Kelli’s Quill Newsletter - Summer 2020 Issue!

Hi everyone,

I hope you’re all enjoying the summer weather and getting outside as much as possible. If you’re looking for some great reads to pass the time, why not visit my website and add a few of my books to your device? Whether you like romance, horror, or sci-fi, I’ve got something for everyone!

In this issue of the Quill, I’m sharing links to guest blogs, spotlighting my hot summer romances and more…

Special News!

I had a July book sale over the long holiday weekend, and I’m having another sale soon. My historical romances will be on sale for the first two weeks in August. Stay tuned to my blog and social media accounts for info and ordering instructions.

Here’s Something New…

This spring, I created a new Facebook page for my Horror Fiction! Visit it here and share it with your social media friends: https://www.facebook.com/HorrorFictionbyKelliAWilkins/

I’m posting excerpts from my horror and sci fi stories, reviews, and anything else that comes to mind…

Recent Release Recap

Earlier this year, Kelli released her historical/western romance, Love, Lies & Redemption. Set in 1877 Nebraska, this novel blends a sensual love story with mystery and danger.

Love, Lies and Redemption

Shot and left for dead, Sam Hixton stumbles into a general store on the Nebraska prairie and collapses into the arms of Cassie Wilcox.

Cassie’s world is turned upside down when the handsome stranger drops into her life. Sam is another complication she doesn’t need: her business is dying and her trouble with the townspeople is escalating. Yet she’s determined to keep the store open — no matter what the cost.

As Sam recovers from his injuries, he hides the truth about his identity and convinces Cassie to let him work in the store. He’s attracted to her and admires her independent nature, but quickly realizes Cassie’s in way over her head. They fight their growing attraction, and Cassie questions whether she can trust her fragile heart to a mysterious stranger. Will he accept her once he knows about her troubled past?

Cassie resists Sam’s advances and represses her feelings until one fateful night when they give in to their fiery passion. Together, they work out a plan to save the store, but find their efforts are thwarted — and their lives endangered — by the locals.

Sam’s secret returns to haunt him and pulls him away just when Cassie needs him the most. Will he regain her trust when she learns the truth?

Cassie has everything invested in the store — can she save it and find true love with Sam before it’s too late?

Order Love, Lies and Redemption here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0849LN73Z

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/mdzL6W

Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/love-lies-and-redemption

Still Celebrating Pride Month? Don’t miss these sizzling gay romances…

A Secret Match

Killer in Wolf’s Clothing

Four Days with Jack

Read all about them on Kelli’s Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins or site: www.KelliWilkins.com


Kelli’s Guest Blogs

Kelli’s been guest blogging about animal rescue, her books, and even sharing some recipes! Catch up on these posts…

June was Adopt a Cat month! Author and cat lover Kelli A. Wilkins shows you how you can help save a life by adopting from an animal shelter. https://www.kelliwilkins.com/post/save-a-life-adopt-a-shelter-cat

Need a fast summer dessert? Kelli shows you how to make a Quick Custard Cake in this Friday Food Blog: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/post/quick-custard-cake

Like Pistachio? Kelli shares a yummy cake recipe in this Friday Food Blog: https://theafterworkcook.blogspot.com/2020/02/easy-pistachio-cake-submitted-by-kelli.html

Author Kelli A. Wilkins kicks off Pride month with her two-part blog series: “Writing Gay Romances: 4 FAQ”:

Part 1:  https://www.kelliwilkins.com/post/celebrating-pride-month-writing-gay-romances-4-faq-part-1

Part 2:  https://www.kelliwilkins.com/post/celebrating-pride-month-writing-gay-romances-4-faq-part-2

Looking for a hot summer romance? Kelli A. Wilkins shares 3 of her sizzling love stories in this post: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/post/3-sizzling-summer-romances-to-celebrate-the-season

Have you ever wondered how publishing has changed over the years? Find out in this guest blog: https://alternative-read.com/2020/05/21/how-has-publishing-changed-over-the-years-its-a-different-animal-guestpost-by-kwilkinsauthor/ 

