Guest Blog and Giveaway with Kimberly Frost

Great Lakes
By Kimberly Frost

I grew up in a suburb of Detroit. In Texas, where I live now, that would already be considered “up north,” but, during my childhood, we didn’t consider Detroit to be up north. Though we did consider Tennessee (where my paternal grandparents were from) down south. Go figure.

In any event, “Up North” was a very specific place in my mind. It was not where Santa Claus and the elves lived or home to the Canadian Mounties and Wayne Gretzky. It was in my own state, three hundred miles from the center of the universe, a.k.a. my house.

Michigan happens to be one of the luckiest places in the world in that it is shaped like a mitten, making the relative geography of the state a snap to illustrate. I was from the thumb area. Up North was near the fingertips.

Each summer we traveled to my great aunt and uncle’s cottage, which had lake access—always a very big deal in Michigan. My great uncle had swum across the five-mile lake, apparently to prove that he could, since there was nothing in the story about anyone, man or giant fish, pursuing him. There was also no one tagging along with him. No one in a boat. No buddy swimmer. So not the safest way to prove he was a great swimmer, but people didn’t think overly much about safety back then, did they? And I have to say that I admire how rugged people were and how self-reliant. When one is three miles into a solo five-mile swim, there is no turning back. You’ve got to have faith in yourself to pull that off. It probably also helps to enjoy your own company. Since I’m someone who likes to live in her own head, I admire that, too.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about that lake, which was a focal point of my childhood and which I associate with lazy summer days spent swimming, sunbathing and reading, running through the woods, riding in the fishing boat, and hurrying to eat ice cream cones before they melted over my hands. It was the best of times. For a glimpse of the fabled lake, see the picture I took a few years ago.

I suppose it’s no surprise then that water figures prominently in my writing and my writing life. I like writing retreats that have a view of water. Lakes, oceans, ponds…just about any body of water will do.

The town in my Southern Witch series sits between two rivers, and water always has a part to play in a Southern Witch story. In Would-Be Witch, Mercutio the ocelot arrives on a raft that’s floating down the river. In Barely Bewitched, Tammy has to escape into the water more than once and Bryn’s magical connection to water is revealed. In Halfway Hexed, well, let’s just say water is a member of the supporting cast again.

Anyway, I haven’t been swimming in a lake or an ocean for several years, but that seems to make little difference. The lake of my childhood lives on in my mind, always quick and ready inspiration when I write. Apparently, you can take the girl out of the lake, but you can’t take the lake out of the girl. And for that, I am grateful.

For a chance to win autographed copies of Would-Be Witch and Barely Bewitched from the Southern Witch series, tell me about your favorite childhood vacations/vacation spots.

3 winners will be chosen

1 winner will receive both Would-Be Witch and Barely Bewitched

2 Winners will receive a copy of Would-Be Witch

US Shipping Only Please

Thanks for inviting me to chat & I hope to see you in the comments…

Warm watery wishes,
Kimberly Frost
http://FrostFiction.com/

P.S. There will be free fiction posted exclusively on my website later this year. Anybody who’s interested in being notified when it’s available should visit my website & sign up for my newsletter. :-)

Want to win Kimberly's Southern Witch Books?

Then be Sure to Leave a Comment on This Post About Your Favorite Childhood Vacation Spot

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3 winners will be randomly chosen and announced next Wednesday

Guest Author Kimberly Frost and a Barely Bewitched Giveaway

SPOTS & STRIPES
By Kimberly Frost

Some fans of my Southern Witch series have told me that the ocelot Mercutio is their favorite character. I think Tammy would probably agree. From the time they meet in WOULD-BE WITCH she is taken with him. Mercutio quickly becomes her sidekick and a sounding board for her plans.

Here’s a brief exchange between them while they’re driving…

“Bryn doesn’t support the community theater here. Never seen him go to a play in town. Don’t you think it’s strange that he’s going to that meeting, Merc?”

Mercutio blinked.

“Yeah, me too. There’s only one type of arts that I believe Bryn to be a patron of.” Tammy paused. “You got it, black arts. What should we do? Tail him?”

Merc didn’t disagree.

* * *

I’ve been asked how Mercutio came to be a character in the books. I guess it began because I’m a fan of lions and tigers--maybe it’s the Leo in me? Obviously, witches often have cats, but since Tammy Jo spends a lot of her time fighting villains, it made sense for her to have a “big cat” for a sidekick. It would’ve been tough to hide a tiger in a small town, but people do sometimes try to raise ocelots, which are smaller than tigers, as pets—though ocelots are difficult to domesticate and some can’t be. The artist Salvador Dali used to have ocelots that routinely tore up his hotel rooms and everything in sight. The fact that ocelots are truly wild appealed to me.

