The Deb Ball Welcomes Kimberly Brock!

We are so excited to welcome Kimberly Brock to the Deb Ball today!

Kimberly has just released her debut novel, THE RIVER WITCH. The novel has already received rave reviews and was recently featured on Huffington Post and added to Deep South Magazine’s Summer Reading list!

Here’s more about it:

The River Witch is Georgia author Kimberly Brock’s acclaimed debut novel about a ballet star who suffers a career-ending injury that also makes her miscarry her baby. Devastated, Roslyn Byrne retreats to a cabin on a Georgia island, but there she is confronted by ten-year-old audacious, motherless Damascus Trezevant and an unforgettable summer that will work a gentle brand of magic on her grieving spirit.

Now since we’ve been talking this week at the Ball about Mothers, Kimberly offered to share her thoughts on the subject.

(And because she is such a sweetheart, Kimberly is giving away a signed copy of THE RIVER WITCH to one lucky visitor (and she will ship internationally!). Just leave a comment to be entered to win!)

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Mother’s Story

My mother didn’t make it for the launch party of my debut novel, The River Witch. There were nearly one hundred guests but when my dad came in and I saw that she was not with him, I knew something had gone very wrong. She’s not been well for a while now with one thing or another, and recently she’s been struggling. My heart sank, even surrounded by so many friends and family and eager readers. But here’s the thing: after that brief second when I realized she would miss the party, I wasn’t really upset that Mama couldn’t attend. I wasn’t anxious without her support or really even sad that she was missing such a significant moment in my life. Because even without her there, I understood that what was happening to me, was somehow happening between us.

Here’s what I think.

Mothers give us our first stories. They whisper them in our ears at bed time. They sing them to us as we suckle. Their voices pour into us dreams and sorrows and fears. Through their cures and comforts, discipline and pride, through every garden they grow and every pan of biscuits they butter and every tear they wipe away, our mothers are giving us their stories – our stories, because they are symbiotic. Mothers create some kind of magic within the core of us, their children; this stuff is a touchstone to come back to again and again to identify and anchor ourselves while we find the courage to speak our own truths. And that, of course, is a very strong theme in The River Witch – the idea that each of the women in this book carries the voice from the women that came before, and they will only transcend above their circumstances when they find the courage to embrace that wisdom.

And so, there I stood. I was expected to read from and talk about the journey of writing this novel. But between you and me, all I could think about were the million little pieces of my mother’s story that had formed this work. I swear a sweet and familiar song carried through the room to me in the hum of the crowd. And as I began to share the words I’d written, something happened that no one in that room could have seen or guessed. As I spoke, it was my mother’s voice I heard. As I moved, she moved within me. I did not miss her face in the crowd because I was that face. I knew as I’ve never known before that I carry her within me – my Mama, and generations of mamas before us.

All together we had arrived in that very moment to give voice to a greater story, one that might travel beyond us in ways only God would know.

And in the crowd, my daughter heard our voice.

* * * *

Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Kimberly! And remember to leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of THE RIVER WITCH!

Kimberly Brock is a former actor, special needs educator, and native to the north Georgia foothills. Her debut novel, The River Witch, is a southern mystical work set against the backdrop of Appalachia and the Sea Islands. Her work has appeared in the anthologies “Summer in Mossy Creek” and the forthcoming, “Sweeter Than Tea”. She spends her non-writing time enjoying her husband and three children, and encouraging storytelling in all its many forms. Kimberly lives north of Atlanta, where she’s made her home for the last eight years. To learn more, you can visit Kimberly at her website, on Facebook and Twitter, as well as check out her Pinterest and Goodreads pages.

32 Replies to “The Deb Ball Welcomes Kimberly Brock!”

  1. Kimberly, I’ve been so looking forward to having you here so I can rave far and wide about your incredible novel. Thank you so much for coming by today to visit with us–and that story had me tearing into my coffee. (So you can all imagine how much damage she can do to your tear ducts with a full length novel, folks! 😉 )

  2. Hi, Kimberly! Thanks so much being with us here at the Ball today, and for your truly lovely post. THE RIVER WITCH sounds amazing — I can’t wait to read it!

