1. Greetings! We’re glad to have this chance to catch up
with you. Let’s start with the basics. Why don’t you introduce yourself to
readers who may not be familiar with your books?
My name is Kelli A. Wilkins and I write romance novels
and horror/mystery stories. My unique romances cover nearly every subgenre
(contemporary, fantasy, gay, historical, mystery, and paranormal) and vary in
heat level from mild to super-spicy. My horror and mysteries tend to be more
psychological/spooky instead of gory. Halloween is my favorite holiday and many
of my short stories are set in October. I like to say that I write something
for everyone.
2. Let’s focus on your romances for a minute. You certainly have an impressive title list, and in 2025 you released your 24th romance. Can you tell readers about it?
Sure! For Love’s Sake is an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure. The book is divided into three parts: The Castle, The Ship, and The Palace. Each part is devoted to a specific section of the longer, overall story, and they’re almost novellas unto themselves.
Here’s the book summary and
buy link:
For Love’s Sake
An Epic Historical/Fantasy Romantic
Adventure
She left everything behind to be with him.
He risked losing everything to stay with her.
They were willing to sacrifice everything… for love’s sake
Through a case of mistaken identity, Prince Kevan of Alborg
narrowly avoids an assassination attempt and wakes to find himself trapped in
mad King Torok’s rat-infested dungeon. Just when he is about to give up hope,
he is rescued by an unlikely ally—Torok’s daughter, Princess Adrianna.
Adrianna is desperate to flee her father’s kingdom and
agrees to help the handsome stranger escape, but only if he takes her with him
when he leaves. Although Kevan knows bringing Adrianna home will not sit well
with his father and lead to other complications, he agrees.
They make their way to a waiting ship captained by Kevan’s
brother, Mikhael, and set sail for Alborg. Along the way they are lost at sea
during a ferocious storm, battle a murderous mercenary sent by Adrianna’s
father, and try to deny their intense romantic feelings for each other.
When they arrive in Alborg, Kevan’s father, King Lenard,
disapproves of Adrianna and drops the bombshell that Kevan is already engaged
to be married. While Kevan tries to get out of the arranged marriage, Mikhael
introduces Adrianna to members of the nobility in an effort to win over the
king.
At his engagement ball, Kevan is forced to choose between
his duty to his father and his loyalty to Adrianna. Soon after, Adrianna is
kidnapped and Kevan and Mikhael band together to hunt down her abductors and
rescue her before it’s too late.
Read reviews and order it here:
https://www.kelliwilkins.com/romance/for-loves-sake
3. That sounds very appealing to romance readers or anyone
who enjoys a good story. What did you like best (and least) about writing it?
I loved creating the characters and getting them into (and
out of) their harrowing situations. Although the love story is central to the
plot, For Love’s Sake is more than a romance; it’s also an epic adventure. The
characters experience lots of action outside of the bedroom: escaping a
dungeon, fighting pirates, being lost at sea, getting kidnapped… And there’s
plenty of emotional drama. The book is filled with lies, deception, sadness,
secrets, jealousy, revenge, regret, and love in all its forms. It was a lot of
fun to write.
However, because there’s so much going on, this is a long
book! It took more than a year to write, edit, revise, and proofread. I did
four rounds of edits/revisions to get the story the way I wanted it (and I even
cut several scenes). Doing the final edit and proofread was my least favorite
part of creating the book, but I’m happy with the finished product, and I think
it’s a great, engaging read. I’m glad it turned out the way I wanted, because…
it’s my last romance. (Yes, you read that right!)
After writing two dozen romances, I’ve decided to step away
from the romance genre. I love all the characters I’ve created over the years
(they’re like my children), and I had a lot of fun writing those books, but
that phase of my writing life is over. I’ll still promote my backlist, but I
won’t be writing new romances.
In 2026, I started focusing on my first love: horror/mystery
stories.
