The Viking’s Witch -
A Historical/ Paranormal Romance
By Kelli A. Wilkins
Hi
everyone,
Today
I’m sharing a look at my latest historical paranormal romance, The
Viking’s Witch.
The
Viking’s Witch is
a traditional historical romance with paranormal elements set in Scotland in
803 A.D. The heroine, 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 have asked me how I can create such
interesting and diverse characters for all of my books. They want to know where
Rothgar and Odaria came from. Well, there’s no real way to answer that other
than, I just made them up. (Chris Hemsworth from Thor is pretty much what
I envisioned Rothgar to look like—even
though I wrote the book WAY before the movie came out!)
When I create my heroes and heroines I always give
them “baggage” and flaws—along with problems to overcome. This way,
they can grow and change over the course of the book. Odaria is a strong-willed
“witch” who is tired of being abused and ridiculed by the people in her
village. She swears she doesn’t need anyone’s help to get by. Rothgar was once
a powerful warrior, but a personal tragedy has softened him and left him broken
and unwilling to love anyone again.
When they first meet, they each play off the others’
weaknesses. Odaria has no qualms about standing up to Rothgar and arguing with
him, and he respects her willful and fearless behavior. Eventually they realize
that they need (and want) to be with each other forever.
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 “powers” for self-preservation and to get revenge on the people who
hurt her. Rothgar 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 the
villain, Brennan, 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.
I
hope you enjoyed this “inside look” at The Viking’s Witch. I’m happy to say
that readers and reviewers fell in love with the characters and the book has
received dozens of excellent reviews.
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
The Viking’s Witch here:
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, 5 non-fiction books, and 2 online writing courses. Her romances
span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers
with her horror stories.
Her latest historical romance, The
Viking’s Witch, was released in June 2019. This full-length novel takes
place in Celtic Scotland and blends a sensual romance with paranormal
elements.
In March 2019, Kelli published Dangerous Indenture, a historical mystery romance set in Colonial Pennsylvania. She released the second half of her flash fiction series, Cupid’s Schemes, in early 2019. These two volumes of lighthearted mini-romances are perfect reads for a quick lunchtime escape or an after-work indulgence.
Kelli released her
latest Teachable mini-course, Fiction Basics: Finding Ideas in
February 2019. She authored Fiction Writing for
Beginners through Teachable in 2018. These courses are
perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for more details.
If you like horror
fiction, don’t miss her latest novella, Nightmare in the North.
Not
just an author, Kelli is also an amateur photographer. Visit her pages on Shutterstock
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/kelli+wilkins and iStock https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/kelliwilkins to
view her photos.
Kelli posts on her
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.
Visit her NEW
website www.KelliWilkins.com or
blog http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/ to learn more
about all of her writings.
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