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.

 

Chatting with fantasy romance author Deborah A. Bailey

Greetings Everyone!

Today, I’m featuring an interview with fantasy romance author Deborah A. Bailey. She talks about her latest release, why she writes fantasy, and more!

Q: Tell readers a bit about yourself and your books. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I've written 10 fiction books and 3 non-fiction books so far. I've written for years, though when I was working in IT, I didn't write for a long time. During that point I'd given up on writing and publishing for some reason. Probably because during that time I was always on-call, and I had little time for my personal pursuits. Eventually I did move out of that career and I started taking writing classes and the rest is history. My first non-fiction book was published in 2010, and my first novel in 2012.

My favorite? That's tough because I do feel a sense of accomplishment about them all. I think my second Hathor Legacy book is my favorite, though. With my first novel, I was so focused on trying to be perfect. Following all the rules I'd learned over the years. Then, with book 2, I just relaxed and told the story. It felt so much better to write it.

Q: Your latest fantasy romance, Once Upon A Princess: Land of Dreams was just released. Please tell us all about it.

This is the third book in the Once Upon A Princess fairy tale romance series. Actually it's a sequel to Once Upon A Princess: Heart of Stone, and has the hero from that book, Willem, as the hero of this one. But in this case, he's gone through a transformation and he's a completely different person physically. He was a gargoyle in the previous book, and now he's become a gargoyle shifter. This book was tricky because I had to show that Willem is a new person created by elemental magic.

It took about a year to finally finish this story. Life happened and there were times when I had no idea where I wanted the story to go. Finally I started working on another story, and that one helped me to finish this one. When you're stuck, changing things up helps to clear your mind.

Here’s the book blurb:

Once Upon A Princess: Land of Dreams

Willem was created of magic and trapped in the Land of Dreams by a curse in which he shared his gargoyle form with Eduardo. When Eduardo freed himself from the evil spell his jealous half-brother Erokan cast on him, Willem was given a new life.

Now a gargoyle shifter, Willem meets Cicely, daughter of Lord Montrose. Everything he's ever wanted is within his grasp. But he isn't the only man who longs to capture her.

Aware Cicely descends from royalty and was hidden away as a child to keep her magical ability a secret, a mysterious stranger intends to bend the powerful fire elemental to his will. Cicely knows she possesses magical ability. Falling in love with the courageous, self-sacrificing Willem may be the key to awakening…or unleashing…something formidable buried deep inside her.

Q: Why do you write fantasy romance? What draws you to that genre? Would you write romances in other genres?

I never expected to write fantasy romance at all. My first love is science fiction, and that was the genre of my first novel. But a couple of years ago I decided to give fairy tale-inspired story a try. As it turned out, I really enjoyed writing it. So, I wrote a second one, and eventually this one. What I like is that you can create worlds without having to stick with what's possible or probable. As long as you can dream it up, you can create it.

Also, I think particularly these days, fantasy romance gives readers (and writers) a break from reality. I want to entertain my readers and give them something fun and sexy while they're reading. And, of course, I enjoy writing them, too.

I've written contemporary romance under a pen name, but contemporary is not my first choice. As with most of my other books, I wanted to try out a new genre. Right now I have ideas for a couple contemporary books, so they might turn up eventually.

For the most part, though, I will always be drawn to fantasy and sci-fi.

Q: Do you have a backlist title you would like to promote? Something readers may have missed...

My short story collection, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales is something that doesn't neatly fall into the categories my other books do. I call them speculative fiction stories, which I guess covers it! They're a combination of stories I've had previously published in the Sun magazine, and stories I'd originally written to submit to a Star Trek fiction contest. They weren't accepted, so I rewrote them with my own characters.

Q: Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

I put a bit of personal experience in the story about Willem's rebirth. I think everyone goes through those times when you start over in your life. That's the fun with fairy tales, they're actually life lessons. The good thing is they can be entertaining without being preachy. But there is a lesson underneath.

Q: Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say about your books?

They love the paranormal – especially shifters! So do I, but I want to be able to try different things. Readers have their favorites, and I get that. But I hope that they'll also like the new stories and characters that I introduce.

Q: What's next for you? Are you working on anything new?

Yes, I'm working on a mythology retelling under a pen name. And I've got a dragon shifter series in mind, and another paranormal/sci-fi romance novel. And, there's another Hathor Legacy novel coming at some point, along with another Family Pride lion shifter book. I have a ton of ideas, I just need more time!

Ready to start reading? Order Deborah’s books here:

Once Upon A Princess: Duet

http://books2read.com/PrincessDuet

Once Upon A Princess: Land of Dreams

https://books2read.com/u/bzvjgL

Hathor Legacy: Outcast

http://books2read.com/HathorOutcast

Hathor Legacy: Burn

http://books2read.com/HathorBurn

Hathor Legacy: Revelations

http://books2read.com/HathorRevelations

Family Pride: Blood Fever

http://books2read.com/PrideBloodFever

Family Pride: Love and Challenges

http://books2read.com/PrideLoveChallenges

Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales

http://books2read.com/ElectricDreams

Follow Deborah on Social Media here:

Twitter: @AuthorDeborahB

Facebook fan page: @AuthorDeborahAB

Instagram: @db2233

About the Author

Deborah A Bailey’s Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance stories include suspense, a bit of mystery, and a lot of romantic heat.

She’s the author of the Hathor Legacy Science Fiction Romance series, and Paranormal Romances including the Family Pride lion shapeshifter series and the Once Upon A Princess fantasy romance series.

Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference and have been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun. They’re included in her short story collection, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales.

