In a fit of vicious anxiety, I called up one of my best girlfriends and started hammering her with my out-of-control crazy vibes. It sounded something like this: “I’m freaking out. What if my book events are horrible? What if no one has any fun? What should I do? I haven’t done enough and I don’t know what I should do and what if…blah, blah, blah.”
Her response: “You should check out the Nostalgic Candy website! They have a fantastic box of 1970’s candy.”
This was a brilliant response for two reasons:
- It’s an affordable and fun way to bring a taste of 1970 pop culture to my events
- She totally derailed my crazy train with thoughts of candy
As a child, I didn’t have a sweet tooth for chocolate or cookies or cake, but I LOVED any fruity candy that had a powerful sour/sweet punch. Just thinking about some of those candies sweeps me into a wild vortex of nostalgia…but in a good way. So I’m going to list the candies that can, with one taste (or even the memory of a taste), magically send me back to my sweetest memories of the 1970’s.
Lemonhead Candy
It plays a supporting role in my novel for a good reason. It is and has always been one of my most favorite sour treats, especially in a movie theater. Give be a Coke, a bag of popcorn, a box of Lemonheads and roll the previews. My jaws are locking up right now just thinking about it.
Zots
Do you remember Zots? It’s a hard candy with a sour, fizzy center. Oh how I adored Zots! And I just found out I can still buy them! Happy, happy, joy, joy! 
Pop Rocks
If no one shows up at my book events, maybe I’ll just swallow a packet of cherry Pop Rocks and chug a can of Sprite to end it all…or has someone proven that’s a myth yet?
Sweetarts
To this day, I am absolutely incapable of eating a package of Sweetarts without sorting them into colors and arranging them into cute little patterns before I taste one.
Pixie Stix
A tiny tube of taste explosion. I have not tasted one of these cuties in over thirty years. I wonder if I still love them?
And now you know way too much about my sugar issues. How about you? What candy flavors can zap your sour mood and zing you straight back to childhood?
photo credits: It’s So Sunny! via href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin cc, Mary P. from Pretty Good Things via photopin cc, Kasia/flickr via photopin cc, deovolenti via photopin cc & KindredCoda via photopin cc
Slay the Writer 
Pixie Sticks! It’s a wonder I have a single tooth left in my head. For me, it was Red Hots and Fireballs and Dentyne gum. I had a thing for cinnamon. (I wonder if that’s why I grew up to be a red hot mama???) 🙂 P.S. I think the 70’s candy idea is brilliant! Now throw in Harrison Ford and you’ve got eye candy, too. 😉
Cathy, the closest I’m going to get to having Harrison Ford at my event is if I purchase a lifesize cardboard cutout. Hmmm….a quick Google search tells me that, for around $35 plus shipping, I could be the proud owner of a Han Solo Standee. Very interesting.
Oh, I’m with Cathy–red hots and dentyne were much more to my liking than sour things. I did like pop rocks and pixie sticks. What about bit-o-honey and chick-o-sticks? I loved both of those.
I’m also with Cathy on the Harrison Ford issue. Well…I don’t know if I’d classify him as eye candy, thought that was a clever little tie-in. But I think he’d be a huge draw. Have you sent him, and others in the casts, books and asked for endorsements? Couldn’t hurt. They must know they changed children’s lives, but they probably like to hear it, anyway.
Sally, I have thought about trying to send the book to Carrie Fisher, especially since I wrote a message to her in my acknowledgements. Also to Mark Hamill since everyone seems to agree he’s a very friendly and encouraging sort of person. But, after about an hour of investigating, I abandoned hope for that project. I am absolutely terrified of being perceived as a stalker!!!
Don’t be shy about contacting celebrities. I once casually wrote Roger Ebert ( R.I.Peace ) about his wonderful movie reviewing and he wrote me a terrific letter back that I cherish. For someone like the two you celebs above I would try contacts first to see if I knew anyone who could possibly hand them a copy; and if that fails find their agent: all these stars DO have find-able agents and make an appealing hand-written or hand signed approach to the agent with an enclosed similar note to the celebrity. I don’t do this myself but I used to collect autographs and this is a related strategy approach to getting a response.
Maybe you could start a blog entry about this; contacting celebs.
Excellent idea. Except my post would be more like, how NOT to meet celebrities.