Kimberly Holt-Whitlock Spotlight

Kimberly Holt-Whitlock wears many hats: wife, mother, taxi-driver, not-so-gourmet chef, housekeeper, laundry service, and all-round errand runner, yet she manages to find time to write. Good thing, too, because Lit Wit of Literary Sass said of Kimberly's book, Fading Illusions, "Oprah would love this sh*t." What high praise!

So, without further ado, let's find out about this up and coming author who may someday be featured with Oprah's Book Club.

Is there any of yourself in Laynee Morgan, the heroine of Fading Illusions, or is she purely a creation of your own imagination?

While Laynee is purely fictional, there are definitely bits and pieces of me in a lot of my characters, including Laynee. Little quirks, bad habits, hobbies...things like that.

Name some of your favorite books (ones that other people have written! LOL.)

My all-time favorite is The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway. He used such sharp, lean prose, and there are a few lines in each of his stories that make the whole thing worth reading. Quits by M.E Ellis was easily the best e-book I've ever read, and easily makes my top five favorites of all-time. I'm also fond of absolutely everything written by Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show) and anything by Nicholas Evans (The Loop, The Smoke Jumper). I'll stop there, my reading list goes on and on, hehe.

Tell me about the most romantic thing that's ever happened to you.

I'm not into the typically romantic dozen roses type thing...but a few years ago when hubby realized I was really serious about writing, he went out and bought me a laptop. That is top notch romance in my book.

Is there a skill you don't have, but wish you did?

Cooking. This is something I'm sure my husband wishes I did well also. I am a terrible cook. I burn. I lack imagination in the kitchen so we eat a staple of take-out and the five meals I can manage to make without burning down the house.

If you could only watch one movie again for the rest of you life, what would it be?

Breakfast at Tiffanys or Season One of The O.C. ;)

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be and what's the story you'd write about it? (You know, so you could claim the trip as a write-off.)

Catalina Island. A cruise we took a few years ago for our anniversary made a day stop at Catalina, and I absolutely fell in love. It's so gorgeous and how can you not love a place surrounded by sunny beaches. There is actually a chapter in Fading Illusions that takes place on Catalina.

I have two sons. You have three! What is their opinion of your writing?

Well, mine are all fairly young (7, 4, and 3) so they don't have a lot to say about it. Though I think it's been great for my oldest, who is seven, and writes his own stories. He also reads like a maniac, which I'm totally taking credit for.

What would your "I'd rather be…" bumper sticker say?

I'd rather be staring at a blank Word document

Do you have a favorite quote?

Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially have to be hurt like hell before you can write seriously. But when you get the damned hurt, use it--don't cheat with it. ~Ernest Hemingway

Lastly, tell me about your work-in-progress, Confessions of a Serial Bitch.
Confessions of a Serial Bitch is a series of three novellas, each one based on the experiences of Hadley, Claire, and Lucy (three best friends). These have been a lot of fun to write. I've given myself an opportunity to do and say all the bitchy things I never say in real life, hehe. The first in the series, which is due out soon with Freya's Bower, revolves around Hadley, who is going through a sticky divorce. Her husband is refusing to sign papers, but Hadley is willing to do whatever it takes to persuade him to jot down his John Hancock.
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I'd like to thank Kimberly for being in the spotlight this week. I encourage you to visit her at her website or blog.