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Friday, November 9, 2012

Interviewing Kiki Howell about her new release Hidden Salem ~ Giveaway Contest

I'm very pleased to be able to interview author Kiki Howell today about her new release, Hidden Salem.  

Contest Alert! See below for details.

What type of story is your heroine, Makayla, searching for when she travels to Salem, Massachusetts?

She’s not sure. Something is calling her there, as in intuitively she just feels dran to the location, confident she will be inspired once she’s there. Actually, this is a “thruth” part of the story, it is exactly how I went to Salem without any pre-concieved ideas of what the story would be about.

 How does Makayla physically suffer from the side effects of her empathic gifts growing stronger when she enters Witch City?

Empaths who read residual energy stuck in the earth, well what they do is often not only physically but also mentally draining. Often feelings of others hit an empathy like a physical sensation, like a punch in the gut if dark enough. A lot of times it becimes hard to later distinguish their emotions from the ones they are reading from others. For example, a day of depression for no reason can be common.

In her visit to Witch City, Makayla meets Noah Ayers, a local cop. Why does she initially feel she must protect her heart from him?

The attraction was immediate, and Makayla guards her heart anyway, no feeling she can enter a relationship or the guy may find out her secrets and break her heart if he doesn’t accept her as she is..

While Makayla is there, some witches befriend her, like Lauri, a witch who owns a local shop. Others in a coven see her as a dangerous intruder. Why is she viewed differently by various local witches?

The covens are very different. Lauri is a local witch with a store, Wiccan, following the “harm ye none” rule. The coven on the other hand practices what some would refer to as black magic, their intentions are to use nature in a dark way to take what they want, for personal gain, harming whoever gets in their way. The dark coven is also secret, they doen’t publically announce to the world what they do.

Briefly describe the magical systems of your world. How do those who are empowered gain their witchcraft abilities? Do all the witches obtain their powers in the same way or do some vary?

Actually this is a much more magic realism book. All the practices, whether one choses to believe in them or not, are ones practiced in reality. The magic, well that is in the eye of the beholder I guess you could say. The inherited powers, well in this story are nothing more than empathy or psychic, necromancy, etc, all of which are practiced in the real world. The outcomes, I think people would explain differently depending upon their beliefs.


Hidden Salem
Kiki Howell
 
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Mitchell Morris Publishing Inc
ISBN: 9781937629281

Number of pages: 332




Book Description:

Intuition alone brought Makayla to Salem, Ma in search of a story, but her research has her confronting more than she bargained for. With her empathic gifts stronger in Witch City, she physically suffers, landing her literally unconscious in the arms of both Noah Ayers, local cop and Dylan Baines, local history teacher. Yet, it is Lauri, a witch who owns a local shop, who teaches Makayla about who she is and what she can do.

Unfortunately for all of them, Makayla also stumbles upon a coven in the woods practicing a dark magic ritual. Now they are after her, threatening her life and the lives of those she has quickly come to care about. Immersed in things she never expected, like an old legend and necromancy due to residual hauntings, the race is on to stay safe from the coven and protect her heart from a certain sexy cop.

But, is Lauri correct in thinking Makayla might just have encountered the only real witch in Salem in 1692? And, do they share the same bloodline?


Reviews:
“Richly vivid and captivatingly engrossing, Hidden Salem is a mesmerizing tale that blends an eerie historical past with a rather terrifying present. Kiki Howell brings the fascination of the witches of Salem - both past and present - to a brilliant level, adding liberal doses of sensuous love, suspense and murder to provide a hard-to-put-down, provocative and memorable story that you don't want to miss.”  ~ April Pohren, Cafe of Dreams Book Reviews
 “Kiki Howell spins a tale that will bewitch your heart and leave you wanting more.” ~ Misty Rayburn - Top Shelf Book Reviews
" I really enjoyed reading Hidden Salem. You see a lot of books about the Salem Witch Hunt. This one is really different and I just really loved the characters and how they interact with each other. I enjoyed this paranormal. Had the right amount of suspense and love interest. " ~Crystal, Romancing the Book
 
 About the Author:
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.
 