  3. Hi Debs! Thanks for having me on your wonderful blog!! What’s up with your new book, Linda? And how about Erika — off to the South Carolina Book Festival this weekend! All such great things!!
    XOXO
    K

    1. In a Fix? Ack! Due out September 4th, and I’m already freaking out. I can’t believe how fast the countdown is going now! It’s a wild ride, isn’t it?

  4. Hi Kimberly, thanks so much for being with us and what a beautiful post! You totally just gave me chills and I’m guessing THE RIVER WITCH is going to move me also. Congratulations on your release and thanks again for dancing with us!

    1. Thanks and I love to hear when someone connects with my writing & is moved!! That’s the magic, the ways we find connections & new perspectives & a little bit of our own stories when we share our work. xxoo

  5. Oh, you’re all so sweet! It was such a moment of enlightenment, realizing how my mother’s influence in my life really was transcendent. I’d love to hear your stories of times & ways your Mother was present for you — even in spirit!

  6. Hi Kim, So great to see you today. I’ve had a wonderful birthday and what better way to end it than curling up with The River Witch 🙂 Mothers and grandmothers offer us a special gift, their wisdom whether we hear it now or learn it later. What a lovely tribute to your mother. I can’t want to hear my own mother and grandmother’s voices as I write.

    Jean

    1. I just love you, Jean. I can’t wait to read what you’re writing. Thanks for sharing with me today about your family. It’s inspiring, hearing women remember their heritage & passing it on through story! And if you ever feel the need to go back to Key West for research, I call shotgun! 😉

  7. Ms Kim – You know me. You know my mama. You know what’s going on w/ her/me right now. With eyes overflowing, from the bottom of my heart – thank you for helping me find her again. ‘Lish

  8. Kimberly, thank you for your beautiful tribute! That heart-warming emotion is exactly the captivating essence of your writing that will jumpstart our summer reads with THE RIVER WITCH! Mothers are at the very heart of what life is all about..looking back at favorite memories or looking forward to times yet to be!

  9. thanks for your amazing post! this is the first i’m hearing of your book, but it is most definitely going on my tbr pile right now! : )

  10. Well, what do I say to this?? I was sitting at home that night hoping you were hearing the old Christian songs I use to sing to you on our porch swing, when as a premie baby, you thought you knew better about when you needed a nap. That porch, swing, and song probably saved both of our sanities. I am glad to hear that you feel I am a part of you, because you are very much a part of me. I couldn’t be prouder of you. Well, maybe when your fifth grade teacher told me she couldn’t keep you in your desk because you were a social butterfly 🙂 Your head was always in the clouds as you grew up and now I see the results. I am so blessed to have lived to see you as a beautiful mother of your own brood. I totally love The River Witch!!! Waiting on your next novel now 🙂

    Love,
    Mom

  11. All I can say is that you are a wonderful author and writer Kimberly. If I was with my mom right now I’d run and give her a hug. I’m actually seeing her this weekend so I have to make a note. Congrats on the release and can’t to read it!

    1. Thanks, Amy. That’s very kind. I think our mothers really do define us in ways we might never understand. They are the voices that guide our lives and our spirits. I hope you’ll enjoy the book and drop me a line some time over on my website! I’d love to hear your thoughts. http://www.kimberlybrockbooks.com

      Also, I can announce today that THE RIVER WITCH has been chosen as the June read for national online book club SHE READS!! This is wonderful news for getting this book into the hands of readers! I really hope you’ll all join me to chat about the book, writing, and loads of other good stuff next month. There are several awesome giveaways in the works!

  12. I want to point out my respect for your kind-heartedness in surppot of men and women who really want help on this important concern. Your very own dedication to getting the message throughout ended up being definitely insightful and has frequently helped guys and women just like me to realize their pursuits. The useful suggestions signifies a whole lot to me and substantially more to my peers. Many thanks; from all of us.

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