Kiki Howell

WARNING
This blog is PG rated usually, but just for today please be advised that Torn Asunder has adult Content, Explicit Graphic Language and Violence.


Today I’d like to welcome Kiki Howell to my blog. The day is cold, the rain is trying hard to make the day miserable, but with us in the house today, it’s going to be great fun. Firstly, here is a bit about Kiki and don't you just love her fabulous hair!







Ever since she was young, Kiki Howell has loved to listen to a well-woven tale with real characters, inspired plots, and delightful resolutions. Kiki could spend hours lost in a book, and soon she knew that creating lives, loves, and losses with just words had to be the greatest thing that she could do. To that end, she pursued her study of literature and writing, earning a bachelor’s degree in English. She then followed in a Master’s program in Creative Writing.


“After a long break having my boys, I finally just had to write again. And, as soon as I gave the stories the space, they entered it. It’s both awesome and humbling to find the words in my mind become characters on a page and create their lives.”

She has now had over twenty stories published between five different small presses. She could not be more thrilled or grateful to see her creations polished and out in the real world. Please look around. Although, a bit of caution, most of her stories tend to hang out on the graphically sexy side of town.

Kiki resides in the Midwest with her incredibly handsome and talented, singer/songwriter husband and two children. When she is not writing, she is spending time with her family, reading, baking or knitting.


So with the tea poured, the scones warmed, lets get on with the interview.
Kiki, can you tell us why you write?

First and foremost, to escape the stress and hype of everyday life. Reading has always been an escape of mine since I was a child, and the more I read the more I wanted to write. Now, the two have become interchangeable. However, most of the time, I really like to escape, thus my love of paranormal romance. I want my heroes bigger than life, otherworldly with all the complications and blessings their gifts and abilities can be.
I think that’s why a lot of people read fiction. I know my days are filled with a ‘to do’ list that never ends. Can you tell us what’s next on your writing agenda?
This summer I finally got to visit Salem, MA. So, right now, I am finishing up a paranormal novel which takes place in Salem. The novel is more mainstream than my usual, and the paranormal elements I am dealing with are all new to my writing. I am very excited about it. I even found my name on the Salem Patch website in January, A Literary Shout Out about my being inspired by the city. I don’t know how they found out, but it was really cool!

Wow how fabulous. I tell you what. Why not pick your favourite character from your new release and tell us about them.




Aubrey Griffen. She is a witch back in Regency England. She was brought to London to study with her cousins, Lord and Lady Sanderly who are descendents of the notorious Pendle witches. However, their magic must be kept a secret. So, she is brought under the guise of being a poor relation who is to come out in proper society. Her plan all change however when she catches the eye of Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury. I found her to be strong and admirable in the face of relentless obstacles, although her fiery passion and ease of magic does get her into some trouble a time or two.

EXCERPT:

The roses, elegant in their refinement, fell from one another with little grace as she undid the paper around them. Staggering back a few steps until her back met with the wall, she slid down to the floor letting the wrapping and flowers fall where they may. Aubrey wrapped her arms tightly around her midsection. Her chest ached more with each beat of her heart as she swallowed hard, blinked away the mistiness over her eyes, and remembered. It had been the beginning of the season, a bit over a fortnight ago, when she first encountered Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury. Although she rolled her eyes still at the title, she felt impelled to live through it all again--through the days of fantasy in which she had allowed herself to participate. Love at first sight didn't always give way to rational thinking. It did, however, make possible even the wavering delusions of believing impossible dreams could come true. She had just come to London to live with Lord and Lady Sanderly, her cousins who had paid for her travels under the guise of giving a poor relation of marriageable age a chance to find a good husband.Whereas, the truth of the matter was, she was a relation who had shown a great aptitude for learning of the magical powers she had inherited. The good Lord and Lady, while holding the public title of Earl and Countess, were actually descendants of one of the notorious Pendle witches. They were to teach her to harness and utilize her innate talents in secret while flaunting her about from various parties and balls in the public eye.She recalled with a weak smile the first ball Lord and Lady Sanderly had thrown to immerse her into proper society. At the time, she had consciously gripped her hands before her waist to resist fidgeting while trying hard to fix to memory all of the titles of those to whom she was being introduced. Her level of discomfort had increased, however, as an unsettled awareness of someone in the room, a haunting premonition of sorts, had made her heart race and her mouth dry. She had paid mind to ignore the successive shivers which rushed the length of her spine until they pooled as heat in her tightening stomach. Reminded she was holding her breath only when forced to speak, her ribs had begun to ache. When a chill more pervasive that any she had ever known even in the drafty county cottage she had been raised in permeated her shoulders, she had turned in the direction of the source, and her eyes had met with a man standing just across the room looking back at her. She had immediately felt challenged to not look away from the gaze of his dark eyes. They radiated a raw energy unlike anything she had ever encountered before even among those with her own esoteric abilities. A connection was made. Her heart beat at a frantic, uneven pace like a horse racing over shoddy roads. At the same time, a vague forewarning had made her break out in a glistening of sweat while she fought the urge to escape as well the need to move toward the man. She had given merit to her reactions based only on the fact she had captured the glance of an aristocratic gentleman with a lady in a lavish satin gown on his arm of obviously higher circumstances. Engrossed in his fine manners, she watched as his hand removed the one holding onto him from his arm with a slight nod of his head. The lady in return had given him a slight curtsy but glorious smile before turning back to her other acquaintances which Aubrey recognized to be a duke and duchess she had recently met. His tempestuous form fit in posh attire spun on the heel of his expensive footwear to find her again with his haunted and hungry eyes. He seemed an odd mix of rugged and refined. She had felt the thrill and danger of being pursued by a beast which lurked inside of the man.
I loved the excerpt and the sound of this book. Mainly because I like historicals. Where ladies are ladies and men are cads lol. Do you have any advice for new writers just staring out?
Find you voice, and stay true to it. There will always be nay-sayers whenever anyone tries to achieve more than they have, and there will always be the ones who tell you to change. Don’t! Your story is best when it is from the heart, in your true voice. The trick is finding that person that loves and believes in your work as well. Just don’t take any rejection to heart. Not everyone will like what you do. So, when you do succeed, you know it is not because you conformed, but because you were true to yourself. This was said with passion, not preachy-ness. I understand that need in the face of rejection to want to change, to try to do things as you are told. Only in this business, or any creative business for that matter, those rules are constantly changing depending on who you talk to.

Before you go, don’t forget to tell us where your followers can find you.

My website
Twitter

I often ask this question. The replies I get either make me laugh ior cry. If you could be anyone you like, who would you be?

Me! I am so grateful for my life, for my family and my career. I have fought hard through two high-risk pregnancies, depression, etc to be the person I am now, one who is still learning, growing and healing everyday. But, I am excited about the path I am on. And, getting to write for a living, again, it has been a hard road at times, but so worth the trials to get to feel so accomplished and to see your dreams lingering out there before you as well.

Thanks for popping by today. Good luck with your books.