In addition to her fiction work, she has published three non-fiction books and articles for various online publications. She’s also the host of Women Entrepreneurs Radio, a weekly podcast available on iTunes.

Visit her site to learn more: http://www.brightstreetbooks.com

When Love Meets Monsters – Paranormal Romance!

Hi Everyone,

October is my favorite month, and I’m writing about what happens when horror meets romance –paranormal romance!

Although I create hot and spicy romances, I actually started out writing horror stories. For some, that might seem like an odd combination, but it works for me. One half of my brain writes the horror, and the other half writes the romance.

I like writing horror fiction because I get to explore different settings, plots, and characters that I couldn’t develop in romance. Sometimes after working on several romances, I’ll switch moods and write a horror story to give my writing muscles a change of pace.

My horror short stories are more psychological/spooky than gory, and it’s fun to add something scary (or strange!) to a romance. Sometimes it’s hard to keep a paranormal romance within bounds – you have to blend just enough horror elements into the love story without grossing out (or turning off) the heroine or hero… or readers!

Other times, the challenge to writing a good paranormal romance is creating a believable plot or finding a way to make a “monster” attractive, romantic, or sexy. If one of your characters is a monster (of the non-human variety) you must believe your creature is real, whether he’s a vampire, a werewolf, or something else entirely.

If you don’t write the creature believably, readers won’t buy into it, and there certainly won’t be any sparks flying in your romance. As a writer, you need to make your monster as real as any other human character and flesh him out completely with a backstory, goals, motivation, and conflicts. (What kind of monster is he? How did he get that way? What is life like for him?)

My contemporary paranormal, Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover started out with the premise “What if a vampire went to the beach and fell in love with a surfer?” The book is extra “unique” in that it’s told in first person from the male character’s point of view.

I made Anya (the vampire) sympathetic and sexy, and not overtly terrifying – yet she still flexed her vampire muscles when she needed to. This story could have easily gone down the horror road and become a full-fledged vampire story, but I wanted to show a softer, kinder side to the Anya and embrace her once-human side.

My gay paranormal, Killer in Wolf’s Clothing is not your usual werewolf love story. Readers should know that Deke, the “werewolf” character, doesn’t actually turn into a “wolf-man” – he’s more of a shifter who transforms into a super-aggressive Alpha male during the full moon. As I say in the book, “It’s more Incredible Hulk than American Werewolf in London.”

I almost had a problem writing Killer in Wolf’s Clothing because I’m “old-school” when it comes to creatures of the night. I expect my werewolves to be violent and vicious, and anything but cuddly. In my opinion, if a person is going to turn into a werewolf/wolf-man, he should look like the werewolves in Dog Soldiers. (A horror movie I highly recommend.)

My latest paranormal, Beauty & the Bigfoot (yes, you read that right!) blends the world of paranormal romance with comedy. (Because, really, how can you not?) From page one, the book doesn’t take itself seriously, and neither should readers. It’s called a paranormal comedy for a reason.

Beauty & the Bigfoot started out with the premise: “What if a cryptozoologist’s daughter fell in love with a captured Bigfoot?” I liked the idea, but I wasn’t sure where I could take it.

When I created the character of Bigfoot/Joe, I had to make sure he wasn’t too scary or too intimidating to Tara, the heroine. To her, he looked like a really hairy guy. She initially blames her attraction to him “on hormones or pheromones or the fact that she really needs a date” but later realizes that Joe is her soulmate. I humanized Joe in several scenes, letting readers see that he’s really not at all the monster everyone thinks he is – without giving too much away.

The book was a lot of fun to write and I had a great time creating the characters. Through Tara and her eccentric father, Charlie, I was able to turn up the camp level and add in many wacky references and asides.

The Viking’s Witch is a historical romance with paranormal elements set in Scotland. The heroine, Odaria, is what they called a witch back then – nowadays we’d call her a psychic and a healer. Odaria’s “magic” is the catalyst that sets the story in motion. 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 abilities for self-preservation and to get revenge on the people who hurt her. Rothgar (the hero) 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 (the villain), 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.

Vampires, shapeshifters, witches… no matter what subgenre of paranormal romance you write, readers need to be swept into the story and buy into the premise that you’ve created. Your job as a writer is to make the reader believe in the paranormal character and take the reader on a journey with the main characters as they fall in love. The situations in the story need to be plausible and told in a way that grips the reader, even if the premise seems a bit far-fetched (at first).

When writing paranormal romance, don’t be afraid to break patterns, make your characters different, or have them go against stereotype. Give readers something unexpected, turn a cliché on its ear, or use a different point of view – it’ll make your work stand out. 

Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover takes place at the beach – and that’s not a place you expect to find a vampire.

Here are the book summaries and links to Beauty & the Bigfoot and Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover.

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 your copy of Beauty & the Bigfoot here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SL9WT2
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1287661566
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beauty-the-bigfoot-kelli-a-wilkins/1127133230;jsessionid=E01BDE220C3C69AA0332DB276CA843F0.prodny_store02-atgap08?ean=2940154939697
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/beauty-the-bigfoot-2
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/6046ac63-c839-4d95-b3a6-dc4783ff560d
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/359453655/Beauty-the-Bigfoot
Playster: https://play.playster.com/books/10009781386873419/beauty-the-bigfoot-kelli-a-wilkins
24 Symbols: https://www.24symbols.com/book/x/x/x?id=2358085

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.

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’ve enjoyed this look at paranormal romances. I welcome comments and questions from readers and other authors. Feel free to contact me via the email address on the News page of my site or on social media. 

Happy Haunting!

Kelli