Monday, February 7, 2011

Author Interview - Kiki Howell - Romance

 Once again we gather in our beloved Ireland but this time on the small island of Triaill Brimuir, a magical island off the coast of Ireland where all sorts of things are possible. Today's author has no problem bringing her ideas to life here. I'm excited to introduce you to romance author Kiki Howell!

Deanna: Tell us a bit about yourself that our readers might not know.

Kiki: The commercials for Snuggie, The I Renew Bracelet, Perfect Brownie Pan, Floam, Bendaroos, Hercules Hooks, Big City Sliders, etc were all shot by my brother who is a videographer. I am sure I worded that wrong, so sorry Bro! Another tidbit, the little white dog dancing in the Snuggie commercial is my brother’s dog.

Deanna: What made you want to become a writer?

Kiki: I don’t know exactly, but I have always been an avid reader. Somewhere along the line I thought it would be amazing to write one myself. I do remember being younger and rewriting in my head parts of books that didn’t go exactly as I wanted them to. LOL

Deanna: Do you write under a pen name?

Kiki: Yes I do, but it isn’t much of one. I just mixed my family nickname from when I was a kid with my married last name. I wanted my name on my books, and was conflicted at first at how much of a secret I should keep my writing given the erotic genre. Funny, when people found out, the biggest issues I have had have been with the paranormal genre, and the witches. Who knew!

Deanna: As authors, we love all of our characters. Is there a certain type of character that is easier to write than another?

Kiki: Obviously women rather than men. Even being the only female in my house doesn’t help. I still don’t get them exactly! LOL Sometimes I have trouble writing the really tough, gritty females too. Guess they are just the furthest from my personality, so it is a real stretch for me to get their voice right. Eventually the editor will say, you had it there until you said… LOL

Deanna: Do you read in the same genre that you write in?

Kiki: Pretty much. But, I have varied taste in reading, so I do read in other genres as well.

Deanna: Tell us about a typical day in your life as a writer.

Kiki: I get my kids on the bus really early now that they are both in middle school. I start off getting my mind right for the day either with an inspirational book or a meditation tape. Then I exercise, yoga, Pilates or cleaning the house. After a shower, I check emails and do whatever promo needs to be attended to. Then, I am ready to write until my kids come home. Of course, there are the days that all of the beginning stuff goes to the wayside, and I just have to write!

Deanna: When the muse is ready, you have to take what comes along and go with it! Kiki, I just love the cover of your new book. Most of us have pretty vivid imaginations when it comes to story lines. Where do your story ideas come from?

Kiki: Thank you, the cover is amazing. My story ideas come from lots of places, life, a book. I would have to say that most have started somewhere in a book though. I love to read pagan or Wiccan books, and often a spell or ritual is all it takes to get my imagination off and running.

Deanna: Your newest release, Torn Asunder, adds shape shifting to your usual witches. How did that come about?

Kiki: I read an article during my research about a time where people believed that witches could transform men into animals and then control their thoughts. Well, that was all it took for me to use that as my heroine’s ‘bad’ spell, when she gets into a panic, and breaks her oath to harm ye none.

Deanna: So, did you find this spell in a book then?

Kiki: No, actually, this one came about against the norm. I had the idea, but no spell. So, I ended up pulling from a bunch of different sources and created one myself. Being a Feng Shui Practitioner, I love the mix of the elements in spells, so I started there.

Deanna: Anything special about this story?

Kiki: Yes! It is my first full length novel. I sort-of worked my way up. My first two releases were short stories, then I had a few novellas, then wrote a short novel, now this full length one. Although, with all the shorts I have in anthologies, this novel is actually my 21st release!

Deanna: Well congratulations on the full length novel. The reviews are wonderful! What other witch stories do you have out?

Kiki: My short novel is called, A Modern Day Witch Hunt. I have The Healing Spell and Other Stories which is a personal anthology available in print on Amazon that I put out of my witch/Wiccan stories published through excessica. If you like fairy tales rewritten, The Witch’s Beast, through Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, is Beauty and the Beast written from the witch’s point of view.

