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Monday, August 18, 2014

Author interview - Carol Kilgore

Today I have author Carol Kilgore here to answer a a few questions, tell us a little about the book she's written, and a little more about the book she'll soon be releasing.

http://www.amazon.com/Solomons-Compass-Carol-Kilgore-ebook/dp/B00C0F8DZ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408365018&sr=8-1&keywords=solomon%27s+compass

When Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell returns to Rock Harbor, Texas, to tend to her uncle’s estate, she meets a mysterious former Navy SEAL, Jake Solomon, and learns her uncle didn't drown accidentally. His murder was one in a string of murders of a group of Vietnam veterans who called themselves the Compass Points.

Before her uncle died, he sent Taylor a message with the location of his buried treasure. Unearthing it will place her squarely in the killer’s crosshairs, but she’s determined to fulfill her uncle’s last wish.

Jake, sent to protect her and find the killer, has other plans. His mission would be much easier to accomplish if he could forget how good she’d tasted when he kissed her.


1. Where did the idea for Solomon’s Compass come from?
My ideas rarely come tied in a neat little package. Solomon's Compass was no exception. I knew the story would be set on the Texas coast, and I wanted to write about a small ship chandler. Nothing came together for me, so I let that idea simmer. I also wanted to write a story about the Coast Guard, and that one was starting to take shape. Then one night I had a dream. When I woke, I knew how to make the story work. I combined elements from both stories, changed some the characters around, and Solomon's Compass was born. But it wasn't an easy birth.


2. Wow, that’s pretty cool that a dream helped you pull the two ideas together. Who did you model Taylor after, if anyone, and how did her character reveal herself to you?
I modeled Taylor after USCG Captain Anne Ewalt, now retired. I didn't know her, but she agreed to a couple of short interviews. When we spoke, she was the commanding officer of the USCG Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia. She graciously took time from her busy schedule and answered all my many questions. Like Taylor, Captain Ewalt was a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, and every inch a Coastie. My husband is also a retired Coastie, so I've been around the Coast Guard for many years. There's probably a little bit of a lot of Coasties in Taylor. When the book was published, I sent a
copy to Anne. After reading it, she emailed me with an idea for a sequel and said, in part, "...every time you mention Taylor's crew, or her CG life, or her choices, pressures, etc. I say to myself, 'She got it exactly right!'"

3. That must’ve made you feel good! What did you learn from writing Solon’s Compass?
A lot! Mostly I learned how to trust my subconscious - not just in writing but also in life. I also learned more about the history of the Coast Guard, especially during the Vietnam Era. A few of the other things I learned were the principles of sailing a catamaran, what the cover of an old James Bond paperback looked like, and the importance of decluttering!

4. Ha! I need a lesson on decluttering! Tell us what you’re working on now…? Where did the idea come from? When will it be released? Cover pic?


I've just sent SECRETS OF HONOR to the formatter, and it will be released in Kindle and print on September 15. Like with Solomon's Compass, the idea for Secrets of Honor arrived in bits and pieces. If anything, it was even more scattered. I'm not sure what my initial inspiration for the story was. One day it was just in my head to write something "spylike" that had a jewel thief as the main character. In the first version, Kat and Dave were not a team, and there was a whole other subplot that I stripped out, as it didn't add anything to the message of what the story turned out to be. When I did that, I discovered that I needed different motivations for most of the characters. Once I had those, the story came together. I'm still in love with the cover, which was designed by the awesome Linda Kage. My next project will be a trilogy. I'm currently mapping out the overall elements of each of the three books and the trilogy itself.

5.  And just for fun, what was your first car?

Omigosh, major flashback! My first car was a beat-up, OLD, black Ford with a stick shift on the column and no air conditioning. Whenever my speed dropped below 30mph, I had to downshift or it would chug and lurch like a zombie with the hiccups. It's because of this car that I learned to drive fast :)

7. Finally last book read and next on your TBR list?


The last book I read was Organized to Death by Jan Christensen. It's a lighthearted mystery with an amateur sleuth who's a professional organizer. It's fun, and there's a romantic element with Hank the Hunk. I just started reading Blessed are the Dead by Kristi Belcamino. It's a darker story about a crime reporter at a newspaper, and so far very good. I highly recommend both books to readers that like reading in these genres.

Thanks for the recommendations, Carol, and thanks a bunch for coming by :)

 http://underthetikihut.blogspot.com/

44 comments:

  1. Lurch like a zombie with hiccups - now that's descriptive!
    That's cool you nailed it for Anne.

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    1. I was very happy to read those words from her, Alex.

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  2. I wish I had more dreams like you do! Love that you learned to trust your subconscious.

    "Organized to Death" sounds like a fun read.

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    1. I wish I had more dreams like that! Learning to trust my subconscious has made my life MUCH easier :)

      ORGANIZED TO DEATH is fun!

