KELLI’S QUILL
The Official Newsletter of Author Kelli A. Wilkins
May/June Issue (Vol. 5
Number 3)
Happy
Summer Everyone! Hope you’re all enjoying the warm weather and enjoying life.
This issue is filled with news about my two upcoming romances, and a special
look at cats! (June is Adopt-a-cat month.)
FOR READERS:
Get
Ready For Two New Romances This Summer!
Kelli has 2 new books coming out within 2 weeks of each
other!
Killer in Wolf's Clothing will be released by Amber Quill Press
on July 22, 2012. It's her14th AQP book, and second gay romance.
The Viking's Witch is being published by Medallion Press on
August 1, 2012. This historical will be available for pre-order in July.
Stay tuned for more updates, covers, and links. Meanwhile, be sure to check out
the blog pages (with excerpts!!) for each book. Here’s a brief summary of each!
Killer in Wolf's Clothing
A super aggressive Alpha male, a serial killer, and a
visit to a kinky sex club…What has Larry gotten himself into?
When Larry learns that his boyfriend Greg changes into
another man during the full moon, he has a hard time accepting it—until he
meets Deke, Greg’s alternate Alpha personality.
Deke doesn’t play nice and has no time for games. He only
wants two things—to get laid and to get revenge against the arsonist who
murdered his friends. Finally free from Greg’s restraints, Deke is ready for
action, and Larry is more than willing to submit to Deke’s needs.
Together, Larry and Deke set out to find the killer. Their
hunt takes them to an all-night Alpha sex club where things heat up for the two
of them. But when Larry unwittingly falls into the clutches of the murderer,
it’s up to Deke—and Greg—to save him before it’s too late.
Scotland, 803 A.D.
About to be burned at the stake by her fellow villagers,
Odaria does what any betrayed witch facing certain death would do. She calls
down a curse. Within seconds, rampaging Norsemen raid the village, capturing
everyone except her.
But her reprieve is short-lived, and Odaria lands in the
clutches of the Norse leader Rothgar. Can she remain true to herself and fight
her growing attraction to this domineering man, or will she fall under his
influence and be used for his ambitions?
After Rothgar witnesses Odaria’s powers firsthand, he
strikes a bargain with her. The raven-haired beauty will use her magical
abilities to help him with his quest in exchange for safe passage off the isle.
But can this cunning woman be trusted, or is she using him to exact vengeance
on her village?
Together they must fight bloodthirsty villagers, battle a
mutinous band of Norsemen, find a missing Norse ship, and learn to trust each
other . . . before time is up.
This book will be available for pre-order in July! Order
a copy here:
Read a Great Book & Help Shelter Cats!
June is Adopt-A-Cat month and as always, I’m advocating
adopting pets (of all kinds) from shelters and giving them a real home. (Would
you want to live out the rest of your life in a wire cage?)
As a writer, my love of cats has naturally extended into my
writing. In December 2011 my short story “Just an Innocent Little Cat” was
included in the Dark Things II: Cat Crimes anthology.
This collection of 21 tales (tails?) features feline
mayhem, murder, and other things you always suspected cats were doing when you
weren’t looking. Cats you don't want in your worst nightmares and cats you might
want on your side against evil. (My story falls into the latter CATegory.)
All
proceeds from sales go to several cat sanctuaries across the USA. If you like
mystery/suspense/horror or just like to read cat stories, order a copy and help
give a needy cat a new leash on life.
I even found a way to weave cat adoption into my
contemporary romance, Trust with Hearts. The subplot of the book
– Sherrie’s devotion to save Kitty Corner – was crucial because I wanted to
give her a purpose, something to build her self-esteem. Sherrie’s cat adoption
project lets her help unfortunate cats who need rescuing and good homes. It
parallels how Dave takes Sherrie in (aka “rescues” her) and gives her a second
chance at a new life.
FOR WRITERS:
Killing Your
Darling Characters
Have you started writing a story (or an article) that you
just can’t seem to finish? Have you ever wondered why?
In some cases, it could be writer’s block. You’ve gotten to
a certain part of the story and run out of plot or ideas, or just don’t know
what to do next. (I’ll blog about that more in future issues of the Quill.)
