russia.

Book Two: Life Strikes Back (Available now)

This fast-paced book digs into adventures on the road. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia, and Hungary.

Book Three: Hello, I Am Here (Available May 21, 2025)

Gritty and compelling adventure in the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt.

Book Four: Beautifully Warped (Coming 2026)

A wild camping safari adventure on an overland truck, in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.

Book Five: Landing Place

The adventure concludes in South Africa, Namibia, Australia, Canada, USA, and England.

Q: What lessons do you hope readers learn after reading your books?

A: I intertwine my adventures with tackling grief over the loss of my mother. I hope my honest and real feelings on the pages help folks who have also experienced loss feel less alone.

I also hope people can laugh and enjoy the lighthearted parts.

And lastly, I hope people who took a similar trip but didn’t write it down get enjoyable memories from the past. That the people who didn’t have the opportunity to take this journey enjoy this through the pages. And that this brings inspiration for those looking to take their own adventure.

Q: Are you currently writing your next novel right now? If so can you reveal any details about it?

A: I just finished book three, Hello, I Am Here, it’s available May 21^st, 2025. This one is immersive in the Middle East. Deals with interactions with the locals, bedbugs, and sailing on the Nile. Indiana Jones has a lot of explaining to do, because the movie doesn’t do it justice. I guarantee it’s going to keep you entertained.

My next book, Beautifully Warped, will have you falling in love with Africa. Animals, safari, open plains, and beautiful beaches. It’s also a social experiment with 27 strangers on one overland truck, with a love for curry dinners … egg curry, anyone? I am writing this one now and will have it available in 2026.