Interview with Amalie Howard, author of WATERFELL

By Jen On November 7, 2013 · 1 Comment · In Author Feature, Blog Tours, Interview

I’m so excited to have Amalie Howard back on A Book and a Latte! Please give her a warm welcome. She’s stopping by today for an interview as part of her WATERFELL Blog Tour! Check out her book below and then my Q & A with Amalie.

WATERFELL
by Amalie Howard
October 29, 2013 / Harlequin TEEN

Nerissa Marin hides among teens in her human form, waiting for the day she can claim her birthright-the undersea kingdom stolen from her the day her father was murdered. Blending in is her best weapon-until her father’s betrayer confronts Nerissa and challenges her to a battle to the death on Nerissa’s upcoming birthday-the day she comes of age.

Amid danger and the heartbreak of her missing mother, falling for a human boy is the last thing Nerissa should do. But Lo Seavon breaches her defenses and somehow becomes the only person she can count on to help her desperate search for her mother, a prisoner of Nerissa’s mortal enemy. Is Lo the linchpin that might win Nerissa back her crown? Or will this mortal boy become the weakness that destroys her?

What’s your favorite quote?
“Everything you can imagine is real.” Pablo Picasso

“Never give up. Never surrender.” Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, Galaxy Quest

What are your favorites? Book, movie, music/band, candy, food, vacation spot?

Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Fifth Element, Simon & Garfunkel, dark chocolate, mac and cheese, the Bahamas.

What are your pet peeves?
Lateness. Liars. Bullies—anyone who unconscionably hurts others, online or off.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I won a beauty pageant when I was sixteen. What makes this event surprising is that I was a very insecure teenager, and never thought I was pretty in the least. When my family entered me into this contest, I was terrified, but the grand prize was a trip to London (and I really wanted to go there) so I decided to do it. My knees shook the entire time I was on stage, but I made it to the top ten and then the top three. When they announced the runner-up, I remember thinking that it had to have been a mistake. All the other girls were so poised and smart and beautiful. But it wasn’t a mistake. I had won. The take-away here is to trust yourself—you never know what you can accomplish until you do it. And most times, people see you in a whole different light than how you see yourself.

When you’re coming up with ideas for what your next project will be, how do you know which ones to go ahead with?

I write what I’m passionate and excited about. I don’t tend to follow trends. If I think something is a great idea, regardless of what it is, I flesh it out and see if it has the legs to be turned into a provocative, engaging story.

Do you have any pets?

I have a cat, and a fish named Rainbow. My cat’s name is Alley (yes, totally a play on alley cat). We adopted her almost fourteen years ago from a shelter. She’s half Maine Coon, half Russian Blue, and she’s super intelligent. She can sit, shake hands and lay down on command. Not because I tell her to, but because she deigns to. She’s such a cool cat that I used to walk her on a leash when we lived in New York City. She hates people, loves napping, and has mastered the art of mind control.

What drew you to writing this genre?

I love the intensity of teenage life—the discovery, the defiance, the self-confidence, the flaws of youth, the vibrancy of it, the all-or-nothing mentality—it makes the stakes so much higher and the scenarios far more compelling.

If you weren’t a human, what would you be?

Cyborg, hands down. A badass, super-stealth, secret assassin half-robot/half-human hybrid.

Do your friends or enemies ever find themselves in your books?

This is a great question (evil laugh)! I wouldn’t say that whole, entire people find themselves in my books, but if I’m writing about a specific character, it helps to pull from real-life inspiration. So if I were writing about a mean girl, yes, I would absolutely use elements from someone I may know (or have known) in real life that would help to make the book character more fleshed-out and authentic.

If you were not a writer, what would you like to do?

I’d be an international food critic because it would incorporate two other things I love to do: sample delicious international cuisine and travel.

About the Author

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

A bookworm from the beginning, Howard grew up on a small island in the Caribbean with her nose buried in books. When she was just 13 years old, her poem “The Candle” was published in a University of Warwick journal, marking a sign of great things to come. Howard immersed herself into other cultures, globetrotting through 22 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. After moving to the United States, she earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies and French from Colby College in Maine. She also holds a certificate in French literature from the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, France. Traveling around the world, Howard has lent talents as a research assistant, marketing representative, freelance writer, teen speaker, blogger and global sales executive.

Howard’s first book, “Bloodspell” (June 2011, Langdon Street Press) earned rave reviews and was named a Seventeen Magazine Summer Beach Read. Readers will hear more from Howard as she releases a pair of two-book series, “Waterfell” (November 2013, Harlequin TEEN) and “The Almost Girl” (January 2014, Strange Chemistry), as well as “Alpha Goddess” (March 2014, Skyhorse/Sky Pony Press) over the next two years.

Howard lives in New York with her husband, three children and one willful feline that she is convinced may have been a witch’s cat in a past life.

Many thanks to Amalie for answering my questions, and JKSCommunications for having me as part of the tour!

Waterfell Blog Tour