About the Character (Candace Carter)

Candace Carter, the youngest of the four women in the group, is trapped in the underworld of sex, pornography and prostitution. After Candace’s mother abandons her at five years old, she lives with her aunt. Although, her aunt loves Candace with all of her heart, she fails to protect her from the lust of her husband who eventually devastates Candace’s innocence.

For nine years, Candace’s uncle molests her nearly every day. She finally escapes to the one man eager to exploit her even more. Of course, he easily recognizes Candace’s vulnerabilities and promptly proceeds to manipulate and mold her into his puppet. Eventually, Candace is trapped in the secluded gangland world of sexual exploitation, and the only way out is death.

Excerpt: Diamond hated me. She wanted to be the best stripper at the club, and that title belonged to me. Of course, owning the title meant absolutely nothing to me. I hated dancing, stripping, and the club, but the title provided a sense of security. Generally, the best strippers brought in the most money, and Aaron appraised a woman’s value based on the amount of dollars and cents she earned for his business. When your job was only as good as your next dance, you wanted to be the best. Diamond also wanted the title of Aaron’s woman, but that title also belonged to me. Of course, I hated him more than I hated stripping. He dominated and controlled every aspect of my life, and more than anything, I wanted out of Aaron’s world. I would have gladly traded places with her, but the titles provided a sense of security and guaranteed my survival.

Excerpt: I brushed the glittery powder on my face and arms, and then I applied the dark eyeliner and silver shadow around the eyes. Finally, I applied some mascara on the eyelids and stared in the mirror at the stranger inside of me. She was a beautiful woman. Her flawless, radiant skin glowed, and her cherry red lips glistened in the light. Although her big, brown eyes sparkled, they also easily revealed her sadness. The only obvious flaw was a scar necklace, which wrapped around the front of her neck like a piece of jewelry; a gift from the man who loved her to death.

Excerpt: For a moment, Candace stared at me in silence. As I looked into her sad eyes, I recognized the pain she stored in her soul. Many times, I saw the same reflections of humiliation and shame in my mother’s eyes. She finally responded, “What if I can’t think of ten things that I love about myself?”