It's release day for Julie Howard's new book, SPIRIT IN TIME, and I'm so lucky to have her here to talk about it. Let's get started before the craziness of release day takes her away.
1 – When did you first get the urge to write?
I started writing little stories when I was a child and loved creating situations and fictional people. I suppose it was natural that I became a newspaper reporter and continued to write for a living, although non-fiction is quite different. I still had a curiosity about people and how they reacted in various situations. I continue to be a person who asks a lot of questions about everything, which I’m sure can be annoying. I always wanted to return to fiction writing but didn’t have the time until my kids were grown.
2 – What happened to your first ever manuscript?
My first manuscript is still in the works. It’s a historical fiction inspired by a true family story. Once I finished it, I sent it to agents and had my fingers crossed. I was certain it would be snapped up in an instant. Instead, rejection after rejection came back. I tucked it away as I realized it needed a bit more work. I know it will be published someday, as I believe whole-heartedly in the story, but for now it’s on a back burner.
3 – What does your family and friends think of your passion for writing?
They are wonderfully supportive and tickled to read the books I write. My parents had a big role in my interest in writing as they always encouraged reading in our home. There were books and bookshelves in every room of the house. Now, they are thrilled to see me write books.
4 – Have you ever used someone you know as a character in a book?
Hmmm, should I confess this or not? Seriously, my characters are all entirely fictional. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t inspired by elements of real people. Sometimes it’s a personality quirk, or the way someone walks. I would say some of my characters are a compilation of a number of people I have met, mixed with a healthy dose of pure imagination.
5 – Tell us about this book.
Time travel isn't real.
It can't be real. But ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester discovers
otherwise when an enigmatic spirit conveys her to 1872 to do his bidding.
Jillian finds herself
employed as a maid in Sacramento, in an elegant mansion with a famous painting.
The artwork reveals another mystery: Why does the man within look exactly like
her boyfriend, Mason Chandler?
Morality and sin live side by
side, not only in the picture, but also within her. As her transgressions
escalate, she races the clock to find the man in the painting, and hunt down a
spirit with a disconcerting gift.
But will time be her friend
or foe?
6 – Give us an example of a favorite scene.
“Are you a ghost?” A young
girl stood where the guard had been only minutes before. She spoke matter-
of-factly, her dark eyes alive with curiosity.
The house was still whole,
she was alive, and the world hadn’t ended. Jillian scanned the room for damage,
then blinked. This must be a dream. The long dining table—bare just moments
ago—was now laid for a meal. Glasses sat upright, forks and spoons lined up in
perfect order, and a tall flower arrangement appeared unscathed. A crystal
chandelier above the table remained perfectly still.
The guard and Asian man
were nowhere in sight.
The girl, dressed neatly in
a calf-length white pinafore embellished with pink ribbons, didn’t appear
rattled by the cataclysmic jolt.
“What happened?” Jillian
asked, still crouched on her knees. “Are you okay?”
“You don’t belong here.
Mother will be angry.”
Even though the floor had
ceased to shake, the roiling continued in her head. Might this very real
looking girl be a spirit? Most apparitions wavered in some manner, their
appearances paler and less there than the tangible
world around them. This child appeared solid in every way, from the tips of her
shiny chestnut hair to the toes of her lace-up black shoes.
7 – Is this book part of a series?
Spirit in Time is the third book I’ve written about ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester in the Spirited Quest mysteries. Each book is a stand-alone story. I first introduced her in Spirited Quest, where she isn’t even the main character. I enjoyed her character so much, I brought her back as the main character in House of Seven Spirits, and I already have an idea for the next book in the series.
8 – Where can we buy your book?
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LslC9S
iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781509235100
Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3qaFAF5
9 – Tell us a little about yourself.
Julie Howard is the author of the Wild Crime series, and
Spirited Quest. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics
ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. She is a member of the Idaho Writers
Guild, editor of the Potato Soup Journal, and founder of the Boise chapter of
Shut Up & Write. Learn more at juliemhoward.com.
10 – How can your fans contact and follow you?
Website: http://juliemhoward.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Julie-Howard/e/B07D6CS4NQ/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julie-howard?list=author_books
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JulieMHoward
Follow her on Instagram: @authorjuliehoward
We're so glad you could take time from your busy release day to talk to us, Julie. I wish you all the best for your books, past, present, and future.
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