4. Let’s talk about your horror and mystery stories. According to the “Horror, Mystery & More” section of your site, your short fiction has been included in several anthologies, and yet you’ve also self-published your own longer horror/mysteries. Why is that?
Where I submit depends on the story’s subject matter or
length. I still submit stories to e-zines, anthologies, and print mags when the
story matches up with what the market is looking for. However, when my “short”
stories are too long or nobody likes the subject matter, I self-publish them.
That happened with my novella Nightmare in the North
(https://www.kelliwilkins.com/nightmare-in-the-north). It’s a great story, but
because of the length and topic (my husband called it “disturbing”) it couldn’t
find a home. So I self-published it. I also self-published Extraterrestrial
Encounters, a collection of 18 sci-fi stories.
(https://www.kelliwilkins.com/extraterrestrial-encounters)
In 2024 I gathered up 7 spooky stories and self-published
them in an anthology called Surreal Escapes. In these 7 speculative stories,
ordinary people start off having an average, normal day… until they encounter
the world of the surreal. They quickly realize they’re in another realm where
anything can—and does—happen. (Readers can order their copy and read reviews
here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror/surreal-escapes). I love this
collection. It features ghosts, vampires, and an epic Halloween vs. Christmas
showdown. Some of the stories are spooky, some are sad, and a few showcase my
odd sense of humor.
I’ve also published two mystery/thrillers: The Route 9
Killer and The Route 9 Stalker. The Route 9 Killer is a police procedural with
a hint of the paranormal thrown in. Initially, Detective Rourke is looking for
a missing woman, but then he stumbles across a serial killer. The book got
several excellent reviews and I loved creating all the twists and turns in the
story. (Read reviews and more here:
https://www.kelliwilkins.com/the-route-9-killer).
The Route 9 Stalker was released in January 2026. Here is the full book summary and links:
The Route 9 Stalker
(A Mystery/Thriller)
It started with a body in the woods — and turned into a hunt
for a deranged stalker.
Late one evening, Megan Graystone enters a police station
and reports that she witnessed a man dumping a woman’s body in the woods.
But with no concrete proof and no sign of foul play,
Detective Jim Rourke dismisses her story — until a woman’s mutilated body is
found close by. As Rourke investigates the victim’s past, he learns that she
was being stalked by a mysterious stranger — and so were several other murdered
women.
Rourke discovers that the elusive stalker is playing a
twisted game; changing identities and vanishing after each murder. With no
other option, Rourke enlists Megan Graystone’s help to trap the stalker —
although it means putting her in grave danger.
Can Rourke stop the stalker before he kills and disappears
again?
Order your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGTTNPXG
Other Platforms: https://books2read.com/u/bxll2P
5. Good luck with your horror/mystery stories! They sound
intriguing. What do you have planned for the rest of 2026? Any last words
before we sign off?
As for the future… Who knows where my writings will show up?
I may have a horror tale chosen for an anthology. My suspense story might be
included in an e-zine, or I could self-publish my own short stories. I recently
wrote two short stories (okay, one is almost a novella….) and I’ve been
submitting them to print and online publications. So we’ll see what happens!
Someone suggested that I write one more Route 9 book featuring Detective
Rourke. I’m not sure about that… but I am considering some ideas.
Thanks for letting me share my thoughts and talk about my
writings. I welcome comments and questions from readers and other authors. Be
sure to follow my blog https://www.kelliwilkins.com/blog for the latest updates
and visit my site www.kelliwilkins.com for a full title list and links to my
social media.
Until next time,
Kelli A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has
published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 9
mystery/thriller/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and
she likes to scare readers with her horror, mystery, and thriller fiction.
Her latest book, The Route 9 Stalker, was published in
January 2026. This mystery/thriller is set in Central NJ and follows Detective
Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Meet him for the first time in The Route 9
Killer.
Kelli's 24th romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.
In 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog
www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list, social media links, and more.
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