An Interview with H. C. Kilgour
H. C. Kilgour has always had an active imagination; now she’s sharing it with you. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, H. C. Kilgour currently lives in Miami, Florida, enjoying the permanent sunshine. She claims you’re most likely to find her in the ocean (perks of being a marine biologist) or with her nose buried in a book. Her first love is fantasy fiction and it certainly shows in her first, but certainly not last, book to be released, Nanagin.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
Christopher Paolini inspired me. I found out he was published at 15 and wanted to be just like him. And I managed it! Just I was 9 years older when I first got published!
What inspired you to start writing this book?
Well, once the characters were created, they refused to be quiet until I had written their story.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
Well, Nanagin was originally called Convergence because it was the convergence of two worlds. But my original publishers thought it was too close to Divergent. My mom eventually suggest we go with Nanagin, since that was the thing which started the action. And here we are!
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
Honestly, there would be a lot of upbeat instrumental like in Pirates of the Caribbean and How to Train Your Dragon.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
Well, I’ve been a martial arts instructor, a Navy marine mammal trainer, worked in water quality, been a children’s library assistant, and currently I’m an environmental permitter for the State of Florida.
What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?
I actually didn’t do much reading while I was working on the first book. Now that I’ve been working on the sequels, I’ve been reading a lot of YA fantasy.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
I hope they have a lot of fun. This book is supposed to be for those people that want adventure without a ton of romance. And for those looking for a bit of an escape.
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