Love Paranormal Romances? Don’t miss In Another World

 

Hi everyone,

Happy September! We’re fast approaching my favorite holiday, Halloween. I’ve decided to blog about my paranormal romances in September and focus on my horror stories for October.

Today I’m sharing a look at the making of In Another World. This contemporary romance novel blends a murder mystery with the world of the paranormal. Here’s the book summary and links…

In Another World

A Paranormal Mystery/Romance Novel

Disgraced psychic medium Julie Kershaw has finally met her soul mate. The problem is he’s dead… and his spirit haunts the car she just bought.

The spirit of Detective Eddie Mahoney is determined to find his killer and needs Julie’s help. At first, she refuses. She’s tired of being called crazy and swore she’d never use her abilities to speak to the dead again—even if Eddie is handsome and charming.

Eddie persuades Julie to contact his former partner, Lou Kaplonski, to ask him to reopen his case. Skeptical, Lou dismisses Julie as a fake—until she proves she can communicate with the dead—and he finds out Eddie has a lot to say.

Julie channels Eddie’s spirit and together with Lou, the unusual trio tracks down leads and follows clues to solve Eddie’s murder. The case takes them down a dark and dangerous path filled with secrets, where nobody can be trusted.

As they work to find his killer, Julie falls for Eddie. Funny, smart, and sexy, Eddie is the guy of her dreams—and he doesn’t look or act the least bit dead. To her surprise, Eddie discovers a clever way they can be together, and they begin an ethereal romance.

When Lou’s investigation brings him too close to the killer, his life and Julie’s are put in danger—and Eddie may be the only one who can save them.

Order your copy here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R11STRN

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/bpw16g

In Another World has been a labor of love for many years. I’m thrilled that I finally finished the book, and now readers can enjoy the story and meet these very unusual characters I’ve created.

The book opens with Detective Eddie Mahoney, an undercover police officer, in a jam. His cover has been blown and he’s in the middle of nowhere with two criminals. Things don’t end well for Eddie, and although he doesn’t make it out of his predicament alive, his role in the book is just beginning.

Yes, you read that right. I killed off my main character—and the hero of the book—in the first few pages. Why? Because this isn’t your typical romance. Eddie is dead right from the start, but that doesn’t mean he can’t fall in love.

Next, readers are introduced to a headstrong woman named Julie Kershaw. She’s arguing with an unscrupulous used car dealer named Big Al. He sells her a car for cheap, and Julie is suspicious. Naturally, she wonders if there’s a catch, and there is. The car is haunted by… you guessed it—Eddie.

Eddie has been trying to communicate with the car’s previous owners, but never had any luck until Julie bought the car. At first, Eddie doesn’t realize that Julie is a psychic medium and can communicate with spirits. Once he knows she can see and hear him, Eddie uses his charms and persuades her to help him find his killer.

And so begins this unusual romance.

Most people would think this is a bit absurd. And maybe some readers will. But once you get drawn into the story and see that Eddie is pretty much like any other romantic hero (he just happens to be dead), the story flows along.

Eddie and Julie visit Eddie’s former partner, Lou Kaplonski, to persuade him to reopen Eddie’s case. Lou thinks Julie is crazy and can’t possibly be talking to Eddie. When Julie tells Lou things only Eddie knows, Lou is convinced Julie is telling the truth. Lou and Eddie start working the case just like old times. (Sorta.)

Lou is a great guy, and I loved writing for him. On the outside he appears to be a tough, no-nonsense detective who takes his job seriously. When he first meets (and interrogates) Julie, he acts like a typical “bad cop” and is very rough with her.

Lou doesn’t believe in ghosts and thinks all psychics are fakes. He’s also taken Eddie’s death personally. He feels like a failure because he couldn’t find his partner’s killer, and he is still working through his grief. Once Lou starts investigating with Eddie and Julie, his true personality comes out, and he’s more determined than ever to catch Eddie’s killer.

