Meet the Character Day: Chatting with Rothgar from The Viking’s Witch
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 Rothgar, the hero from The Viking’s Witch, a historical/paranormal romance from Kelli
A. Wilkins. Before we hear from Rothgar, let’s learn more about the book.
The
Viking’s Witch
Scotland,
803 A.D.
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 and be used for his
ambitions?
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 runs out.
Order
your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/%20ebook/dp/B07T15MHSW
Link to all other
platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4EQe0o
Welcome Rothgar. Can you tell us how you came
to the Orkney Islands and met Odaria, the heroine in The Viking’s Witch?
Ja. I was
sent there to look for my cousin, Orvind. His ship had vanished and my uncle
wanted me to find him. After we came ashore, I found Odaria hiding in a
gathering hall and I rescued her from an attack. To repay my kindness, she hit
me! (Chuckles.) It was a very unusual first meeting.
What’s your
story/back story? What was your life like before your author started pulling your
strings?
Before Kelli brought me and my fellow Norsemen to Stronsay, I was
living a very different life. Once upon a time, I was known as “Rothgar the
Ruthless” and I was a fierce and respected warrior. However, after my wife and
son died, I gave up raiding and traveling and was considered “soft” by many of
my fellow warriors. I was content to live on my farm and tend to my animals.
I’ll admit, when Kelli gave me this mission, I was reluctant to take it. But I
resurrected my stronger side and became a warrior once again. I’m glad I did,
because sailing to Scotland and meeting Odaria renewed my strength and
self-confidence, and gave me a second chance at a happy life.
You sound very noble. How would
you describe yourself?
A strong warrior who does not tolerate
disloyalty or fools. I’ll fight for a cause I believe in, but I cannot stomach
excess violence or abuse toward women. I’m a disciplined man who stands by my
word, and I expect the same from others.
What’s
your goal in this story?
When the story begins, my primary goal is to rescue
Orvind. After I met Odaria, I had another goal: to protect her from her fellow
Picts. Along the way, Odaria and I decided on a common goal: to bring her home
with me.
What
conflicts are you facing in the book?
I have conflicts everywhere! My fellow Norsemen are
reluctant to obey my orders; they want to raid the nearby islands instead of
searching for Orvind. The Picts refuse to cooperate and won’t tell me where
Orvind has been hidden, and they all want to kill Odaria. Odaria is also a bit
of a problem at times. She’s very headstrong and refuses to listen to me for
her own good.
What was
your first impression of Odaria?
I had never known a woman like her before—soft and tender one minute, then
feisty and fighting the next. I was impressed by her inner strength (she had
just been tied to a stake and nearly burned to death), and her ability to cope
with tragic situations. Later, when she wept like a frightened girl, I saw how
vulnerable she was deep down, and my heart melted.
What is it about Odaria that makes you crazy in a good
way?
She’s very strong-willed and opinionated and
likes to do things her own way, no matter what. When I first met her, this was
very frustrating and drove me crazy, because I knew what was best for her, and
yet, she fought me at every turn. Only later did I come to realize that all
these traits made me love her even more.
Who is
the one person you respect and trust the most?
Odaria has proven that she’s unlike any other
woman, and I trust her with my life. I have the utmost respect for her and know
that she will fight with me, and for me, if necessary. I also have great
respect for my berserkr friend,
Nordskog. His great courage and loyalty saved Odaria and me from certain death.
Do you sometimes want to strangle your author? Thrash her
to within an inch of her life for what she put you through in the book?
Yes! Over the course of the book, Kelli put
me through several very emotional trials. I had to discipline (and battle)
fellow Norsemen, contend with the local villagers, protect Odaria, and still
look for my cousin. It was a very exhausting few days, but I know that Kelli
did it all for a good reason. She brought Odaria and I together and changed our
lives forever. We’re both very happy now and quite indebted to Kelli for all
she’s done for us. (Although she could have made things a little easier!)
Thank you for your time, Rothgar. Before
you go, tell us a little something
about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?
On Kelli’s behalf, I’d like to invite everyone to visit her
website: http://www.KelliWilkins.com
blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/ and Amazon Author page: www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins to see all her writings. She has written several other great
romances in all genres (historical, paranormal, gay, erotica, and contemporary)
that readers will enjoy.
Thank you for letting me share my thoughts today. I hope everyone
who reads The Viking’s Witch will check out Kelli’s other romances. She’s
a talented writer and creates interesting stories that are hard to put down.
(And her heroes are all very handsome, too!)
Kind Regards,
Rothgar
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 5 horror ebooks. Her
romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her
horror stories.
She
released two horror shorts, More Than I Bargained For and Silent
Sentinel in 2021.
Her
non-fiction tale, “The Dog That Wouldn’t Bark” recently appeared in the Chicken
Soup for the Soul: My Hilarious, Heroic, Human Dog anthology.
In
January 2021, Kelli published Journaling Every Week: 52 Topics to Get You Writing. 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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment