Halfway Hexed
Table of Contents
PRAISE FOR
Barely Bewitched
“Frost’s latest Southern Witch novel has all the fun, fast, entertaining action readers have come to expect from her . . . Populated with fairies, goblins, vampires, wizards, rampant plants, and a few nasty-tempered humans thrown in for good measure, there’s no end to the things that can and do go hilariously wrong.”
—Monsters and Critics
“What an amazing author! Kimberly Frost’s Southern Witch series is fated for great things.
Barely Bewitched
was full of romance, magical havoc, and goes from one wild scenario to another. I was definitely hooked all throughout the book and couldn’t put it down . . . I am definitely going to read Kimberly Frost’s next novel!”
—Romance Junkies
“The author is on a roll with Tammy Jo. Book two has as much action as the first, if not more. Ms. Frost’s sharp wit and interesting characters propel the story to a satisfying end.”
—A Romance Review
“Kimberly Frost’s Southern Witch series is destined for great things. Full of action, suspense, romance, and humor, this story had me hooked from the first page until the last.”
—Huntress Reviews
Would-Be Witch
“Delivers a delicious buffet of supernatural creatures, served up Texas-style—hot, spicy, and with a bite!”
—Kerrelyn Sparks, New York Times bestselling author
“
Would-Be Witch
is an utter delight. Wickedly entertaining with a surprise on every page. Keeps you guessing until the end. Kimberly Frost is a talent to watch.”
—Annette Blair, national bestselling author of Never Been Witched
“Kimberly Frost makes a delightful debut with
Would-Be Witch
. It’s witty, sexy, and wildly imaginative. Great fun to read. A terrific new series from a wonderful new author.”
—Nancy Pickard, Agatha Award—winning author of The Scent of Rain and Lightning
“More magically delicious than Lucky Charms—Kimberly Frost’s
Would-Be Witch
is bewitchingly fantastic!”
—Dakota Cassidy, national bestselling author of You Dropped a Blonde on Me
“A big, heaping helping of Southern-fried magical fun! If you like a lot of laughter with your paranormal fiction, you’ll love Frost’s series.”
—Alyssa Day, USA Today bestselling author
“Hilarious start to the new Southern Witch series that will keep you laughing long into the night! . . . Ms. Frost is an author to watch for in the future.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A wickedly funny romp . . . The story trips along at a perfect pace, keeping the reader guessing at the outcome, dropping clues here and there that might or might not pan out in the end. I highly recommend this debut and look forward with relish to the next installment in the Southern Witch series.”
—Romance Junkies
“What a debut! This quirky Southern Witch tale of a magically uncoordinated witch with an appreciation of chocolate is likely to win over readers by the first page.”
—A Romance Review
“One heck of a debut from Kimberly Frost . . . This is definitely an excellent read, and for a debut, it’s nothing less than fantastic . . . I sure don’t want to miss what further misadventures Tammy Jo becomes involved in.”
—
ParaNormal Romance
“Delightful, witty, and full of sass, this new series promises mega action, comedy, and romance. With this first Southern Witch novel, Kimberly Frost has made a fan of me. NOT to be missed!”
—Huntress Reviews
Berkley titles by Kimberly Frost
WOULD-BE WITCH
BARELY BEWITCHED
HALFWAY HEXED
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2011 by Kimberly Chambers.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
BERKLEY
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley trade paperback edition / February 2011
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Frost, Kimberly.
Halfway hexed / Kimberly Frost.—Berkley trade paperback ed.
p. cm.
eISBN : 978-1-101-47852-3
1. Witches—Fiction. 2. Magic—Fiction. 3. Texas—Fiction. 4. Chick lit. I. Title.
PS3606. R655H35 2011
813’.6—dc22
2010042752
For my mom, Audrey.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the librarians, reviewers, and booksellers who recommended the Southern Witch series to their readers and customers, especially Karla and Jan from KBB, Anne from Murder by the Book, and Laura from Barnes & Noble on Holcombe. I’d also like to thank the book and readers’ groups who invited me to their events. I had a great time visiting with all of you.
Special thanks to my amazing family and friends, my critique partners David and Bonnie, my agent Elizabeth, and the team at Berkley, especially Leis and Caitlin.
And, of course, many thanks to my readers/fans. I write for you.
Chapter 1
The reason I don’t normally bother to plan my schedule is that something unexpected always seems to come up and throw it off. That Friday when I got kidnapped was a prime example.
It was only four days after I’d almost been incinerated and drowned, but I was hopeful that I could balance my new life as a witch with my old life as a pastry chef. I’d accepted a commission—my first ever—from an accountant who donates her time to the Texas Friends of Fish and Fowl. As a celebration of their third anniversary, they were holding a regional fund-raiser in Duvall, and the centerpiece was to be a chocolate sculpture designed by yours truly. They wanted it to involve birds and fish, which was a bit of a challenge to my creativity because although fish are tasty—as anything but dessert—I just don’t see them as art.
I was hard at work on a woodland scene with fish popping out of a brook when the bells chimed, announcing that someone had opened the front door to Cookie’s Bakery. I glanced at the clock. It was twelve twenty, so Cookie hadn’t returned from her lunch break yet. In the bargain we’d struck, Cookie would let me use the bakery, if I covered her lunch hour and one Saturday.
I wiped my hands on a rag and walked out to the glass counter to find my mailman, George. Technically he’s not mine. He belongs to the town, but he’s delivered the mail to our house since I was five, and his route always seems to be expanding. Truth be told, George would like to be the only mailman in town. He considers postal work a calling.
“Hey, George. Are you in the mood for a cinnamon roll or a caramel pecan one?” I asked with a smile.
His bushy silver eyebrows rose. If a hedgehog ever mated with a hobbit, George could’ve had a twin. “I’m not on a break, Tammy Jo. I’m here on official postal business.”
I smiled a little wider. “Okay, then. I’ll take the bakery mail,” I said, holding out my hand.