When I wrote the book, I had to make sure readers were able to follow the investigation along with Lou, even when Julie and Eddie weren’t present. I’ve never written a full-fledged mystery or detective story before, but I’ve watched enough mysteries and police dramas, so I think I got it right. 

I also had the good fortune to be related to a police captain and was able to ask his advice on the “police stuff” in the story. The book is a hybrid of romance and mystery. Sometimes it takes on more of a police procedural/mystery feel than a romance, and then in other scenes with Eddie and Julie, it’s a traditional romance.

I hope mystery, romance, and paranormal readers will enjoy this unique novel. It’s got something for everyone: danger, humor, love, ghosts, and quirky characters. I had fun writing this book and stepping into another world, blending the living and the dead.

I’m also happy to report that the book has received several excellent reviews. You can read some of them here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/in-another-world

Until next time,

Kelli

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 8 mystery/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror and mystery stories.

Her twenty-fourth romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.

In August 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Kelli also released her fourth gay romance, A Thousand Summer Secrets, in 2024. This tender contemporary romance takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking love and acceptance.

She published The Route 9 Killer, a mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in 2023. Look for a follow-up story coming in 2026!

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website

www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.

 

 

Beauty & the Bigfoot (A Paranormal Romance)

 

Hi everyone,                                                                         

Happy September! We’re fast approaching my favorite holiday, Halloween. I’ve decided to blog about my paranormal romances in September and focus on my horror stories for October.

Beauty & the Bigfoot is a contemporary paranormal romance—and it’s one of the most controversial books I’ve written. Why? Because the heroine, Tara, falls in love with a creature commonly known as Bigfoot. (In the book, Tara names him Joe.) The story blends super-sensual love scenes with a healthy dose of offbeat humor. Readers aren’t supposed to take the story seriously, because the characters don’t take the story seriously.

However, when the book came out, several reviewers were appalled at the premise and had an issue with the love scenes. (Yes, Tara and Bigfoot/Joe consummate their relationship—several times.) Some ebook retailers wouldn’t sell the book because it was classified as “erotica” and a few readers reported the book to sellers, calling it “bestiality” (among other things).

Yeah, this little story certainly caused some controversy. What’s interesting is that in addition to everything else, the book could also be categorized as… (Spoiler Alert!) a shapeshifter romance. What’s strange is that I never saw other shapeshifter romances featuring werewolves, werebears, werepanthers, etc. called out for bestiality or labeled morally reprehensible, but then again, I don’t read too many reviews.

Maybe the haters of my book didn’t like the idea of a woman falling in love with a “Bigfoot”—although that’s not exactly who—or what—Joe is. Or maybe they never bothered to read the whole book and never learned Joe’s true identity at the end… who knows?

But I’m happy to say most reviewers and readers LOVED the book. They called it “a hoot” and understood the premise, the humor, and read all the way to the end to discover the “twist” ending that truly makes this a very acceptable love story.

When I got the idea for the story, I knew I had to write it with tongue-in-cheek humor, otherwise the story wouldn’t work. Nobody would take a Bigfoot romance seriously. So right from the start, I incorporated humor into as many scenes as possible. When the book opens, Tara doesn’t believe Bigfoot exists and thinks her Bigfoot-hunter father is crazy. But she soon learns that things aren’t always what they seem…

I loved creating the wacky scenes between Tara and her oddball father. They were a lot of fun to write, and I just kept up the strangeness as the story unfolded. I added in zany secondary characters (the mob of people, the sheriff) to add more conflict and take the story to another level.

As I wrote the romantic scenes, I knew there had to be a reason Tara is attracted to Joe, and a reason Joe is in love with Tara. I won’t give away the plot twist here, but I can say that Tara and Joe have a long history together, and they knew each other before the story started.

