Sunday, October 25, 2020

Guest Author Day with Kelli A. Wilkins

 


Have you ever read a Bigfoot romance?

Beauty & the Bigfoot – a quirky paranormal comedy

 

By Kelli A. Wilkins

www.KelliWilkins.com

 

 

Hi everyone,

 

Today I’m sharing a look at my paranormal comedy Beauty & the Bigfoot. (Yes, it’s a Bigfoot romance!) This novella offers readers a quirky look at the legend of Bigfoot.

 

Beauty & the Bigfoot is based on 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 told people I was writing a Bigfoot romance, they said, “You’re kidding, right?” Nope!

 

When I was doing research for the book (Yes, there was a lot of research involved!), I came across several historical accounts dating back to the 1500s of huge, hairy “wild men” living in the woods. Native American tribes had several names for Bigfoot and they took the subject seriously. After reading these stories, my imagination took over. (Once you read the book, you’ll see how it all ties in together.)

 

The story 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. They don’t exactly take the situation seriously, and neither should readers. It’s called a paranormal comedy for a reason. (And either you get it, or you don’t.)

 

But what about Bigfoot? How can Tara fall in love with a hairy, smelly creature? Although he’s not exactly your traditional romantic hero, Bigfoot (or Joe, as he’s known in the story) isn’t a “monster” like everyone believes. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but Bigfoot/Joe isn’t what – or who – he appears to be.

 

I hope you’ll check it out. If you think you know how the story ends… think again!

 

Here’s the summary:

 

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!

 

Here’s a mild excerpt:

 

Tara shook her head and sighed as she entered the cluttered den. She adjusted the framed certificate from the Cryptozoological Society recognizing her father as a “Certified Bigfoot Investigator.” It hung on the wall in a place of esteemed honor—next to an 8-by-10 enlargement of frame 352 from the Patterson film. The infamous shot showed a female Bigfoot in mid-stride looking over her shoulder at the camera.

As much as she loved her dad, she had never understood his obsession with Bigfoot.

“Charlie MacAllister’s Bigfoot Museum” was her father’s pride and joy. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases were crammed with dusty paperbacks titled It Lurks in the Woods and Some Call it Sasquatch! Notebooks detailing his expeditions, sightings, and other “evidence” were stacked next to the loveseat. Scrapbooks filled with tabloid articles proclaiming I WAS BIGFOOT’S BRIDE and BIGFOOT SIGHTED IN UFO were strewn on the coffee table. Her mother’s antique china closet held plaster casts of Bigfoot tracks.

She opened the back door, letting in the fresh July air. The den needed to be aired out and cleaned, and she could only do that when her father went on a “field excursion.” If she was lucky, she would be able to vacuum and dust before—

“Tara! Where are you?” Her father raced into the den, then scowled as he spotted her. “What are you doing in here? Are you trying to clean again? What did I tell you about that?”

She stared at her father like he was from another planet. His medium-brown hair stuck up all over his head like horns, he hadn’t shaved in days, and his clothes were covered with dirt and brambles. It was no wonder why the whole town considered him a raving kook—among other things.

“Come on, come on! You’ve gotta come out and see it! I did it. I did it.”

“Now what?” she forced herself to ask. How many times had Dad rushed in with the “biggest discovery of the year” only to show her a photo of another Bigfoot track? She hated to dampen his enthusiasm, but she had been surrounded by Bigfoot paraphernalia for her entire life and she just wasn’t interested in it anymore.

“I got him. The big male. You know the one.” He gestured at a framed, grainy photo of something running through the woods. “Him.”

She rolled her eyes. Her father wasn’t like other Bigfoot researchers who wanted to catch any old Bigfoot—No, Charlie MacAllister was on a personal mission to catch one particular Bigfoot. One he claimed had been living within five miles of their house for years.

“Dad, if this is a bear cub, or a—”

“No. You’ll see. Now I’ll finally be able to prove that I’m not the nutcase everyone in town thinks I am.”

She let her father drag her into the backyard. “Oh my God! What is that?”

She ran to the flatbed trailer and stared at the unconscious creature. It lay stretched out on its back with its hairy arms and legs shackled to the metal trailer frame. Dad had captured something, all right. There was no mistaking what it was. She had seen enough photos of Bigfoot to know him anywhere.

“You did catch him.” She looked at her father. “But, but…” For once in her life, she was speechless.

Her father grinned and folded his arms across his chest. “Well, now do you believe me? I told you I caught Bigfoot. You should listen to your old man. He knows what he’s talking about.”

Her mind whirled. How was it possible? After twenty years of searching, her father had done it. He had actually captured Bigfoot.

 

Order Beauty & the Bigfoot here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SL9WT2


All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4Dog0Q


Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/beauty-the-bigfoot

 

I welcome questions and comments from readers and other authors, so feel free to write me via the contact form on my site. Stay tuned to my site, blog, and social media for upcoming release news and other fun posts.

Happy Halloween!

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 October 2020, Kelli’s horror story “The Uninvited” was published in the Halloween Horror Vol. 2 anthology. This tale about a children’s Halloween party gone horribly wrong is one of her favorites.

 

Earlier 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.

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.

 


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