After spending all day yesterday immersed in the mind, or imagination, of Rachel Howzell I am so thrilled she agreed to share some insight to her mind with you. Please join me in welcoming Rachel to Books N Beans!Rachel Howzell was born and raised in South Los Angeles. An avid reader and lover of books, she received her B.A. in English and American Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz.
In 2002, Rachel’s first novel, A Quiet Storm, was published by Scriber to great notice, including reviews from O Magazine and Publishers Weekly, with a starred review from Library Journal. A Quiet Storm was also a featured selection for Borders’ Original Voices program, as well as an alternate selection for Black Expressions book club. She published her second novel, The View from Here, in November 2010.
The author received rave reviews for her debut title, A Quiet Storm:
“Insightful and emphatic, first novelist’s Hall’s portrayal of bipolar disorder and its long-term effects on an African American family grabs readers from the start.” Starred review from Library Journal
“The author portrays mental illness (including the denial of it) with realism and sensitivity, but what really sets this novel apart is Stacey's lively narration, which crackles with dark humor, wisdom and self-deprecation.” Publishers Weekly
“Sibling rivalry and devotion and the pressures that can tear apart a family—and a fledgling marriage—are the subjects of this urgent first novel by a promising African-American writer.” Oprah Magazine
My blog address: http://writinginmycar.
My Twitter: @RachelHowzell
And even better Rachel answers some questions about how she became a writer, her inspirations, & where you can find her books.
When did you first become interested in writing? I've always written -- as a child, I annoyed my family because I'd write on the back of pictures, write in encyclopedias, write in the Bible, write in my big brother's year books. I started journaling in forth grade and kept on until a few years ago. I still have every journal/diary I've ever scribbled in. Those pages are hilarious, heart-breaking, chilling, observant -- the stuff of good drama and a resource I return to in my writing.
What authors did you read when you were younger? I was fortunate -- my parents didn't censor me. There were four children, all with very busy lives, so anything to shut one of them up was an awesome thing. That meant I discovered safe stuff initially: Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown. But I was a gifted reader and quickly went through the kid's library section and found myself in adults: Judy Blume (the va-va-voom books like Wifey), Sidney Sheldon, V.C. Andrews, Jackie Collins, Stephen King and Lawrence Block. I never did get into Sweet Valley High or The Babysitter's Whatever-that-Was or even Harlequins. Always the darker side of life. And always, 'Why do people do the things they do?'
What authors do you read now? I'm a book slut really, and if the description sounds cool, and the reviews good, and the first pages hold me, then I'll read. Authors I automatically read, though? Stephen King. Always. Dennis Lehane. Almost-always. Lisa Gardner, Ira Levin, Raymond Chandler... From this list, you can see that I do like dark and moody.
What is your newest release? No One Knows You're Here is my latest, and like those writers I consider mentors, it is dark, yet hopeful. Here's a bit about it: Three weeks out of cancer surgery, crime reporter Syeeda McKay is in the pursuit of Los Angeles’s most active serial killer. Over the last twenty years, the Phantom Slayer has hunted African-American prostitutes working in one of the worst parts of South Los Angeles, killing eight victims in the alleys off Western Avenue, and then disappearing into the shadows. But Syeeda doesn’t know that the killer has turned his sights on her.
Detective Adam Sherwood, a hotshot investigator with the Robbery-Homicide Division of the LAPD, has been handed the Phantom Slayer cases, and together, he and Syeeda must figure out who is doing the killing . . . before Syeeda becomes his next victim.
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/One-
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
On iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/
On Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/
On Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/
This book is a high recommend from Books N Beans. I'd definitely get online & get it if you haven't done so already.