Believe it or not, this book required a lot of research. Since Tara’s father is a Bigfoot expert, I had to become a Bigfoot expert to write his scenes. I went to the library and read a lot of books about Bigfoot before I started writing. (Yes, the librarian thought I was crazy, so I know how Charlie felt!) All the things Charlie says about Bigfoot (the historical legends, the size of his footprints, the nests, his hair, the Patterson film) are accurate.

Beauty & the Bigfoot is one of my favorite contemporary romances. It’s certainly got an unusual plot, interesting characters, and blends wacky humor with a love story. Here’s the summary and few of those positive reviews…

BEAUTY & THE BIGFOOT

Can true love exist between the species?

Tara’s world is anything but normal. Her father is known as the resident crackpot—just because he’s on a personal mission to catch a Sasquatch. Despite all of the “Bigfoot evidence” cluttering their house, Tara never really believed in Bigfoot—until the day her father brought him home.

She affectionately names her father’s prized catch ‘Joe’ and discovers there’s something oddly familiar—and erotic—about him. With a media circus descending on her father’s ranch and a showdown brewing with the local sheriff, Tara risks her life to save Joe.

When Tara finally succumbs to her animalistic urges, she learns that Joe is not exactly who—or what—he seems. Joe is more than a Sasquatch… he’s her soul mate!

Order Beauty & the Bigfoot here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SL9WT2

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4Dog0Q

A few positive reviews…

“I could use a lot of words to describe Beauty & the Bigfoot, but if I had to narrow it down to just one word, it would be this: fun. I knew I was going to be in for a treat when I picked this novella up; there was just no way a story with a title such as this could take itself seriously. This story was a hoot and a half, and Ms. Wilkins has definitely been placed on my “authors to be watched” list because of it.” - Bobby, Reviewer, Bookwenches.com

"An erotic twist on the classic bigfoot tale! Beauty & the Bigfoot is a thoroughly entertaining read on a classic legend that I found enjoyable and sexy! Ms. Wilkins puts a twist on the Bigfoot myth that left me pleased with the ending. Beauty & the Bigfoot was a well thought out, erotic, and downright fun read to the end. If you are looking for an entertaining read, Ms. Wilkins delivers.” - Missy Brown, Reviewer, Paranormalromance.org

"4 Coffee Cups! I thought this story was going to take a weird and strange turn when I first started reading it… but I discovered it to be a regular love story with an odd twist. I enjoyed this book a lot. This is one story where you will laugh and sigh all in one reading.” - Kimberly, Reviewer, Coffee Time Romance & More

I hope you enjoyed this blog. I welcome questions and comments from readers and other authors.

If you love historical and/or paranormal romances (or want to learn about my other books), visit the Romance section of my site: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/romance

Happy Reading,

Kelli 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 8 mystery/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror and mystery stories.

Her twenty-fourth romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.

In August 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Kelli also released her fourth gay romance, A Thousand Summer Secrets, in 2024. This tender contemporary romance takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking love and acceptance.

She published The Route 9 Killer, a mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in 2023. Look for a follow-up story coming in 2026!

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins

and visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.

 

The Making of… The Viking’s Witch (Part 2)

 

Hi everyone,

Happy September! We’re fast approaching my favorite holiday, Halloween. I’ve decided to blog about my paranormal romances in September and focus on my horror stories for October.

I’m sharing Part Two of a blog series about my historical romance, The Viking’s Witch. The book is set in Celtic Scotland and blends a sensual love story with adventure and paranormal elements.

In my last blog, I discussed how the book came about, the research involved, and the conflicts that take place in the story. Now I’ll give readers insight into the origins and development of the characters, as well as Odaria’s magic “witch” powers.

The Viking’s Witch is a traditional historical romance with paranormal elements set in Scotland in 803 A.D. The heroine, Odaria, is what they called a witch back then—nowadays we’d call her a psychic and a healer. Here’s the plot summary:

 

The Viking’s Witch

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 runs out.

