Behind the Scenes: Loving a Wild Stranger (A Historical Romance)
By Kelli A. Wilkins
This “Behind the Scenes” blog is part of a
series examining my romance novels. In each blog, I’ll 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. Warning: Blogs may contain
spoilers.
Hi everyone,
Loving a Wild
Stranger is
one of my favorite romance novels… it’s also the first romance novel I ever
wrote. A long time ago when I was taking writing classes, I told my instructor
that an idea for a story had popped into my head, but I didn’t know what to do
with it. I was writing short horror fiction at the time, and the idea wasn’t a
horror story.
The premise seemed
simple: a young woman runs away from home and impersonates a stranger’s mail
order bride. My writing teacher said, “That’s a romance. Write it and see what
happens.”
So I wrote the
book… and discovered I liked writing romances (and I was pretty good at it).
From there, other romance ideas came to me, and I wrote those books, too.
That’s how my romance-writing career began. All from one idea.
One of the things
that inspired me to write Loving a Wild Stranger was the interaction between the
characters, Luther and Michelle. They come from very different backgrounds and
at first don’t get along at all. Michelle is an independent, outspoken young
woman used to getting her way in the “civilized” world, and Luther is a lonely
“mountain man” looking for love.
As you can
imagine, they clash over the course of the story and have several major
blowups. When Michelle agrees to the “marriage” arrangement for a month, it
raises a lot of questions: Does she truly care for Luther? Can she live in the
wilderness? Will she stay after the month is over? How long can she keep up her
charade?
Deception and
trust are two main themes in the book. Michelle is lying to Luther about her
past, her true identity, why she’s on the run… and Luther is keeping his own
secrets from Michelle. When these bombshells are revealed, it nearly tears them
apart. Can they ever trust each other completely?
When I wrote the
book, I did a lot of research on the setting and what life was like back then
(how people lived, what they ate, how they dressed) to contrast Michelle’s
“city” way of life with Luther’s rugged existence.
I also researched
trappers, fur traders, and Native American culture of the time and region to
build authentic details into Luther’s lifestyle. I wanted to pull readers into
Luther’s world, so they could experience the story and events as Michelle sees them.
And I’m proud to
say that I succeeded! One reviewer had this to say:
“This book has the
potential to be made into a movie. It took over my life. I ignored everyone and
everything. Nothing was going to interrupt my time with Luther. Sigh…Luther,
what a dreamy hero. I envied the heroine, Michelle. Loving a Wild Stranger reminded me of the 1970s
T.V. show, Grizzly Adams – one of my
favorite childhood television shows.
I recommend this book and
will be keeping it on my keeper shelf. I was thoroughly entertained throughout
the story. I would love to switch places with Michele and spend the rest of my
days with Luther if I could. I would recommend reading Loving a Wild Stranger while relaxing by a
lake!"
That “Grizzly
Adams” feel was exactly what I was
going for!
I love Luther and
Michelle. They’re my “first couple” and no matter how many romances I write,
their love story will always have a special place in my heart.
I hope you’ll fall
in love with them and their story as much as I did. Loving a Wild Stranger is
a fun blend of love and adventure in the wilderness.
Here’s the summary:
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
I made a Facebook
page for my historical romances. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/Historical-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1703805359922371/
Read
reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/loving-a-wild-stranger
I hope you enjoyed this look at the making of Loving
a Wild Stranger. I welcome
comments and questions from readers. Be sure to follow my blog for the latest
updates and visit me on social media!
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, and 6 mystery/horror
ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare
readers with her horror and mystery stories.
She released The Route 9 Killer, a
mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in early 2023.
Her paranormal/mystery romance, In
Another World, was published in 2022.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her
website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.
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