Kilby Q&A: 10 Things You Always Wanted to Know About “Wild Goose Chase” (But Were Afraid to Ask)

Q: First of all, your book titles are hilarious. What’s the story with you and all these punny names? And what is the deeper meaning of your title, Wild Goose Chase? 

A: Haha, thank you! I do like a good pun. The “Chase” in the title refers to my hero, Chase, who finds himself chasing after Violet (the one woman he knows he shouldn’t love) when she announces her plan to leave his employ. It also refers to him chasing the truth about how his friend, Todd, died in the line of duty. Todd, BTW, is Violet’s late husband, which is why Chase is doing his absolute best to ignore that he is hopelessly in love with her.

Q: Ooh! A forbidden love story. Why do you think people love them so much? 

A: Forbidden love stories capture the essential chaos of falling in love better than any other trope. To experience true love (or even true lust or true infatuation) is to experience something uncontrollable, and absolutely wild. That feeling you get, when the chemistry is unstoppable, is what makes it dangerous and exciting. The other thing I love (and that I think most of us love) about forbidden love is that it’s real. A good forbidden romance is about more than just the love story—it’s about the messiness of morality, and consequences, and sacrifice. 

Q: Just how morally gray is this story? 

A: Chase has a strong sense of duty, which makes sense since he’s a former firefighter. He promised Todd that he would take care of Violet and her kids if tragedy ever struck and he feels obliged to do what he said without foisting his feelings upon her. Chase is also just a stand-up guy who recognizes his power as Violet’s boss and her relative lack of power as a financially compromised single mom, and he would never want to take advantage of her vulnerability. Adding to Chase’s moral dilemma is the fact that he had a crush on Violet before she met Todd. On some level, he’s always coveted his friend’s wife, and he’s not proud of that. 

Q: Hmm…that sounds serious. But you’re known for your multi-award-winning Rom-Com, including some earlier books by you in this series. Would you call this a Rom-Com or more of an angsty romance? 

A: Definitely a Rom-Com. One subplot of the book is Violet announcing her plan to start dating again for the first time since Todd’s death. Chase, being in love with her, clearly does not want her dating and does some pretty fun things to compete with and sabotage Rod, the cheesy guy Violet goes out with a few times. Also, Violet has two adorable kids and Chase is a fun and funny surrogate dad. And none of my books in this universe would be complete without the men from the Green Valley Fire Department meddling in their buddies’ love life. I love a good bromance. 

Q: Speaking of bromance…which of our favorite Green Valley Firefighters make an appearance in this book? 

A: Forrest Winters, the hero from Forrest for the Trees, makes more than an appearance. He’s a central character in the book who is working with Chase to investigate Todd’s death, so there’s a lot of Forrest and Sierra. Also, Chase made an appearance in Forrest for the Trees (Forrest and Sierra had their first date on his peach farm) so there’s a solid friendship between the two. The other guys from the firehouse make an appearance at poker night and in another scene that I won’t spoil for those of you who haven’t read it. Let’s just say, the brotherhood is strong. You’ll see Buck Rogers from Young Buck, the forever-cheating-at-cards Grizz Grady, and a number of other characters from Green Valley Heroes books! 

Q: I mean, this sounds pretty fun but parts of the blurb make it sound kind of angsty. Tell me the truth: will this book bring me down before it brings me up? 

A: No, this book will absolutely not bring you down. Something I think I’m pretty good at is portraying people as whole people, including the struggles in their lives, without being Debbie Downer. Chase lives with some PTSD and it’s part of who he is, but the book isn’t about his PTSD. Both Violet and Chase are grieving for Todd, but his death was three years before the book starts, and the book is not acutely about grief. Wild Goose Chase acknowledges all they’re carrying but it’s fundamentally about them overcoming the worst moment in both of their lives to find the happiness they richly deserve.

Q: Phew! Now…what can you say about surrogate dad, Chase? Why are great dads so hot? 

A: ::fans self:: I know, right? So hot. To me, being a great dad is one of the sexiest qualities a man can possess and I loved portraying that in my book. Bri and Trey are Violet’s kids and Chase’s godchildren who he’s been around since they were born. He gives them the greatest gift that any adult can give a child: letting them know they’re loved, and that they’re important, that they’re capable, and that they matter. He so clearly adores them and is fiercely protective of them. A lot of the feels you’ll get from reading this book is in seeing that relationship. 

Q: Speaking of all the feels…rumor has it you’re a notorious crier when it comes to rereading your own books. First of all, is that true? If so, what scenes in this book made you cry? 

A: Yes. Guilty as charged. I cry at all the good parts whenever I reread my books. I know it makes no sense. It’s not like any of what happens should come as a surprise. But any time I reread one of my books, I’m still experiencing it in real-time, and through empathizing with my characters, the tears flow, and flow. In this book, I cried at a few scenes involving Chase and Violet’s daughter, Bri, who is at the age where she is really feeling the fact that she doesn’t have a dad. There are a few other scenes I can’t tell you about (because, spoilers) involving Chase and Violet and another involving just Chase. This book is full of all the feels. 

Q: I’ve asked you a lot about Chase. What should readers know about Violet? 

A: I really relate to Violet. She’s been dealt some tough blows, but takes time to count her blessings. She’s a mom who’s doing the best she can for her kids. She’s gone back to school for interior design; she knows her dreams and has her priorities straight; and she’s trying to get past her own grief. Life knocked her down and she’s getting up again. But even with all that, she’s still a mom, which means she’s overbusy, overtired, and never gets a moment’s peace. What I love about Violet is that she embodies all the strength and power of a woman in possession of her own life, while understanding, and showing, her own vulnerability. I’m not a single mom, but I see so much of myself in Violet. I think a lot of other women will, too.

Q: Final question: does this book have any surprises or twists? 

A: Yes! It doesn’t pop out of the description, but there is some tremendously amazing courtroom drama at the end of the book. And, if you love courtroom drama, you are going to love these chapters. I grew up watching Perry Mason with my dad (who was an attorney) and following famous cases alongside him. These final scenes will make you laugh and cry at the same damn time 😆