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

By Kelli A. Wilkins

Hi romance lovers,
Although I write in several romance genres (contemporary, gay, historical, fantasy), I also like to write horror stories. Many people think that’s an odd combination, but I like to say that one half of my brain writes the horror, and the other half writes the romance. So naturally, it was only a matter of time before I combined the two and started writing paranormal romances.
My contemporary paranormal, Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover, is a different type of romance. For starters, the novella is told in the first person from the hero’s point of view. The story also makes use of a setting where you don’t normally find vampires—the beach!
I got the idea for the story while sitting on a nearly deserted beach at the end of the summer season. (I’m not a beach person, but I was there with my husband, a surfer.) As I sat there watching the few people milling around, I wondered: “What if a vampire went to the beach? And what if she fell in love with a surfer?”
I liked the idea of contrasting typical sun worshipping beachgoers and surfers with a darkness-loving elusive vampire. Besides, what could be more mismatched than a die-hard surfer falling in love with a nocturnal blood-drinker?
I started toying with ideas and knew that although the book is about a vampire, I wanted to keep the central focus on Brian and Anya’s relationship and not on the ‘bloodier’ aspects of vampirism (show her feeding, etc.) There’s a fine line when blending horror and romance into paranormal romance. Too much gore or a “too terrifying” creature can snap the readers (and the characters) out of the romance and into a full-on horror story.
When I wrote the book I made sure that the love scenes were highly sensual and almost surreal. Aside from being a vampire, Anya is a woman with needs, and she makes sure Brian satisfies them. I don’t remember how I was inspired to have the story told by Brian, but it worked. Readers and reviewers like the first-person aspect—it pulls you into a story that would seem unbelievable.
Several people have asked me if it’s hard to write horror and romance. Not really. I enjoy it. Writing horror allows me to change up my writing style, use different settings, and create characters you wouldn’t find in a romance. My horror stories are more psychological/spooky/creepy than gory, and I like to explore darker plots and not always give the characters a happy ending (as I do in my romances).
Here’s the summary and a tame excerpt from Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover:

Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover

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

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

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

***

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

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

Who are you? I wondered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Order Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover here:

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

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

Happy Reading,

Kelli A. Wilkins

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books.

Her romances span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers with her horror stories.

In August 2018, Kelli released her first online course through Teachable. Fiction Writing for Beginners is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit the course page: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for more details.

Kelli’s historical romance, Redemption from a Dark Past, was published in June of 2018. This full-length Gothic novel is set in the kingdom of Hungary in 1723 and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense.

If you like horror fiction, don’t miss her latest novella, Nightmare in the North.

Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.

Visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com and blog http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/ to learn more about all of her writings.