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.
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.
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.
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