Tag Archives: excessica

A Warm Welcome to Author Kiki Howell!

Posted by —

6

It is the fourth week of the All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour and today we have with us author, Kiki Howell. Welcome Kiki! We’d love to learn more about you and your latest release, Torn Asunder. So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Kiki: Plotter, definitely! I even have a story board up for the current suspense story I am writing.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Kiki: Write your own story, don’t worry about what is selling, what you think publishers want to see, what readers want to read, etc… If it is truly your story, then it will show in the writing. All the second guessing yourself impairs your creativity.

What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Kiki: I don’t set page or word goals. I send my kids off to school in the morning, go through  my emails and handle any promo stuff set for the day.  If I am being good, then I exercise and handle any phone calls or lingering business, then I write the rest of the day. However, more often than not, I get my kids on the bus, answer emails, open my story and write right through lunch until they get off the bus! LOL

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Kiki: Yes I do from time to time. I sometimes force myself to write anyway even if it all gets deleted later. But, mostly I start reading. That always inspires me to get back to my own story.

Tell us about your first acceptance!

Kiki: The stories aren’t available anymore, but my first contract came on my son’s birthday from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. I was getting things ready for dinner, my son had a friend home after school with him, and my husband says, “what is this book contract email about?” LOL The contract was for two short stories in their Celtic Love Knots Series. One of them is now available as a free read on Smashwords .

What are your writing goals?

Kiki: Right now, I am hoping to finish up my current novel and try the whole agent thing.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Kiki: I review for Suspense Magazine, so I am reading a book that hasn’t been released yet, “Spirit Dances” by C.E. Murphy which releases March 22and with Luna Books.

What is the last book you read?

Kiki: “Midnight Unseen” (The Watchers, Book 5) by D. McEntire I have reviewed all 5 books. The series is wonderful!!!!

If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Kiki: Definitely Regency England where my current novel is set. I have long loved this time period, and only recently got up enough guts to write in it myself. It was as close to living it as I guess I will ever come.

What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Kiki: When I get to the point that I have rewritten a story a few times and the perfectionist in me won’t let me say it is done, so I begrudgingly go back through it. Of course, this makes the edits worse! LOL

How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Kiki: Hard to say really. Torn Asunder is my first complete novel, and it evolved from a short story into a novella then into a novel. The first draft of the novel I am currently writing took me about 2 months.

What are you currently working on?

Kiki: The current novel I am writing takes place in Salem, MA. It is a contemporary suspense inspired by my vacation their this summer. Looks like it is going to be a three book series now too.

Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Kiki: Ireland! And, yes I will be setting a book there, or maybe several.

Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Kiki: I don’t really. I go through phases of the genres I read, and I guess I have a few favs in each genre.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Kiki: I guess whether historical or contemporary, I always have parts in my novel about judgment. A huge pet peeve of mine is judging someone either by a stereotype or with out even trying to get to know them. My husband created and teaches a class in his high school called crossroads which tries to open kids eyes against this sort of thing whether by race, weight, etc.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Kiki: Very young when I found myself falling asleep at night rewriting the story I have just finished in my head because I didn’t like the ending.

What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Kiki: I love watching movies with my family, or making a nice meal and sharing it. Other than that I read all the time, and when the moment hits me I knit.

What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Kiki: Hmm, I don’t know, I have been interviewed so much lately that I think it has all been covered. LOL

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Kiki: Paranormal Romance

How do you deal with rejection?

Kiki: Fairly well, I mean it just comes with this job. The only time I don’t is when someone takes a superior tone. You don’t have to like what I write, in fact I don’t expect every one too, we are all so different. But, don’t put me down as if you are better than me. It’s just one opinion.

Thanks, Kiki! That was an amazing interview. I really enjoyed learning more about you and your writing process. Now, how about more on your latest release, Torn Asunder. Can you share a blurb, some reviews, and where readers can purchase a copy? How about an excerpt!?

Torn Asunder

Kiki Howell spins a wonderful tale of passion, magic, betrayal, and a love that conquers all. Enjoy.”  ~NY Times Bestselling Author, Hannah Howell

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 shapeshifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic.

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

Adult Content Warnings: Explicit Graphic Language, Violence

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

Author Website http://www.kikihowell.com

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 a 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

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.

On the Road with the All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour!

Posted by —

0

Hello All!

I’m over at Mindy MacKay‘s place today. Stop by for a visit and check out my interview! Hope to see you there:-).

Excessica Author Day at Love Romances Cafe – January 8th

Posted by —

0

January 8th is Excessica Author Day at Love Romances Cafe! Stop by and chat with some of your favorite Excessica authors. I’ll be dropping by to say hello. A lucky commenter will receive a nice bundle of steamy stories!