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  3. Your subconscious (or that little voice I hear as I call it) can lead you to good things.Wish I could learn how to get rid of the clutter. Kristi's Blessed Are the Dead is a good book. She capture's a reporter very accurately.

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    1. Mason, I learned about Kristi's book on your blog :)

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  4. How awesome that you modeled a character after Captain Ewalt - openly, with her cooperation, and she loved it!

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    1. Dianne, that's the short answer. Anne and I spoke only a few times, corresponded a few more. We've never met face to face. Longish answer follows.

      I did tell her my character was short - and it turns out she is, too. I needed to know special challenges she faced being short and being a woman in the Coast Guard. Very little of that made it into the book, but it did shape who my character was. I also posed several what-if questions to her about story events pertaining to the mystery side. I used those answers together with the attitude that comes with having command status as a basis for her personality. And then I mixed in a heaping cup of woman and mixed well :)

      I'm very happy she liked the result.

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  5. I've had Carole's book in my little black book for TBR for a while. I need to get on it because it sounds so interesting. Mystery and romance, what could be better?

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    1. Cool! I totally get that TBR list. My Kindle is loaded. I hope you enjoy :)

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  6. Beautiful Carol!! I had to google "small ship chandler"!! LOL!! And thank you for the new word "coastie"!!! I like that!! All the best you gorgeous creature you!!! And big hello Marcy! Take care
    x

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    1. You're purrfectly sweet, Old Kitty :) I'm happy you like Coastie!

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  7. This book sounds wonderful! I'm so jealous of people whose dreams help with book inspiration. My dreams never do that... :(

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    1. Those helping dreams are few and far between. I mostly have the other kind.

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  8. Great interview! I love hearing how authors get their inspiration.

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    1. So do I, Stephanie. Usually it's just there and I have to really think about where the idea may have come from.

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  9. The Texas coast sounds like a very interesting place to begin a story of this caliber.

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    1. I love the Texas coast because I grew up there in a way. We lived in Houston, but one of my uncles had a fishing cabin on Galveston Bay. We spent almost every weekend there. I learned to fish and to drive a boat and to stay where I was told if someone hooked a stingray or hardhead. I also got to meet all kinds of interesting people at the local watering hole/general store.

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  10. Thank you Marcy. I am always grateful to learn more about Carol, her books and her mind.
    I love your sunflower header too.

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    1. I love Marcy's sunflower, too. Speaking of my mind ... it went for a walk. Have you seen it?

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    2. Carol: It is probably out to lunch with my mind. And I wasn't invited to join them.

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  11. Nice interview, Carol. I hope your blog tour and book sales are having a lot of success.

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    1. Thanks, Clarissa. I hope the same for you!

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  12. Decluttering . . . ah yes, I need to get back to that. After a few more blogs :)
    Love the interview!

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    1. Things at my house are mess right now - LOL!

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  13. Carol, thanks so much for the shout out about my novel, Organized to Death. It's much appreciated. I can return the favor a bit by telling all Marcy's readers how great Solomon's Compass is, and also, In Name Only. Read both! You won't be disappointed. I'm anxiously awaiting the launch of your third, Secrets of Honor. Keep writing! Oh, and I enjoyed the interview, too! Always fun to learn more about you.

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    1. Thanks, Jan! What a great surprise comment. Much appreciated :)

      Jan is a great writer, too!

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  14. Although I've followed Carol around the blogosphere for several years, I learned more about her today than in all that time. Cool!

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    1. Oh, no! The mystery of me is leaking out :)
      Great to see you here.

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  15. Sounds like an interesting book. I love how you were able to interview someone to help with your main character.

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    1. Anne was awesome. I knew a lot about the Coast Guard, but I knew it from a male perspective and from a dependent's viewpoint. I needed to see how it was from a female Coastie.

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  16. Carol, Solomon's Compass sounds like a lot of fun. Best of luck with your upcoming release.

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    1. I had fun writing it. And I have to say Jake Solomon was quite persistent as to his role in the story. He didn't like my original plan at all :)

      Thank you for your good luck wishes. Much appreciated.

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  17. Quite a bit of death in that TBR list. ;) Loved the interview, and here's a huge high five to us for being able to tap into our subconsciousness! There's nothing more powerful if you ask me.

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    1. I read a lot of crime fiction of one sort or another. You're right about the powerfulness of the subconscious.

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    2. It's definitely the most creative tool we have in our arsenal.

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  18. Great interview! I loved the description of your first car, Carol. I get a lot of my inspiration from dreams too.

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  19. Thanks, Christine. That car was such a piece, but it got me where I wanted to go :)

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  20. Thanks for having me here, Marcy. I had a great week!

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  21. Loved having you here :)

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  22. greetings to Lady Kilgore

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  23. Solomon's Compass sounds amazing! I also love how the different elements came together in a dream. Excellent cover as well.

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