Celebrate Pride Month with A Thousand Summer Secrets – A Tender Summer Romance

 

Hi everyone,

To celebrate the start of the summer months, I’m posting a “Summer Romance Series” of blogs. And since June is Pride Month, I’m sharing a look at my gay romance, A Thousand Summer Secrets. This tender contemporary romance takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking love and acceptance.

Here’s the book description and link:

A Thousand Summer Secrets

You can’t outrun your past…

Ten years after being disowned by his family for being gay, Eric Warren pays a visit to his family’s summer cabin. It’s his last attempt at reconciliation before moving on. But a surprise from the past is waiting for him.

Eric’s intolerant brother, Jamey, has several friends staying at the cabin for the weekend, including Matt, Eric’s boyhood friend and secret crush. The years haven’t faded their mutual attraction, and they quickly reconnect. But Eric is hesitant to get romantically involved. He’s emotionally broken and scarred from his traumatic past.

As Matt tries to help Eric, Jamey goes out of his way to sabotage his brother. And when the weekend events take a disastrous turn, Eric finds himself at a crossroads.

Should he follow his search for love and acceptance with Matt? Or leave the past behind forever?

Order your copy here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/thousand-summer-secrets

***

Before I talk about the characters, let’s talk about the title. Yes, as you may have guessed, this book is filled with secrets (and lies). Are there “a thousand” secrets? I’m not sure, but I do know the characters are keeping secrets from each other and themselves. Everything isn’t exactly what it seems, and there’s plenty of family and relationship drama to fill a weekend.

As for the title itself… Many years ago I was mindlessly fooling around with little magnetic squares of words and strung together “thousand summer secrets”. I thought it would make a good title, so I wrote it down.

I thought I’d use the title for a story about two female best friends reconnecting during a week at the beach. That book never materialized. But when I wrote about two male friends reconnecting over a Fourth of July weekend, I realized the title fit the story perfectly!

When I wrote the book, I deliberately set the story in a rural cabin during a long weekend. Why? To build drama and tension. Basically, I threw several characters who don’t get along in a small space and forced them to deal with each other, for good or bad. You never know what they’ll do or say next. (If anyone has ever been “stuck” with people you can’t stand for a long rainy weekend, you know what I’m talking about.)     

A Thousand Summer Secrets is about a young man (Eric) who is trying to put his life back together. He was disowned by his family for being gay (and other reasons) and wants to find out if he can make peace with his relatives, or if it’s best to cut his ties and move on. He’s had a rough life and several bad relationships, and he isn’t sure if he can trust anyone again. Eric’s rejection by his family wounds him deeply and feeds a lot of his low self-esteem issues.

Everyone in this story has flaws they’re working through (or should be!). Jamey has anger issues (for starters). His friend Dave is a homophobic jerk. Eric is in AA and harboring a lot of guilt. Matt is the stable one in the group and tries to make peace between everyone. But after a while, he realizes it’s an uphill battle, and Eric might be better off without his cruel, dysfunctional family.

I wanted all the characters to realize it’s okay to walk away from people and situations that make your life miserable. Just because you’re related to someone (or dating them), it doesn’t give them the right to bully you or treat you like crap. Life is too short to be around uncaring, intolerant people, and it’s within your right to leave them behind, move on, and close the door to them forever.

As Eric tries to come to grips with his past, he needs all the love, support, and help he can get. He was disowned by his parents (literally thrown out of the house forever) when he was 20 years old, and left to fend for himself. Despite his attempts at reconciliation, his family wants nothing to do with him. Why? Because he’s gay.

Eric’s plight is based on stories I’ve heard from gay friends and coworkers over the years. Some people were kicked out by their parents, others were told to stay in the closet and “not embarrass” the family, and some were subjected to anti-gay physical and verbal abuse at work or in public. Even now, people are still facing bullying, hatred, and worse from their relatives, in their schools, and on social media—all because they don’t “fit in” with the “norm” of society. It’s not surprising that many times the LGBTQ+ person decides the only way to be happy is to leave their biological family and find a new family in the LGBTQ+ community.

I channeled a lot of these types of experiences into this story.

Although Eric is dealing with his past, he’s not alone. Matt comes along at the perfect moment. Matt knew Eric before his life went to hell and even after 10 years, his feelings for Eric haven’t faded. They quickly resume their friendship. Matt is a stabilizing force for Eric and a sounding board for his troubles. Matt acts as the voice of logic and reason in a chaotic, turmoil-filled weekend.

