Interview: Kari Kilgore on Beware the Hairs in the Kitchen Sink
A summer-vacation teacher, a small-town lawyer, a semi-retired private investigator, a minor superhero, a stressed-out mom. The seven people in Kari Kilgore’s Beware the Hairs in the Kitchen Sink and Other Tales of Fancy are all somewhere in the middle of their lives, with the aches and the reading glasses to prove it, and aren’t suspecting the surprises in store for them around the corner.
Kari’s collection is one of fifteen exclusive books in The Light Fantasy Bundle, curated by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
The Interview
What can you tell us about the hairs in the kitchen sink without giving the story away?
Only that folks who live in our corner of the Appalachian Mountains tend to be remarkably inventive and ingenious when it comes to using what’s available to us. And often in ways anyone who didn’t come from a thrifty culture like ours could have imagined. That habit and ability may have gotten started back in the days when isolation (and too often poverty) encouraged folks to figure it out for themselves. But it still persists, even in our household with two nerds and access to online shopping. Partly because piddling around and discovering a new solution is so much fun!
What makes a superhero “a minor superhero”?
This story doesn’t quite parallel one of my favorite light fantasy movies, Mystery Men, but they share a similar spirit. More recently, the TV show The Boys also included heroes divided into a hierarchy, though with a much sharper storytelling edge. My minor superheroes are the ones who don’t get all the good press, the endorsement deals, or the chance to attend grand openings and such. Sure, some might say it’s because their powers are minor compared to their more famous counterparts, and they have a point. But when it comes down to it, the minor superheroes are the ones who keep things working on a day-to-day basis. You know, the kinds of behind-the-scenes jobs that top-tier talent don’t have time for (or interest in). This story got its spark when a dear friend of mine wondered who built the lairs for the big superheroes, and I was so tickled by the thought that a story was inevitable.
In “Beware a Dancing Mother-in-Law,” Maggie’s mother-in-law Fran turns up with a new purse: a little navy blue clutch, lined in silk, covered in pale pink writing nobody can read. Then a doctor goes missing. What has Fran got in that purse?
All I’ll say is she makes sure to keep those little travel tissue packs in case anyone needs one. She’s extremely considerate that way. And that besides the rather odd things we found in my mother-in-law’s gigantic navy-blue purse, one of my grandmothers kept brass knuckles and a scarily large handgun in hers! I have no idea how she carried that huge, heavy thing, or why she thought she needed it in our very rural, safe area. Thankfully she never used either one as far as I know. She was quite a bit older than my mother-in-law, of course, but I’m 99% sure that purse was also dark blue. Something to think about…
Your introduction runs through what middle age does to a person, right down to “somehow managing to injure ourselves while we sleep, of all things!” Every one of the seven people in this book is somewhere in that stretch when the strange shows up. Which of them handles it best?
This is a tough call, because I admire all their choices and how they (mostly) managed to keep their cool. Tisha from “Night of the Tactical Attack Storks” does quite well in a situation that may have had at least a touch of real-life inspiration. But I have to go with Deb Powers from “The Strange Critter at the Old Johnston Place.” The critter had a very sensible point of view that just happened to conflict with the needs of the human who called Deb for help. I’d say Deb managed to both figure things out and get them to come to a compromise that’s going to work well for everyone in the future.
Your bio says your wanderlust leads you all over the world. Which one of the seven people in this book would you take along on a trip, and why?
I’m sorely tempted to say I’d take Freddy’s dog Tuli from “The Winds of Fortune,” for many reasons from real life and fantasy. And I probably would. In fact, I’ll back up and say I’d take them both. Freddy strikes me as the kind of traveling partner who’d get you into all kinds of unexpected, unforgettable, and slightly worrisome situations. But he (and Tuli) would manage to get you all back out again, and everyone would have a fabulous time. And bring home the best souvenir of all: a great story to tell.
You finished your first published novel in Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel and it landed on the Bram Stoker preliminary ballot. Since then you’ve written mysteries, romance, space opera, and now seven trips through the adventures of middle age. Is there a kind of story you haven’t tried yet, but want to?
For some reason, I’ve never written an alternate history story. I’ve loved reading and watching those over the years, especially Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut books. And I’ve enjoyed writing time travel, as well as the kinds of odd reality tales you’ll find in Beware the Hairs in the Kitchen Sink and Other Tales of Fancy. So I’d say it’s about time I put alternate history in front of The Little Girl Who Runs the Writing Machine Inside My Head and see what she comes up with!
What are you working on now—and what’s fun or exciting about it?
I’m writing a historical romance novella tied to my current Kickstarter for the Voices Through Time omnibus edition. What I love is I hadn’t planned to write any other stories in that world just yet, but this character just showed up and said “My turn!” I’m really enjoying seeing the main setting from a different perspective, and how much inspiration I still get from those antique postcards. And of course, meeting more of those ornery ghosts. This novella might just turn up as a stretch goal if the campaign gets that far!
To learn more, visit KariKilgore.com. And for news about fun projects like StoryBundles and Kickstarters, along with great exclusives, join the ConfidentialAdventureClub.com. Hope to see you there!
About the Author
Endlessly creative author Kari Kilgore’s wanderlust and imagination lead her all over the world on grand adventures. Her heart and family bring her home to her native Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. From that solid base and with the help of the ever-changing lens of her imagination, she brings those adventures to life in fiction. Kari writes fantasy, romance, science fiction, mystery, and contemporary fiction, and she’s happiest when she surprises herself. She lives with her husband and fellow author Jason A. Adams, various house critters, and nearby wildlife they’re better off not knowing more about.
Find Kari Kilgore
- KariKilgore.com
- Confidential Adventure Club (her newsletter)
- Voices Through Time omnibus on Kickstarter
Get the bundle
Beware the Hairs in the Kitchen Sink and Other Tales of Fancy is one of fifteen exclusive books in The Light Fantasy Bundle, curated by Kristine Kathryn Rusch—funny, light, and romantic fantasy for a jangled season. Pay what you want, starting at $5, and you can choose to send a share of your purchase to World Central Kitchen. Live through October 29, 2026 at storybundle.com/fantasy.