Welcome Ms. Howell to Love Romances and More, thank you for joining us.
Thank you for having me. I am very excited to be here. It is helping me to celebrate my newest release today, “To Save A Witch,” in the eXcessica Focus Anthology!
Did you always want to become a writer?
Yes, I did. As far back as I can remember, I’ve spent hours reading and dreaming. So, it was no stretch for me to start creating stories and characters myself. Sometimes, I wish I would of written down all of the stories I created in my head as a child. I am sure they would be amusing to read now!
What is the most, and the least interesting fact about writing?
The most interesting fact is the strange occurrence, when I am typing away furiously, of wondering where the scene is coming from!It plays out in my mind and is transformed into words on the computer, only I reread it like someone else wrote it. I’ve even made myself blush!
Least interesting fact about writing will not be a surprise. It is the effects of grammar on the information our words provide.
How did you celebrate your first release? What was it like to see your book in a bookstore? Do you have a special ritual for celebrating a book release?
There was the usual floating around the house on cloud nine. I talked to friends and family on the phone. Closer friends gave hugs and toasted my success. My husband bought balloons and a cake. My mom bought me this beautiful black metal witch hat candle burner similar to the witch’s hat on my website. It was a real event around here for days!
My first release was an ebook, but I can remember the butterflies and tears of joy every time I would see my cover in an online bookstore. I went to then all several times!
I guess I have no special ritual, unless you consider jumping out of bed and onto the computer to see my cover online and for sale first thing.
How did your family react to fact that you also write romance novels? Have your family read your books?
Funny story actually! I wrote my first steamy romance completing an exercise to work through writer’s block by writing in a genre you were not comfortable with. My husband, an English teacher, read one of the first of those stories and said I should submit it. I did, and the rest is history!
The only members of my family to not read my books, for obvious reasons, are my kids and my dad. The rest have read and been very supportive.
Most authors are also avid readers. Is this the case with you? If so, who are some of your favorites? Have any influenced your writing?
The answer would be - Yes! Yes! Yes! I have been known to not sleep to finish a book, and I tend to read a couple of novels a week along with parts of non-fiction for research. Picking a favorite is hard for me, because I tend to read according to what jumps out at me at the library or bookstore. Names that would come to mind though would be Jane Austen, Alice Hoffman and the more mystical Nora Roberts trilogies. I would say they all have influenced me in some way, given the eclectic nature of the authors I read and the way I write combining many genres.
Your characters come to life in your books. Do you feel each of your characters live with you as you write? Do their lives sometimes take over a part of your life? Can you name an example? Do you have living role models for your characters?
I have no living role models unfortunately, as my characters usually have some magical powers impossible in real life. I would like to meet someone someday that practices Wicca, though. I do sometimes deal with personal subjects that someone I know is dealing with. My characters definitely live with me as I write them. I find our moods at time coinciding past sitting and writing about them. Last novel I finished was my first regency story, and I literally felt like I was time travelling as I wrote it. I was in the mood to wear different clothes, and a few friends noticed the slight change in the words I was using.
Where do you get the inspirations for your books?
I read a lot of non-fiction books about Wicca. The religion has always intrigued me. Sometimes something I read just starts a story or character in my head. I fly off into my fantasyland then.
Do you find it difficult at times to write love scenes?
I do in that I have this drive to make it different or unique in some way. So, if it seems commonplace to me, I will keep rewriting it until I am satisfied.
What is your favorite book from the books that you have written so far? Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?
The story I had the most fun writing was “The Witch’s Beast” due out in April. It is a Torrid Twisted Tale of the fairytale “Beauty and the Beast.” It was most fun, because ever since I was a little girl I was upset that the witch in the story (who in my opinion there would not be a story with out) only got a one-sentence mention in the story. Therefore, I had a lot of fun rewriting the story completely from the witch’s point of view!
Wow! I am bad at picking favorites. My mind just starts swirling with them. I would have to say the ones that are witches. Ever since I watched Bewitched, I have wanted to be able to wiggle my nose or say a few words and make things happen.
Which book was the hardest to write and which the easiest?
The easiest was “The Healing Spell.” I became fascinated by the idea of sexual magic. There are actually entire non-fiction books written on the subject. The entire story seemed to just be in my head before I even wrote a word. I could not type fast enough.
The hardest to write was “A Witch’s Protection” in Mystic Stones in the sense that the more I learn about the witch hunts, the more sad and then angry I become. My heart just breaks. So, emotionally I needed those men from that time to actually catch a real witch, and then I needed to find a way to save her from the horrible situations they put them in.
If you could change places with one character from your books, who would it be and why?
Actually it would be Aubrey from a novel I submitted a few months ago. It took place in the early 1800’s in England and on a deserted magical island in Ireland. I want to live then wearing the beautiful dresses and living in the amazing houses with all of the servants. Also, Aubrey was a strong witch who stood up for herself and knew her powers well. I want to be strong and stand up against those evil people in my life. *grins And, I want to be a powerful fantasy witch, as I have said.
If you could travel through time to visit a special time period or famous person, what or who would it be and why?
Sorry, I think I answered the time period with the last question. But, Jane Austen wrote contemporary novels in regency England, and I would love to be friends with her!
Do you listen to music while you are writing and if so what music is it?
I listen to Metamusic. I will quote from the CD to try to explain it. “It incorporates evocative sounds and specially blended Hemi-Sync frequencies to help you achieve and sustain synchronized brain-wave activity in both hemispheres of your brain.” Aren’t you glad you asked? My favorite is “Baroque Garden for Concentration.”
If you could choose one of your books for a movie, which one would it be and who would you chose as the cast?
I keep going back to this novel I just submitted. It is called, “An Elemental Shift,” so cross your fingers with me for the contract! I just told my brother who is in the film business that it had a lot of great magical action with battles between white and black magic. I would have to cast my favourite actors, Julia Roberts and John Cusack. We have already seen them work well together too.
Are you working on anything right now, and can you tell us a teaser about these projects?
I am working on a regency vampire novel. My vampire has a lot of unresolved issues with the life that was taken from him. He has not been a vampire for long, and he just may find his redemption to be in the hands of a beautiful mortal woman…
Here are the coverblurbs of Kiki Howell's January relases:
"Mystic Stones" Blurb
Throughout history, many have believed in the magical powers and healing properties of gemstones. In Mystic Stones, the skeptical are forced into believing by their own needs and desires.
Because of the gemstones they possess…
in Aquamarine Love, Nadia's desperation could lead her to her destiny;
in The Stone Hex, an old witch's curse could ignite the first sparks of attraction between Rachael and Gabe;
in A Witch's Protection, attraction could save Emaline from torture at the hands of the witch-finders;
and in Sexual Healing, love may save David and Catherine from themselves.
In these stories of sex and redemption, witches and ghosts — the characters will tug at your heart and arouse your passions. Become enchanted with the mystical powers of the gemstones while being swept away by the romances of those in their mists…
"Focus" Anthology edited by Kev Henley BlurbThis wild collection of seventeen short stories will challenge you; some will test your boundaries; some will feed your interest, kink, or humor; some will make you think and begin a discussion on an issue. And all of them, in one way or another, will prove to you how potent a short story can be. Enter a theme park more diverse than you can imagine and hold on for dear life.
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