Read an interview with Sam Hixton, the hero from Kelli’s historical romance, Love, Lies & Redemption: http://nesiesplace.com/2020/04/26/characterinterview-love-lies-and-redemption/

Want to learn how to create interesting secondary characters in your next story? Kelli shares her insights here: https://marysbooksblogger.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-to-build-cast-of-supporting.html

Read Kelli’s blog series about the making of her latest historical romance, Love, Lies & Redemption:

Part 1: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/post/the-making-of-love-lies-and-redemption-part-1

Part 2: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/post/the-making-of-love-lies-and-redemption-part-2

Summer Romance Rewind
If you’re looking for a few hot summer romances, don’t miss:

Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover

Trust with Hearts

A Deceptive Match

Read more about these books on Kelli’s Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins or new site: www.KelliWilkins.com

I hope you enjoyed this issue of the Quill. Coming this fall… news about new horror releases, more guest blogs, and book excerpts. 

I enjoy hearing from readers and other authors, so feel free to contact me with questions about my books, writing, or share your favorite summer reads.

Enjoy the season!

Happy Reading,

Kelli

Summer Romance Spotlight… “Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover”

Hi romance lovers,

Although I write in several romance genres (contemporary, gay, historical), I also like to write horror stories. Many people think that’s an odd combination, but I like to say that one half of my brain writes the horror, and the other half writes the romance. So naturally, it was only a matter of time before I combined the two and started writing paranormal romances.

My contemporary paranormal, Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover, is a different type of romance. For starters, the novella is told in the first person from the hero’s point of view. The story also makes use of a setting where you don’t normally find vampires—the beach!

I got the idea for the story while sitting on a nearly deserted beach at the end of the summer season. (I’m not a beach person, but I was there with my husband, a surfer.) As I sat there watching the few people milling around, I wondered: “What if a vampire went to the beach? And what if she fell in love with a surfer?”

I liked the idea of contrasting typical sun worshipping beachgoers and surfers with a darkness-loving elusive vampire. Besides, what could be more mismatched than a die-hard surfer falling in love with a nocturnal blood-drinker?

I started toying with ideas and knew that although the book is about a vampire, I wanted to keep the central focus on Brian and Anya’s relationship and not on the ‘bloodier’ aspects of vampirism (show her feeding, etc.) There’s a fine line when blending horror and romance into paranormal romance. Too much gore or a “too terrifying” creature can snap the readers (and the characters) out of the romance and into a full-on horror story.

When I wrote the book I made sure that the love scenes were highly sensual and almost surreal. Aside from being a vampire, Anya is a woman with needs, and she makes sure Brian satisfies them. I don’t remember how I was inspired to have the story told by Brian, but it worked. Readers and reviewers like the first-person aspect—it pulls you into a story that would seem unbelievable.

Several people have asked me if it’s hard to write horror and romance. Not really. I enjoy it. Writing horror allows me to change up my writing style, use different settings, and create characters you wouldn’t find in a romance. My horror stories are more psychological/spooky/creepy than gory, and I like to explore darker plots and not always give the characters a happy ending (as I do in my romances).

Here’s the summary and a tame excerpt from...

Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover

The moment Brian spotted Anya sitting on the moonlit beach, he was hooked. Beautiful, smart, and sexy, Anya was the girl of his dreams. She didn’t mind that he spent the hot summer days riding the ocean waves, because once the sun set, he belonged to her—all night long!

Everything is perfect between them—until Brian discovers Anya’s shocking secret. Can Brian give up the sun, sand, and surf to be with the woman he loves?

Read Brian’s first-hand account of their unusual love story in… Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover.

* * *

I first saw her on the beach. I came up over the top of a dune and spotted her right away. She was sitting on the sand, about ten feet from the water. It was almost midnight and the beach was deserted, except for us. The moon beamed down on her, and she seemed to glow with a strange luminescence.

