What is the title of your latest release?
WHEN FORTY BLOOMS
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
WHEN FORTY BLOOMS is about a woman on the brink of turning 40 who has to decide what happiness really looks like for her—and whether it includes a husband she thought she’d outgrown. It’s real, it’s messy, and it’s full of love.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Deciding the book would take place in Atlanta was super easy. I’ve been living in the city and covering Atlanta culture for a long time. Writing about this town–especially the sides of the city that you don’t see on reality TV or hear about in Lil Baby albums (no diss) is actually pretty important to me.
Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yup. Simone is the homie.
What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Quirky. Kind-hearted. Introspective.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Writing this book made me think about areas in my own life where I may’ve overcorrected in reacting to things I went through growing up. I also learned about succulents.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit, edit, edit as I draft. I literally can’t move on to the next chapter until I’m satisfied with what I’ve written. I don’t mean copyediting, to be clear, but line editing.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I write about and review restaurants for my day job– and that’s very, very time consuming. I don’t think about food indulgences the same way because of it anymore. But these days, I do love watermelon with a little bit of salt on it.
Describe your writing space/office!
I just redid my office, actually, and it’s very planty. Lots of wicker, pale mint green walls. My space is a lot like Simone’s, honestly.
Who is an author you admire?
I love Nia Forrester—she’s so good at writing realistic love stories. I also love, love Warsan Shire. I dig S.A. Crosby, Jesmyn Ward, Karin Slaughter… the list goes on.
Is there a book that changed your life?
The Bible? I don’t know that any book “changed my life” but certainly there are stories that have stuck with me and maybe influenced my perception and perspective on things.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
My favorite genre is always romance but I’m honestly a picky reader. I read everything though—I also love crime fiction and suspense.
What’s your favorite movie?
I don’t have just one. But the movies I quote most often are probably Forrest Gump and Love Jones.
What is your favorite season?
Summer. I’m a summer baby and dream of living someplace where it’s summer year-round.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My perfect birthday would be spent on the beach with some good red wine at a live concert.
What’s a recent TV show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’ve been doing a lot of digging in the crates (rewatched The Watchmen and Netflix’s Daredevil) but for recent things I’d join the chorus and recommend Sinners.
What do you do when you have free time?
I’ve been so busy this past year, I usually try to do absolutely nothing.
What can readers expect from you next?
Hopefully something dope. I have plans to release something else before the year is out!
It was just a birthday. Then everything in her asked, what if.
Simone Harris has always known how to hold it down. For her son. For her clients. For the sports agency she built from scratch. She keeps things running, keeps herself moving, and keeps her heart tucked safely out of reach.
But this birthday feels different. It falls on a leap year, a date that only circles back every so often. A rare kind of day that feels like it arrives exactly when it's meant to. The kind that makes you pause and ask what you have been pushing through just to keep going. In that stillness, something begins to surface alongside it. Fatigue. Questions. The quiet ache she has learned to ignore.
She is not falling apart. Still, something is shifting. The pressure she has lived under feels heavier than it once did. And as she begins to listen to what her spirit has been trying to say, the past reappears, bringing with it a familiar comfort, unfinished conversations, and a quiet invitation to feel again.
Multicultural African-American | Romance Contemporary | Women's Fiction [Honey Blossom Press, On Sale: July 15, 2025, Trade Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9781967565047 / eISBN: 9781967565054]
Jacinta Howard is an Atlanta-based author and culture journalist with over a decade of experience writing about music, art, and pop culture. Jacinta’s work has appeared in, and Rock The Bells, where she served as an editor. Her 2022 article on Atlanta’s Magic City wings was nominated for an American Society of Magazine Editors Award, and her exploration of the Atlanta University Center’s impact on hip-hop was honored in The City of Atlanta's Hip Hop 50 Time Capsule. As a lifelong music lover, Jacinta’s experiences in culture journalism naturally influence her novels, which explore the complexities of relationships, personal healing, and true intimacy. Named a USA TODAY-recognized author and two-time RONE (Reward of Novel Excellence) Award nominee, her books have been featured in USA Today, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Book Riot, and OkayAfrica. When she’s not writing, she’s relaxing on a beach with her family, a good book, and a great playlist.
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