If you’re not already a member, sign up today. Here’s a description of the group:

“Welcome to Love Romances Cafe, where sensual excerpts are joined with great authors to give readers a place to relax, ask questions and just enjoy the fabulous books that come through here. Come on in, door is always open and you never know who might show up here one day! Love E Books then this is your place to hang out and have fun! Check out the pictures folder and the many author excerpts of past chats. Also a contest or two shows up every now and again as well.

So pull a chair up, grab a cuppa and relax with us as we chat about anything and everything here in the cafe!”

See you there;-)

Night Owl Reviews A Day in April, 1944

Posted by —

0

Another review for A Day in April 1944 arrived ~ a gift for the new year ~ thanks Vee! Here’s an excerpt:

“A Day in April 1944 is a short story chronologically one day (and night). The sex is hot and the character development good. It’s an enjoyable, quick erotic read.”

The full review can be read here. For more lengthy reviews, please visit the pages of Literary Nymphs, Fallen Angel Reviews, and Dark Diva Reviews, where A Day in April 1944 garnered 5 star reviews and recommended read status at all three sites!

Hopefully, reviews for Second Chances will be forthcoming:-). Still waiting for word on a submission while working on a new novella. Good luck to all the writers out there. Nothing feels as good as completing a work, getting it out there, then starting on something new. It’s a long road, but one that must be traveled. If you write, you know that it can’t be any other way.

Divine Matches Anthology – Coming Soon!

Posted by —

2

eXcessica will release Divine Matches on January 7, 2011 ~ a few weeks earlier than I anticipated! The anthology contains a short story I donated entitled, Heph’s Revenge. Check out this earlier post for an excerpt from the story. Do let me know what you think!

Here’s a blurb from the anthology edited by Selena Kitt:

From Greek to Roman to Norse and everything in between, you will be transported to faraway lands and immersed in the stories of mythical beings and sexy gods and goddesses in this fourteen story eXcessica anthology.

Stories included by Dakota Trace, Ava James, Cherry Lee, Carl Hose, Erin O’Riordan, Ursula Grey, M.E. Hydra, Deb Varva, Elliott Mabeuse, Raev Gray and Aleksandr Voinov, J.E. Taylor, Selena Kitt and J.M. Snyder.

The anthology will also be available in print.

eXcessica Scavenger Hunt

Posted by —

0

Welcome eXcessica scavenger hunters! It certainly is nice to have so many visitors. I do wish each of you good luck and hope that the two lucky winners of the Amazon Kindle 3 enjoy my ebook, A Day in April 1944. Please stop by again and let me know what you think. Currently working on a couple different stories, check back for updates! Whatever you’re looking for in erotica – eXcessica has it – enjoy…

Excerpt from Heph’s Revenge

Posted by —

0

Heph’s Revenge will appear in eXcessica’s, Divine Matches anthology which will be released on January 17, 2011. I know it’s a long way off, but I thought I’d give you a little preview. It was a story that I enjoyed writing:-).

Here’s the blurb:

Hephaestus, the god of fire turns voyeur in an attempt to catch his lovely bride Aphrodite in the act with Ares, the god of war. Will Heph get his revenge, or something more than he bargained for?

Here’s the excerpt:

You can be certain that arranged marriages do not always result in happy marriages. It was especially true with this one. We had problems from the start. The fact that she towered several inches over me did little for my ego. When she looked down upon me, it hurt. I tried to please her…I found that she was always more pleasant after receiving a trinket or two, or three. I crafted her magnificent pieces. Her jewelry was coveted by all the goddesses, not to mention her magic girdle—which made her irresistible—as if she wasn’t already. Each day I would bring her another offering and she seemed genuinely pleased by my efforts. But somehow I could not shake the feeling that something rotten was going on right beneath my nose.

There were times when I could not find her. It mattered not where I looked or how loudly I called, she failed to appear. She would explain afterwards that she didn’t hear me because she had bathed in the babbling brook and it had been especially loud that day. It was always some excuse; apparently I didn’t look hard enough or call loud enough. Jackass that I was, I believed her. I can still recall the heavy scent of sex that clung to her during these periods. It was the same scent that Ares wore…I saw the way he eyed her—and the way she looked back at him.

I would not be cuckolded. And so this is how I got my revenge…

With my suspicions aroused I spent many long hours in my forge on Lemnos, my hammer and anvil my only company. There I crafted a finely spun net of gossamer threads. Nearly invisible to the eye, no mortal or god could break free of them once ensnared. I kept to myself during that period, and Aphrodite was none the wiser. I can only imagine that she reveled in the freedom provided by my frequent and lengthy absences.

No sooner had I completed the netting then Helios confirmed my suspicions. He came to me as a friend and imparted the news that just that morning he spotted the couple frolicking on the bank of a river—in broad daylight. Ares playfully chased my fair and unfaithful bride. His cock stiff with desire, he plunged into her on the sandy shores. According to Helios, my flirtatious and frolicsome Aphrodite was no innocent. She willingly parted her thighs and allowed him access to her moist yet fiery depths.

