Author Interview & Contest with Kimberly Frost

My guest this week is author Kimberly Frost! I was lucky enough to win a copy of her debut novel 'Would-be Witch' and wrote this review!

Not only does the series (book 2 is due out in September) have amazing covers but it has a great lead character and a cute cat! I can't wait to read 'Barely Bewitched' when it is released and I hope this interview will entice you all to pick up the first book or even win a copy....

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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you as a guest here and I hope you will enjoy your time here ;) Maybe you can start things off for us by telling my readers a bit about your debut release WOULD-BE WITCH?

Kimberly - WOULD-BE WITCH is one of those “kitchen sink” novels that mixes different elements; it combines fantasy, mystery, romance, and action-adventure. I jokingly say it’s Charmed meets The Dukes of Hazzard.

Tammy Jo Trask, a small-town Texas girl from a family of witches, has always lacked the gift—until now. When the family locket, which is linked to the soul of the family ghost, is stolen, Tammy starts casting spells to recover it. Unfortunately, the spells go horribly and humorously wrong. Next thing she knows, she’s involved with a forbidden wizard and fighting werewolves, all while trying to find the locket before the ghost is lost forever.

Amber - How was the idea for the series born? Was it a long process or something that just came to you?

Kimberly - It just came to me. I had the idea for the series about a year before I began to write it. I had been reading a lot of humorous mysteries and dark urban fantasies and wondered if I could combine my favorite elements from each.

Amber - Are you anything like Tammy Jo or any of the other characters in your book? Are any of them based on people you know?

Kimberly - Tammy Jo cares about people--no matter how crazy and eccentric they are--and she has a high level of personal responsibility. If there's a problem, she'll try to help fix it. I'm like that.

In terms of our backgrounds, we're very different. She grew up without a dad and never felt like she could live up to her family's expectations. She married and divorced very young. She wasn't great in school, but is a creative genius in the kitchen. None of that comes from my experience.

Likewise, the other characters in series were inspired by a lot of different influences, not on any one specific person.

Amber - Although Tammy Jo is the star of the series there is a certain feline character who I am totally in love with! I guess you are a cat person? Will Merc be a fixed character? Will we find out more about him?

Kimberly - Yes, I love cats, but I'm allergic to them. So wrong! Merc will be a fixed character, and we learn more of his backstory in BARELY BEWITCHED (Book 2).

Amber - WOULD-BE WITCH is just the first book in the series. What can we expect next? How long will the series go on?

Kimberly - BARELY BEWITCHED will be available on September 1st, 2009 and I'm waiting to hear from the publisher about whether they want more books in the series. I'd love to do more!

Amber - You have been blessed with an amazing cover artist! Did you get any say in picking the covers? Were there other covers taken into consideration?

Kimberly - The cover is fantastic! I did have some input in that I provided a lot of information about the book, including character descriptions, pictures of ocelots, etc. But then the cover artist went off on his own and worked his magic. When he came back with the WOULD-BE WITCH cover, we all knew it would catch readers' eyes, which was very exciting.

Amber - How did you end up being a writer? Was it something you always wanted to do?

Kimberly - Yes, I've written since I was a child. I treated it as a wonderful hobby for many years. In 2002, I decided to seriously try to get a book published. I started going to writers' conferences and presentations. I learned about the business, etc.

I got my agent in the fall of 2006, and she sold WOULD-BE WITCH and the sequel in the summer of 2007.

Amber - How did you end up writing paranormal romance? Was it planned?

Kimberly - Not exactly. I actually didn't begin reading romance until 2003, but I'd always had romantic subplots in my stories. I've always liked seeing characters fall in love, but didn't realize that the romance genre was so vast and would allow so much flexibility for an author.

WOULD-BE WITCH isn't really a romance. It doesn't end with Tammy Jo getting married and living happily-ever-after with one of the guys. It ends with the love triangle still in play. It's more of a fantasy/mystery/adventure series with romantic threads running through it.

I do plan to write some paranormal romances that are focused on the romance itself and that have a happily-ever-after ending where you know whom the girl ends up with.

Amber - What books do you like to read when you have time? Do you have any must read authors/series?

Kimberly - I love all kinds of books! I read mystery, romance, fantasy, young adult, literary, mainstream...

Here are a few favorites: OUTLANDER (Diana Gabaldon), TITHE (Holly Black), GUILTY PLEASURES (Laurell K. Hamilton), ONE FOR THE MONEY (Janet Evanovich), SON OF THE MOB (Gordon Korman), DEATH AT WENTWATER COURT (Carola Dunn), THE PROTECTOR (Madeline Hunter)

I also love Suzanne Enoch, J.K. Rowling, Rex Stout, Christina Dodd, Kerrelyn Sparks, Annette Blair, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson, Christopher Moore, Jim Butcher, Sabrina Jeffries, and so MANY MORE!

Amber - How do you relax?

Kimberly - Obviously, I love to read. I love watching television series on DVD. I'm addicted to Netflix. I also often unwind on the phone with close friends. I've had some marathon phone conversations.

I like meeting people for brunch or dinner, having a margarita or a coffee. Writing is a solitary profession, but I'm very social by nature, so I have to connect with people when I'm not in front of my laptop.

Amber - Lots of authors have playlists for their books. What music or bands would find their way onto a playlist for your Southern Witch series?

Kimberly - The Dixie Chicks, Toby Keith, Martina McBride, and Robert Earl Keen were often playing in the background when I was first trying to get into the Tammy Jo universe.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature what would you be and why?

Kimberly - Definitely a witch because they have a lot of freedom. They can go to sun-drenched beaches (unlike vampires), they can dance under the full moon (unlike shifters), and they can perform all sorts of different spells depending on what the situation calls for.

Amber - You are stranded on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Kimberly - A friend, a toothbrush, a box of books, a box of matches, and a knife

Amber - Thank you so much for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog. I hope you will pop by again sometime!

Click here to Read or listen to an excerpt of 'Would-Be Witch'!!





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Contest Time!

Kimberly has kindly said she will send the lucky winner of this weeks contest a copy of Would-Be Witch! This is your chance to get a copy of one of the best books I have read so far this year!

All you have to do to enter let us know what kind of spell you would use the most if you were a witch?

No Spell = No entry!

The usual rules apply!

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

The contest will stay open until Sunday 26th of July 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.