Blog Tour Guest Blog and Giveaway: Mistaken by J.A. Howell

Title: Mistaken
Author: J.A. Howell

Genre: General/Mainstream Fiction/Suspense

ISBN: 1477456368
ASIN: B0092HDIXS

Number of pages:198
Word Count: 61,448

Cover Artist: J.A. Howell

Book Trailer:  http://youtu.be/46XSH5oXYzA

Purchase Links: http://amzn.com/B0092HDIXS

Book Description:

One year ago, two bullets from a .45 caliber pistol ripped away any hopes Dillan had of a future with her fiancé, Jamie. On the anniversary of Jamie’s death, the appearance of his estranged twin brother, Trey, leaves Dillan wondering what other secrets her prefect fiancé was hiding. When Trey learns of his brother’s death, Dillan takes pity on him and gives him a place to stay.

Trey’s erratic behavior and a series of suspicious phone calls lead Dillan to believe that Trey knows more about the circumstances surrounding Jamie’s death than he’s letting on. With all leads exhausted and Jamie’s murderer still on the loose, Trey is Dillan’s last hope for finding the truth.

Sometimes the truth hurts… but in Dillan’s case it could kill her.



Author Bio:

J.A Howell is an office drone by day, and a writer by night. Her love of writing took off when she was eleven years old and decided to fill a composition notebook with stories to read to her friends. Many years (and notebooks) later, not much has changed. She still loves writing and sharing her works with others. When she isn’t writing, she can often be found trying her hand at whatever artistic pursuit strikes her fancy. J.A. Howell resides in Apopka, FL with her husband and their menagerie of animal children.

http://midtown-underground.com/

http://www.facebook.com/JenniferHowlz

https://twitter.com/JenniferHowlz

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1472837.J_A_Howell
  
 

Interview with Trey from Mistaken

While writing Mistaken, I sat down with both of my main characters. Trey isn't much of a talker, but I managed to get a few words out of him.  Here was what he had to say.

J.A.H.: Thanks for joining me today,Trey. Can I get you anything? A drink?

Trey: *sits back in the comfy grey chair in my office, glancing around my office.* Nah, I'm good. This is actually much nicer than the last time I was interviewed.

J.A.H.: Why is that?

Trey: I'm not handcuffed to the chair or suffering from any sort of head injury. *laughs dryly, then shoves his hands into the pockets of his hoodie* That reminds me, who exactly is going to see this interview? I'm not really comfortable with my info being out there for everyone to see.

J.A.H.: Oh this? This is for my own personal records, as your author of course. *I smile innocently*

Trey: *not looking very convinced* Will you at least not use my last name then?

J.A.H.: Fine. Now on to the interview questions. I thought we could start with a few questions about yours and Jamie's childhood. Being identical twins, did you have that "twin connection" people talk about?

Trey: Well as toddlers, our parents said we seemed to have our own little language between us, and there were more than several occasions where one of us would feel something the other was feeling but didn't know why. When I was ten, I broke my wrist while I was skateboarding outside a few miles from our home and Jamie, who was home our mother started crying and holding his wrist. Looking back now, I think I also felt that connection when Jamie passed. I suppose I didn't want to believe it was possible though. One day I just got a painful feeling in my chest and then this sense of dread washed over me. I'm pretty sure that was the day.

J.A.H.: With him gone, do you still feel that connection?

Trey: I'm not sure. Sometimes I think I feel him still around.  *Shrugs and  fidgets with the zipper of his hoodie*.

J.A.H.: What did you do in the time you and him were seperated? 

Trey: I mainly worked in construction. I enjoyed it enough and got plenty of fresh air most of the time. Aside from work, I didn't really do much else. Sometimes I might stop off for a drink with my co-workers, but most the time I'd end up at home drawing, reading or watching something on TV until I passed out.

J.A.H.: Coming to Midtown, obviously things didn't go as you expected. I know your brother wrote you about Dillan, is she what you expected?

Trey: Not really... I mean she is a very attractive woman, but um... I guess I just didn't realize from the letters how attractive she is. *Clears throat, suddenly looking a bit flush*  But um, personality-wise... She isn't much like what Jamie described, but then who would be after seeing what she did?

J.A.H.: Yes, she definitely isn't her old chipper self anymore. To the first part of your answer, you find Dillan attractive?