Eric has his share of challenges in this story and one of them is his intolerant brother, Jamey. Jamey goes out of his way to push every one of Eric’s buttons as only family can. Jamey and his friend Dave are determined to undermine Eric’s recovery and make his stay at the cabin a nightmare. And they do a good job of it.

As I wrote the story, I wanted to show how Eric is trying to do the right thing by making amends with his family and trying to heal the past, but at what cost? Eventually he has to face the harsh reality that you can’t go home again. (And sometimes you shouldn’t want to.) Life can never be the same as it was before, but sometimes when you least expect it, life takes a new direction, and things turn out okay.

A Thousand Summer Secrets isn’t all drama, feuds and fighting; there are tender moments, funny scenes, a bit of sadness, introspection, and even danger—plus the happy ending Matt and Eric deserve… because love is all that matters.

I hope you enjoyed this “Summer Romance Series” blog. Visit my site www.kelliwilkins.com to learn about all of my books, read more blogs, and get links to my social media.

June is Pride Month. Let’s all celebrate Love this summer.

Happy Reading,

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.

               

Celebrate Pride Month with A Secret Match – A Spicy Summer Romance

Hi everyone,

To celebrate the start of the summer months, I’m sharing a “Summer Romance Series” of blogs. And since June is Pride Month, I’m kicking off the series with a look at my gay romance, A Secret Match. It’s a sizzling contemporary novel set in the world of professional wrestling.

Before we get started, let me answer the question lots of folks may be asking: “Why do you write gay romances? You’re not a man or gay.” I generally respond with: “Why shouldn’t I? I wrote a vampire romance, and I’ve never been a vampire.”

But seriously, I’m a writer. And as a writer, I write whatever story comes to me, whether it’s a contemporary, historical, paranormal, or gay romance. My romances are about people who meet, fall in love, and overcome obstacles to be with each other. This basic philosophy applies whether the characters are same-sex, different sex, or space alien and earth girl. Love is love and romance is romance. I’m not married to one specific genre or heat level. I go where the story and the characters take me.

So, how did A Secret Match come about? I’ve been a wrestling fan forever, and A Secret Match is a follow-up (of sorts) to my other wrestling romance, A Deceptive Match. That book is about a straight couple (Vin and Danni) and Everett (the main character from A Secret Match) is Vin’s best friend). I fell in love with Ev so much while writing A Deceptive Match that I knew he needed his own book. And I knew it wouldn’t be an easy one.

Ev is a gay professional wrestler who has lots of insecurities and personal issues to overcome. Although he’s been in a long-term relationship with his boyfriend, Josh, he’s kept their involvement a secret. Aside from Josh, nobody except Vinnie and Danni know he’s gay. Ev has a hard enough time dealing with his sexuality on a personal level, and on a professional level—forget it.

Naturally, I put the screws to Ev—right in the first scene. When the book opens, Josh and Ev are having “going away” sex, and all seems well—until they have a major argument. Josh is tired of being kept in Ev’s “walk-in closet” and wants Ev to come out (at least to his friends and family).

But Ev refuses for several reasons. His wrestling persona is a heartthrob who women fantasize about, and he needs to maintain his image if he wants to keep his job. Obviously, coming out would threaten his livelihood. Will fans accept a gay wrestler? How will his boss react? Part of him wants to keep everything just as it is because that’s safe. But another part of him longs to stop hiding the truth. After a heated exchange, Josh gives him an ultimatum and walks out.

Ev is distraught and turns to his best friend and fellow wrestler, Vinnie for advice. Danni and Vinnie play a crucial role in Ev’s story—both in his personal journey—and in the ring.

The head of the wrestling organization, Nick August, tells Ev he has to go along with a “steal my woman” angle involving Vinnie and Danni. As part of the storyline, Ev has to kiss Danni in front of a live audience. This is the turning point in the book. Ev is torn between living a lie and being true to himself—and in the spur of the moment, he comes out on live TV.

From there, all hell breaks loose.

Ev instantly regrets what he’s done and is afraid he’s just tanked his career, some of the other wrestlers aren’t thrilled with the news, and Nick August is beyond furious. But in true wrestling fashion, the fans think it’s all a “work”—until Ev comes out again. This time, he’s out and proud.

