I'm excited to have Carol Kilgore as my guest today as part of her In Name Only blog tour. Carol is stopping by to talk about one of my favorite subjects - dogs!
Take it away, Carol.
Hi, Julie. Thanks for hosting me here on What Else Is
Possible. I'm excited to be spending some time with you and your followers.
I know you are a big pet person, so I thought I would talk
about a pet that appears in my debut novel, IN NAME ONLY. The pet is a little
coppery-colored Chihuahua named Chica.
Just like her human, Maxie Lamar, Chica is full of pep, with
a personality to match. She is definitely the hero of her own story. And you'll
need to read IN NAME ONLY to see how it plays out.
As soon as I knew the role Maxie would play in the story, I
knew she needed a companion. The first thing I thought of was a cat, but almost
as soon as the word cat formed in my
mind, I knew Maxie wouldn't be content with a cat. She needed a small dog—one
that was her canine equivalent. Given the Padre Island setting for the story, a
Chihuahua seemed appropriate.
What do I know about Chihuahuas? I grew up with one named
Little Bit, but I know I'm not an expert.
So I looked online before writing Chica's part to make sure my
memories were correct. Most were. But I had an ace in the hole. My neighbor has
a Chihuahua. Our backyards join, so I spent some time standing on a bench and
peering over the fence to watch the Chihuahua and her sisters, two toy fox
terriers.
I have two large male herding dogs, a rescue border collie
and a blue heeler (Australian cattle dog). Both of our dogs have strong herding
instincts, but each herds in a different way. Our heeler even tries to herd
ducks. I love watching them try to herd each other.
But when our boys and our neighbor's girls are all together,
there's not one bit of herding going on. The little Chihuahua rules. Just like
Chica!
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.
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.
Carol Kilgore is a Texas native who has lived in locations across the U.S. as the wife of a Coast Guard officer. Back under the hot Texas sun in San Antonio, Carol writes a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. She and her husband share their home and patio with two active herding dogs, and every so often the dogs let them sit on the sofa.
Learn more about Carol and follow her here:
Website: http://www.carolkilgore.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolkilgore.author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/carol_kilgore
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094110.Carol_Kilgore
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 Link: http://www.amazon.com/author/ckilgore
Hi Carol, nice to see you here. In Name Only sounds intriguing. And I'd never heard of a blue heeler.
ReplyDeleteFunny the Chihuahua takes over!
ReplyDeleteEm-Musing - Great to see you here, too! A Blue Heeler is also called an Australian Cattle Dog.
ReplyDeleteAlex - They do that :)
The smaller the dog, the bigger the personality! The book looks enticing :)
ReplyDeleteCan just imagine you spying on the neighbour's dog. LOL! Litte dogs just do not recognize their limiting size. ;) Very enticing!
ReplyDeleteI love how much dog research you did. And I grew up with a blue heeler. They are my mother's favorite kind of dog.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree that the smaller the dog, the bigger the personality!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun. A great idea to include a dog in your novel. The way you tied your character's personality to the type of dog she'd own--pure genius.
ReplyDeleteCATachresis - That's often true, but I know some large dogs with large personalities, too.
ReplyDeleteCarrieBoo - She likes me, so it wasn't like a Big Brother thing :)
Johanna - Did your mom's heeler talk? Ours is VERY vocal!
Christine - My neighbor's Chihuahua is one of those very tiny ones. For whatever that's worth :)
Jan - Maxie is so practical; she would never have a pet she didn't like - LOL.
Love it. The blog tour thing is definitely working cause every time I see this book mentioned, it reminds me just how much I want to read it! LOL. It's on my to-be-ordered wish list on my amazon account now. Hope to get my hands on it really soon!
ReplyDeleteLisa - Thanks! Enjoy Summer and Gabe's story :) I'm glad to know the blog tour is working!
ReplyDeleteA little doggie with a huge spirit... it reinforces the idea that "dynamite comes in small packages"...
ReplyDeleteGreat to see, Carol! Waving at Julie :)
ReplyDeleteThe little dogs do usually seem to rule. A house I used to deliver papers to had a pack of dogs. The little one was mean. I wouldn't go up to the door unless the German Shepard was out to protect me.
Michelle - You bet!
ReplyDeleteM Pax - Funny! Live-In Handyman and I once had a Great Dane...who was afraid of my dad's Chihuahua!
So funny--I just now came from another post about dogs. I never grew up with actual dogs, but I used to watch a lot movies and TV shows about dogs and read books about them. When I was a kid it was almost like dogs weren't real and only the stuff of fantasy.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
Good stuff Carol, the dog's size does seem to inversely relate to spunk. I bet those two big dogs keep you all busy though.
ReplyDeleteArlee - Wow. I can't imagine not ever being around a dog growing up. They're so cool.
ReplyDeleteSlamdunk - They're like having two loud and messy toddlers underfoot all day, every day. They're very smart and very loving.
Chihuahuas kick butt! Mine may be mutts, but they have the full chihuahua attitude, thinking they're larger than life.
ReplyDeleteI know a few adults who sound a lot like Chica! Very cute story Carol! Waves to Julie!
ReplyDeleteMichael - Love it! They're just like that :)
ReplyDeleteJulie - How funny!
What a gorgeous cover with an exciting premise! I love when dogs show up in books. They make for some good characters. :D I have a Border Collie mix who herds, too.
ReplyDeleteYour brand of research sounds fun and interesting. Nice touch to include a pet in your story.
ReplyDeleteShelley - Thanks. I still love the cover :) Border collies are great!
ReplyDeleteJ.L. - I'm around dogs every day. Had to do something with them :)
I like the peering over the fence for research :-)
ReplyDeletePadre Island as in Texas? B/c I've been there before.
Susan - Yes, Padre Island as in Texas! Nice to meet you.
ReplyDeleteJulie - Thanks so much for hosting me here. I had a great time and met a few people new to me, too. Win/Win :)
Hi Julie and Carol - love the sound of your book and your cover is certainly enticing. Amazing standing on a bench watching the next door dogs - I'm surprised they didn't cart you off to the local mental home!! But obviously you've added to your memories of Little Bit - bringing Chica to life .. as the companion to Maxie ... Good luck with your book - lots of promotion going on .. cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHilary - My neighbor has a bench on her side, too. We use them to stand on and chat. I just used mine during the day while she was at work :)
ReplyDelete