Author Guest Post: What A Process! by Kiki Howell

In this Author guest post, I have Kiki Howell. She is the author Torn Asunder.

~~~

Most stories for me, no matter what the length, come at me fast. The spark of inspiration could come from anything: wanting to create a particular type of character to wanting to give fictional hope to a real life situation weighing on me and everything in between. But, once inspiration strikes, whatever it is, the whole idea is then outlined, characters fleshed out, chapters plotted, until I finally sit at the computer and the story practically writes itself. My poor typing skills are usually the only hold up I have. This, however, was not true of my latest release, Torn Asunder. This novel evolved over time.

I love to read Regency set stories, but I was afraid to try to write one, afraid I didn’t know enough about the time to pull it off. So, I bought a few books on the time period and set out to write just a short story. I was going to give it a try. Thinking it a magical time, of course I wanted my heroine to be a witch. This was all I knew. So, I brainstormed and came up with a scenario of a witch in that time, after the witch hunts had passed through England. I knew I wanted her to be forced to use her magic, to have to be a little reckless given the situation at hand. And, for some reason, I wanted that spell to be elemental in nature. This is where the creature in my story came about, a beast of my heroine Aubrey’s own creation made from a combination of each elemental being. What I ended up with was very dragon-like.

Of course, at that time, the story was one conflict, one spell, between Aubrey, a poor relation, and a man who was titled in England’s upper classes. This short went by another name then, An Elemental Shift, and I submitted it to a publisher I was interested in. The response from the editor was she loved the story, but wanted more. She suggested I write it longer.

I set to work. I brainstormed more chapters. What was a girl-runs-and-guy-rescues type of plot got a few more conflicts/crises added to it. Both my heroine and hero gained more depth in the process. Aubrey got more to deal with, poor witch, and Edmund got more time with Aubrey learning of her magic. I rewrote the story to about fifty thousand words, more than doubling the initial story. The same editor said it still wasn’t there yet. There was more she wanted to know, and thus rejected the story.

Frustrated, I’d just heard about the Authonomy Website. So, I posted the story on there. I was shocked to see it quickly rise to the top of the ranks, and thrilled with the positive comments and suggestions I got. At this point, I cannot tell you how many times I went back through this story, thought about the characters: what more could befall them, how would they react, etc.

Yet, one of the best and the worst parts of being so engrossed in the novel you are writing are those 3AM wake-up calls from your brain, the ones when you wake to find it writing a chapter for you or changing a scene. You have no choice but to stumble out of bed, through the chilled house to your computer. The mishaps here would be tripping over the dog who now thinks she has to go outside and be fed breakfast as well!

At some point, a plot point caught my eye, and what was the ending became a new conflict for my couple to overcome, and thus another twenty thousand words were added as a new ending. Personally, I think the novel has three very distinct parts to it, each centered around a different location. My mind travels, the characters travel ;) Of course there were still a few more bumps in the road before it was published, but it is finally here.

So, I hope you will enjoy my newest novel as much as I did writing it. 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.

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

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

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 . Special pricing of $2.99 ebook and $9.99 print!

Author Website http://www.kikihowell.com

Praise for Torn Asunder:

Torn Asunder has gotten another 5 Star Review on Goodreads and Amazon:

What a truly memorable and original novel! Torn Asunder by Kiki Howell is remarkable in its' depiction of a different time and age- and the adventures of Aubrey Griffen- a mystical and magical heroine. Torn Asunder brings to life the very essence of 19th Century England andIreland, and in doing so, provides the reader with the feeling they are actually there! Only a rare talent can accomplish this, full of magic, drama and romance, Kiki Howell joins the ranks of the very top supernatural writers! ~A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ, RICK FRIEDMAN, FOUNDER

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

~~~

Check the schedule tour for Torn Asunder to know more about this book