When I was writing, I knew Ev and Josh would be apart for about a third of the story, but I wanted to give readers a peek into their lives before the break-up. I decided the best way to do that was through flashbacks. Over the course of the book readers learn how Ev and Josh met, see their first kiss, and more. When Josh and Ev reconnect, readers know all about them and realize they’re meant to be together.

A big part of the story centers around Everett dealing (or rather, not dealing) with his sexuality and his (un)willingness to be open about who he really is. Back when I wrote the book, there were very few (if any) openly gay athletes. Having to keep his secret added a level of internal conflict for Ev. I focused on his anguish over being caught between two worlds: his job and his secret life with Josh. Everett can’t balance the two and worries about what the other wrestlers would think of him coming out.

As Ev tells Vin (while discussing the issue of gay athletes in sports): “… a gay baseball player doesn’t have the type of physical contact with other guys like we do. There are all sorts of issues—changing in the locker room, showering together… Can you imagine some of the things that would go through the guys’ heads when I tried to put a hold on them? You think they wouldn’t freak out when I touched them if they knew?”

Vin’s reply: “You won’t know if you never take the risk.”

And risk Ev does. After he comes out (twice, in fact—I loved writing those scenes!), he discovers a different side to himself, embraces who he is, and even faces down intolerant fans and homophobic coworkers.

A Secret Match has everything a good wrestling storyline needs: action, heroes, heels, drama, humor, sexy wrestlers—and in this case, some pretty hot love scenes. It takes readers (and the characters) on an emotional roller coaster ride. And the book is not just for wrestling fans. The wrestling world is merely a backdrop for a tender romance and a look inside Ev’s mind.

I enjoyed showing Everett on his journey of self-acceptance. He’s a bit of a cocky wise-ass, but he’s definitely a fun character to write for. I was glad to give Ev and Josh the happy-ever-after ending they rightly deserve, because no matter what, love is love, and that’s all that matters.

Here’s the book summary and link.

A SECRET MATCH

Everett Kinkade is a world-famous professional wrestler and the sexy heartthrob of millions of adoring female fans. But Ev has a secret he doesn’t dare share with anyone. He’s gay.

After years of being Ev’s secret lover, Josh is tired of hiding in the shadows and wants Ev to openly acknowledge their relationship. Coming out is the last thing Ev wants and fears it will ruin his career.

One night in a moment of truth, Everett outs himself on live TV. There’s no going back, and his announcement sparks a firestorm of problems—both personally and professionally. He’s forced to come to grips with who he really is while facing down a manipulative boss and a tag-team out to destroy him.

Torn between living a lie and losing the man he loves, Ev has risked everything… can he find a balance between his career and his heart?

Read reviews and order your copy of A SECRET MATCH here:

https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-secret-match

I hope you enjoyed this “Summer Romance Series” blog. Visit my site www.kelliwilkins.com to learn about all of my books, read more blogs, and get links to my social media.

June is Pride Month. Let’s all celebrate Love this summer.

Happy Reading,

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.

 

Celebrate Pride Month with… A Secret Match

 

Hi romance lovers!

A Secret Match is my contemporary gay romance set in the world of professional wrestling. It’s a follow-up book (of sorts) to my M/F wrestling romance, A Deceptive Match. Technically, the book isn’t a sequel because it’s a gay romance and falls into a different romance genre… But it’s closely connected because it focuses on Everett Kinkade, a secondary character I introduced in A Deceptive Match.

In that book Ev is the best friend of wrestling champ Vinnie Valentine. They’ve been together for years as tag-team champs, confidantes, and are as close as brothers. I fell in love with Ev so much while writing A Deceptive Match I knew he needed his own book. 

And I knew it wouldn’t be an easy one.

Ev is a gay professional wrestler who has lots of insecurities and personal issues to overcome. Although he’s been in a long-term relationship with his boyfriend, Josh, he’s kept their involvement a secret. Aside from Josh nobody except Vinnie (and Danni, the heroine from A Deceptive Match) know he’s gay. He has a hard enough time dealing with his sexuality on a personal level, and on a professional level—forget it.

So naturally I put the screws to Ev—right in the first scene. When the book opens, Josh and Ev are having “going away” sex, and all seems well—until they have a major argument. Josh is tired of being hidden away like a “dirty secret” and wants Ev to come out or at least acknowledge their relationship to someone in their life.

