Showing posts with label shifter romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shifter romance. Show all posts

Monday, June 24, 2019

Celebrating Pride Month with... Killer in Wolf's Clothing




Hi everyone,

As Pride Month winds down, I’m sharing a look at my gay paranormal romance, Killer in Wolf’s Clothing. This novella is a fun look at the werewolf legend and blends mystery, danger, humor, and sizzling love scenes.

Here’s the summary:

Killer in Wolf’s Clothing

A super aggressive Alpha male, a serial killer, and a visit to a kinky sex club… What has Larry gotten himself into?

When Larry learns that his boyfriend Greg changes into another man during the full moon, he has a hard time accepting it—until he meets Deke, Greg’s alternate Alpha personality.

Deke doesn’t play nice and has no time for games. He only wants two things—to get laid and to get revenge against the arsonist who murdered his friends. Finally free from Greg’s restraints, Deke is ready for action, and Larry is more than willing to submit to Deke’s needs.

Together, Larry and Deke set out to find the killer. Their hunt takes them to an all-night Alpha sex club where things heat up for the two of them. But when Larry unwittingly falls into the clutches of the murderer, it’s up to Deke—and Greg—to save him before it’s too late.

***

As most readers may know, I write in nearly every romance genre (historical, fantasy, gay, paranormal, and contemporary) and my books vary in heat level from mild to super-sizzling hot. Killer in Wolf’s Clothing is a blend of several genres (gay, contemporary, and paranormal) and readers might be wondering how this unusual story came about.

Although I write horror and romance, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to my “monsters” and I didn’t think I ever would (or could) write a “werewolf in love” story. In my book, werewolves are ferocious, snarling animals who closely resemble the creatures from the movie Dog Soldiers.

In some werewolf lore, the cursed human doesn’t physically grow a tail and pointed ears, but rather takes on wolf-like characteristics and becomes more aggressive and violent. I decided to use this as the basis for my “werewolf” and instead of having Deke turn into an actual wolf, he becomes an Alpha male. As Larry says in the book, “It’s more Incredible Hulk than American Werewolf in London.”

But the uniqueness of this romance doesn’t end there. Not only is Deke and Alpha male, he’s out for revenge against a fellow Alpha who murdered several of his friends.

Although the book is a paranormal romance involving a serial killer, right from the start, I knew I had to balance the dark subject matter with a light tone; otherwise the story would get too heavy. (After all, this is a romance!) So I decided to have a little fun with the story and the characters.

What would be your first reaction if someone you loved told you they changed into a werewolf? Disbelief? Shock? Send that person to the psych ward? It’s a little hard to take such things seriously, so I gave Larry a smartass sense of humor when it came to dealing with Greg’s affliction. The jokes and his sarcastic wit added a comedic element and eased the tension when things got very…hairy. (Sorry!)


Here are two mild mini-excerpts from Killer in Wolf’s Clothing:

“I don’t know how it happens, but during the phase of the full moon there’s a physical transformation. I get aggressive and bigger—”

“Bigger how exactly?” Larry teased.

He smiled. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I change, physically change.”

“Into what? A wolf with a tail and pointy ears?”

“No, it’s not like in the movies. I don’t turn into a monster. I become someone else.”

Larry dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “That’s impossible. Maybe you have an undiagnosed personality disorder. Have you seen a psychiatrist?”

“Three of them. They all told me I suffered from delusions.” Greg drank down more of his beer. “One woman said my Alpha persona was a manifestation of my true male sexuality fighting against the gay side of me.” He laughed. “I didn’t tell her that my Alpha self is gay, too.”

Larry sat up. “He is?”

“Oh yeah, definitely.”

“Wow, that’s good. I mean… Wait...you’re acting way too serious about this.”

“I am?” He arched an eyebrow and stared into Larry’s blue eyes. “Would you like to see the video?”

***

Larry lay down on his side, facing Deke. Up close, the musky, manly scent was stronger, and his heart beat faster. What did Deke have in mind? “Now what?”

“This.” Deke leaned forward and kissed him hard on the mouth. Deke’s rough, stubbled chin grazed his cheek, and he tensed for a second. Deke kissed him again, hot, needy and insistent. Larry felt himself giving in. He wanted this; he wanted Deke to take charge. He smelled so good he’d let Deke do whatever he wanted.

