To
celebrate the upcoming release of my third Medallion Press romance, Lies,
Love & Redemption, I’m sharing an “inside look” at the
making of my first Medallion release, The Viking’s Witch.
In
this blog, I’ll discuss how the book came about, the research involved, and the
violence that takes place in the story. (Yes, even though it’s a romance,
everything’s not all hearts and flowers.) In Part Two, I’ll talk about creating
the characters, developing Odaria’s magic “witch” powers, and more.
The
Viking’s Witch is a traditional historical romance with paranormal elements set
in Scotland in 803 A.D. The main
character, Odaria, is what they called a witch back then—nowadays we’d call her
a psychic and a healer. Here’s the plot summary:
The
Viking’s Witch
About to be burned at the stake by her fellow villagers, Odaria
does what any betrayed witch facing certain death would do. She calls down a
curse. Within seconds, rampaging Norsemen raid the village, capturing everyone
except her.
But her reprieve is short-lived, and Odaria lands in the clutches
of the Norse leader Rothgar. Can she remain true to herself and fight her
growing attraction to this domineering man, or will she fall under his
influence?
After Rothgar witnesses Odaria’s powers firsthand, he strikes a
bargain with her. The raven-haired beauty will use her magical abilities to
help him with his quest in exchange for safe passage off the isle. But can this
cunning woman be trusted, or is she using him to exact vengeance on her
village?
Together they must fight bloodthirsty villagers, battle a mutinous
band of Norsemen, find a missing Norse ship, and learn to trust each
other…before time is up.
Interviewers
and readers have asked what my inspiration was when I was writing the book, and
are curious about how much research I had to do to create the unique characters
and detailed setting.
Like
many of my books, the idea for the story came to me out of the blue. One
day, the entire opening sequences popped into my head and I knew I had to start
writing. At the time, I had the basic plot (Viking warrior falls in love with
Celtic witch), but I wasn’t sure about most of the details, like the character
names, their backstories, and the subplot. All of that came later, along with
the secondary characters, Brennan and Nordskog. (I’ll talk more about them in
Part Two of this blog.)
Scotland
is a beautiful place and I’ve always wanted to set a book there. (I still may
write another historical set in the Highlands.) Having the story take place on
the remote Orkney Islands added a sense of urgency and tension to the plot.
In
a sense, Rothgar and Odaria are “trapped” on the island and are forced to deal
with a pack of angry villagers and other Norsemen. The action is condensed into
a few days on a very small island, so there’s really nowhere for the characters
to go. They’re forced to work together in order to get off the island—and
survive.
Before I wrote a word, I had to do a lot of research on where to
set the story. I knew the book would take place in Scotland where the Vikings
traveled in their early years of exploration, but I didn’t want it to be a
populated location. Once I decided on the Orkneys, I had to pick which island
to set the story. (There are 70 different islands, but today, only 20 are
inhabited.)
I also had to research what life was
like in that time period for Odaria and Rothgar. (What kind of clothes did they
wear? What food did they eat? How did Norsemen travel so far? What were their
ships like?) Odaria and Rothgar come from different backgrounds and technically
would have been speaking different languages, so I had to blend their two cultures
together in a way that flowed with the book.
After I got a feel for what everyday life was like for each of
them, I weaved the details into the story. For example, Rothgar’s Norse
background intrigues Odaria, and she is curious about their clothes, customs,
food, how they travel, etc. Having Rothgar show her how he lives was a good way
to introduce readers into the culture.
And of course, if you were living back in 803 with bands of
Norsemen and crazy villagers, you could expect some measure of violence.
Readers might think that there’s no place for violence in a romance, but I
think that type of realism (when kept in check) enhances the story.
In 803, life was completely different
from how we live now—especially on a remote
island. People got hurt, took sick, and died. The Viking’s Witch features a violent man (Brennan) and a group
of Norsemen with violent reputations, so including some violence in the story
is necessary to move the plot along—while also helping the reader get deeper into
the minds and lives of the characters.