Ev refuses for several reasons. His wrestling persona is a heartthrob who women fantasize about, and he needs to maintain his image if he wants to keep his job. Obviously, coming out would threaten his livelihood. (This book was written before it was “acceptable” for wrestlers to come out.) He’s also afraid of what people will think about him if they know he’s gay. After a heated exchange, Josh gives him an ultimatum and walks out.

Ev is distraught and turns to his best friend and fellow wrestler, Vinnie for advice. Danni and Vinnie play a crucial role in Ev’s story—both in his personal journey—and in the ring.

The head of the wrestling organization, Nick August, tells Ev he has to go along with a “steal my woman” angle involving Vinnie and Danni. As part of the storyline, Ev has to kiss Danni in front of a live audience. This is the turning point in the book. Ev is torn between living a lie and being true to himself—and in the spur of the moment, he comes out on live TV.

From there, all hell breaks loose.

Ev instantly regrets what he’s done and is afraid he’s just tanked his career, some of the other wrestlers aren’t thrilled with the news, and Nick August is beyond furious. But in true wrestling fashion, the fans think it’s all a work—until Ev comes out again. This time, he’s out and proud.

When I wrote the book I knew Ev and Josh would be apart for about a third of the story, but I wanted to give readers a peek into their lives before the break-up. I decided the best way to do that was through flashbacks. Over the course of the book readers learn how Ev and Josh met, see their first kiss, and more. When Josh and Ev reconnect, readers know all about them and realize they’re meant to be together.

I love Ev as a character. On one hand, he’s funny, sharp-witted, sexy, and a wiseass. And on the other hand, he’s an emotionally fragile, wounded warrior who is torn between living two lives.

A Secret Match has everything a good wrestling storyline needs: action, heroes, heels, drama, humor, sexy wrestlers—and in this case, some pretty hot love scenes. It takes readers (and the characters) on an emotional roller coaster ride. And it’s not just for wrestling fans. The wrestling world is merely a backdrop for a tender romance and a look inside Ev’s mind.

A Secret Match isn’t a sequel to A Deceptive Match per se, but it takes place in the same world of pro wrestling and many of the characters from A Deceptive Match appear in A Secret Match. You don’t have to read the books together or in any particular order, and each book stands alone as an individual read.

If you love wrestling, if you love romance, and if you loved A Deceptive Match, you’ll love this book too. Here’s the book summary and links:

 

A SECRET MATCH

Everett Kinkade is a world-famous professional wrestler and the sexy heartthrob of millions of adoring female fans. But Ev has a secret he doesn’t dare share with anyone. He’s gay.

After years of being Ev’s secret lover, Josh is tired of hiding in the shadows and wants Ev to openly acknowledge their relationship. Coming out is the last thing Ev wants and fears it will ruin his career.

One night in a moment of truth, Everett outs himself on live TV. There’s no going back, and his announcement sparks a firestorm of problems—both personally and professionally. He’s forced to come to grips with who he really is while facing down a manipulative boss and a tag-team out to destroy him.

Torn between living a lie and losing the man he loves, Ev has risked everything… can he find a balance between his career and his heart?

Order A Secret Match here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FERW65A

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/md6rZb

Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-secret-match

 

Don’t miss the book that introduced Ev to fans… A Deceptive Match:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F18X3XQ

All other platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/3RB96j

Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-deceptive-match

I welcome questions and comments from readers and other authors. You can contact me via the form on my site or on social media.

June is Pride month. Let’s all celebrate Love this summer!

Happy Reading,

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 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.

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 and social media links.

 

Celebrate Pride Month with… A Thousand Summer Secrets

 

Hi everyone,

Today I’m sharing a look at the making of my fourth gay romance, A Thousand Summer Secrets. I’ll talk about the characters, their troubled relationships, the origin of the story, and the title. Let’s get started with the book blurb:

A Thousand Summer Secrets

You can’t outrun your past…

Ten years after being disowned by his family for being gay, Eric Warren pays a visit to his family’s summer cabin. It’s his last attempt at reconciliation before moving on. But a surprise from the past is waiting for him.

Eric’s intolerant brother, Jamey, has several friends staying at the cabin for the weekend, including Matt, Eric’s boyhood friend and secret crush. The years haven’t faded their mutual attraction, and they quickly reconnect. But Eric is hesitant to get romantically involved. He’s emotionally broken and scarred from his traumatic past.

