Meet
the Character Day: Chatting with Luther from Loving a Wild Stranger
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.
Please give a warm welcome to Luther Dubois from Loving
a Wild Stranger, a historical romance by Kelli A. Wilkins. Today we sit
down and see what makes Luther tick.
What was your life like before
your author started pulling your strings?
Well, as readers may know, I
live in a cabin in the Michigan Territory. Up until I met Michelle, my world
was pretty much centered on tending to my daily chores, hunting, trapping, and
staying alive. The lifestyle I lead isn’t easy, and my greatest challenges
include what most modern, civilized folks take for granted: food, water, and
shelter.
I lived alone for several
years and learned to adapt to the harsh conditions. When Michelle became my
wife, she had a hard time adjusting. She’s from a very wealthy family in New
York and was used to a fancy house with lots of luxuries. When she came out
west, she wasn’t prepared for life in the wilderness and had to learn a whole
new way of living.
Please tell us
about your first-meet with Michelle.
I
thought she was pretty, and vulnerable. I felt sorry for her because she was
all alone in a strange place, and she seemed lost. I was thrilled when she told
me she was my mail order bride. I’d been waiting for one for so long, that I
couldn’t believe she had finally arrived.
Michelle
is a beautiful lady and I was honored that she’d be coming home with me. Of
course, once we got back to my cabin, things didn’t go the way I had imagined…
Michelle wasn’t expecting to live in a secluded cabin in the woods with a
stranger and that made her nervous and a bit annoyed… We got into an argument
and I wasn’t sure things would ever work out between us.
We
really got off to a bad start… If you’ve read the book, you know we had our ups
and downs, and it took a while for us to learn how to get along.
What’s
the one trait you like most about yourself?
I’m reliable. I take my responsibilities seriously, and I know how
important it is to be prepared for anything. But I also have a good sense of
humor and like to have fun.
What
do you like least about yourself?
Sometimes I’m very stubborn, and that’s gotten me into a few bad
situations.
What are some of your favorite things to do to pass the time?
I enjoy being outside as much as possible, so my favorite things
are hiking in the woods, swimming in the lake, or admiring a spectacular
sunrise. I’m part Ojibwa, and I have a great respect for nature and the
environment.
What is it about Michelle that makes you crazy in a good way?
How many can I choose? (Laughs.)
Michelle has been making me crazy from the minute I met her and brought her to
my cabin.
At first, it wasn’t always ‘crazy’ in the good way, but I’ve come to love her,
quirks and all. She’s stubborn and opinionated and likes to do things her own way—until
someone can explain ‘why’ she shouldn’t. Although at times that makes me crazy,
I admire her.
She’s a strong woman who has overcome a lot of obstacles, and yet
she also has a very passionate, feminine side that drives me crazy in a very
good, but very naughty, way!
Do you sometimes want to strangle your writer for the things she
makes you do?
On one hand, yes, absolutely!
My life would be so much easier and less complicated if Kelli hadn’t dropped
one bad thing after another on me. I’ve had troubles with the local townspeople,
I’ve been in jail, gotten into fights, nearly lost Michelle twice, had conflicts
with my family, and I was almost killed by a bear and a raging psycho. Thanks, Kelli!
Although Kelli always gets me out of these messes, it would be nice if things
were easy once in a while. However, I have to thank her. If it weren’t for
Kelli bringing Michelle and me together, my life would be very lonely.
Favorite food?
I’d say venison (or rabbit) with wild rice. Living in the
wilderness doesn’t offer a lot of exotic food choices.
Describe yourself in four words.
Loyal, honest, passionate, and
caring.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a trapper and trader, and
I make my living selling pelts and skins. I also make furniture and do wood carvings.
What do you fear the most?
One of my biggest fears is
losing Michelle. I already nearly lost her twice and she’s very precious to me.
I also sometimes fear that something could happen to me—and then I wonder, what
would happen to Michelle? But now that I’ve reconnected with my family, I have
their support, and I know that Michelle and I are going to be just fine for
many years to come.
Tell us a little something
about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?
Kelli
asked me to tell readers that she is an award-winning author who
has published more than 100 short stories, 20 romance novels, 5 horror ebooks, and
7 non-fiction books. She just released two new mysteries: More Than I Bargained For
and Silent
Sentinel.
She says readers can visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com to learn more about all of her
writings.
I can’t wait to read all of her historical romances. I want to see
what other interesting characters she has written about and follow their
adventures.
Thank
you for letting me chat here today. I hope everyone reads Loving a Wild Stranger and all of Kelli’s other romances. If you missed any
blog in this series, you can catch up here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/blog
Here’s the book summary and
links…
Loving a
Wild Stranger
A
woman running from her past… straight into the arms of an untamed man
In a moment of desperation, Kathleen Stanton flees her pampered
life in Kingston, New York and ends up stranded in a small town in the Michigan
Territory. Out of money and forced to rely on her instincts, she impersonates a
handsome stranger’s mail-order bride.
Committed to her deception, Kathleen calls herself Michelle and
starts her new life with Luther in an isolated cabin in the wilderness. Luther
can’t believe his luck when his beautiful bride arrives, but something doesn’t
feel right about his new wife. Michelle has terrifying nightmares involving a
man named Roger and is reluctant to talk about where she came from.
Luther’s friend, Redfeather visits and tries to convince Luther to send
Michelle back east. Distrusting Michelle, he warns Luther that his bride is not
what she seems. But Luther is in love with Michelle, and he is harboring a
secret of his own—one that might force Michelle to reject him when she learns
the truth.
Michelle falls in love with Luther and adapts to her new way of
life. Together, they face off against brutal townspeople and overcome harsh
living conditions. When they finally give in to their desires and agree to
become a proper man and wife, a dark figure from Michelle’s past resurfaces and
threatens to destroy everything.
Order Loving a Wild Stranger here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6M551H
All other
platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4N1DGN
Read reviews here:
https://www.kelliwilkins.com/loving-a-wild-stranger
Kelli made a Facebook page for her
historical romances. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/Historical-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1703805359922371/
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.
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.
She also released
two horror shorts, More Than I Bargained For and Silent Sentinel in 2021.
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.
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