Ocelots are territorial and, if threatened, they’ll fight to the death. Mercutio definitely shows those tendencies in the stories. He’ll fight anything that needs fighting, without a thought to how much bigger the opponent is.

In keeping with the paranormal aspect of the stories, Mercutio senses magic. He can track Tammy Jo or any creatures that exude magical energy. This makes him extremely valuable to Tammy Jo since she has an impairment when it comes to sensing magic. (Details about why her magic malfunctions can be found in BARELY BEWITCHED.)

Anyway, from the moment Tammy Jo and Mercutio came together on the page, I loved their interaction, and although it’s not always clear what man Tammy’ll end up with, it is clear what cat she’ll end up with. J

For a chance to win a copy of BARELY BEWITCHED, visit the comments and answer one of the following questions:

What’s the most unusual name you’ve heard for a pet?

OR

What’s your pet’s name and why did you choose that name for him or her?

Happy Release Day!

A Review of Barely Bewitched by Kimberly Frost

5 Fangs for Barely Bewitched by Kimberly Frost

Kimbery Frost can tell a tale like no other. Barely Bewitched is another installment of her Southern Witch series that I devoured in no time. A totally fang-tastic read.

In Barely Bewitched Tammy Jo is still jobless and suffering the consequences of her misfiring magic when the World Association of Magic (WAM) sends a "wand-wielding wizard and a menacing fire warlock" to Duvall to train her for a mandatory challenge that she is supposed to face without the help of Bryn Lyons, who she is again forbidden to be in contact with.

First her family and now WAM, why is everyone so hell bent on keeping Bryn and Tammy Jo apart? Probably because they are a magical match to be reckoned with when they are together. Of course Tammy Jo needs his help now more than ever. She has never followed the rules before why should she start now, after all "rebellion is an old Texas tradition."

Tammy Jo faces struggle after struggle when once again it seems like the whole town is out to get her.

First the wizard and warlock that are supposed to help her seem more like they are not really on her side, even Aunt Edie the ghost seems to abandon Tammy Jo when she needs her help the most, then Tammy Jo gets cursed and accidentally spills pixie dust on the whole town causing normal sane people to go nuts, to counteract the spell Tammy Jo casts one of her own making things even worse, and to add insult to injury Tammy Jo gets shot and poisoned by an evil little fairy changeling and Bryn has to save her which may lead to his own demise.

The only one who is always on her side is Mercutio, her faithful sidekick Ocelot.

And throughout the whole story Tammy Jo is as always, torn between her ex-husband Zach the man she has loved her whole life and the man she seems to be destined to be with, the oh so sexy Bryn Lyons. What a tough choice, especially with the character growth that seems to be coming from Zach though Bryn and Tammy Jo have a connection that seems to be written in the stars.

I can't wait to see where this goes because right now I can't even choose which man is the best. Gosh if I was Tammy Jo I'd beg to keep them both. Zach the strong, loyal and ever loving Texas cowboy is such an All American guy, though he has his All American faults as well. Then there's Bryn, rich, sexy, wizard, powerful with a connection to Tammy that neither can explain but he's not running from it. Both men willing to give their lives for Tammy Jo.

The characters are totally engrossing, Tammy Jo is a gem, the guys are just breathtaking, and even the side characters are fun and enjoyable like Rollie the vampire, and Edie the ghost. You never know who is going to play a major roll and which way the plots and subplots are going to go. Full of twists and turns which always spell trouble for poor Tammy Jo.

But at least Tammy Jo learns a little more about herself and her magic in this book as does Bryn which also clues us in to why perhaps they are so well connected.

Wow what a wild joyride of a read! Totally engrossing from the first page to the last this is a book you will not put down until it's done and even then you are left craving more Tammy Jo.

Kimberly Frost has wielded magic by writing this series. I can't even compare it to anything else because it is so new and fresh. I am completely compelled to read this series.

The Southern Witch series became an instant hit from the moment I read the first couple pages of the first book, Would Be Witch. Now it is a can't miss read. I can not wait for the next book. I hope Kimberly types fast or casts a few spells of her own to get the next book out as soon as possible.

Make sure to drop by Fang-tastic Books on September 1st. Kimberly Frost will be here for guest blog and you'll have the chance to win a free copy of Barely Bewitched.