She has now had over thirty stories published between eleven different publishers.  She could not be more thrilled or grateful to see her creations polished and out in the real world. In May, 2011, Kiki was chosen as an Ohioana Book Festival author for her novel, Torn Asunder.




http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.com


Hidden Salem Bewitching Book Tour Giveaway

Kiki has four pieces of jewelry purchased from The Official Witch Shoppe in Salem, MA which was still open when she visited Salem in August 2010. Each week, throughout the month tour, a winner will be chosen from one of the tour stops.

All who enter will also be put into a final drawing for a $25.00 Gift Card from the winner’s choice of several retailers from Barnes & Nobleto Starbucks (list will be provided to winner).


If you cannot use Rafflecopter please post the giveaway and link to the Bewitching tour page for this tour with a live rafflecopter form

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to know more about the four pieces of jewelry and the store they came from?
Here’s A Little Information From Front Page of http://www.theofficialwitchshoppe.com/:

The Official Witch Shoppe (formerly The Cat, The Crow and The Crown), owned and operated by Rev. Laurie Cabot H.Ps. , opened in November 2010 at 63R Wharf St. in Salem, MA. (closed in October, 2010)

Laurie Cabot opened her first store ("The Witch Shop") and the very first Witch Shop in America in 1970.  Laurie established her Witch Shop initially for the purpose of educating people that magic (or Majick as it is known in the Cabot Tradition) is real, beneficial and exists and that Witchcraft is not devil worship or evil. Ultimately her first shop and her subsequent stores have supplied Magical people and Witches of all traditions with all the tools and supplies required to perform their own Majick.

Why is Laurie Cabot known as the "Official Witch of Salem"?

In the mid 1970's, Governor Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, bestowed upon Laurie Cabot the state's Patriot Award.

The proclamation is signed by the Governor and the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and it reads:

"I proclaim Laurie Cabot the Official Witch of Salem for her work with children with special needs."

Laurie's first official duty as a state Patriot residing in Salem, was to greet a delegation of artists who were visiting the city from China. The artists had been invited to the United States to display their art at the Boston Museum of Science, and were the first such group of artists to be invited to America after relations with China had been established by President Nixon.

While this certainly was a compliment to Laurie Cabot, it was and is today a symbol of hope for all Witches who do good works on behalf of their community and nation. Equally as important, it serves as a testament that Witches have a place in America today and are recognized as practicing a legitimate and honorable religion which shows a path of dedication for the good of all. This was the first time in history that a high standing politician openly recognized a Witch for their good works.

Product Descriptions From Website:

Fancy Silvertone Anklet:
This delicate silvertone anklet has been decorated with an array of bells, chains, and flowers to create a piece of jewelry that will perfectly accent your ankle and ring out musically with every step you take. Measuring approximately 10" long, each anklet will vary slightly in size.

3 DZi Bead Bracelet
To Tibetans and other Himalayan peoples, the dZi is a "precious jewel of supernatural origin" with great power to protect its wearer from disaster. "Pure" dZi beads (based on Tibetan tradition) are regarded as the most valuable and desirable variety. To qualify as pure, a bead must be genuine etched agate and lie within a certain range of styles. It should also have a sharply delineated pattern, symmetrical shape, strong color, glossy surface, and no flaws. The nine-eyed dZi is a pure dZi with the most highly desired pattern. Etched agate beads not considered pure are called chungdZi, or "less important dZi." This adjustable necklace expands to a maxium of 10" in diameter.

Celtic Heart Earrings
Centered on the tangled knots of a Celtic knot, each layer of these fantastic earrings displays a new heart, wrapping around the first and the knot within, becoming at last a beautiful, full sized heart design, without beginning and without end. Made of fine, lead-free pewter each earring hangs approximately 2" long from a French hook, with the hearts being about 3/4" wide.

Flower Locket
Experience your favorite scent all day when you wear it in our pretty, practical lockets. Saturate a blotter pad (included) with an essential oil or perfume of choice, and place it in the locket - portable aromatherapy! Pewter locket with flower design is double-sided on black satin cord, and measure 1 1/2" long by 1" wide. Comes with five 3/4" blotter pads, refills also available.

~ ~ ~
Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED, and Book Three, LOST VOLUMES. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.