Deke’s tongue plunged into his mouth and Larry kissed him back, desperately craving more. They kissed for a few minutes, teasing each other with their tongues. Just when things were heating up, Deke pulled away.

“I knew you’d like it. You act like you don’t want to be my love slave, but you do, I can tell.”

Larry pursed his lips. How did Deke know? When he and Greg played their games, he wanted Greg to take charge, but he never did. Deke wouldn’t hesitate about taking over—and he was more than willing to let him...


Order Killer in Wolf’s Clothing here:



***
I hope you enjoy reading this very unusual gay paranormal romance. I had a lot of fun creating these quirky characters while offering a unique look at the werewolf legend.

If you’re not into gay or paranormal love stories, check out all of my romances on my NEW site: www.KelliWilkins.com

Happy Summer Reading!
Kelli

Thursday, October 12, 2017

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 terrifyingyet 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:




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:



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 

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Kelli's Quill Newsletter - June 2016 Issue






Kelli’s Quill
All Romance Double Issue
May/June 2016
Hi everyone,
The warm weather is finally here, and believe it or not, summer is just around the corner. This issue of the Quill is loaded with info about my new romances. Why not add a few to your summer reading list? 


3 HOT ROMANCES
Kelli’s contemporary wrestling romances, A Deceptive Match and A Secret Match, were released in May. Although these books are related and share characters, they each stand alone as individual reads. Here are the summaries and links:

A Deceptive Match

Falling for the wrestler she had been assigned to interview wasn’t part of Danni’s plan, until Vinnie Valentine pinned her heart in a flash.

Disgruntled with her job as the office assistant for a national sports magazine, Danni Stone impersonates a reporter to prove herself to her boss. Her assignment? Spend thirty days on the road with Vinnie Valentine, a sexy professional wrestler.

Life isn’t going well for the Heavyweight Champ. Vinnie is struggling with a manipulative boss, prepping for the most important match of his career, and feuding with his arch-enemy, Thorn. The last thing he needs is a nosy reporter following him around—even if she is hot.

Thrown together in close quarters, Danni can’t help falling for Vinnie, and she unwittingly becomes a key player in his title match. Their mutual attraction grows, and late one night, they give in to the lustful feelings they’ve been fighting. 

As their relationship deepens, Danni considers telling Vinnie her secret. But before she can confess the truth, Vinnie discovers she isn't the reporter she claims to be. Her lie threatens to ruin everything between them. Will their relationship be destroyed by her deception or will their love win out?
Order your copy of A Deceptive Match here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F18X3XQ


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 your copy of A Secret Match here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FERW65A

In June, Kelli released Killer in Wolf’s Clothing. This super-hot gay paranormal/shifter is a fun look at the werewolf legend and blends romance, mystery, danger, humor, and sizzling love scenes.
KILLER IN WOLF’S CLOTHING
A super aggressive Alpha male, a serial killer, and a visit to a kinky sex club…What has Larry gotten himself into?

When Larry learns that his boyfriend Greg changes into another man during the full moon, he has a hard time accepting it—until he meets Deke, Greg’s alternate Alpha personality.

Deke doesn’t play nice and has no time for games. He only wants two things—to get laid and to get revenge against the arsonist who murdered his friends. Finally free from Greg’s restraints, Deke is ready for action, and Larry is more than willing to submit to Deke’s needs.

Together, Larry and Deke set out to find the killer. Their hunt takes them to an all-night Alpha sex club where things heat up for the two of them. But when Larry unwittingly falls into the clutches of the murderer, it’s up to Deke—and Greg—to save him before it’s too late. 
 
Order your copy of Killer in Wolf’s Clothing here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G3V9VWW


RECENTLY RELEASED: The Royal Desires Series
This spring Kelli released the Royal Desires Series. This trilogy of spicy historical/fantasy romances is made up of A Most Unusual Princess, A Most Intriguing Temptation, and A Most Unfortunate Prince. As an added bonus, each book contains a sneak peek excerpt from the next book in the series.

Here are the summaries and links:

A Most Unusual Princess
Princess Elara needs to find a royal husband, but claims that no man can satisfy her. Her father hires Dalton, a special guard, to watch over her while she’s courting suitors. Dalton finds her unusual behaviors charming—and enthralling.
Dalton’s aloof manner intrigues Elara, and despite their differences, they share tender moments and intimate nighttime encounters. Elara is heartbroken when her father chooses a “proper” husband for her—until she meets the mystery man.