Trey: Wait, is she going to see this interview? Can you take that part off the record?

J.A.H.: She won't see it, and no I am not taking it off the record. Answer the question.

Trey:  Of course I find her attractive, but she was going to marry my brother. My TWIN brother. That is all kinds of off limits.

J.A.H.: Not to mention you are lying to her. Are you going to tell her the truth?

Trey:  *Sits forward with his elbows on his knees, looking down at the floor.* I want to tell her, but something like that is hard to get out. You and I both know she is going to hate me for it.

J.A.H.: So you are convinced that this isn't going to end well?

Trey: I don't see how it can end any other way.

Book excerpt:

Breathing the night air in a deep gulp, Dillan’s shoulders eased, releasing the tension of the day. The red light reflected off iridescent shimmers in small puddles on the damp street as she waited at the intersection. Dillan hadn’t even realized it had been raining today, as she was too lost in her own head to even peer out the window. Now, as she sat at the light she took in the dampness of the thick summer air and the gust of wind that rushed by with the moving traffic on the adjacent street.

Just as she could see the opposite street’s traffic lights turning yellow, a Greyhound Bus came across the intersection. Dillan had been watching the traffic with disinterest, to her it was just one large mass of unidentifiable vehicles blurring by. Then the large blue bus rolled past her, seeming to slow down temporarily, which set it apart from the rest of the vehicles. Dillan’s arms and back tingled; something pulled her attention towards the bus. She looked up at the bus windows as they rolled past, all the faces seeming to blur just like the traffic. Nameless, faceless people. None taking any notice of her.

Then her eyes locked with a familiar icy blue gaze staring at her from the back window, and as it registered just who they belonged to, the bus flew past the intersection and out of view. Dillan remained at the light, her mouth falling agape as her brain failed to make sense of what she had seen.

It was impossible, right?

That couldn’t have been Jamie.

Jamie is dead.

A horn blared behind her, jarring her out her trance. The bike lunged forward as Dillan over-accelerated against the wet road. It spun across the intersection, tossing her onto the sidewalk as the bike abruptly slammed against the curb, scraping the pavement. Several onlookers rushed over, hovering around her with horrified expressions.

Dillan, although rattled from the crash, pulled herself up. Her knuckles were fairly scraped up and there was a rip on the side of her jeans. All minimal damage. More embarrassed than hurt, Dillan tried to brush some of the gravel off of her wounds. Blood rushed to her cheeks, her face growing hot as she drew the attention of both drivers and pedestrians. She hastily thanked the few that had actually helped her back to her feet, and pulled her bike back up, ignoring the concerned looks that were sent her way.

Dillan supposed she should just try to forget what she had seen and go to the pub. No sane person would believe it was really Jamie. But those eyes. She knew those eyes. They were Jamie’s. She wasn’t crazy. Emotionally unstable? Yes! But crazy? No. It had to be him. She knew what she had seen, and it had to be him.

She couldn’t sit there debating any longer, there was only one way to find out. With the loud roar of the bike’s engine, Dillan bolted across the intersection once more, zipping narrowly past several cars, dodging her way through traffic. Her eyes searched frantically for the bus, but she had lost sight of it. Zooming past each block, her eyes darted in both directions hoping for a sign of its passing. A few cars honked their disapproval at her as she cut in front of them. Nearing the edge of downtown, her eyes fell on a blue sign with white lettering. The words “Bus Station” and an accompanying arrow pointing right gave her a glimmer of hope.

She hooked a right, her bike leaning dangerously low as she maneuvered the sharp turn. Dillan’s heartbeat hit heavy within her chest as the bus station came into view at the end of the street. All she could think about was seeing Jamie step off that bus, running to him and kissing him. All the pain she had been feeling over the last year would simply melt away. It was too late to think of how insane or how irrational a thought like that really was.

Only about a hundred feet away, she spotted the bus she had seen him riding. It had to be the same one. People were filing out of several other buses all at once. The station was crowded and chaotic as passengers arrived and departed. She stopped her bike next to the bus, looking up, but she did not see his face in the window any longer. Her stomach fluttered as her eyes, still filled with foolish hope, searched over the dozens and dozens of unfamiliar faces mixing into the mass of people.

Nowhere.

He was nowhere.

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