As Matt tries to help Eric, Jamey goes out of his way to sabotage his brother. And when the weekend events take a disastrous turn, Eric finds himself at a crossroads.

Should he follow his search for love and acceptance with Matt? Or leave the past behind forever?

Order your copy here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Summer-Secrets-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B0CZYYP5HC

All Other Platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3nMKA8

***

Before I talk about the characters, let’s talk about the title. Yes, as you may have guessed, this book is filled with secrets (and lies). Are there “a thousand” secrets? I’m not sure, but I do know the characters are keeping secrets from each other and themselves. Everything isn’t exactly what it seems, and there’s plenty of family and relationship drama to fill a weekend.

As for the title itself… Occasionally I have trouble coming up with titles, but not this time. Many years ago I was mindlessly fooling around with those magnetic squares of different words and strung together “thousand summer secrets”. I thought it would make a good title, so I wrote it down.

Originally I thought I’d use the title for a story about two female best friends reconnecting during a week at the beach. That book never materialized. But when I wrote about two male friends reconnecting over a July Fourth weekend, I decided the title fit the story perfectly!

When I wrote the book, I deliberately set the story in a rural cabin during a long weekend. Why? To build drama and tension. Basically, I threw several characters who don’t get along in a small space and forced them to deal with each other, for good or bad. You never know what they’ll do or say next. (If anyone has ever been “stuck” with people you can’t stand for a long weekend, you know what I’m talking about.)

Everyone in this story has flaws they’re working through (or should be!). Jamey has anger issues (for starters). His friend Dave is a homophobic jerk. Eric is in AA, harboring a lot of guilt, and has low self-esteem. Matt is the stable one in the group and tries to make peace between everyone. But after a while, he realizes it’s an uphill battle for Eric, and Eric might be better off without his cruel, dysfunctional family.

When I was writing, I wanted the characters (not just Eric) to realize it’s okay to walk away from people and situations that make your life miserable. Just because you’re related to someone (or dating them), it doesn’t give them the right to bully you or treat you like crap. Life is too short to be around uncaring, intolerant people, and it’s within your right to leave them behind, move on, and close the door to them forever.

As Eric tries to come to grips with his past, he needs all the love, support, and help he can get. He was disowned by his parents (literally thrown out of the house forever) when he was 20 years old, and left to fend for himself. Despite his attempts at reconciliation, his family wants nothing to do with him. Why? Because he’s gay.

Unfortunately, this situation is all too common in the LGBTQ+ community. Children and teens are facing bullying, hatred, and worse from their relatives, in their schools, and on social media—all because they don’t “fit in” with the “norm” of society. I based Eric’s backstory on several true stories I heard from gay friends and coworkers. Many times the LGBTQ+ person decides the only way to be happy is to leave their biological family and find a new family in the LGBTQ+ community.

Eric’s rejection by his family wounds him deeply and feeds a lot of his self-esteem issues. Matt’s family supports him, but he’s still not completely comfortable being “out” in public. In the end, they both realize that what other people think doesn’t matter—accept them or not—they’re not going to hide who they are (or who they love) for anyone or any reason.

And that’s how it should be, because love is all that matters.

June is Pride Month. Let’s all celebrate Love this summer.

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 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 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.

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 and social media links.

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

Celebrating Pride Month with… Four Days with Jack

Hi everyone,

To celebrate Pride Month, I’m sharing a look at the making of my gay romance, Four Days with Jack. In this contemporary novella, best friends David and Jack embark on a sexual relationship. David has always loved Jack and has fantasized about being his lover, but he lacked the courage to admit his feelings—until now.

Four Days with Jack is one of the few books I wrote without an outline. I think not having a pre-planned structure let the characters write their own story (so to speak), and took the book in new directions.

At first, I didn’t know what the story would be. All I had was a basic plot (straight guy comes out to his gay best friend), a title, and one pivotal scene that takes place in a bathroom. (For those of you who have read the book, you know which scene I’m talking about—but I won’t give it away here.)

From there, I let my imagination wander and came up with the resort, the rest of the plot, and the unusual cast of characters that Jack and David encounter. As I wrote, David quickly revealed a major conflict—inner turmoil. Over four days, David and Jack learn a lot about themselves, each other, and what sacrifices they’ll make to stay together.

