Candra Anaya is a renowned freelance writer celebrated for her unfiltered autobiographical essays and her heartwarming and humorous advice column, DearQueer~ Gayly Giving Advice Straight from the Heart, as read on Medium.com.
Candra left her first written mark on the world at age 12 when her story about racism won first place in the state of California in a creative writing competition. At 14, she was published nationally for the first time in American Poetry Anthology.
What sets Candra apart is her extraordinary commitment to self-healing when faced with life-threatening adversity time and again. With over 30 years of experience in holistic health, she is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master, and energy healer. Candra integrated her specialties alongside Western medicine when faced with a one-in-a-billion statistic. She triumphed over a two-year prognosis of Chordoma, a terminal cancer, and a grade two meningioma brain tumor, all the while she completely halted the progression of Multiple Sclerosis. Candra’s victorious battle against impossible odds is an inspiration to her community, which awaits her debut memoirs.
First, released in November 2023, Candra is a featured author in Amazon's #1 Bestselling book, The Life-Changing Power of Self-Love. She authors Chapter 11, Synergize Science With Soul- How I Braved a One-in-a-Billion Statistic.
Over the years, Candra’s writing has garnered a loyal following, thousands of whom witnessed her remarkable recovery through her writing online. More intimate details of her in-depth journey are woven together in her highly anticipated full-length memoir, Invincible, coming in 2025.
Presently, Candra wins the hearts of straight and queer folks alike each month with her rousing advice column, DearQueer. Her feedback is evidence of her innate ability to uplift and educate readers through raw truth dipped in genuine care and delivered with a dollop of sweet sarcasm. She’s the gay mom you want to confess everything to who will embrace you unconditionally with arms wide open.
Featured in Sebastopol Times, Sonoma West Times, and Medium.com where DearQueer is published monthly, Candra writes from the gorgeous landscapes of Northern California. She lives happily with her family, their magical Siberian Forest cat, and her favorite ficus tree, Angel.
Photography by Jami Matlock
