Meet
the Character Day: Chatting with Everett Kinkade from A Secret Match
By Kelli A.
Wilkins
This “Meet the
Character Day” blog is part of a series examining my romance novels. In each
“Behind the Scenes” blog, I talk about why I wrote the book, share my thoughts
on the plot and/or characters, and reveal what I loved most (or least) about
writing the book. The “Meet the Character Day” blogs are fun chats with the
heroes and heroines from my romances. Warning: blogs may contain spoilers.
Hello
romance lovers! Today we’re chatting with Everett Kinkade, the hero from A Secret Match by Kelli A. Wilkins. Let’s see
what’s on Everett’s mind…
Greetings, Everett. A Secret Match is a
contemporary gay romance set in the world of professional wrestling. Can you
tell us a bit more about the book?
Absolutely, and please, call me Ev. Kelli got
the idea for this story while she was writing A Deceptive Match, her
straight romance that also takes place in the wrestling world. I was a
secondary character in that book. I helped the hero (Vin) and the heroine
(Danni) get together. Vin is my best friend, so I acted as a
soundboard/matchmaker for him and Danni.
While Kelli was writing A Deceptive Match, she
knew I needed my own book, but she wasn’t exactly sure what the storyline would
be. Then one day on the way to work, the majority of the plot popped into her
head, and she was off and writing. She says I’m one of those characters who
tries to take over a book. (Laughs) And why not? I’m charming, and witty, and
handsome. Who wouldn’t want to read about my life?
A big part of the novel centers around me
dealing (or rather, not dealing) with
my sexuality and my (un)willingness to be open about who I really am. My
longtime partner, Josh, is tired of being kept in my “walk-in closet” and wants
me to come out (at least to friends and family) but I’m concerned about losing
my job. (Will fans accept a gay wrestler?) Part of me wanted to keep everything
just as it was because that’s safe. But another part of me longed to stop
pretending and hiding the truth.
Do you sometimes want to strangle Kelli? What sort of
upsetting things did Kelli do to you in the book?
At times,
yes! The book starts off great, but within the first two scenes, all hell
breaks loose. Josh tells me he’s tired of being my little secret, and wants me
to come out. That caught me off guard and it was something I was not at all
comfortable with. (Kelli loves jumping right into conflict!) So, Josh gave me
an ultimatum. (Sighs) Things didn’t go well for us, and I was devastated. Only
one person knew about Josh, so I turned to my best friend, Vin, for help and
advice.
Over the
course of the book I had to come to terms with accepting myself for who I am,
what I am, and how I’m perceived by the wrestling fans, my coworkers, and
everyone else. Being an openly gay wrestler was something I didn’t sign up for,
and Kelli threw me into a lion’s den! I did eventually come out—not once, but
twice!—on live TV. That changed everything and took the story in a whole new direction.
Looking
back, I realize it was for the best and Kelli knew exactly what she was doing,
but at the time, I was physically hurt, emotionally wrecked, confused, and
pretty pissed. Vin and Danni helped me through all the turmoil, and Josh stood
by me when I needed him most.
What is it about Josh that makes you crazy in
a good way?
He likes
to drive me nuts on purpose. He enjoys teasing me and pushing my buttons and my
boundaries. But it’s always in a positive way, for my own good. He’ll
deliberately force me to come out of my shell and open up to new people and new
experiences. And I love him dearly for it.
Was there an instant attraction
between you?
Yes and
no. I met Josh at the gym—but it wasn’t a gym hookup. I noticed him out of the
corner of my eye and thought he was cute, but I was so deep in the closet I
didn’t dare approach him. Josh asked me for training advice and we got to know
each other in a casual way. Then one night he asked me if I wanted to grab a
bite to eat, and the rest is… in the book! (Laughs)
Kelli did
an excellent job of working my first meeting (and first kiss) with Josh into
the book. They are some of the most sensual, tender scenes she’s ever written.
I was incredibly nervous and unsure of myself, and Josh was there to put me at
ease.
Tell us a little bit about your world. What
are your greatest challenges?
I’m on
the road wrestling about 300 days a year, so one of my greatest challenges is
maintaining my relationship with Josh. We don’t see each other all the time,
but we’re constantly talking on the phone and sharing photos. When Josh has
time off from work he comes on the road with me and we hang out before my
matches. It’s not easy (okay, it’s almost impossible) to have a “normal” home
life, but we do the best we can—and we make the most of the time we have
together.