David has kept his true desires a secret from himself and everyone else. He’s afraid of what people will think about him if they know (or even suspect) that he’s gay. How will they react? Will they judge him? If so, how will his life change?

These aren’t the typical types of questions that my straight characters have to face in their romances. And this line of thinking really got me wondering about what it’s like for people to come out in real life. Will they be shunned by friends and family? Should they tell anyone? Live a lie? Move to a new state? What if they live in a state that’s more conservative and not gay-friendly? What will their coworkers think? And really: Is their sex life really anybody’s business?

I picked up on this theme of “What will people think?” and ran with it. In the book, David points out that Jack’s family disowned him when he came out, and David doesn’t want to go through the same type of heartache. Jack’s reply is pretty much: “So? They’ll get over it.”

As I was writing this story, I considered “what people would think” about this book. How can a woman write a gay romance? What will people think about the love scenes? Then I reminded myself that I’m a writer, and I create the characters and scenes that make up the book. Basically, the story needs to be told, and I’m the one telling it.

Writers need to turn off their internal editors and forge ahead with the story as it should be (and needs to be) told. If we constantly worried about what grandma would think about our writing, or if we were afraid to open up and let the characters and story take us into the bedroom, we’d never write anything except G-rated bedtime fables. And if a friend/relative/whoever has a problem with the subject matter, Jack’s right: they’ll get over it.

Or maybe not. One reader commented that she didn’t like the antagonist (Frank). As a writer, I’m glad to hear that! Frank is a blatant homophobic ass who says some pretty awful things to David and Jack, and he treats his own wife like crap. 

So why is he in the story? For two reasons: 1. to show that not everyone accepts openly gay couples, and 2. to add a level of confrontation and intolerance that help band David and Jack together during a crisis moment. Is Frank an over-the-top stereotype? Nope, because he’s a compilation of a few real people I’ve encountered.

Even in this day and (political) age, some people are offended by gay romances and consider them “icky” or immoral. (Yes, I was actually told by a romance book reviewer that gay romances are icky!) My philosophy is pretty simple when it comes to that: it’s a free country, so read whatever you want —but don’t expect me to censor what I write because you have a problem with it.

Now more than ever, I’m just as proud of my gay romances as I am of my straight romances. Why? Because I’m a romance writer—and in my books, everyone deserves to be in love and live happily-ever-after with whatever partner they choose.

And that’s the way it should be… in fiction and in real life.

Here’s the book summary and links:

Four Days with Jack

When David invited his best friend on vacation, he never expected them to fall in love…

Spending four days in a tropical paradise with Jack is a dream come true. For years, David has lived a lie and denied his romantic feelings for Jack. Now that they’re together in an isolated Caribbean resort, he finally admits what he really wants—to be Jack’s lover.

Jack has been in love with David for years and is encouraged by his desire to explore a sexual relationship. He’s more than willing to introduce David to the life he has always fantasized about. Their sizzling nighttime encounters confirm David’s long-hidden cravings, but what will happen when they leave the resort?

Will David come out and start a new life with Jack? Or will he go back to his old ways and risk losing the best friend he ever had?

Order Four Days with Jack here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071FTMWHL             

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/bo6Rap

I hope you’ll check it out. I fell in love with the characters, and I hope readers will too. It’s got a good blend of humor, drama, and plenty of sizzling love scenes that will heat up your summer! 

Happy Reading,

Kelli A. Wilkins

Four Days with Jack — What Will People Think?

Hi everyone,

Pride Month is going strong, and today I’m sharing a look at the making of my gay romance, Four Days with Jack. In this contemporary novella, best friends David and Jack embark on a sexual relationship. David has always loved Jack and has fantasized about being his lover, but he lacked the courage to admit his feelings—until now.

Four Days with Jack was the first gay I wrote, and it’s one of the few books I wrote without an outline. I think not having a pre-planned structure let the characters write their own story (so to speak), and took the book in new directions.

At first, I didn’t know what the story would be. All I had was a basic plot (straight guy comes out to his gay best friend), a title, and one pivotal scene that takes place in a bathroom. (For those of you who have read the book, you know which scene I’m talking about – but I won’t give it away here.)