Order The Viking’s Witch and read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/the-viking-s-witch

***

Interviewers have asked me how I can create such interesting and diverse characters for all of my books. They want to know where Rothgar and Odaria came from. Well, there’s no real way to answer that other than, I just made them up. (Chris Hemsworth from Thor is pretty much what I envisioned Rothgar to look like—even though I wrote the book long before the movie came out!)

When I create my heroes and heroines I always give them “baggage” and flaws—along with problems to overcome. This way, they can grow and change over the course of the book. Odaria is a strong-willed “witch” who is tired of being abused and ridiculed by the people in her village. She swears she doesn’t need anyone’s help to get by. Rothgar was once a powerful warrior, but a personal tragedy has softened him and left him broken and unwilling to love anyone again.

When they first meet, they each play off the others’ weaknesses. Odaria has no qualms about standing up to Rothgar and arguing with him, and he respects her willful and fearless behavior. Eventually they realize that they need (and want) to be with each other forever.

I like to introduce secondary characters and subplots into my books to flesh out the story. I’m often asked about the secondary Norse character, Nordskog. He’s not the type of “hero” one would typically find in a romance, but he serves an important role in the story. Where did he come from? Well…

I used to work with a woman whose last name was Nordskog and I told her that one day I’d use her name in a book, so I did! Nordskog is a violent, vicious berserkr and has a history with Rothgar dating from Rothgar’s old fighting days. Nordskog’s hatred of Karnik draws him closer to Rothgar’s side as the story develops. After Odaria helps heal his leg, Nordskog displays a protective fondness for her, as well. He’s an impulsive brute, but he’s not stupid. He knows that Rothgar is wealthy and will reward him for his services and loyalty.

But if readers thought Nordskog was bad, the antagonist, Brennan, is even worse.

Brennan has been described by one reviewer as “a perfectly evil villain” which was exactly my intention. I wanted to portray him as an arrogant, self-righteous SOB—but not have his character be too over-the-top. Brennan is a lying, murdering, religious zealot—and that makes him dangerous to Odaria and the other villagers.

Most of the terrible things Brennan’s done happen off-page and we learn about them through Odaria. Each time I wrote a scene for, or about, Brennan, I made him a little more unstable and psychotic, so by the end of the book readers see that he needs to learn his lesson and pay for what he’s done.

Odaria’s “magic” is the catalyst that sets the story in motion and helps bring about Brennan’s demise. When the book opens, Odaria is about to be burned alive for being a witch. She calls down a spell and curses the villagers while unknowingly invoking a Viking raid. Or so it seems…

Odaria uses her “powers” for self-preservation and to get revenge on the people who hurt her. Rothgar doesn’t believe in her “magic” and thinks she’s merely pretending to be a witch to frighten people. But after a highly-charged interaction with Brennan, Rothgar gets a taste of what Odaria could really do if she set her mind to it.

I loved showing readers (and Rothgar) Odaria’s powers of clairvoyance, telekinesis, and psychometry. The scenes that included the “magic” elements were a lot of fun to write. I’ve always been interested in psychic phenomena and other New Age/paranormal subjects, so it was easy for me to incorporate what I know into Odaria’s character.

I hope you enjoyed Part Two of this “inside look” at The Viking’s Witch. I’m happy to say that readers and reviewers fell in love with the characters and the book has received dozens of excellent reviews. (And it also won a Gold IPPY Award for best romance ebook!)

If you love historical and/or paranormal romances (or want to learn about my other books), visit the Romance section of my site: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/romance

Happy Reading,

Kelli

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 8 mystery/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror and mystery stories.

Her twenty-fourth romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.

In August 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Kelli also released her fourth gay romance, A Thousand Summer Secrets, in 2024. This tender contemporary romance takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking love and acceptance.

She published The Route 9 Killer, a mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in 2023. Look for a follow-up story coming in 2026!

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins

 and visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.