I stood still, listening to the roar of the crashing waves. Seeing the girl had stopped me in my tracks. I felt drawn to her, like I had known her before. But that was impossible, wasn’t it?

A gentle wind ruffled the blonde hair cascading around her shoulders, allowing me to see her more clearly. Her head was bent down and she was staring at something she held in her hands.

I inched a little closer and watched her for a few minutes. She looked close to my age, somewhere near thirty. I longed to ask her some inane question to break the ice, but I froze. What could I say to her? Lone figures on the beach at night were probably not interested in making conversation.

I’d never had much luck with women. They thought history teachers were boring and considered surfing nothing more than a juvenile waste of time. Most of the women I had dated wanted successful, professional men like lawyers and doctors who drove fast cars and had money to burn. What kind of woman would fall in love with an unemployed thirty-year-old teacher who drove a beat-up car littered with sand and surf wax?

I turned and gazed out over the ocean. The sets were breaking just offshore. The surf would be good tomorrow morning if the wind didn’t shift.

A minute later, I glanced back toward the girl. She was gone. Not just gone from that spot— but gone, vanished. I looked up and down the beach, but I didn’t see her anywhere. Had I scared her away? Where did she go? I knew she hadn’t passed me, and there were no footprints leading off into the distance.

I wandered to where she’d been sitting and found a paperback book half buried in the sand. I picked it up and squinted at the cover in the dim light. A couple dressed in Victorian clothing was locked in a passionate embrace. Had she been reading this out here?

I heard a whisper behind me, and I whirled around. Nobody was there. The darkness and the roaring waves were playing tricks on me. At least, that’s what I thought.

I headed home. I couldn’t stop thinking about the girl as I gathered my surf gear together.

Who was she? Why was she alone on the beach at midnight? I wasn’t sure why I was so entranced by her. Maybe she—like me—was hoping to find some solace in the eternal ocean waves.

* * *

Order Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Vampires-Lover-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B01IBYWYCI

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/49xp1J

* * *

I hope you’ll check it out. It’s a perfect blend of steamy beach romance and mystery to heat up your summer!

If you haven’t started following me on social media, now is the perfect time. Here’s a list of where you can find me on the web:

Website: http://www.KelliWilkins.com

Blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/ (Yes, you’re here - why not Follow this blog?)

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins

Facebook Historical Romances: https://www.facebook.com/Historical-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1703805359922371/

Facebook Contemporary Romances: https://www.facebook.com/Contemporary-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1965702023664339/

Facebook Gay Romances: https://www.facebook.com/GayRomancesbyKelliAWilkins/

FREE READS: http://www.manicreaders.com/KelliAWilkins/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelliwilkins2/

Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb

Happy Summer Reading,

Kelli

Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover – A Summer Paranormal Love Story

Hi romance lovers,

Although I write in several romance genres (contemporary, gay, historical, fantasy), I also like to write horror stories. Many people think that’s an odd combination, but I like to say that one half of my brain writes the horror, and the other half writes the romance. So naturally, it was only a matter of time before I combined the two and started writing paranormal romances.

My contemporary paranormal, Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover, is a different type of romance. For starters, the novella is told in the first person from the hero’s point of view. The story also makes use of a setting where you don’t normally find vampires—the beach! 

I got the idea for the story while sitting on a nearly deserted beach at the end of the summer season. (I’m not a beach person, but I was there with my husband, a surfer.) As I sat there watching the few people milling around, I wondered: “What if a vampire went to the beach? And what if she fell in love with a surfer?”

I liked the idea of contrasting typical sun worshipping beachgoers and surfers with a darkness-loving elusive vampire. Besides, what could be more mismatched than a die-hard surfer falling in love with a nocturnal blood-drinker?

I started toying with ideas and knew that although the book is about a vampire, I wanted to keep the central focus on Brian and Anya’s relationship and not on the ‘bloodier’ aspects of vampirism (show her feeding, etc.) There’s a fine line when blending horror and romance into paranormal romance. Too much gore or a “too terrifying” creature can snap the readers (and the characters) out of the romance and into a full-on horror story. 

