Suspense author Kimberly Lee chats with me about her new thriller, Have You Seen Him.
Bio:
Kimberly Lee, JD, is a versatile writer, workshop facilitator, editor, and creativity coach with a passion for nurturing the imaginative spirit and helping others reveal their own inner wisdom. Kimberly left the practice of law some years ago to focus on motherhood, community work, and creative pursuits. A graduate of Stanford University and UC Davis School of Law, she is an Amherst Writers & Artists facilitator and serves on its board. She is also trained and certified by Guided Autobiography, The Center for Journal Therapy, The Center for Intentional Creativity, The Path Meditation, and SoulCollage®. She has led workshops at numerous retreats, conferences, and nonprofit and corporate venues. A former editor and regular contributor at Literary Mama, Kimberly has also served on the staffs of Carve and F(r)iction magazines. Her stories and essays have appeared in publications and anthologies including Minerva Rising, LA Parent, Words and Whispers, Toyon, The Ekphrastic Review, Writers Read, I Am Woman: Expressions of Black Womanhood in America, the Better Sleep app, and elsewhere. Kimberly trusts in the magic and mystery of miracles and synchronicity, and believes that everyone is creative and has unique gifts to share. She lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. Connect with Kimberly at KimberlyLee.me.
Welcome, Kimberly. What inspired you to write this book?
Soon after we meet the book’s main character, David, he’s sifting through his mail and sees a missing child ad with his own face. The inspiration for the book is a scenario somewhat similar to that—I was sorting my mail and saw an ad for a child who went missing when he was 10. The computer-progressed image showed him at 40 years old. I thought about how this boy’s family had been searching for over three decades and had never given up trying to find him. The faces haunted me. I tore it out and carried it around in my bag for a while, then sat down to write a story about it.
Excerpt from Have You Seen Him:
Any dead bank employee could tell you this simple fact—bulletproof glass only works if you’re standing behind it. So if you were like Olivia, just promoted to loan officer with a lovely desk out on the floor, you were well on your way to essentially becoming a sitting duck.
Olivia’s aunt brushed off her reservations as they sat in the orderly kitchen that night. Aunt Bernice was a no-nonsense woman; the shiny fixtures and appliances gleamed. “That’s got to be one of the best opportunities you’re gonna get without a college degree. Don’t you dare tell me you’re thinking about turning it down. You better accept that position like the smart girl I raised you to be.”
“I know, Aunt Bernice,” Olivia said, moving to the sink to rinse her teacup. “And you’re right. I already accepted the spot.” She wiped the sink with a yellow kitchen towel and folded it into a tight square, then placed it onto the counter.
“Well, good. You worked hard enough to get it.” The dilemma resolved, Olivia’s aunt returned her rhinestoned cat-eye glasses to her face, her attention back to her ledger.
Despite the increased paycheck and enviable benefits, Olivia’s initial anxiety about her new position never waned. She’d watched too many movies and was highly suggestible, easily spooked by the images she’d seen. She was drawn to crime thrillers, often centering banks, a morbid pull she knew wasn’t good for her. And the little measures she developed to soothe her fears—entering and exiting the establishment only in the company of other workers, fingering the panic button under her desk—didn’t have much of an effect. She tried to be as thrilled as Aunt Bernice was about the new position, but she would have done better to follow the older woman’s more relevant, oft-repeated advice: “Always follow your gut.”
Olivia’s final transaction was a simple one—to close the accounts of a nice-looking family who was moving out of state. They’d arrived at her desk with pointed looks, their identification documents at the ready, their slips filled out. She worked more efficiently than usual, wondering about their backstory. $75,000 was a lot to take in cash.
Olivia snuck long glances at the family as she handled their transaction. The mother had a soft, understated beauty. Something about her was fragile, almost sickly. The teen daughter was pretty, yet solemn. But it was the father’s face, the last one Olivia was to see in this life, that would have haunted her, had she lived.
The robbers approached her desk with small guns in their outstretched arms. Some patrons gasped and others screamed, clutching the nearest stranger. The mother and daughter froze, but the father simply looked at Olivia with bemused resignation, a knowing that this was the end. As if he’d been expecting it.
The handsome man had taken a visible and audible deep breath, slowly closing his eyes then opening them as a handgun was pushed into his neck. Olivia’s ears registered the shots as if they’d taken place far away, on another planet, and she felt the muscles in her own neck clench while blood spurted out of the man. Frozen, she watched the client’s body lean towards her and slump over, his eyes locked on a small, worn photo in his hand. The picture slipped onto Olivia’s desk and she studied the boy’s face, his gleaming eyes. But then the gun turned to Olivia, commanding her attention. The barrel’s diameter was smaller than the ones she’d seen on TV. But just as effective.
What exciting project are you working on next?
Have You Seen Him is the first in a trilogy, so it’s back to my notebook to work on the second installment. Readers say the ending is satisfying, but I also left a few questions open, so it’s pen to page to see what happens next with these characters. I’m not sure myself. As Robert Frost said, “No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader!”
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
In 11th grade, thanks to my English teacher Mrs. Nunes, who was born in the same city as Shakespeare—Stratford-Upon-Avon (as she reminded us at least once a week). She took delight in everything I wrote. While other students had to draft outlines, she’d tell me to follow my muse. She later recommended me for my first writing job, a teen column in our local newspaper. But I claimed the writer label that year more from her encouragement than from the position itself. As Pat Schneider says, ‘A writer is someone who writes.’