Describe yourself in four words.
Sensitive,
strong, sexy, wiseass.
Do readers need to
be wresting fans to enjoy A Secret Match?
Nope!
Wrestling is the setting or backdrop to the main romance. Kelli wrote the story
in a way to help non-wrestling fans understand the moves, terminology, and
action. So they won’t be confused or lost.
Kelli
says the only difference between A Secret Match and other
contemporary gay romances is that the story is about wrestlers instead of more
“traditional” characters, like police officers, Navy SEALs, FBI agents etc. She
could have written a similar gay romance about another sport (like hockey or
basketball) but she chose wrestling because she’s been a life-long wrestling
fan, and it’s what she knows and loves.
Okay, tell us the
truth. Are the characters in the book based on real wrestlers?
Nope.
Kelli gets asked this all the time, and I’m here to say emphatically none of
the characters in the book are based 100% on any one wrestler. Kelli drew upon
her years of wrestling knowledge and took bits and pieces of different
wrestlers to create the people in the story. I’m drawn from at least five
different guys. Even Nick August isn’t completely based on a famous
“billionaire” wrestling promoter and owner. He’s close, but even he’s not 100%.
What do you and
Kelli think of wrestling’s popularity these days?
We’re
loving it! The wrestling world is getting lots of exposure and is certainly
part of popular culture. There has been a recent wave of wrestler biographies,
crossover shows featuring wrestlers, and wrestlers guest-starring on reality
shows. Maybe we started a trend, because now people want to see
behind-the-scenes shows of what goes on in the ring, out of the ring, and what
happens backstage that fans never know. It’s an interesting business, for sure.
Anything else you want to add?
Thanks
for letting me share my thoughts with everyone. I’m grateful to Kelli for
sharing my story with the world. And I’m pleased to help her promote it during
Pride month. A Secret Match isn’t just a “wrestling story” or a typical
romance loaded with sex scenes, it’s a sensitive, coming out story that
resonates with all types of romance readers; straight, gay, or whatever.
A Secret Match is a fantastic
story, and it’s Kelli’s favorite gay romance. Anyone who likes a good love story/romance should read
the book. And you don’t have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy the book. But you
might become one after you read it! (Laughs)
If gay
romances aren’t your thing, I urge you to check out the book that introduced me
to readers, A Deceptive Match. It’s a hot romance and a fun
behind-the-scenes look into the world of professional wrestling.
Kelli has
written romances in all genres—historical, paranormal, contemporary, gay, and
straight—but they all have two things in common—they’re all unique stories, and
they’re anything but boring! I hope you’ll check them out. I plan on reading
her other two gay romances, Four Days with Jack and Killer
in Wolf’s Clothing.
I invite readers to catch up on all of
Kelli’s romances and visit her on social media. If you missed a blog, you can
catch up here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/blog
A SECRET MATCH
Everett
Kinkade is a world-famous professional wrestler and the sexy heartthrob of
millions of adoring female fans. But Ev has a secret he doesn’t dare share with
anyone. He’s gay.
After years of being Ev’s secret lover, Josh is tired of hiding in the shadows
and wants Ev to openly acknowledge their relationship. Coming out is the last
thing Ev wants and fears it will ruin his career.
One night in a moment of truth, Everett outs himself on live TV. There’s no
going back, and his announcement sparks a firestorm of problems—both personally
and professionally. He’s forced to come to grips with who he really is while
facing down a manipulative boss and a tag-team out to destroy him.
Torn between living a lie and losing the man he loves, Ev has risked everything…
can he find a balance between his career and his heart?
Order
A Secret Match here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FERW65A
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/md6rZb
Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-secret-match
Don’t
miss the book that introduced Ev to fans… A
Deceptive Match:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F18X3XQ
All other platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/3RB96j
Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-deceptive-match
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning
author who has published more than 100 short stories, 20 romance novels, 7
non-fiction books, and 3 horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and
settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror stories.
She released Journaling Every Week: 52 Topics to
Get You Writing in
early 2021. This fun and innovative guide to journaling is filled with
hundreds of thought-provoking prompts designed to get you writing about your
feelings and emotions.
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.
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 for a full title list and to find all her social media
links.
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