Interview with Kandy Siahaya [author of Making Light of Being Heavy]

Today I would like to welcome Kandy Siahaya [author of Making Light of Being Heavy] to Thouartjules! In case you missed it, read my review before you continue.

Kandy Siahaya was raised in a small town in Maine where she graduated from high school in 1984. She worked her way up from her first job as CSW to Manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken and ended up in Brunswick, Maine. When she decided to leave the fried chicken business at age 22, she packed up her little Chevy Chevette and moved to Florida, where she worked as a waitress and had a great time as a single girl in her 20’s. Reality hit when she was 25 years old and she went back to Maine and received her Associate’s Degree at Beal College and promptly moved back to Florida and started a career in medical transcription. In 1995 at age 29, she moved to Miami, Florida, and continued with transcription starting her own business. In 2002, Kandy left Florida and moved back to Maine with her 5-year-old son and continued medical transcription but had an unexpected decline in work which left her with a lot of time on her hands. This is when she decided to write the book, something she had been thinking about for a few years but never had the time because she was always so busy with her business. It was meant to be a quick and funny read, something to brighten the outlook of many that really do not see the light through their own tunnel vision. It was also intended to be insightful for those that could never possibly relate to this specific subject. Kandy has succeeded in doing just that with Making Light of Being Heavy.



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Kandy, thank you for taking the time to share more about yourself!Tell us about your book Making Light of Being Heavy.


1. What inspired you to write this book?
Making Light of Being Heavy was inspired by my daily life as a fat chick. Specifically, one summer day a friend and I were in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, with our kids just walking along the sidewalk when this real cute guy driving a pedicab (a ride that is driven by a person on a bike) pulls along side us waiting for a light. I looked over at him and asked him what the weight limit was on that ride. Now both my friend and I topped out at over 300 pounds each so you can imagine what this 160 pound guy must be thinking! He looked at us as though he was trying to come up with a "safe" figure and said "500 pounds." I jokingly laughed with my friend and said that we wouldn't be getting a ride on that anytime soon! As we were walking away, my friend joked and said how cool it would be to write a book about the funny side of being fat...Making Light of Being Heavy.

2. Is there any significance to your cover art?
My goal with the cover was to show that the book was going to be lighthearted and off the cuff; hence the hippo with the tutu on the light end of the scale and the feather on the heavy end.

3. What advice would you give to the aspiring writers out there?
 Stick with it even though you will get many, many rejections. Perseverance is the key.

4. Are you still running your medical transcription business and selling real estate?
I put my real estate license inactive for right now but transcription is my full-time business.

5. Of course I have to ask... How is your weight now? Have you reached your goal?
I have lost over 50 pounds this year and I am going for another 50, doing it 10 pounds at a time :)

6. What is next for you? Do you have another book planned? What are you currently working on? With any extra time I am focusing mostly on promoting this book to really get it out there because I honestly believe it could benefit a lot of people.

7. What one piece of advice would you give a fellow fat person who is thinking of picking up your book?
Don't let all the negativity surrounding your weight get to you - read Making Light of Being Heavy and it may help to redirect your way of thinking by giving you a new perspective...and a good laugh :)

8. What one piece of advice would you give a skinny person who is thinking of picking up your book?
 This book is not just for fat chicks, it can also be very insightful for all you skinny chicks and it may just help to clarify a few misconceptions about us fat chicks, plus it is a downright funny read!

9. Where can readers find your book?
 http://www.makinglightofbeingheavy.com/

10. Random fact about you that nobody would guess...
I love to enter cooking contests.

11. Final words?
Thank you for the interview and taking the time to review Making Light of Being Heavy. It is good to hear you enjoyed and appreciated my perspective.