Would-be Wayfarer

Duvall, Texas. A small town that’s about to be in some big trouble. Pastry-chef-turned-unexpected-action/adventure heroine Tammy Jo Trask is finally ready to embrace her mixed-up and often malfunctioning magic. Too bad not everyone wants her to become all the witch she can be. First, there are the local residents who form a scripture-spouting posse and kidnap Tammy to “defend” Duvall against witchcraft. Next, someone saddles her with a secret package chock full of dangerous visions, just as the president of WAM—the World Association of Magic—arrives with his entourage to investigate her. And who worse to examine Tammy’s entanglement with off-limits and drop-dead gorgeous wizard Bryn Lyons than his ex-girlfriend? Not to mention that the clash between the locals and the magical visitors leads to a series of unnatural disasters that may doom them all. Will Tammy Jo's magical synergy with Bryn be enough to help her save the town or will her enemies succeed in putting Tammy ou...

From now on, when in doubt of what photo to post... Henry Cavill. ;) The editing of Halfway Hexed progresses. I have been living at coffee shops and cafes for the past week and was concerned that one Starbucks might actually start to charge me rent. To which pals quickly offered location suggestions so I could spread my loitering around. :) Thanks, guys! Favorite Quotes from friends on Facebook this week: from Laura M to me: "You can do it! Search for the spa at the end of the tunnel." from Anna E in her profile update: "intergalactic war has broken out, I'm being tailed by two alien fighters with lasers and my shields are down!!!" Followed by this in comments: "all while making spaghetti". And an old one that I love... I was lamenting that I hadn't checked the care instructions on a blanket and had inadvertently washed it when it should've been dry-cleaned. To which Jennifer PJ (who is always hilarious) said she doesn't worry about care ...

So I recently had a jam-packed visit to Dallas, Texas. I stayed with some friends of mine who are fantastic hosts, the kind of people who make a houseguest feel as though she'd like to move in. ;) (Thanks, Larry & Jane!) In addition to visiting my friends, I spoke to a creative writing class at a Dallas high school, which I think was as energizing for me as it was for the kids. I also had lunch with a friend who's an aspiring author. This is Peaches, the FreshFiction mascot. Also while in Dallas, I visited a FreshFiction readers' tea as a guest author. They are a fabulous group of women who read tons and have wonderful and entertaining insights on lots of topics, not just books. They make me wish I lived in Dallas, so I could become a regular reader member. Overall, January's been terrific for connecting with old friends and making new ones.

What about Kellan Lutz for Zach? He's blond, blue-eyed, and buff. Another possibility would be Channing Tatum if we dyed his hair blond. Channing's a Southern boy from Alabama.

Thoughts of casting the characters sometimes comes up when I'm guest-blogging or when I get emails asking if there will ever be a Southern Witch movie. I think Isla Fisher would make a good Tammy because she's beautiful in a cute sort of way, is often hilariously funny in her roles, and has red hair, of course. I couldn't come up with a Bryn at first, but then Liz, one of the fans of the series, suggested Henry Cavill. I googled and saw this picture of him and thought...yeah, that works. Now I have a couple of his pictures stuck to the top of my Halfway Hexed storyboard. So far, I still haven't come up with a good Zach, but surfing the net for him is a fun pasttime.

Happy 2010! Last year, I decided not to make any New Year's Resolutions. After all, I was working and had two book releases scheduled and so much to do...but this year I'm thinking taking a good life and making it better is a great idea. Kimber's New Year's Resolutions 1.) Return to regular exercise 2.) Eat more fresh produce and more organic foods 3.) Have even more fun with writing (By: completing Halfway Hexed and brainstorming new stories) 4.) Connect more often with friends, family, and readers So, what about you? Any new year's resolutions?

These young women are part of a paranormal book club in Alabama. They emailed to invite me to their meeting and asked if I had any suggestions for discussion topics. I must confess that before their email it never occurred to me to create a reader guide for WOULD-BE WITCH, but I loved the idea of doing one. A lot of my favorite literary novels have them in the back and I always enjoy looking through the questions and coming up with my answers. So here's a list of WOULD-BE WITCH discussion questions that I came up with: WOULD-BE WITCH Reader Guide 1.) Tammy Jo’s closest family members are gone, leaving her with only the acerbic Edie for occasional familial support. How do you think this separation affects 23-year-old Tammy Jo? Have you ever been away from your home and those you know? Did it affect your behavior? 2.) Despite their often tumultuous relationship, Tammy Jo continues to be involved with her ex-husband, Zach Sutton. Is this understandable? 3.) The...