“If you lie in wait, my friend, you shall witness her infidelity with your own eyes,” said Helios.  It touched me that he had traveled so far from his element to bring me the unfortunate, but not unexpected news. We had a long history, Helios and I. I could see that it pained him to tell me, but he thought I needed to know. I wiped the sweat from my brow and patted him on the back, thanking him.

“I will repay the favor, Helios,” I said. He hopped into his chariot, waved and was gone. It couldn’t be too soon for me. I had work to do. I placed the gossamer net into a bag and returned to Olympus, determined to catch the deceitful pair in the act. I did not have long to wait.

It would have been foolish to announce my arrival to my lovely wife. Instead, I snuck around the side of the palace and methodically peeked into each window. When I was certain that Aphrodite was not there, I covered our palatial bed with the netting and waited inside her wardrobe closet where she stored her innumerable gowns. It was close enough to provide me with a bird’s eye view of the bed and was well within earshot to hear each damning word. I brought along cool drinks and refreshments for the coming entertainment. I was not disappointed.

Fallen Angel Reviews Recommended Read!

Posted by —

0

I’ve just discovered that my novella, A Day in April, 1944 has garnered another 5 star (angel) review and Recommended Read status at Fallen Angel Reviews! Thank you so much, Merrylee! I can’t tell you how pleased I am.

Here is a snippet from the review:

Ms. Grey did a wonderful job of capturing the true feel of war and its effects on the lives of the people swept up in its brutality and deprivation. She conveyed so much emotion in such a short number of pages, along with an almost reverent respect for those who prevailed over the hardships of World War II. And what a beautiful ending! If it doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, then you don’t have a heart. Reading A Day in April 1944 is a truly rewarding experience. Don’t miss it.

To read the entire review, click here

Now I’ve simply got to get back to work…I’ve been procrastinating lately…I can’t think of any better motivation to write and edit a few pieces I’ve been working on.

Coffee Book and Blog at Coffee Time Romance

Posted by —

4

I had a wonderful time this weekend guest blogging at Coffee Time Romance! I didn’t realize that it could be so much fun, connecting with the readers was great! I think I wouldn’t mind traveling the web and visiting fellow writers blogs and chatting with readers – it’s nice to get out every once in awhile;-). If you’re interested in reading my visit, click here:

Coffee Book and a blog with Ursula Grey

Part Deux

Thanks for having me!

Thanks to Karenne for her hospitality and assistance!

Inspiration for A Day in April, 1944

Posted by —

0

Perhaps inspiration is not the correct word. I certainly wasn’t inspired by what I’d seen. Saddened, sickened, and shocked are words that immediately come to mind. I’ll never forget the stop we made to a small village in the Limousin region of the southwest of France. There was no need for the SILENCE sign posted at the entrance to the village.

What was special about Oradour-sur-Glane? Perhaps special is not the correct word, infamous comes to mind. I imagine that before the war it had been a thriving little village with a doctor, a seamstress, a few grocers and teachers and bakers—all the occupations required to sustain a place that a small group of approximately 662 called home. That was before the 2nd Waffen SS Panzer Division Das Reich’s 1st Battalion arrived on June 10, 1944. On that day, 642 inhabitants of Oradour-sur-Glane, (197 men, 240 women and 205 children) were massacred. The men were shot and burned—the women and children herded into a church and burned alive. The old village of Oradour-sur-Glane remains as the Waffen SS left it—a memorial to the lives lost there.

Although we may never really know why this village was targeted, many believe it was in retaliation for the acts of sabotage the Maquis (French Freedom Fighters) perpetrated on the Nazis or for the capture of a German Commander of the SS on the previous day. The bravery of the men and women of the Maquis, (there were several female members of the French Resistance), left a lasting impression upon me. From sabotaging German supply lines to harboring members of the Allied Forces, life was perilous and could end suddenly.

I could not stop thinking about the place and began to wonder what life must have been like in war torn France. What would it have been like to be a member of the Resistance, to risk not only your life, but the lives of the men, women and children of the place you called home? It was then that Lisette came to life for me. I later imagined Oradour-sur-Glane as being similar to the village where Lisette, a character in A Day in April, 1944 might have resided.

Visiting Normandy and the beaches where the Allied Forces landed, and where countless young American soldiers lost their lives, evoked powerful emotions. I could only picture the rough seas and the men, who were recently boys, going to meet their fate. What were they thinking on the way to the landing? Most likely they thought of their loved ones and whether they’d ever see them again. It was then that Jack came to life for me.

Fortunately, for Lisette and Jack there is a happy ending—but that is only because I wanted it that way.