Guest Author Day with Kelli A. Wilkins

 

Today, romance author Kelli A. Wilkins is answering a few fun questions about her books, the writing life, and more. Readers want to know…

 

How would you describe yourself using only five words?

Busy romance and horror author.

 

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Of course! I lounge around on the couch in front of the TV when I should be writing, or cleaning, or doing something else. I usually devote my Friday nights to being lazy.

How do you get yourself in the mood to write?

I block out a chunk of time and review my outline. Then I envision the scene I want to write and I just do it. My first draft is nowhere near perfect—I write it out just to get the scene on paper. When I go back and revise, I add dialogue tags, sensory details, and fix up the word choices to make the scene come alive.

 
What should readers expect from your romances?

I’ve written romances in nearly every genre: historical, fantasy, paranormal, contemporary and gay. Each romance varies in heat level from mild to super-spicy. But no matter which book they pick up, readers can expect interesting plots, unique characters, and engaging romances that pull you into the story.

 

If someone hasn't read any of your romances, what book(s) would you recommend that they start with and why?

That depends on what genre they like to read. My romances include almost all genres, and the heat levels vary from mildly sensual to scorching-hot.

 

Historical romance lovers would enjoy The Viking’s Witch. It’s a spicy historical novel set in Celtic Scotland. Or, if they like Westerns, they could read Love, Lies & Redemption. It takes place on the Nebraska prairie in 1877.

 

Readers of historical/fantasy romance would like either the Royal Desires series (A Most Unusual Princess, A Most Intriguing Temptation, and A Most Unfortunate Prince) or the Naughty Nobles trilogy (Midsummer Night’s Delights, Midwinter Night’s Delights, and Ultimate Night’s Delights).

 

Contemporary romance readers can fall in love with Vinnie, the hero from A Deceptive Match, while paranormal lovers would like Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover. And readers of gay romance would like A Secret Match, Four Days with Jack, or Killer in Wolf’s Clothing.

 

You write romance and horror. What is your attraction to the horror genre? What books would you recommend to readers?

I’ve always been a horror fan, and I originally started out writing short horror fiction and sci-fi stories. I moved away from them for a few years while I focused on my romance, but recently I’ve returned to writing short stories. I love writing horror and sci-fi because I get to explore different plots and create characters that I can’t include in a romance.

Horror and sci-fi fans would like Dead til Dawn, Nightmare in the North, or Extraterrestrial Encounters, my collection of 18 sci-fi stories. I like to say I have something for everyone!

 

Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this?

That’s a fantasy! Most people want to believe that writers sit around contemplating what to write all day, crank out a book in a week, then sit back and collect outrageously huge checks. Yes, sometimes that happens to a few authors, but the rest of us put in lots of hard work. Many non-writers don’t understand that creating a book out of thin air is a time-consuming (and sometimes frustrating) process.

 

I’ve had well-meaning (I think…) people ask me how come I don’t have a million dollars or why haven’t my books been on the New York Times Best-seller List yet. The reality is that some authors can and do quit their day jobs to write, while others put in 40 hours a week doing something else and then carve out time from the rest of the day to write. It’s not always glamorous, but creating characters and writing about them is fun, and that’s why I do it.

 

If you could be a character in any of your books, who would it be and why?

I’d probably be Odaria from The Viking’s Witch. Odaria is a very strong woman who has magical/psychic powers. It would be interesting to see what I would do with her abilities—although the idea of living in 803 and giving up all modern conveniences isn’t terribly appealing. Odaria also has Rothgar, a hot and sexy Viking warrior as her lover, so spending time with him would be a big plus!

 

If you could invite any famous person, dead or alive, for lunch, who would it be and what would you eat?

I’d have lunch with Stephen King (his schedule permitting, of course). Most people probably don’t know that in addition to my romances, I also write horror fiction. I read Stephen King’s short stories at a very young age, and his writing style and distinct voice have always stuck with me. I think his book On Writing is a must-read for anyone who writes or wants to write. And lunch? We’d go someplace low-key and casual (like a retro diner that has its fair share of unique characters) and be so busy talking about all sorts of stuff (writing, the horror genre, Dwight Yoakam, and Lucas Davenport) that we’d forget to eat!

 

If you could travel to another time, would you choose the past or the future? Why?
I’d travel back in time, but make sure I could come back to the present. There are a lot of places I’d like to visit: ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and Rome, a medieval European castle, castles in the UK, the Old West, and probably a few more. I like reading about different time periods—which is probably why I write a lot of historical romances.

 

What’s next on the horizon for you?

I’m pretty busy these days. Currently, I’m working on a non-fiction guide to journaling, editing a contemporary paranormal/mystery romance, and writing several short horror stories.

 

Where can readers get in touch with you or find you on the web?

I love getting feedback and comments about my books. I enjoy learning which characters and scenes readers love best. The easiest place to learn more about me and my writings is my site: www.KelliWilkins.com. Readers can view all of my titles, read reviews and catch up on my blog posts and newsletters in the blog section of the site. The “contact” page has all the links to my social media accounts, Amazon author page, and more.

 

Happy Reading!

 

Kelli A. Wilkins

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 20 romance novels, 6 non-fiction books, and 2 online writing courses. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror stories.

In 2020, Kelli published Love, Lies & Redemption, a western romance set in 1877 Nebraska. This novel blends a sensual love story with mystery and danger.

 

She released Romance Every Weekend: 104 Fun Ways to Express Your Love, a non-fiction guide to romance in 2019. The book features 104 fun and easy ways you can express your love to that special someone in your life. Perfect for men or women, it focuses on tender, everyday gestures that let your partner know how much you love him or her.

Kelli published Extraterrestrial Encounters, a collection of 18 sci-fi stories, in 2019. If you like horror fiction, don’t miss her disturbing novella, Nightmare in the North.

Kelli has authored two online writing courses: Fiction Basics: Finding Ideas and Fiction Writing for Beginners. These courses are perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for more details.

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 website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com to learn more about all of her writings.