When I wrote the book I made sure that the love scenes were highly sensual and almost surreal. Aside from being a vampire, Anya is a woman with needs, and she makes sure Brian satisfies them. I don’t remember how I was inspired to have the story told by Brian, but it worked. Readers and reviewers like the first-person aspect—it pulls you into a story that would seem unbelievable.

Several people have asked me if it’s hard to write horror and romance. Not really. I enjoy it. Writing horror allows me to change up my writing style, use different settings, and create characters you wouldn’t find in a romance. My horror stories are more psychological/spooky than gory, and I like to explore darker plots and not always give the characters a happy ending (as I do in my romances).

Here’s the summary and a tame excerpt from Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover:

Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover

The moment Brian spotted Anya sitting on the moonlit beach, he was hooked. Beautiful, smart, and sexy, Anya was the girl of his dreams. She didn’t mind that he spent the hot summer days riding the ocean waves, because once the sun set, he belonged to her—all night long!

Everything is perfect between them—until Brian discovers Anya’s shocking secret. Can Brian give up the sun, sand, and surf to be with the woman he loves?

Read Brian’s first-hand account of their unusual love story in… Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover.

***

I first saw her on the beach. I came up over the top of a dune and spotted her right away. She was sitting on the sand, about ten feet from the water. It was almost midnight and the beach was deserted, except for us. The moon beamed down on her, and she seemed to glow with a strange luminescence.

I stood still, listening to the roar of the crashing waves. Seeing the girl had stopped me in my tracks. I felt drawn to her, like I had known her before. But that was impossible, wasn’t it?

Who are you? I wondered.

A gentle wind ruffled the blonde hair cascading around her shoulders, allowing me to see her more clearly. Her head was bent down and she was staring at something she held in her hands.

I inched a little closer and watched her for a few minutes. She looked close to my age, somewhere near thirty. I longed to ask her some inane question to break the ice, but I froze. What could I say to her? Lone figures on the beach at night were probably not interested in making conversation.

I’d never had much luck with women. They thought history teachers were boring and considered surfing nothing more than a juvenile waste of time. Most of the women I had dated wanted successful, professional men like lawyers and doctors who drove fast cars and had money to burn. What kind of woman would fall in love with an unemployed thirty-year-old teacher who drove a beat-up car littered with sand and surf wax?

I turned and gazed out over the ocean. The sets were breaking just offshore. The surf would be good tomorrow morning if the wind didn’t shift.

A minute later, I glanced back toward the girl. She was gone. Not just gone from that spot— but gone, vanished. I looked up and down the beach, but I didn’t see her anywhere. Had I scared her away? Where did she go? I knew she hadn’t passed me, and there were no footprints leading off into the distance.

I wandered to where she’d been sitting and found a paperback book half buried in the sand. I picked it up and squinted at the cover in the dim light. A couple dressed in Victorian clothing was locked in a passionate embrace. Had she been reading this out here?

I heard a whisper behind me, and I whirled around. Nobody was there. The darkness and the roaring waves were playing tricks on me. At least, that’s what I thought.

I headed home. I couldn’t stop thinking about the girl as I gathered my surf gear together.

Who was she? Why was she alone on the beach at midnight? I wasn’t sure why I was so entranced by her. Maybe she—like me—was hoping to find some solace in the eternal ocean waves. 

Order your copy of Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Vampires-Lover-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B01IBYWYCI

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1135216230

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/confessions-of-a-vampires-lover-kelli-a-wilkins/1017484568 

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/confessions-of-a-vampire-s-lover

Page Foundry: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/a3d290b2-9c32-4a40-92ec-aac57fd0fcd7

24 Symbols: https://www.24symbols.com/book/x/x/x?id=1565223

* * *

I hope you’ll check it out. It’s a perfect blend of steamy beach romance and mystery to heat up your summer!

Happy Reading,

Kelli