Or in other cases, it might be a case of not wanting to let
go. Recently, a writer told me she didn’t want to finish the story she was
writing. Why? Because she’d fallen in love with the characters and she hated to
leave them behind. When the story was done, she wouldn’t be in their lives
anymore.
That’s true – but your story can’t take on a life of it’s
own (i.e. get published and in readers’ hands) until you finish it and send it
off into the world.
Part of the joy of writing is creating interesting
characters and following along on their journey throughout the story.
Unfortunately, not all journeys have happy endings, and sometimes you have to
kill off a character or leave him/her in fate’s hands.
It’s hard. I had to do it in my book, The Pauper Prince. I won’t give away the identity of who I had to
kill, but sadly, that character had to go for the sake of the story. (I cried,
but I did it anyway.) Remember, if it’s crucial to the plot to have a character
die, then you have to kill him (or her) off. If it helps to soothe your grief,
give your character a heroic death, one that takes place off-page, or one where
he or she comes to an understanding that it’s time to go and quietly moves on.
But whatever you do, finish the story. Then set it aside for
a while. When you’re ready, you can come back to it (to edit and revise) and
not feel so emotionally attached to your characters and their plights.
If you just can’t bear to bring yourself to “kill your
darling” then reconsider if that character is right for that plot. It could be
that your main character is looking to save himself for bigger and better
things - or the next story that comes along!
Q&A WITH KELLI
Here’s an excerpt
from Kelli’s interview with Manic Readers. (The link to the full interview is
on the News page of Kelli’s site: www.KelliWilkins.com)
MR: You are indeed a multi-published author with
“10-Minute Romances” in the Sun for
one —tell us about these romance stories. How did you get started writing them?
Can anyone write and submit or what was the process you went through to get
yours published?
KELLI: The Sun’s romances
were a lot of fun to write. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the Sun is no longer publishing fiction. The
“10-Minute Romances” were some of the first short stories I had published. One
day I came across a copy of the Sun,
read the romance and said, “I can write this!” so, I did. I had the pleasure of
working with a fantastic editor on all my Sun
stories, and it was a great experience.
MR: I saw some non-fiction works on your beautiful
website about cats & kittens and an unusual choice of pets, the hermit
crab. Tell our Manic Readers about these books.
KELLI: I’m naturally an animal lover, which is a good thing,
considering many of my books and short stories are about pets! I’ve written
three pet care books, including Hermit
Crabs for Dummies, Cats, Quick & Easy Cat & Kitten Care, and I was
the co-author of award-winning book, The
Simple Guide to Cats.
I enjoy writing pet care guides because I feel that all too
often, people buy a pet because it’s “cute” (or it’s a curiosity), without
knowing how to properly care for it. My
goal with these books is to educate pet owners/readers in an informative, yet
fun way, and teach them everything they need to know about keeping their pet
happy and healthy throughout its lifetime. It’s sad to think of how many pets
are neglected because owners don’t properly care for them.
For example, most people don’t realize that hermit crabs
need proper humidity and moisture levels in order to stay hydrated breathe
through their gills (yes, they have gills!), and that they do not reproduce in
captivity. I learned a lot about hermit crabs when writing that book, and I
hope readers learn something, too.
MR: Do you write under more then one name why or why
not?
KELLI: I don’t write under a pen name. I work hard on all of
my books and short stories and I deserve credit for them. I think readers want
to connect with authors and get to know the person who wrote the book they’re
reading. (Remember the Richard Bachman/Stephen King fiasco? It annoyed a lot of
readers.)
I’ve talked to authors who’ve written under their real names
in one genre (for example, non-fiction) and used pen names for other genres
(say, horror fiction). Most of them regret doing it, because it’s a lot of
work. If you write under different names you need to build separate websites
and author pages for each pen name. Also, it’s hard to establish a wide fan
base if people aren’t sure who you “really” are.
One benefit to writing everything in my own name is that I
can list all of my writings (in each genre) on one website. This makes it
easier for readers to find my books and other stories.
I hope you enjoyed
this issue of Kelli’s Quill. Feel free to share with other readers,
writers, and everyone you know who likes a good book!
Until next time,
Kelli