 

The Making of… The Viking’s Witch (Part 1)

 

Hi everyone,      

Happy September! We’re fast approaching my favorite holiday, Halloween. I’ve decided to blog about my paranormal romances in September and focus on my horror stories for October.

Today I’m sharing a look at my historical romance, The Viking’s Witch. The book is set in Celtic Scotland and blends a sensual love story with adventure and paranormal elements.

In this blog, I’ll discuss how the book came about, the research involved, and the violence that takes place in the story. (Yes, even though it’s a romance, everything’s not all hearts and flowers.) In Part Two, I’ll talk about creating the characters, developing Odaria’s magic “witch” powers, and more.

The Viking’s Witch is a traditional historical romance with paranormal elements set in Scotland in 803 A.D. The main character, Odaria, is what they called a witch back then—nowadays we’d call her a psychic and a healer. Here’s the plot summary:

The Viking’s Witch

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 runs out.

Order The Viking’s Witch and read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/the-viking-s-witch 

***

Interviewers and readers have asked what my inspiration was when I was writing the book, and are curious about how much research I had to do to create the unique characters and detailed setting.

Like many of my books, the idea for the story came to me out of the blue. One day, the entire opening sequences popped into my head and I knew I had to start writing. At the time, I had the basic plot (Viking warrior falls in love with Celtic witch), but I wasn’t sure about most of the details, like the character names, their back stories, and the subplot. All of that came later, along with the secondary characters, Brennan and Nordskog.

Scotland is a beautiful place and I’ve always wanted to set a book there. Having the story take place on the remote Orkney Islands added a sense of urgency and tension to the plot.

 In a sense, Rothgar and Odaria are “trapped” on the island and are forced to deal with a pack of angry villagers and other Norsemen. The action is condensed into a few days on a very small island, so there’s really nowhere for the characters to go. They’re forced to work together in order to get off the island—and survive.

Before I wrote a word, I had to do a lot of research on where to set the story. I knew the book would take place in Scotland where the Vikings traveled in their early years of exploration, but I didn’t want it to be a populated location. Once I decided on the Orkneys, I had to pick which island to set the story. (There are 70 different islands, but only 20 are inhabited.)

I also researched what life was like in that time period for Odaria and Rothgar. (What kind of clothes did they wear? What did they eat? How did Norsemen travel so far? What were their ships like?) Odaria and Rothgar come from different backgrounds and technically would have been speaking different languages, so I had to blend their two cultures together in a way that flowed with the book.

After I got a feel for what everyday life was like for each of them, I weaved the details into the story. For example, Rothgar’s Norse background intrigues Odaria, and she is curious about their clothes, customs, food, how they travel, etc. Having Rothgar show her how he lives was a good way to introduce readers into the culture.

 And of course, if you were living back in 803 with bands of invading Norsemen and crazy villagers, you could expect some measure of violence. Readers might think that there’s no place for any violence in a romance, but I think that type of realism (when kept in check) enhances the story.

In 803, life was completely different from how we live now—especially on a remote island. People got hurt, took sick, and died. The Viking’s Witch features a violent man (Brennan) and a group of Norsemen with terrible reputations, so including some violence in the story is necessary to move the plot along—while also helping the reader get deeper into the minds and lives of the characters.

I hope you enjoyed Part One of this “Inside Look” at The Viking’s Witch. Next time, I’ll delve more into the characters and discuss Odaria’s magic. 

If you love historical and/or paranormal romances (or want to learn about my other books), visit the Romance section of my site: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/romance

Until next time,

Kelli

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 8 mystery/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror and mystery stories.

Her twenty-fourth romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.

In August 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Kelli also released her fourth gay romance, A Thousand Summer Secrets, in 2024. This tender contemporary romance takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking love and acceptance.

She published The Route 9 Killer, a mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in 2023. Look for a follow-up story coming in 2026!

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page:https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins

 and visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.