Sasha Summers

I met J.A. as a reader first. She wrote a really lovely and detailed review for Medusa, A Love Story. I thanked her and, boom, conversation and friendship commenced. And I’m so glad. Because now I can return the favor. I’m so glad to have J.A. Howell here – and my review of her gorgeous novel, MISTAKEN.

Without further ado – let’s dive into the interview…

 

ME: What was the first book you read that grabbed you? What genre? Who is the author?

J.A.H: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, which is Children’s fiction. I loved horses and this was the first “chapter book” that I successfully read. So I read it over and over. Thus started a lifelong love of fiction.

ME: Is there an author that you get fan-girl crazy over? Have you ever met him/her? Do you want to?

J.A.H: Sadly the biggest author I would probably get fan-girl crazy for is dead. I love Edgar Allan Poe. I even have a Raven tattoo on my shoulder, and its name is, of course, Edgar.  I never get tired of reading his work. I’d be fascinated to get to meet him and pick his strange mind. Another one would be Diana Gabaldon. I’m completely in love with her Outlander Series, and  love her writing style.

 

 

ME: What’s your:

• Favorite color? Lime Green             
• Favorite season? Winter, even if I don’t get snow down in Florida.
• Favorite Hero – movie or book?  Alucard,  from the Hellsing series. It’s actually a manga (graphic novels) as well as a cartoon series. Baddest. Vampire. Ever.  Also, as of late. Jamie Fraser from Outlander. (definitely a book crush).
• Snack weakness (food or drink)? I drink lots and lots of Arizona Green Tea.
• What’s your Astrological sign? Scorpio. Rawr!
• Do you write sweet and cuddly or toe-curling steamy lovin’ stories? It honestly depends on what the story I am trying to tell calls for, though the romance in my stories tends to lean toward the sweet side, with a dash of steaminess.
• Do you read sweet and cuddly or toe-curling steamy lovin’ stories?  I like books that have a little bit of both . But again, like my own writing, I am more on the sweet side!

 

ME: What’s on your desk when you write?

J.A.H: Big cup of green tea (shocker), post-its, markers, and pens. I generally scribble down the main point of the scene I am currently writing to help me focus. Also, sometimes I will light some Nag Champa incense. I’m a bit of a hippie at heart.

ME: Do you write to music or quiet? If you do write with music, can you share one song that’s significantly impacted this story?

J.A.H: Always have to write to music. It keeps me from getting distracted with other thoughts.

There are two songs in particular that seemed to really fit the story between Dillan and Trey in Mistaken. The acoustic version of “Creep” by Radiohead is what I wrote the love scene to. It fits the conflicting emotions in Trey so well and the song itself has a lot of emotion in that version of it. The other is “A Martyr For My Love For You” by The White Stripes.  It goes along well with things that happen towards the end.

ME: What’s your favorite line from your most recent release? Why?

J.A.H: “Look, I know you were hoping to get married, and that the whole ‘till death do us part’ thing wouldn’t come for a long time…but sometimes it does. We find out that all that time we thought we had with the ones we love was really only mere minutes, and everything we had planned to do or planned to say to them, has slipped through our grasp…but that’s no reason to let your own life slip away”

Not only does it come from one of my favorite scenes in the book, but it is a very true statement. Sometimes you get dealt a terrible hand in life and you lose someone you love without getting the chance to tell them how much they mean to you.  I learned this through my own loss and I try to always let those that I love know it every day. You never know when that last kiss or last smile will happen, but it will. Enjoy the time together while you have it!

ME: What’s next? You don’t have to get specifics – but feel free to leave a tantalizing snippet or cryptic hook.

Possess – Early 2013 release

 Harley escapes abuse at the hands of her rich and powerful fiancé and finds herself in Midtown. Low on cash, she snags a ridiculously cheap but nice apartment. The catch? The last tenant killed himself. Or did he?  As disturbing dreams, and terrifying incidents start to haunt her, Harley realizes she has no choice but to learn the whole story. Unfortunately for her, some people will do anything to keep some secrets buried.

ME: Who is your favorite character from Greek Mythology OR which Olympian would you want to be? And why?

J.A.H: Hades is my favorite, because I think he gets a bad rap.  I suppose he also appeals to the dark morbid side of me that is fascinated with what happens when we depart from this life.

Watch the MISTAKEN Book Trailer HERE…

Buy MISTAKEN  

Where to find J.A. Howell on the web:

Website

Twitter

Facebook Author Page

Goodreads

Pinterest

 

My Review of MISTAKEN:

I truly enjoyed Mistaken. It was emotional, exciting, painful, and rewarding all at once. I appreciated the motivation and ‘story’ for both Dillan and Trey. The sense of genuine grief (and guilt) that they have to deal with in order to move on and become whole people again was, at times, heart-breaking. I was impressed with Miss Howell’s ability to juggle suspense with sincere emotion – and that the end wasn’t wrapped up too nice and tidy, it which would have felt contrived after such a raw story. All in all, a gripping and immersive read.

Now I’m looking forward to POSSESS!!! Love adding books to the To-Be-Read pile!

Thanks so much for being here today! And for giving me the opportunity to read and review the book!

Tags: JA Howell, Mistaken, New Releases, Romantic Suspense

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2012 at 5:15 AM and is filed under Author Interview, Romance Novels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.