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I began Have You Seen Him when one of my sons was five and off to kindergarten. I completed it when he was fifteen, and then took more time to revise it, workshop it, and have it professionally edited, twice. He’s now a junior in college! I had many starts and stops, and I went a few years without working on it at all. But I always came back to it.
I also facilitate workshops and retreats featuring SoulCollage®, Guided Autobiography, creative writing, and journaling. I love seeing people light up as they discover and explore their creative gifts! I really enjoy integrating writing with SoulCollage®, an intuitive collage process that’s fun, accessible, and also pretty magical. The combination of methods offers access to our inner wisdom and hidden stories, through both word and image. I offer workshops in-person and on Zoom, varying from one-day events to longer courses. Recent collaborations include working with veterans in West Los Angeles, at The Huntington, a botanical garden and library in the Pasadena area, and with survivors of the LA fires. I’ve led weeklong retreats at Esalen Institute, Omega Institute, and Hollyhock Retreat Center and have some coming up in 2026. Having uninterrupted time to express ourselves creatively, forming connections while immersed in a beautiful natural setting—it’s a treat!
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
A fair amount of Have You Seen Him was written behind the wheel of my car while waiting for my kids at activities and lessons. Sometimes the words flowed more easily in that environment than during designated writing times at my desk.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An architect. As a writer, I feel like I accomplished that, just in a different way. I design characters, settings, whole new worlds!
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Write down every little idea that comes to you, no matter how insignificant it may seem, even if you don’t know what you will do with it. Welcome it as creative inspiration—who knows where it will lead!
Links:
Website | Instagram | Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes and Noble
— Blog Tour Calendar
August 18 @ WOW! Women on Writing
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Kimberly Lee’s thriller and suspense novel Have You Seen Him. Read an interview with the author and a chance to win a copy of the book yourself. https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
August 20 @ One Writer’s Journey
Visit Sue’s blog for a review of Kimberly Lee’s thriller Have You Seen Him. https://suebe.wordpress.com/
August 21 @ What Is That Book About
Visit Michelle’s blog for a spotlight of Kimberly Lee’s thriller Have You Seen Him. https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/
August 23 @ World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole’s blog for her review of Kimberly Lee’s thriller Have You Seen Him.
https://worldofmyimagination.com/my-blog/
August 25 @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie’s blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee on her journey from attorney to writer and how she leans on that experience for her writing. https://chapterbreak.net/
August 27 @ One Writer’s Journey
Visit Sue’s blog for her response to our tour-themed prompt on what comforts her and gives her a sense of community and connection. https://suebe.wordpress.com/
August 28 @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy’s blog for her review of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
August 29 @ Writer Advice
Visit Lynn’s blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee on inspiring words from other authors. https://writeradvice.com/category/writing-advice/
August 31 @ Words from the Heart
Join Linda’s blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee on her research for the novel Have You Seen Him. https://contemplativeed.blogspot.com/
August 31 @ Live, Love and Laugh for a Healthy Lifestyle
Visit Nicole’s blog for her review of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://liveloveandlaughforahealthylifestyle.wordpress.com/
September 2 @ Live, Love and Laugh for a Healthy Lifestyle
Stop by Nicole’s blog again for her response to our tour-themed prompt on what she dreams of doing and small steps she is taking towards it. https://liveloveandlaughforahealthylifestyle.wordpress.com/
September 3 @ Create Write Now
Visit Mari’s blog for a blog post by Kimberly Lee on transforming everyday events and interactions into great scenes. https://www.createwritenow.com/journal-writing-blog
September 4 @ Words by Webb
Visit Jodi’s blog for her review of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog
September 5 @ Words from the Heart
Visit Linda’s blog for her review of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://contemplativeed.blogspot.com/
September 6 @ A Sip, A Shout, and a Sentence
Join Celyse’s Substack for her review of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://celysewrite.substack.com/
September 7 @ StoreyBook Reviews
Visit Leslie’s blog for her spotlight of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://storeybookreviews.com/
September 9 @ A Wonderful World of Words
Visit Joy’s blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee about writing with images. https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
September 11 @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy’s blog for her response to our tour-themed writing prompt on following her intuition.https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
September 12 @ Sarandipity’s Blog
Visit Sara’s blog for her interview with Kimberly Lee about her newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://sarandipitys.com/blog/
September 13 HERE!
September 15 @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdre’s blog for her spotlight of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://www.astorybookworld.com/
September 16 @ Kaecey McCormick’s blog
Visit Kaecey’s blog for her review of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/blog
September 17 @ Boys’ Mom Reads
Visit Karen’s blog for her review of Kimberly Lee’s newest thriller, Have You Seen Him. https://karensiddall.wordpress.com/
September 18 @ Words by Webb
Stop by Jodi’s blog again for an interview with author Kimberly Lee. https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog
September 18 @ The Frugalista Mom
Visit Rochie’s blog for her response to our prompt about what she dreams of doing and small steps she can take towards it. https://thefrugalistamom.org/
September 20 @ Choices
Visit Madeline’s blog for a guest post by Kimberly Lee on her book’s journey from idea to publication. https://www.madelinesharples.com/
September 21 @ Kaecey McCormick’s blog
Don’t miss Kaecey’s blog stop for an interview with Kimberly Lee. https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/blog
September 25 @ Caitrin King’s blog
Visit Caitrin’s blog for her review of Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee. https://www.caitrincking.com/blog
