Q & A with author Carol Kilgore

Thanks for being here today, Carol. Would you please share a short bio about yourself? 
Thank you for hosting me. It's a real treat for me to spend time on your blog. I'm a Texas native, but I've lived in many different places around the U.S. as a military spouse. We now live in San Antonio with two active herding dogs that share their sofa with us every once in a while. Most of my novels are set in Texas because it's the place I know best. Besides, I want readers to see my view of Texas. I write a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance I call Crime Fiction with a Kiss. There's always at least one crime, and there's always a romance or a love story.

Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?
Introverted, yes. Shy, no.

In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career? 
I like people, and I enjoy meeting new people both online and in person. But I also enjoy Me Time, and I cherish my privacy. Perhaps I should say I did cherish my privacy. I stayed away from social networking until last year. Not only did I resent the time I knew it would take, I didn't want everything about me out there for anyone to see. But I knew becoming socially connected was a necessary step if I wanted any sort of success for my novels. Now I enjoy the interaction, and I'm somewhat comfortable with people knowing more about me.

In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?
Because I'm an introvert, I enjoy spending time by myself. Writing a novel requires a lot of alone time, so the actual planning, writing, and editing parts of creating a novel benefit greatly from my being an introvert.

What’s the hardest part of this business for you?
Self-Promotion. I'm happy to promote and talk about other writers and their books all day long. But promoting myself is a different ballgame. It's much easier for me to be a cheerleader for other writers and their books than it is for me to cheer for myself. So my own self-promotion doesn't make much use of pom-poms or cartwheels.

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life? 
This is a difficult question for me to answer. Stepping outside my comfort zone has been a part of my life for a long time. Basically, I just pull up my Big Girl Panties, take a deep breath, and plunge in. The same with publishing a book. There's no other way. You can't let fear paralyze you into doing nothing.

What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?
Build bridges to others, no matter who they are. Treat people the way you would like to be treated. Take the responsibility for establishing relationships with readers and writers—don't wait for them to reach out to you. Bottom line: Be a friend.

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it? 

No home. No family. No place to hide. For Summer Newcombe, that's only the beginning.

The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she's attracted to Gabe, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible.

No matter how much she yearns for a real home, Summer relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. Summer has vowed never to kill again, but she's frantic she'll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.

IN NAME ONLY is available exclusively at Amazon:

Where can my readers find you on the web? 
I do most of my communicating on my blog, Under the Tiki Hut, and on my Facebook Author Page. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to best utilize Goodreads. And I tweet sporadically. I'm always open for LIKES and FOLLOWS where they're an option!

Website: http://www.carolkilgore.net
Blog: http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolkilgore.author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/carol_kilgore
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094110.Carol_Kilgore
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/ckilgore

Thanks for visiting us today, Carole!