Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of her life and holds a degree in creative writing from U.C. Davis. Debbie loves theme parks and has worked at both Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland in California. When Debbie is not busy writing she enjoys traveling with her husband Scott. Debbie grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in Hawaii.

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They're fun! They're quirky! They're Sweet Seasons--unlike any other girls' books you've ever read. You could call them alternative, God-honoring chick lit. Join Candy Thompson on a sweet, lighthearted, and honest romp through the friendships, romances, family, school, faith, and values that make a girl's lie as full as it can be.

It's the end of Candace's senior year, and life's getting sticky.

A promotion to The Zone's Candy Counter means Candace gets to create gooey treats all day long. She is a finalist for The Zone's college scholarship (Florida anyone?), things with Kurt are getting really weird, and she's bothered by all the questions about her future. Not unlike the challenge of making candy apples, Candace struggles to resist getting stuck and believe in what is truly at her core.

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The Spring of Candy Apples

Zondervan

Chapter One

Just breathe, she reminded herself. She let out the air she had been holding in her lungs and tried very hard not to squirm in her seat. He was smiling and friendly, but there was so much more at stake this time than a part-time, seasonal job.

"So, Candace, as one of the five finalists for The Zone GameMaster scholarship, you must be pretty excited," he said.

Excited. Bewildered. Nervous. So many to choose from. Excited because the winner got a full scholarship to a college in Florida. Bewildered because she still couldn't believe her Balloon Races doodle could be taken seriously as a potential ride by anyone. Nervous because she didn't want to blow it.

With a start, Candace realized that she had been staring into space. "Yes, I'm very excited ... and pretty nervous," she stammered.

"Just try to relax," he urged.

"I'll try."

"Now, as you know, there are many stages in the competition, and you've passed them all to get this far. During the first stage, contestants who don't meet the qualifications are weeded out. Next, the Game Masters take a look at the attraction concepts for viability. Then they announce the top twenty candidates."

Candace remembered how shocked she had been at that announcement. She didn't even know she was a contestant. Over the summer, she doodled her Balloon Races idea on a napkin. She had been about to throw it away but gave it to Josh instead, and he had secretly entered it in the scholarship competition. Now it was nearly March and she was a finalist. She was upset at Josh at first, but if she won, she'd have to get him an awesome thank-you present.

"At that point," continued Mr. Hanson, "we announce the candidates and give everyone who works for The Zone a chance to submit a recommendation for a candidate. Now, this isn't some sort of popularity vote. A recommendation is a serious thing. The person filling it out has to take the time to submit a ten-page form evaluating the candidate's strengths and telling the search committee exactly why they believe that person should have the position. Based on the strength and numbers of those recommendations, the group of twenty is narrowed to five."

"Wow! I can't believe enough people took the time to recommend me," Candace said.

"Several people here think quite highly of you. You had enough recommendations to just beat out a young gentleman for the fifth spot."

"So, I'm here because I had one more recommendation?"

"Essentially, yes. It's policy that we don't allow contestants to see their recommendations. However, since you are in the top five, I can tell you the people who recommended you."

Candace suddenly realized her heart was in her throat. This somehow made her more nervous than the interview itself. It was a reflection of what people thought of her and how they had chosen to support her. She found herself holding her breath again as she waited for the names.

"You had nine recommendations. You received recommendations from your supervisor, Martha; Kowabunga referee Josh; Muffin Mansion's Becca and Gib; Sue from janitorial; Roger from the Dug Out; and Pete, the train operator."

None of those came as a great surprise, but Candace was touched and flattered that they all spent the time and effort on her. She made a mental note to thank them all later.

"You received the eighth one from Rose in the nurse's office."

Candace smiled. It seemed like every few months she ended up there after some kind of catastrophe. It was nice to know she had managed to make some kind of positive impression. That had to mean the final recommendation that had put her over the top was from her boyfriend, Kurt. She felt a warm glow as she thought about the special thank-you kiss she'd have to give him.

"And the last one was from Lisa in food carts."

Candace sat stunned for a minute. It wasn't Kurt, but Lisa, the girl who hated her? "Are you sure about that?" she burst out.

John looked surprised. "Yes. Why?"

"Nothing," Candace mumbled, dropping her eyes.

The owner of the park chuckled. "Sometimes it's a surprise when we discover who notices us."

She nodded.

"And so, here you are, one of the final five contestants."

"What happens from here?" Candace asked.

"This is it. I stay out of the selection process until the very end. Now I interview the five candidates and choose the winner."

Candace had suspected that might be the case, but actually knowing made her start to sweat even more.

"You've been doing seasonal work for us, is that right?"

"Yes."

"You know, I think it's time to upgrade you. How would you like to work part-time at the Candy Counter?"

"In the Home Stretch?" she asked.

"That's the one."

"That would be great," she said, not sure what else to say at the moment. She hadn't really had a chance to think about working during the spring. There was a part of her that was instantly excited, though. Working at the Candy Counter meant she wouldn't be working at a food cart.

"So, shall we begin the interview?" he asked, the smile leaving his face.

She nodded mutely.

* * *

When Candace finally left the interview, she was shaking. She had done her best, but it had been very intimidating knowing that her answers could change a lot of things for her. Not quite ready to go home, she headed into the theme park to track down a couple of her friends.

The Zone was one of the biggest, coolest theme parks in Southern California. It was separated into several different areas, called zones, such as the Exploration Zone where she headed first. All the terminology of the park was geared toward sports and competition. Workers were called referees; costumed characters were called mascots; and customers were called players. On field referenced areas inside the park, while off field included the areas behind the scenes where players couldn't go. The goal of the park was to entertain, educate, and inspire healthy competition in every area of life.

Candace had visited the park often as a child, but she hadn't truly fallen in love with it until the summer before when she had gotten her first job working as a cotton candy operator. She had made a lot of good friends in the park, and as she approached the Muffin Mansion she couldn't help but smile at the thought of one of them in particular.

There were no customers inside the Muffin Mansion, and Candace made a beeline for Becca who was operating the cash register. Candace jumped up so she was sitting on the counter, leaned over, and gave Becca a big hug.

"What was that for?" Becca asked.

"For recommending me. I've got a hug for Gib too. Is he here?"

"He should be back from break in a minute."

"I'll...