From there, I let my imagination wander and came up with the resort, the rest of the plot, and the unusual cast of characters that Jack and David encounter. As I wrote, David quickly revealed a major conflict—inner turmoil. Over four days, David and Jack learn a lot about themselves, each other, and what sacrifices they’ll make to stay together.

David has kept his true desires a secret from himself and everyone else. He’s afraid of what people will think about him if they know (or even suspect) that he’s gay. How will they react? Will they judge him? If so, how will his life change?

These aren’t the typical types of questions that my straight characters have to face in their romances. And this line of thinking really got me wondering about what it’s like for people to come out in real life. Will they be shunned by friends and family? Should they tell anyone? Live a lie? Move to a new state? What if they live in a state that’s more conservative and not gay-friendly? What will their coworkers think? Is their preference really anybody’s business?

I picked up on this theme of “What will people think?” and ran with it. In the book, David points out that Jack’s family disowned him when he came out, and David doesn’t want to go through the same type of heartache. Jack’s reply is pretty much: “So? They’ll get over it.”

As I was writing this story, I considered “what people would think” about this book. How can a woman write a gay romance? What will people think about the love scenes? Then I reminded myself that I’m a writer, and I create the characters and scenes that make up the book. Basically, the story needs to be told, and I’m the one telling it.

Writers need to turn off their internal editors and forge ahead with the story as it should be (and needs to be) told. If we constantly worried about what grandma would think about our writing, or if we were afraid to open up and let the characters and story take us into the bedroom, we’d never write anything except G-rated bedtime fables. And if a friend/relative/whoever has a problem with the subject matter, Jack’s right: they’ll get over it.

Or maybe not. One reader commented that she didn’t like the antagonist (Frank). As a writer, I’m glad to hear that! Frank is a blatant homophobic ass who says some pretty awful things to David and Jack, and he treats his own wife like crap.

So why is he in the story? For two reasons: 1. to show that not everyone accepts openly gay couples, and 2. to add a level of confrontation and intolerance that help band David and Jack together during a crisis moment. Is Frank an over-the-top stereotype? No, I don’t think so, because (unfortunately) he’s a compilation of a few real people I’ve encountered.

Even in this day and age, some people are offended by gay romances and consider them “icky” or immoral. (Yes, I was actually told by a book reviewer that gay romances are icky!) My philosophy is pretty simple when it comes to that: it’s a free country, so read whatever you want—but don’t expect me to censor what I write because you have a problem with it.

This updated version is a bit different from the original book. I’ve given the story an overhaul and made a lot of changes. New scenes were added, others were completely revised, and a few were deleted. BUT, I was very happy to make one significant change to this edition: when the book was originally published by Amber Quill Press, gay marriage wasn’t recognized. I’m pleased to report that I’ve included the line: “same-sex couples are getting married all over the country.”

Now more than ever, I’m just as proud of my gay romances as I am of my straight romances. Why? Because I’m a romance writer—and in my books, everyone deserves to be in love and live happily-ever-after with whatever partner they choose.

And that’s the way it should be… in fiction and in real life.

Here’s the book summary and links. I’ll be sharing an excerpt next week!

Four Days with Jack

When David invited his best friend on vacation, he never expected them to fall in love…

Spending four days in a tropical paradise with Jack is a dream come true. For years, David has lived a lie and denied his romantic feelings for Jack. Now that they’re together in an isolated Caribbean resort, he finally admits what he really wants—to be Jack’s lover.

Jack has been in love with David for years and is encouraged by his desire to explore a sexual relationship. He’s more than willing to introduce David to the life he has always fantasized about. Their sizzling nighttime encounters confirm David’s long-hidden cravings, but what will happen when they leave the resort?

Will David come out and start a new life with Jack? Or will he go back to his old ways and risk losing the best friend he ever had?

Order your copy of Four Days with Jack here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071FTMWHL

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/bo6Rap

I hope you’ll check it out. I fell in love with the characters, and I hope readers will too. It’s got a good blend of humor, drama, and plenty of sizzling love scenes that will heat up your summer! 

Happy Reading,

Kelli

CATCH UP WITH KELLI

Here are a few links to find Kelli & her writings on the web:

Website: http://www.KelliWilkins.com

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

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/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelli-a-wilkins

Books2Read: https://www.books2read.com/ap/nkvddR/Kelli-A-Wilkins

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/KwilkinsAuthor/

Medallion Press Author Page: http://medallionpress.com/author/kelli-wilkins/