Deanna: Okay, give us the blurb and other information for Torn Asunder.

Kiki: I would love to...

Blurb: Aubrey Griffen is a witch whose true reasons for coming to London soon fall to the wayside when she catches the eye of Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury. He seduces her into a whirlwind romance until the lies and threats of his mother force her to flee to Triaill Brimuir, a secret island of her ancestors off the coast of Ireland. Edmund goes after her only to be hit by Aubrey’s confusion and anger when she magically transforms him into an elemental beast of her own creation.

However, it is when Edmund’s lust mysteriously turns him back into a man that the couple are forced to deal with a family secret and untold of powers. Now, Edmund must learn to shift himself into the beast in order to save her in a battle of black verses white magic.

Fraught with scenes of explicit intimacy, romantic spells and mystical shape shifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic.



Genres: Historical (Regency), Paranormal (Witches & Shifters), Erotic, Romantic Suspense.

You can purchase Torn Asunder in eBook and Trade Paperback online at retailers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks, Smashwords, and Excessica Publishing or my author website.


Praise for Torn Asunder:

"Kiki Howell I feel has a major hit on her hands with Torn Asunder. I was so glued to this book that I was up til 4AM reading it, and mind you, I had to be up at 7AM to see my kiddies off to school....lol. I was just so captivated… In between all the chaos our couple must endure is the most breath taking love story. Their hearts and minds are linked for all time by an unforeseen connection that real couples only dream of. On a scale of 1-10 I give this book a 10 and encourage everyone 18 and over to get a copy of this book and fall under Aubrey and Emund's spell. It is so worth the ride."  ~5 out of 5 Stars, Review by Raquel Vega-Grieder for Sinfully Tasty Reads

“Torn Asunder is what a Regency novel should be. Prior to this book, I have never had a historical romance keep my interest for more than a chapter or two. Kiki Howell has written an historical novel that sings. Her love for the time period is reflected in every part of the story, from the vivid characters to the clear imagery of her settings. I give Torn Asunder five of five hearts.” ~D. Alexx Miller, Book Reviewer for Romance in the Backseat


Thank you all for stopping in to learn more about today's author and her new, exciting novel. Kiki is on tour with Virtual Book Tours and would love for you to follow her other interviews. You can find her schedule here: 






8 comments:

  1. Kiki...You novel sounds like a wonderful read. You're a new author to me so I'll be hitting your sites and adding your book to my TBR list for sure. I love historicals and anything set in England or Ireland!

    Great interview!

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  2. Kiki...thanks so much for being with us today and best of luck on the rest of your tour. I hope it's been a good one for you and that you've gained a few more new readers!

    The cover turned out really well, I love it!

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  3. Torn Asunder intermingles several of my favorite subgenres. Sounds really good actually. I'm going to search if Kiki has a website. And I'll be adding this novel onto my TBB/TBR list.

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  4. Thanks for stopping by everyone! I appreciate the comments. If you haven't found it, my website is www.kikihowell.com. The first page lists my books that are on sale for the month of February :)

    Have A Great Evening,
    Kiki

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  5. Hi Deanna and hey Kiki, Really awesome interview. I just had to stop by and support Kiki and Torn Asunder. That book is just truly amazing and everyone who reads it will fall in love with it as well. Way to go Kiki so looking forward to reading more of your books....^_^.

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  6. Thank you so much to all of you for stopping by to learn about Kiki if she is a new author to you. I know I'll be adding this one to my TBB/TBR list for sure! I love a good historical set in Ireland or England!

    Kiki, thank you for stopping in to chat. Best of luck on the rest of your tour!

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  7. I love books about Ireland!!! Thanks for sharing :)

    -Brandy
    brandybooks@yahoo.com
    www.brandyzbooks.blogspot.com

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