I didn’t cringe when I wrote the
“gritty” scenes; I was happy to include them. I like history and it drives me
crazy when people in 1500 or 1870 are perfectly clean and neat, have perfect
teeth, and look like they stepped out of a beauty salon. In The Viking’s
Witch I included enough details to bring the
story alive, yet showed how some degree of violence was necessary for Rothgar’s
and Odaria’s survival.
I hope you enjoyed Part One of this “Inside
Look” at The Viking’s Witch. Next time, I’ll delve more into the characters and
discuss Odaria’s magic.
Here’s a mini-excerpt from The Viking's Witch:
Rothgar inched closer to her. She tried to move away, but she had nowhere to go. Her back was pressed against the door. Rothgar grinned and cupped her chin in his wide hand. What was he doing? His rough beard grazed her cheek as his lips lightly brushed against hers.
Her entire body tingled, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. The room spun and seemed to grow dim. As everything faded, she had a clear vision of wrapping her arms around Rothgar's neck and eagerly pulling him close for a kiss. Dizzy, she pitched forward. Rothgar caught her and clutched her to his chest.
"Shh," he soothed, running his hand through her loose hair. "I will not harm you, Odaria."
She relaxed against his broad chest, letting him support her weight. His touch was calming, and she felt safe here, leaning against Rothgar as she would rest against a thick tree. She inhaled deep. Rothgar didn't stink of rancid sweat like the other men. He smelled clean and salty, like the sea. The scent comforted her. She could almost fall asleep where she stood.
After a few moments, her dizzy spell passed, and she gazed at him. "You are not like the others. You are different, Rothgar."
He smiled. "Ja, in some ways. But fear not, Odaria. I will not share you with the others. I wish to have you all to myself." Rothgar chuckled and winked at her.
Rothgar inched closer to her. She tried to move away, but she had nowhere to go. Her back was pressed against the door. Rothgar grinned and cupped her chin in his wide hand. What was he doing? His rough beard grazed her cheek as his lips lightly brushed against hers.
Her entire body tingled, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. The room spun and seemed to grow dim. As everything faded, she had a clear vision of wrapping her arms around Rothgar's neck and eagerly pulling him close for a kiss. Dizzy, she pitched forward. Rothgar caught her and clutched her to his chest.
"Shh," he soothed, running his hand through her loose hair. "I will not harm you, Odaria."
She relaxed against his broad chest, letting him support her weight. His touch was calming, and she felt safe here, leaning against Rothgar as she would rest against a thick tree. She inhaled deep. Rothgar didn't stink of rancid sweat like the other men. He smelled clean and salty, like the sea. The scent comforted her. She could almost fall asleep where she stood.
After a few moments, her dizzy spell passed, and she gazed at him. "You are not like the others. You are different, Rothgar."
He smiled. "Ja, in some ways. But fear not, Odaria. I will not share you with the others. I wish to have you all to myself." Rothgar chuckled and winked at her.
Order your copy of The
Viking’s Witch here:
Happy
Reading,
Kelli
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who
has published more than 95 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction
books. Her romances span many genres and heat levels.
In 2016 Kelli began re-releasing her romances
previously published by Amber Quill Press. Visit her website and blog for a
full title list, book summaries, and other information as it becomes available.
Look for her Medallion Press historical western romance, Lies, Love & Redemption,
coming in September.
Her writing book, You Can Write—Really! A
Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction is a fun and informative
non-fiction guide based on her 15 years of experience as a writer. It’s filled
with writing exercises and helpful tips all authors can use.
If you like to be scared, check out Kelli’s
horror ebooks: Dead Til Dawn and Kropsy’s Curse.
Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor. She also writes a weekly blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/.
Visit her website, www.KelliWilkins.com to learn more about all of her writings, read book excerpts,
reviews, and more. Readers can sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb.
CATCH UP WITH KELLI
Here are a few links to find Kelli & her writings on the web
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