Order A Most Unusual Princess, here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CBX43D8

And… A Most Unusual Princess got a new 4 Star review:

A Most Intriguing Temptation

After only four months of marriage to Princess Elara, Prince Dalton is sent to Emperor Salizar’s pleasure palace on business. Not wanting to be left behind, Elara risks her personal safety and sneaks along on the trip.

Aided by her mischievous brother, Prince Allan, she disguises herself as one of Salizar’s sultry kharim women and decides to test Dalton’s loyalty. Masquerading as Oonish, Elara goes out of her way to tempt Dalton at every turn. Despite Dalton’s resolve to resist the indulgent girls, he finds himself falling under the spell of the mysterious Oonish.
After nearly giving in to temptation, Dalton discovers Elara’s trickery and turns the tables on her, making her into his submissive playmate. Their fun and games are quickly shattered when Emperor Salizar learns about Elara’s deception. He holds the royals prisoner and condemns Elara to a fate worse than death.
Can Dalton save Elara before it’s too late, or will her prank bring about the end of their love?

Order your copy of A Most Intriguing Temptation here:


A Most Unfortunate Prince

This time, it’s all about Allan… and he never expected to fall in love!


Banished by the Royal Family, pampered Prince Allan is forced to abandon his life of luxury. The former Royal Shipmaster General is sent to the worst part of the kingdom and manages to find work at the docks. Lost in a commoner’s world, Allan is miserable—until he has an unusual encounter with a saucy shop girl named Claudette.
Allan must earn the respect of the woman he loves while keeping his true identity a secret. In an effort to redeem himself in his father’s eyes, he exposes a dangerous smuggling operation involving the Royal Fleet. But his loyalty to duty comes with a deadly price.
Can he keep Claudette and his royal title? Or will he lose her forever when she discovers his secret?

Order your copy of Book 3, A Most Unfortunate Prince here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DMBYJ6E



KELLI’S BEEN GUEST BLOGGING!



Get an inside look at A Most Intriguing Temptation:

Read about the making of Kelli’s hot wrestling romance, A Deceptive Match here: http://lushbookreviewss.blogspot.com/2016/05/spotlight-deceptive-match-by-kelli.html?m=0


IF YOU LIKE HISTORICAL ROMANCES - DON'T MISS:

A naughty interview with Ashton Bailey, the hero from Kelli’s Colonial historical/mystery romance, Dangerous Indenture:


A spicy excerpt from Dangerous Indenture:


This Month’s Writing Exercise: Secrets…
Each month, I’ll leave you with a writing prompt or short exercise. Use it for a freewriting warm-up, write a few paragraphs about it for fun, play the “what if” game, or just muse it over. 

To celebrate the release of A Secret Match, this month’s writing prompt is all about secrets! In A Secret Match, Ev (our hero) is hiding a secret from the world (he’s gay). During the course of the book we learn that keeping this secret is causing Ev a lot of grief, anguish, and heartache. (Danni, the heroine in A Deceptive Match, is also hiding a secret from Vin. Lots of secrets in these books!)

Do your characters have secrets? (Most people do, so your fictional “people” should too!) If not, why not give them one? Secrets, deception, and lies (whether innocent or down-right deliberate) can add layers of drama to your story, increase the tension, and let you explore your characters’ emotions from many different angles. All of this can enhance the story and give your characters some heavy-duty motivation.

Ask yourself: What secret can I give my hero or heroine? Maybe he’s hiding the fact that he’s being blackmailed; she’s keeping quiet about her role in a murder; a husband knows his wife is cheating, but keeps the information to himself to avoid a scandal; or a worker discovers something strange about his boss…

Once you know the secret, you can really turn up the heat on your characters. Start asking: What happens if someone else finds out the secret? What if the person feels the need to confess? (Who does he or she confess to and then what happens?) How does holding this secret make him/her feel? (guilty, like a phony, has no remorse about it, nervous at being found out, tired of holding the secret?) What (if anything) will make the character confess the secret? 

Secrets and deception add twists and turns to your plot and can make things very interesting for everyone involved. What sort of secrets you can invent for your next story?

I hope you enjoyed this issue of the Quill. Next month, I’ll be sharing more about my romances, links to guest blogs, writing prompts, and more!

Enjoy the summer!
Kelli